Root causes

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Last updated on March 6th, 2018 at 12:30 am

Theodore Dalrymple, about to retire after 14 years treating members of Britain’s thieving, stabbing, face-tattooed, jail-bound underclass, contemplates evil:

If the welfare state is a necessary condition for the spread of evil, it is not sufficient. After all, the British welfare state is neither the most extensive nor the most generous in the world, and yet our rates of social pathology—public drunkenness, drug-taking, teenage pregnancy, venereal disease, hooliganism, criminality—are the highest in the world. Something more was necessary to produce this result.

Here we enter the realm of culture and ideas. For it is necessary not only to believe that it is economically feasible to behave in the irresponsible and egotistical fashion that I have described, but also to believe that it is morally permissible to do so. And this idea has been peddled by the intellectual elite in Britain for many years, more assiduously than anywhere else, to the extent that it is now taken for granted. There has been a long march not only through the institutions but through the minds of the young. When young people want to praise themselves, they describe themselves as “nonjudgmental.” For them, the highest form of morality is amorality.

There has been an unholy alliance between those on the Left, who believe that man is endowed with rights but no duties, and libertarians on the Right, who believe that consumer choice is the answer to all social questions, an idea eagerly adopted by the Left in precisely those areas where it does not apply.

Please read on. And speaking of British welfare

An extremist London cleric is using live broadcasts on the internet to urge young British Muslims to join al-Qaeda and has condoned suicide terrorist attacks. Omar Bakri Mohammed, who has lived in the UK for 18 years on social security benefits, pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden and told his followers that they were in a state of war with Britain.

A civilised nation would treat this cleric as Ray treats characters from Web comics. Take a hike, Omar.

Posted by Tim B. on 01/17/2005 at 10:58 PM
    1. “There has been an unholy alliance between those on the Left, who believe that man is endowed with rights but no duties, and libertarians on the Right…”

      That is my view exactly. I hope Dalrymple doesn’t retire from commentary as well.

      Posted by C.L. on 01/17 at 11:12 PM • #

 

    1. I have lived in London for the last six years and am not surprised by this lunatic’s recent utterings. He is a well known fixture of the Hate Club over here who are allowed to say and do pretty much what they like…. except on Thursdays when they all run down to the DSS to collect their cheques. They are the filth of mankind and, to quote loosely from a recent Muslim uttering, how blessed would be the bullet that passed between their eyes… blah, blah.

      A left wing attitude mixed with political correctness and the bleeding heart liberals for the last 20 years (essentially the picture outlined by Dalrymple above) has served to create a counrty where the asylum seeker is king and the local population live in fear of crime, terrorism, Europe, spin and the next lunatic idea to decend from the Government. Is it any wonder that your average Brit is turning to neo-Nazis styled parties for help. A right-wing backlash is in the making right across Europe. Mark my words. Jihad is coming but not from the Muslims; it will come from the average man/woman in the street who have simply had enough.

      Posted by Karl Fidel Adams-Kingston on 01/17 at 11:34 PM • #

 

    1. “This lunatic’s recent utterings”, “well known fixture of the Hate Club”

      For a dreadful moment there, I thought you were talking about Theodore Dalrymple, the Cassandra of modern Britain.

      Every once in a while I think life is quite tolerable over here (nice friendly people in my middle class suburb, excellent food shops and good wine readily available from France – a brief journey away), then I read a piece by Dalrymple on the ghastliness of the British lumpenproletariat and I wonder if I’m living in a cocoon.  I fear he’s right.

      Posted by rexie on 01/18 at 04:47 AM • #

 

    1. EVEN a scum like BAKRI is useful to the British public , if only to alert BRITONS to the evils of the “peaceful religion” whose wonders are so often plugged by the BBC and other Media that are intent on the destruction of british society.
      Perhaps as a result , the Brits will give themselves an education and read the books of Bat Ye Or , Robert Spencer, Bernard Lewis, and the brave Muslim Apostate writers who live under constant threat of slaughter.
      I am told that the only brit infidel who is safe in Britain, is ROBERT FISK, who has been given immunity by Osama himself.
      But is’nt he Irish?
      iN the meantime the Brits will have to do battle with the enemy within- namely their media and left wing intellectuals and politicians who are a veritable fifth column worthy of lord HAW HAW.
      Was,nt he Irish too ?

      Posted by davo on 01/18 at 05:52 AM • #

 

    1. Mr. Dalrymple once wrote that Britain has imported all of America’s vices and none of its virtues.

      It seems that Britain is going down the tubes fast (no pun intended). Britain was once the most civilized nation on earth. In his fine book The Abolition of Britain, Peter Hitchens (Christopher’s brother) laments the slow, inexorable decline of his beloved country, which is the Britain I remember from my travels. What a shame.

      Posted by Butch on 01/18 at 05:53 AM • #

 

    1. Amazingly, Bakri’s comments were not reported by the BBC 6PM news nor, so far, has Chanel 4 said anything. This does not surprise me.

      Both news reports, however, made the Education Report on Religious Schools their main headline.

      The rule: If Muslims attack the UK, don’t report it – if the government attacks Muslims (albeit justly), make it front page news.

      Rexie, yes it is a great place to live but I fear Butch is right. This place is truely going down the gurgler. I, too, live in happy middle class London and love it but I look forward to heading home to Oz soon and to a country that does not tolerate the lunatics that Dalrymple talks about (well, less so anyway – there will always be Margo) nor the Bakri variety either.

      Posted by Karl Fidel Adams-Kingston on 01/18 at 06:16 AM • #

 

    1. Update – Not a word of Bakri from Channel 4.

      Posted by Karl Fidel Adams-Kingston on 01/18 at 06:25 AM • #

 

    1. “Omar Bakri Mohammed, who has lived in the UK for 18 years on social security benefits, pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden and told his followers that they were in a state of war with Britain.”

      Dole, Bananas

      Posted by Jim Treacher on 01/18 at 06:32 AM • #

 

    1. This defeatist attitude in the UK appears to be shared by Govt; in a report of an inquiry into the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of infectious disease by the Science and Technology Select Committee they start their recommendations by saying

      “We acknowledge that infection cannot be conquered”

      The rest of the report falls down; compare this with the US recommendations on health policy to take “aggressive and decisive action beyond what is now in effect” and Japan where policy makers are more even more determined and will use the law to bring down the rates of disease.

      Posted by rog on 01/18 at 07:20 AM • #

 


    1. In an interview with Geoff Metcalf author Peter Hitchens describes the loss of personal freedoms and national power and independence in the UK, to be replaced with those of the invisible state.

      Future shock?

      Posted by rog on 01/18 at 08:32 AM • #

 

    1. Excellent post Tim,

      I got sweet talked into giving a short address on a relevant topic for Ayn Rand’s 100 Anniversary 2 Feb – and today I have to submit a synopsis before start of business (Tuesday 18 Jan) – Theodore’s comments gave me an idea – up at sparrows here in Perth.

      Just in case, Ayn Rand was no Libertarian identified by TD in his article.

      Posted by Louis on 01/18 at 09:04 AM • #

 

    1. “A civilised nation would treat this cleric as Ray treats characters from Web comics. Take a hike, Omar.”

      Ouch!!!  Now I have a new excuse not to draw any more comics at Keenspot.

      Posted by Sortelli on 01/18 at 09:55 AM • #

 

    1. There seems to be a whole slew of these Islamic monkeys, living off Western taxpayers and using Western technology to incite violence against…THE WEST! Go figure! The worst of these would have to be the head of the barbarous Ansar al-Islam, who while living comfortably in Norway, commands his followers to attack Westerners and Western interests everywhere. Apparently the virtues of logic and reason aren’t as highly valued in the Koran as are those of wanton murder and destruction!

      Posted by Brian on 01/18 at 10:53 AM • #

 

    1. Brian, I’d also say that the virtues of logic and reason are not very highly valued in countries that allow these wankers to prosecute their war against the non-Muslim world while pigging out on welfare benefits from the taxpayers they aim to kill or subjugate.  It’s a bit like Britain and France subsidizing the subversive activities of Nazis or Communists during WWII and the Cold War.

      “Oh yes, it’s true that Herr Schmidt is an SS officer trying to foment anti-Jewish gangs and sabotage aircraft factories in Britain,” said Mr. Appleby, “but that’s no reason to deny him DSS payments is it?  That would be unfair, the regulations don’t mention it as a reason for denial of benefits, and there is no room on the form for writing ‘enemy of Britain’ as a reason for denial of benefits.”

      Posted by Michael Lonie on 01/18 at 12:21 PM • #

 

    1. The Death of Common Sense

      Posted by yojimbo on 01/18 at 01:52 PM • #

 

    1. I love the way these extremist clerics lead from the rear.

      Posted by kae on 01/18 at 02:02 PM • #

 

    1. Kae � It’s like all those 60-year-old colonels the Iranians have commanding the suicide bomber volunteers…

      Posted by richard mcenroe on 01/18 at 04:06 PM • #

 

    1. He’s been living on benefits for 18 years. What happened to having to look for work?

      If you let people sit on their backsides and pay them, sooner or later they will have to cause trouble just to amuse themselves.

      Just stop his benefits, he’ll soon change his mind.

      Posted by EU Serf on 01/18 at 09:56 PM • #

 

  1. Theodore Dalrymple is a grumpy ole blow-hard that whinges so much he becomes a bore. He is good at finding problems but generally blames the wrong people and rarely if ever offers practical solutions.  Like Max Hastings, I will be glad when TD finally clams up.

    Its looks like the CPS is finally going to look at the behaviour of Bakri. He was on the 1 o’clock news today he was bleating about having his privacy invaded by the press.

    Posted by Andrew Ian Dodge on 01/19 at 01:34 AM • #