WHISTLING DIXIE!

  Dec 8, 2020 9:29 am Stephen Day 1120

WHISTLING DIXIE!

I NEVER cease to be amazed at the bizarre nature of much of what we call “news” these days. It isn’t so much that I disagree with many of the attitudes it reflects, but rather that I find the bulk of it totally unbelievable. “That can’t be right!” being my overwhelming reaction.

Please suspend your own belief systems for a while and read these quotes. See what you make of them: “Drunkenness was attacked vigorously and great numbers of ale houses were closed”. “Christmas excited the most fervent hostility” because celebrating it encourages “carnal and sensual delights” (whoever wrote that must have been to a 1970s office Xmas party). Certain phrases are banned, for instance – uttering “God is my witness” or “Upon my life” will result in a fine. 

This next quote sounds frighteningly believable : “Soldiers were sent around London on Christmas Day to enter private houses without warrants” (presumably to stop the “sensual delights” in their ungodly tracks). Consequently “everywhere was prying and spying” (on one another). “May-poles were hewn down, lest dancing around them should lead to levity”. There’s more – “all forms of athletic sports, horse racing and wrestling are banned” and “laws seeking to remove all ornaments from male and female attire” (gender neutrality incarnate) are introduced. “Betting and gambling are forbidden”. All this rings a few bells, now doesn’t it? 

Actually, these quotes are from Winston Churchill’s “History of the English Speaking Peoples”. They are just one step from describing the politically correct world that our modern media reflects. In fact, they refer to England in 1650 and describe life under Lord Protector Cromwell. Perhaps all the proof we need that society is marching backwards into the future? Don’t believe me? Consider this – the proposed

Scottish “hate crimes” law includes the threat of up to seven years in prison for simply saying something somebody else judges to be “offensive”. What’s the betting that won’t include the constant anti-English bile that pours out from the SNP? Talking of that lot of embittered self-deluders (do we have to?), did you see that the “independence” fixated Nicola Sturgeon has just banned Hogmanay? Yes indeed, she has. (I suppose that will be England’s fault as well).

The UK has even reached the ludicrous situation where it is necessary for one Andrew

Marr to warn people that “The Crown” is a fictional drama, not fact. He wants Netflix to broadcast such a disclaimer before each episode is transmitted. Quite right too, but how sad is the necessity? One UK textbook publisher (Pearsons) has even announced it is to “flip harmful gender stereotypes” (presumably, in future, girls will all be weightlifters and boys will want a Barbie Doll for Christmas). Totally, stark-staring bonkers. As cartoonist Paul Thomas recently pointed out “on the fifth day of

Christmas, the PM said to me, that’s enough fun for this year”. Your cartoon said it all

Paul, didn’t it?

It gets worse. UK Home Secretary Priti Patel is apparently “a bully” (perhaps that’s no bad thing, given the long line of limp-wristed, ineffectual liberals who have inhabited the post for decades). Perhaps the average Joe might welcome somebody willing to “bully” rapists, burglars, knife-carrying hoodlums, bogus asylum seekers and murderers? I suspect so. Sir Philip Rutman, her senior Home Office civil servant, was a little more sensitive. He resigned, accusing her of “creating a climate of fear” for the staff. Poor things, how could they cope? What would Sir Humphrey of TV’s

Yes Minister have thought of them? (I suspect that might be unprintable these 

days, as well). For goodness sake, Sir Philip, man up! (Can I say that?)

If my reader thinks that, by now, I’m running out of examples of normality that are now considered “beyond the pale”, he’s wrong. I should explain. “The pale” refers to the small area around Dublin that medieval English Kings actually controlled when they claimed to be the King of Ireland (any normally loveable Irish folk upset about me mentioning this fact, please write to the editor, not me).

Here goes. Anglo-Irish band, The Pogues, made a Christmas classic with Kirsty MacColl, entitled “Fairytale of New York”, which has been played every Christmas for decades. This year, in line with all this PC nonsense, the BBC has decided to edit out certain “offensive words” when they broadcast it. 

You’d think The Pogues would be furious with the BBC, wouldn’t you? Afraid not, they saved their anger for actor and free speech campaigner Laurence Fox, who condemned the BBC for their censorship. The Pogues told him to “f**k off”

(apparently, that’s no longer “offensive”). 

If that’s not normality turned on its head, I don’t know what is. Ironically, it is the likes of Laurence Fox who will defend the right of The Pogues to say (or sing) what they like. It’s a pity they don’t afford the likes of him the same freedom. Neither, it appears, do the BBC.

Every day, the UK press is increasingly dominated by such mind-boggling nonsense.

Nothing is sacred anymore, except so called “woke values” that have nothing to do with either freedom or the right to say what you think. All that the average, bewildered, patriotic Briton has spent a lifetime taking for granted, is being pulled down before their very eyes. It beggars belief. 

The fact I can freely write a column of this nature, here in the TRNC, a land ironically viewed by the world as being “beyond the pale”, is a stark reminder of how badly

British society has gone off the rails. In the lush dining rooms of Kensington and

Chelsea, what I write would be viewed as offensive and hateful. 

In towns from St Austell to Kirkcaldy, most folk share my despair. They are just afraid to say so. I never thought I would see the day when to say what you think is a crime. Finally, if anybody here thinks I should apologise for saying so, they can go and “whistle Dixie”! Now, that should really upset them. I do hope so.



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