Will British Royal Wedding Pull Nation Out Of Malaise?

Global Post:

NEW YORK -- Britain's old malaise, the creeping national crisis of confidence and purpose that has afflicted the country once in every generation since the end of World War I, is back.

Read the whole story: Global Post

Comments

[JohnTy]

A very silly and superficial article. Surprised that Huff post reproduces it.

Worth remembering that much of the news media that comes up with the royalist nonsense - and the anti-European and pro - American propaganda which has got us into two wars that the British people have never wanted - is owned by none other than the proprietor of Fox News.

[arvay]

Britain is a warning -- what happens to a nation after it exhausts itself with colonialism and stupid wars.

After WWII, America literally owned Britain -- which ran up huge debts to us before it recovered from the losses and financial strain of WWI. When Britain and France invaded Suez in 1956, president Eisenhower triggered the resignation of the PM and a pullout with a single phone call.

This is the root of our "special relationship" with Britain. We own it.

No wedding of the Twithood will reverse the damage. Britain is a society in serious decline, which has to send its kids to fight in America's blunders, scarred by rampant alcoholism and violent soccer gangs -- a new barbarian scourge in Europe.

Americans -- see your future unless we reverse course. China already owns our debt. We are exhausting our resources in pointless wars. Think of the healthcare system, infrastructure upgrades and free education we could have paid for with the money we've poured into the abyss in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Look at bankrupt California and see the future, before it's too late.

[deluk]

"Violent soccer gangs" You're about a decade out of date, you have to go to continental Europe to find those these days, we've moved on to Meditterranean Resort Trashing.

As for the US "owning us". The UK is the largest foreign investor in the US, ahead of both China and Japan, so it looks like WE own YOU.

Concerning the rampant alcoholism, 'twas always so, Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dickens all wrote of it.

I totally agree with the bit about silly wars though.

[arvay]

I apologize for not keeping up with the latest barbarism. And let me be clear, my own country's history is rampant with barbarism such as lynching, which didn't actually end that long ago.

British companies may represent the largest bloc of foreign investors here, but the information I've been able to gather indicates we've got significantly more invested in Britain. Not sure, however, that this is the best measure of control. Certainly China's huge ownership of our federal debt is much more critical than, say, British investment in US stocks.

From news reports, the drinking has gotten much worse -- gaining on the Russians. Not that we lack drinkers and druggies, but seemingly not to the same extent.

My purpose, however, was not specifically to poke Britain with a stick, but to illustrate what happens to post-colonial nations that waste national resources and morale on stupid wars.

Much is being written about the end of American hegemony, and to good purpose. Frankly, we need to stop trying to sustain hegemony, that's what does in most empires eventually.

The Continentals seem to have adjusted nicely, with social systems that more or less nurture their populations and avoid large military outlays. Euroforces were notably unable to keep up with US military technology in the Balkan war, and I count that as the result of them being smarter than we are with their investments. France, for example, largely disassembled its nuclear forces.

[KIVPossum]

Might be good for the economy. I remember at the Knoxville World's Fair, the British exhibit had nothing, nothing at all about the nation. It was only a sales floor for Charles and Di wedding memorabilia.

[TheBaffler]

If some celebrity function is all it takes to lift you from your malaise, your malaise couldn't have been that profound.

[Wildwood]

I'm glad the Brits have their national pets but I don't see any reason to care about them. Why they choose to pamper these intellectually and morally challenged twits completely escapes me.

[Ceregene]

Marry someone that's hot and will always remain hot.

~ Don't marry her, marry me.~ :)

[KarateKid]

He'd better get some Rogaine.

[fcsakes]

I'm glad to see the royals haven't changed much - they still think their obscene extravaganzas make the empty bellies of their 'subjects' feel better.

They are as out of touch with reality as our politicians.

[jnutlfam2]

Sad isn't it? Really superficial.
The government should try using truth and honesty for once. The shock to the public will certainly pull them out of the doldrums. America too for that matter.

[vyfareon]

Superficial it may seem to us, but the Royal Family and properties are big business in England. I was just in London and the lines to enter the palaces were long.

They are proud and rightly so of their form of government.

Lets also not forget that a royal wedding would further boost tourism and the economy because someone has to provide all the "trimmings", souvenirs and the like.

[GunneraGirl]

they could still have tourists lined up for buckingham palace if they got rid of the royal family and moved them to council housing somewhere.

[sonoffestus]

.................let them eat wedding cake!

[jasev01]

Come to the 21st C and get a republic.

[deluk]

Yeah ok!!

If you get healthcare for all and get rid of all those evangelists we can march into the 21st century together!!

That would be nice.

[jasev01]

Ha, ok fair deal

[Charles NYC]

While we are at it, let's get food for all, housing for all, cars for all, .... what else do you want for all?
Do you understand what is the difference between a right and a good?
You have the right to your life, liberty and freedom.
Everything else is a Good!!!!!

[GunneraGirl]

sure! you want to dump a big load of cash on us the same way we did to you, so you could pay for your social programmes?

[harriettubman]

Puleeze, no more cold, loveless Royal marriages that allow 3d parties. Charles & Diana's marriage was a spectacle.

[deluk]

A tragi-comedy in fact.

[coastalcarla]

So now we'll have a British "Bill and Kate" to obsess over for awhile? lol

[OdysseusNemesis]

What Malaise? Blame the foreigners – as the British always do.