For those who long for the 'old days' their longing will be forever and unsatiated. The new 'British Chrysalis' is still forming but won't die or go away.
So what are the ingredients that have brought about the chrysalis and what kind of butterfly will emerge?
For me the essential ingredients are:
1.the modernisation of the cities and towns and the increase in dormitory surrounding suburbs.
2. The British rural towns, villages, farms and wilderness
3. The replacement of major industries such as car manufacture, coal mining, steel production etc with the new micro industries of computer technologies, world banking etc.
4. the changing face of the British population, from single culture dominance to mulitcultural growth
Are these mixable ingredients that are capably of producing a beautiful new British butterfly?
Well we have to live with them all that's for certain but I don't believe they necessarily need to mix.
City and large town life has always been distinctly different from country life. City and town dwellers appreciate the British countryside and use it from time to time. the country dwellers likewise with the cities and towns. This distant relationship will no doubt remain so. But the relationship is not without its own tension. Although the British countryside is prided and used, it remains financially poor and under - serviced. The cities and towns get the lion share of the tax distribution. For my money there does need to be a more equitable share. England without its countryside would be dismal, unattraction and a barren land. Maintenance of a national treasure, the British countryside, must be paid for with good hard cash and plenty of it.
The changing face of British industry is something we cannot necessarily control ourselves. We are part of the global market and are deeply affected by what happens in the bigger world. All modernised western countries are experiencing a shift of industry as they transfer their own internal industries off shore to reduce costs. This is a process we need to learn to live with and harness to our benefit. Again we cannot bring back to the major industrial giants we once had.
And finally but certainly not least the changing face of faces. From single culture to multiculture. Where will this take us all in the new Britain?
At present the vast majority of immigrants to Britain congregate around the major cities and larger towns and are found in much smaller numbers in rural Britain. So the divide between cities, towns and countryside remains both historically and culturally and may stay like this for some length of time.
Occupations and easier living conditions are found in the cities and towns not the countryside. When travelling throughout the British Isles, this contrasting scene is very obvious. Travelling through the countryside reminds one of the 'old days' with little change and very few 'multicultural faces'.
The cities and towns are the places which have experienced major change and trauma as all attempt to re-adjust to multicultural life. And it is taking much effort and commitment on the part of everyone. Religions clash, cultural behaviours clash, living styles clash and ideologies clash.
The change and what it becomes will only be clearly seen in several decades on. It is impossible to predict what the final outcome will be, but what is certain is that there will be an outcome for the better or worst.
So what are the ingredients that have brought about the chrysalis and what kind of butterfly will emerge?
For me the essential ingredients are:
1.the modernisation of the cities and towns and the increase in dormitory surrounding suburbs.
2. The British rural towns, villages, farms and wilderness
3. The replacement of major industries such as car manufacture, coal mining, steel production etc with the new micro industries of computer technologies, world banking etc.
4. the changing face of the British population, from single culture dominance to mulitcultural growth
Are these mixable ingredients that are capably of producing a beautiful new British butterfly?
Well we have to live with them all that's for certain but I don't believe they necessarily need to mix.
City and large town life has always been distinctly different from country life. City and town dwellers appreciate the British countryside and use it from time to time. the country dwellers likewise with the cities and towns. This distant relationship will no doubt remain so. But the relationship is not without its own tension. Although the British countryside is prided and used, it remains financially poor and under - serviced. The cities and towns get the lion share of the tax distribution. For my money there does need to be a more equitable share. England without its countryside would be dismal, unattraction and a barren land. Maintenance of a national treasure, the British countryside, must be paid for with good hard cash and plenty of it.
The changing face of British industry is something we cannot necessarily control ourselves. We are part of the global market and are deeply affected by what happens in the bigger world. All modernised western countries are experiencing a shift of industry as they transfer their own internal industries off shore to reduce costs. This is a process we need to learn to live with and harness to our benefit. Again we cannot bring back to the major industrial giants we once had.
And finally but certainly not least the changing face of faces. From single culture to multiculture. Where will this take us all in the new Britain?
At present the vast majority of immigrants to Britain congregate around the major cities and larger towns and are found in much smaller numbers in rural Britain. So the divide between cities, towns and countryside remains both historically and culturally and may stay like this for some length of time.
Occupations and easier living conditions are found in the cities and towns not the countryside. When travelling throughout the British Isles, this contrasting scene is very obvious. Travelling through the countryside reminds one of the 'old days' with little change and very few 'multicultural faces'.
The cities and towns are the places which have experienced major change and trauma as all attempt to re-adjust to multicultural life. And it is taking much effort and commitment on the part of everyone. Religions clash, cultural behaviours clash, living styles clash and ideologies clash.
The change and what it becomes will only be clearly seen in several decades on. It is impossible to predict what the final outcome will be, but what is certain is that there will be an outcome for the better or worst.
No comments:
Post a Comment