Moaning, Groaning Whinging British Style

 

British Rule of Six

Britain already has a rule of six: grousing, griping, moaning, groaning, whingeing and wailing:  so says Jeremy Clarkson in the Sunday Times of September 20 2020

“In the run-up to the last general election we were all assured, many times, that the Conservatives had an “oven-ready” deal on Brexit. But it seems that, when they opened the packaging, they found that actually it was full of mould, subterfuge and razor blades.

Like everyone else in the world, I cannot get my head round the detail of the issues, but, also like everyone else in the world, I’m aware of the fact that to solve it, Britain says it may have to break international law. And, naturally, this has caused all sorts of wailing, with everyone explaining that if we openly go down this road, it will shatter our reputation around the world for fair play, cricket and decency.

Except the qualities usually ascribed to the British are really just a rose-tinted historical view and bear little resemblance to modern Britain – so sayeth Jeremy Clarkson.

Is he right?

There is little doubt that the British do have an over-inflated opinion of themselves. Just look at Brexit. The main driver was the idea that we can do very well without the rest of the world. Really? In 2020?

Back to Clarkson, who recounts the story of the WWII raid on St Nazaire where one of the soldiers, interviewed after the battle said, “I remember Johnny Proctor lying there, leg blown off, cheering us on . . . “ Clarkson says this is the idea of the British we like to most offer the world. Stiff upper lip, keep calm and carry on – but is it correct in 2020?

Churchill’s rousing rhetoric about the bomb-ravaged East End still sounds impressive today, but maybe the chaps digging in the rubble were just trying to find their dog or pieces of their gran? Back then no-one was recording the thoughts of the working class.

He saves his real bile for Twitter. Perhaps, he muses thousands objected to Brunel’s plans for the GWR. Same for the M1 – but down at the Dog and Duck who would listen? Now with 24 hour Twitter we hear every squeak of complaint about HS2 hi-speed railway.

Could the Aussie’s have been right all along – the British are just a bunch of Whinging Poms?

He hopes so, so we can ditch the British stiff upper and idolized fair play and do what the Greeks do – We put our masks on so we can concentrate fully on ignoring everything the EU says.

No prize for guessing where his sympathies lie.