The UK - How do we Measure Up?

[Mr T.]

It's true to say that we are not perfect, indeed, we do, as a nation, have our problems, be they social or political; guess we just have to be thankful that we're able to bitch and moan about it to our heart's content - and remove the offending articles (the government of the day) via plural elections on a regular basis if we either get sick-n-tired of 'em: a responsibility we have enjoyed well throughout the last 50-odd years, where other 'less happy nations' may not have been so fortunate.

One element I find astounding is just how poor a grasp of European History (outside the stock norz of the Nazis - who pale against offenders like Stalin); that being the case, I give you, goodly YD'ers, the ten-bob guide to some of the highlights of our European cousins of the last 50 years.........


* Spain has gone from being a fascist dictatorship (under General Franco) via an absolute monarchy (where the monarch both rules and reigns, no questions asked) to a parliamentary monarchy (similar to the UK), with a failed military coup d'etat in 1981 and perennial republican agitation.

* Greece, a monarchy until 1974, experienced seven years of dictatorship under 'the Colonels' after 1967, followed by an abortive naval mutiny and the proclamation of a republic - demanding that the former Royal Family go into exile whilst, without a penny of compensation, declaring that all former royal properties are now assest of the state - in any other language, theifery and daylight robbery.

* The Soviet Union has collapsed, spawning eight new republics and seven dictatorships of varying severity.

* Yugoslavia has fragmented, via three murderous wars, into six republics, two of which are effectively sub-divided into smaller states.

* East Germany has disappeared. No tears here for Herr Erik Honiker or the Stasi, although Vale the 'Trabant'!

* Belgium has had three constitutional dispensations, each seeking to find a new balance between the component ethnic groups, i.e. the Walloon/Flemish and the French speaking factions.

* Czechoslovakia has been through the 'Prague Spring' of 1968, renewed Russian occupation immediately after it, the 'Velvet Revolution' of 1989 and the eventual partition of the two states in to today's Czech Republic and Slovakia (the Slovak Republic).

* Portugal has moved from Right-wing absolutism via a brief flirtation with Left-wing absolutism to republicanism, with six provisional governments in the immediate aftermath of the 1974 revolution.

* Poland, after the 'Solidarity' unrest of 1981 and the eventual overthrow of the Communist regime has just re-elected the former Communists.

* Bulgaria, after Communism and democracy, has just elected its former King as Prime Minister (he's just returned after being sent into exile in 1946). And als, he went into the ballot asking the good people of Bulgaria "Give me 100 days to sort the norz..." - political commentators knew immediately that this was somewhat of a forlorn and the former King subsequently, to no one's surprise, went ahead and made a complete James Hunt things, including a number of state-sponsored 'Pension' scheme..which turned out to be Pyramid Selling scams.....Oh dear.

* France has had two republics, one unconstitutional change of government, one near-revolution (1968) and the farce of the last presidential election (where the choice was between a crook and a fascist). We won't even begin to talk about how General De Gaulle twice succeeded in keeping Great Britain out of the EEC/EU in the 1970s to suit his own ego - and this after the UK gave he and the Free French government political asylum, residence and sanctuary in London during the unpleasantness of WW2. That man's sins are too legion to list here. But hey, instead of getting onboard to try and address terrorism, France goes an bans head-scarves on Muslim girls attending state schools! Entente Cordiale - my arse.

* Italy (are you sitting down for this?) has witnessed 52 (yes, you read that correctly!) governments since the end of WW2, four high-profile political assassinations and the criminal indictment of dozens of ministers and two former Prime Ministers - to say nothing of the litany of failed coup d'etat or the all pervasive Mafia. They are now run by a guy who only manages to stay out prison by the skin of his political gerrymandering and dissembling, and via punting his view of world events on virtually all broadcast and published media in the country......because he owns 90% of it!


So, when you think about it, there is a lot to be said for the stability we enjoy/have enjoyed these last five decades.