July 13, 2005

‘propah’ for a reason

it’s all falling together now. what impresses me is the speed with which the police and scotland yard authorities are operating.

what also impressed me is how, in spite of being very private individuals, the english have all stood together, calm in the time of need. today, they are even defending those who will remain vulnerable in this country for a long time to come.

i came across two articles that sum up why the british cannot change their way of life. the first is andrew sullivan’s essay which points out:

Stoicism? Sure. It’s a characteristic of an island where weather is a verb, where in a tiny, crowded place, patience is necessary. Americans, used to an entire continent of limitless potential, tend to have less need for stoicism. If they hate where they live, they often move somewhere else. If Brits move more than a few hundred miles, they’re in the sea.

and tunku varadarajan’s editorial (through india uncut):

The secret of British composure is that Britons really do feel proud of their civilization. On the whole, they apologize for very little, which is as it should be. Their message to terrorists is always likely to be straight and robust: “How dare you! I’m British!”

given the latest debates in my head about my life in england, this has been a new education.

right. now for some tea. earl grey, anyone?

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