[pjc50]

Poor country through which a lot of wealth passes, or is held. But there's also a lot of very British defeatism. A sort of squashed spirit which is against the possibility that things might be better, because then they'd be different. And of course the easy blame on foreigners.

I do think there used to be more middle class public/civic pride, and you can see this in some places that have retained it and cleaned themselves up. I see the various "transition towns" (Totnes, Bristol etc) as one way forward: they have a vision of a future involving local people, not just a vision of the past.

> Our local library had to be closed due to lack of funding recently. A library. What kind of 3rd world behaviour is that?

Closing things down in order to avoid having to put up taxes is extremely first world behavior now.