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EACH DAY A JOY
Colin Miles, a Brit living in Charlotte, North Carolina, writes to Mark Steyn:
Like you I deplore the corrosive effect of multiculturalism. I agree with you - radical Islam is a contagion. I also believe that ‘moderate Muslims’ are, as the silent majority they profess to be, complicit in their silence. They have no broad desire to assimilate; their culture’s one drive is to metastasize.
I live in the South in modest circumstances. Each day God sends is a joy – I catch my breath at the politeness and gentility of everyday life, and the innate goodness of the people I have the good fortune to meet every time I go to the store or fill up with gas.
It’s the same thing in Australia – whenever I have had the privilege of visiting I have been struck by how much Australia has stuck to its values and continues to do so. The complete and utter absence of bullshit is exhilarating.
And as each day passes I realize with deep sorrow how much multiculturalism has damaged, and is close to destroying, my beloved old England. As you have mentioned before, “Fings ain’t wot they used ter be”.
National pride hides in the closet in England. It is the love that dare not speak its name.
One or two years ago I was sitting at the bar waiting for my flight from Charlotte-Douglas to the UK. Two or three bar stools away from me a couple of guys in their late forties were chatting good-naturedly about the merits of their respective homelands. I could only just make out that even though each of them spoke excellent English, English was neither’s first language - their command of the tongue being the result of hard work, dedication and a desire to assimilate.
One of the guys was a proud American, and the other a proud Australian, and I am convinced that neither knew the other was not born Australian or American. When they left for their flights there were warm backslaps, genuine handshakes and mutual compliments about the greatness of each other’s country.
How proud those guys were. How proud they deserved to be. How proud their adoptive homelands rightly are of them.
Beautiful note. Meanwhile, Austin Bay and Glenn Reynolds interview Steyn about his excellent new book.
I don’t know how Colin can denigrate his native land so much. He obviously needs positive reinforcement about his ethnic heritage. So it’s obvious that he should instead be protesting that bangers and mash isn’t on the menu and demand a separate class for his children where they can be taught proper “u” insertion into words like labour and colour. And if the other kids refuse to study with him, or call him “Pip”, or worse yet, “Frenchie”, then they should be locked up just like this bint:
http://tinyurl.com/uyszj
(Via LGF.)Posted by andycanuck on 2006 10 13 at 01:07 PM • permalinkStill plenty of overt patriotism and love of country and pride in being an American (not all co-terminous, I know) in western Illinois, where I grew up. Not so much (but still some) in the Detroit Metro area where I now reside.
Posted by JorgXMcKie on 2006 10 13 at 01:13 PM • permalink#1 91B30, Hello neighbor! I am a native Tar Heel (North Carolinian) but am living in South Carolina at present, actually about one hour south of Charlotte. N.C. does have a long proud military history and is home to the giant military bases you mentioned. (I’m partial to Camp Lejeune - my dad was stationed there, I taught at the high school there, and my son was born in its host city of Jacksonville). But I digress, I’m not sure why their isn’t the more over patriotism you mentioned. I think it may be that it is just understood/known and perhaps people don’t feel it necessary to show it. But don’t get ‘em riled, or you’ll see all that pent-up patriotism come out. LOL!
Jorg-it was different in Australia. Every symbol of Australia’s military history was noted with a “lest we forget”. Most Americans don’t even notice, much less acknowledge, those same symbols here.
Australia’s national military museum has no American match (though there are many excellent military museums at battlefields and on bases-and I’ve been to many of each).
A good many of those who visit Arlington will walk right past the graves of Medal of Honor recipients or famous flag officers without noticing. It may not be that we don’t care, but that we are largely clueless (which isn’t much better). I got a distinctly different impression in Australia.
I’ve always been proud of being an American. My father had been to war in Europe and said until the day he died that we didn’t know how lucky we were to be born in America. Of course, being born in Texas had the small drawback that you didn’t know whether to proclaim yourself a Texan first, or an American first. ;-D
As a charter member of the North Carolinians’ Mutual Admiration Society, permit me to offer ya’ll a hand full of howdy and a mouth full of much obliged! Say, 91B30, have you ever heard of Albemarle? It’s about 40 miles east of Charlotte, and the homeland of the Paco clan; my hometown, as a matter of fact. We’ve even got a family graveyard with a bunch of dead Pacos from the Civil War.
#10 91B30, Yep, we live in Columbia. We like it here, nice place. We see all the fresh Army graduates every week (used to be every Thursday, but they’ve moved it to Fridays). I’m always been moved when I see a new batch of recruits arriving at the airport (the poor “What the heck have I done?” faces) or a new group of graduates all starry-eyed taking their families around the mall. I’m sure you remember. BTW, whereabouts in NC do you live. I have roots/family/friends all over NC.
Paco-of course!!! I still occasionly read the Charlatan Disturber and they talk about Albemarle from time to time (I personally have never been there, but I have been close-Salisbury, Concord, Matthews, etc).
BTW-Gomer says hey :-)
I am in Morganton-though I am going to have to run-going to Kingsport for drill.
The example of the schoolgirl arrested for racism in Manchester for wanting to speak english in her own school is another example of the stench and decay that pervades Britain today. Hatred for Americans and Bush is everywhere. Just wearing a tshirt with “I love America” is putting yourself in danger of being called a fascist or even a beating.
I noticed the decay of self destruction started by the marxists who run education and the media back in the early nineties.
Britain is committing suicide, there’s little doubt about that. Read melanie’s ‘Londonistan’. its far worse than in the 1930’s when most of the establishment was busy kissing Hitler’s butt and had to call in that troublesome little man, Winston Churchill to bale it out of mess they had dug themselves in.
This time there will be no Churchill and besides the enemy is within and not without and includes a vast proportion of its own indigenous population.
THANK GOD FOR AUSTRALIA!Growing up in Chicago, I was surrounded by an amount of America-loathing that reached toxic proportions by junior high. My parents raised me right and Republican, so it was always a bit of a struggle to deal with the fact that people all around you considered your party Nazis or worse.
Nevertheless, I’m proud to be an American and thankful that this country is what it is. Sometimes the loony Left gets me down, and I’ll joke about leaving the country to go live in the Himalayas and herd goats, but I don’t think I’d ever do.
A lot of the nutballs don’t seem to realize that they’re lucky to even be in a country that allows them to run it down. Queers for Palestine wouldn’t last five minutes in Palestine proper.
USA and OZ: bastions of sanity.
Posted by Tungsten Monk on 2006 10 13 at 07:05 PM • permalink#7 Ladcraig, it is my belief that the typos insert themselves after you click the send button.
Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2006 10 13 at 07:08 PM • permalink#20 So true, Davo.
National pride hides in the closet in England. It is the love that dare not speak its name.Very sad.
They went off the rails when the Tories threw out Maggie Thatcher for being too much of a leader -look at this great party now - run by a Chamberlain..In 2001, just after 9/11, I had to put up with a an Anti-US rant by a complete stranger in Lincoln. He didn’t even know I was an Australian and so had my own point of view.
He was hopelessly ignorant, scared of WWIII, and parochial.So in 2005 I wore a baseball cap with an obvious Australian Football emblem. In 4 weeks there, the only person who recognised it and was friendly because of it was an American [in the Cotswolds!].
We both agreed that if anyone dared to question our Governments’ positions on Iraq we would ‘kick some ass’!
Gosh, that made me snuffle. From pride for the US and Oz and sorrow for England, one of my ancestral homes.
The other day, a woman and I seated next to one another in a waiting room were looking through a travel magazine and chatting about the various destinations. She remarked that the best part of travel for her was coming back home to the good old USofA. She said, “I was born in Germany and I can tell you, there’s no place like the US. There’s no place that even comes close.” (Since Australia was one of the destinations we discussed, I know she hadn’t been there—obviously.) When she was called to her appointment, rather than goodbye her last words to me were “God bless America”.
And just because I don’t want to feel left out, my family has been in North Carolina since the 1600’s, my parents met at Ft. Bragg and I was born in Rocky Mount (delivered by the first female obstetrician in Nash Co).
Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2006 10 13 at 07:15 PM • permalinkYeah Barrie agreed. it is very sad indeed. as an expat pom its easier to see the decay every time you go over to pomland.
The BBC is like some Stalinist broadcasting outfit, where you go to jail if you do not pay the BBC tax even if you never watch the drivellinf marxist propaganda.Soon it will be a crime not to submit to its indoctrination.
The Government embraces Muslim fanatics who shout about destroying britain and turning it into the caliphate and the media purposefully ignore all the Islamist filth coming out of the Mosques,Arab TV and the mouths of honoured guests of Ken Livingstone.
Muslims and their leftist slaves burn the British flag and the Christian Cross in Hyde Park whilst the police make sure that no true Brits interfers with their activities. They shout for the murder of the pope and no one is even arrested. Now they want to sack Tony blair for being too much like Maggie who stood up for British values even if her choice of men was atrocious.
Prince Charles parades in Muslim clothes and camilla wears the burkha. True Brits laugh at him as do the muslims who see him for what he is- another useful idiot.I think i’ll go out for a surf to cool down!
#25 Kyda, I’m really missing my N.C. home now. And you are from the area my grandmother grew up in. She was from Nash Co. in a community called “Samaria.” My uncle lives in Spring Hope. I remember going to their festival, pumpkin? I have always been fond of that beautiful part of the state. Do you still live there?
Okay, I’m probably going to be slammed for hijacking this discussion with my North Carolina homesickness but I was just wondering if anyone else from the middle/eastern part of the state remembers this phone book t.v. commercial jingle (came out when North Carolina only had two area codes, I believe):
Operator, give me 9-1-9, I need a Carolina voice on the end of the line…
Sure, parts of N.C. might be O.K but Lumberton is not one of them. I still have scars from the bedbugs.
Where’s that freaking comet that’s been promised? Just a little shove and I can get it to drop in on the Motel 6 just off I-95.
Posted by joe bagadonuts on 2006 10 13 at 08:45 PM • permalink91B30
Did you get to the War Museum/Memorial in Canberra? It’s amazing.The “Lest we forget” is part of the ode to the fallen:
Lest we forget….
Poem by Laurence Binyon
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is a music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncountered:
They fell with their faces to the foe.They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn*.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end they remain.They shall grow not old….as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn*
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember themANZAC Australia New Zealand Army Corps
* “contemn” original interpretation for “contempt”Kipling’s Recessional hymn is always sung at Anzac Day ceremonies.
Wiki Ode of Remembrance info.kae-yep, see post #9. On advice of some from this site I ditched the national museum and headed to the military museum. It was really cool, but I wish the post WWII section that they were working on in the basement would have been open.
Actually-despite Tim’s kind hospitality-Canberra was my favorite part of the trip.
You’ll doubtless be interested to hear that after an overnight phone conversation with George Bush, John “Adamantius” Howard told Melbourne radio that if the United Nations Security Council placed sanctions on North Korea, then Australia would help out by sending Australian warships to blockade DKNY…wait…DPRNK, NKPR…you know, that place where the lights aren’t on despite all those reactors.
Go you good thing, JoHo!
Posted by MentalFloss on 2006 10 13 at 09:45 PM • permalinkYes Kae australia and India may yet become the refuge of spoken english in years to come.
For those tearful expats who cannot resist the trip back despite all the idiocies of the mother country, here’s another idiocy when planning your trip. Don’t Fly British Airways.
A Christian woman has been banned by British Airways for wearing a small cross necklace to work - while muslims and sikhs are allowed to wear headscarves and turbans.
No crosses please, we’re British!#35, Barrie:
BedbugsBedbugs are nasty little bloodsuckers akin to fleas and ticks. Any US serviceman that’s lived/worked in a 3rd world nation will be familiar with them to some degree.
Other Americans may become familiar with the nasties through traveling in our more rural areas, such as that big empty void that extends from the rockys eastward to the coast.
91B30 - Strange to hear an American envy our patriotism. The thing I’ve always envied about the US was your overt patriotism! Guess you notice different things when you don’t live in a place.
Believe me, it’s only since John Howard came to power through a crushing military coup, if I remember correctly, that love of country and flag has been brought back into vogue. A new column of young Australian’s not only love their flag, but also their countries institutions and heritage. Anzac Day is now the most sacred day on the calendar and our flag is now burnt by islamofascist’s, which means we’re on the right track.
Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2006 10 13 at 10:40 PM • permalinkBarrie: according to this article, Australians have lots of opportunities now to experience bedbugs right there in the comforts of their own homes.
Grimmy: actually, bedbugs are a rising problem all over the US, not just in the “rural areas”—which I’ll bet you are probably cleaner than the dirty, dirty cities: “They gave up and moved out of their apartment in New York and eventually moved back to their native Memphis, Tenn. Benton said the bugs essentially drove them out of New York because they couldn’t sleep knowing the bugs may be anywhere.”
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 10 13 at 10:48 PM • permalinkladcraig—No, I live in California. The only reason I was born in NC is because my mother went home to live with her mother during the war (WWII—The Big One). My father (a Yankee!!) moved us up to New York before I was three months old. But I have been going to Rocky Mt and the Outer Banks all my life—my, how they’ve changed.
Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2006 10 13 at 11:10 PM • permalinkIt gets worse, Grimmy. If you go too far north: no wagons (except for the odd Red River Cart) and smoothbore muskets. When times are rough, the inhabitants obtain rations the traditional way.
Cheers
Posted by J.M. Heinrichs on 2006 10 14 at 12:51 AM • permalinkLovely words in the article.
Still, I’m 10 miles from Lakemba, Sydney and sometimes I’m not sure the picture is so rosy. And its worrying to hear that UK and Europe is such a worse situation.
Hopefully, at least, problems there at least will be wake-up call to those in USA and Australia.
Also, let’s not forget New Zealand - they may have half the population of the New York subway system in peak hour, but I think they have a fair bit of common sense there. (PM Helen Clarke apart!)
#13 “a bunch of dead Pacos”
I’m sure I’ve encountered the Mexican branch of Pacos, commonly referred to as the ex-Plosive Tacos?
*refers to stained and ancient genealogy charts*Posted by carpefraise on 2006 10 14 at 03:32 AM • permalinkMy autographed copy of America Alone arrived yesterday. I turned straight to page 152 after reading the prologue. As you do. Crikey. My lips are sealed but Steyne is right of course. But I can already see the two and one-half somersaults with twist and brain smack at WD, once one of them claps his beady little eyes on this one.
I’ve been making a similar point for over 30 years about what would happen if the Palestinian terrorists ever achieved what they say they want.
But I’ve already said too much. Not another word from me and anyway it’s getting late here. Nighty night all. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.
As a North Carolinian, I can only say how much I love the Brit-com “Last of the Summer Wine”. But I fear the world it depicts really IS the last of England’s summer wine - the disconnect between that and the British political-correctness horror stories that hit the news with ever more unnerving frequency is extremely depressing.
If I may muddle my metaphors, the Shire needs a serious Scouring and right quick.
We’ve even got a family graveyard with a bunch of dead Pacos from the Civil War.
Hmm. What was Wronwright mumbling about the other day?
Something about not being able to take a Barret .50cal back to the US Civil War to bag ALL the Paco’s, so he could get promoted??
Paco, might be worth checking out the Tardis’s temporal activity logger…..
MarkL
Minionmeister to the VRWC
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I live about an hour northwest of Charlotte which is a fair sized city, but still has some southern charm (not like Atlanta-death to the Falcons).
One thing that I really envy about the Aussies (which I really don’t see here in the U.S.-even in this very red state) is an unabashed patriotism, publicly expressed. When I was in Sydney and Canberra early this year, riding the tour bus from place to place you would always hear the driver of guide remark “Lest we forget” when passing a patriotic or military memorial-whether it was a statue of some significance or just something like a bridge named in honor of some campaign or regiment.
North Carolina has a long military history stretching back to the revolution and has both Ft. Bragg and Camp LeJeune within its limits, but you rarely hear that kind of sentiment publicly expressed.
I was genuinely struck and impressed by it in Australia.