Joan Collins: Britain Destroying Itself from Within

UK Daily Mail, Drudge Report ^ | 4 August 2005 | Joan Collins

[Senator Goldwater]

BRITAIN DESTROYING ITSELF FROM WITHIN

BY JOAN COLLINS UK DAILY MAIL THUS AUG 04, 2005

A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within, said the American historian Will Durrant about ancient Rome. This self-destruction of values is exactly what is happening in England today.

Yes, I still call the country of my birth England, in spite of the peculiar political correctness that insists that it be called 'the UK' and that we, its denizens, must be 'Britons'.

Even though the Welsh are proud to call themselves Welsh, as are the Irish and certainly the Scots, woe betide the Briton who calls himself 'English' -- a much-frowned-upon no-no.

I believe that when a country loses so much respect for itself that it can no longer even be identified by its historically correct name, insecurity and lack of respect filter down to its inhabitants.

Recently, I have concluded that London is no longer the 'seat of civilised society' that the world once considered it to be, and is certainly not the safe city I grew up in.

A particular incident demonstrated the lack of respect and manners that is but a small example of the horrible, encroaching decay of the country that I love dearly.

My husband Percy and I were at a ball at the Grosvenor House Hotel -- a black-tie event attended by the socalled 'elite' of the city.

As Percy held the door open to let me through, a 6ft tall, middle-aged, horse-faced male pushed past me, trod on the hem of my dress and rushed outside to climb into the taxi that the doorman had waiting for us.

This was a person who should, or at least looked like he should, have known better. The cause of his behaviour? The awful pervasive disregard that we have for civility today.

Bump accidentally into someone in the street these days and you are soundly cursed. Look at a poor derelict collapsed in a doorway for more than a second and they'll spit at you. Surely everyone has experienced the barely suppressed rage lurking behind the faces of a vast number of car drivers.

We've become the 'Whatcha lookin' at?' culture. Why do young people consider it cool to be arrogant, swaggering and rude? Why do so many people in England seem so cynical and self-centred?

I witnessed young, drunken yobs roaming the streets kicking cars, screaming insults, pushing people and even pushchairs out of their way, attacking each other viciously and then turning on the police when they tried to maintain order.

THE WHOLE scene evoked the image of hordes of inebriated Vikings sacking devastated towns. Even during the day, feral mobs roamed the cities with absolute disregard for anyone else's property or well-being. Traditional virtues of male chivalry and female propriety were very far from view.

After all, a lack of manners and politeness in a society can only be a reflection of what the society thinks of itself.

It's frightful how being told that you are no good makes you hate yourself, and hate others. And it's frightful how quickly a whole country of self-loathers can be bred.

[goldstategop]

The ACLU loves sex, jerks and terrorists in no particular order. To get to where we are now, normalcy had to be defined down. And of course at the same time, deviancy is being defined up.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[claudiustg]

---"A 6ft tall, middle-aged, horse-faced male pushed past me, trod on the hem of my dress and rushed outside to climb into the taxi that the doorman had waiting for us"
Teddy, or Chris Dodd?---

Prince Charles.

[oprahstheantichrist]

"...Her sister Judy, is a best-selling author. "

Jackie Collins is the author. Judy Collins is a sixties hippie singer.

[SevenofNine]

Come think of it your Denny Crane sig line is right on money on that

Come think of it was Denny Crane try get his groove on with Joan Collins back on set of Star Trek LOL!

[goldstategop]

Yobs? Must be Brit slang for nabobs. Its like a scene out of The Lord Of The Flies. How utterly wretched!

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[goldstategop]

Oops... thanks for the correction. Yes, Jackie Collins is her sister. The two are accomplished professionally, one an actress the other an author.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Thinkin' Gal]

As Percy held the door open to let me through, a 6ft tall, middle-aged, horse-faced male pushed past me, trod on the hem of my dress and rushed outside to climb into the taxi that the doorman had waiting for us.

Teddy, or Chris Dodd? <<<

[Brett66]

My favorite episode:

[skr]

a 6ft tall, middle-aged, horse-faced male pushed past me, trod on the hem of my dress and rushed outside to climb into the taxi that the doorman had waiting for us.

Only a male could push someone who looks like Ms. Collins aside. Certainly no man would.

[Windsong]

"The same thing is happening in the USA.

Old news. People have been rude here since the country was founded.

[vpintheak]

Welcome to socialism and the do-whatever-makes-you-feel-good culture.

[snarks_when_bored]

As Percy held the door open to let me through, a 6ft tall, middle-aged, horse-faced male pushed past me...

Joan oughtn't to be talking about Prince Charles that way...

[Enchante]

"6ft tall, middle-aged, horse-faced male"

That would be John 'Vichy' Kerry???? I always think of him as a "horse-face"......

[DoughtyOne]

The woman is right on target. I don't single out the English though. Both England and the United States are imploding.

[SevenofNine]

They were showing that on Sci-fi channel other day

That episode kick a*** you know who wrote that episode Harlon Ellison who also wrote classic episode for Outer Limit Demon with Glass hand and I Robot

[Lori675]

Isn't Joan married to some guy who's 35 years younger then her.

[drjimmy]

The London that Joan Collins is describing is really no different from when she was a child. Here's a passage from a book written around that time:

"The street was very narrow and muddy, and the air was impregnated with filthy odours. There were a good many small shops, but the only stock in trade appeared to be heaps of children, who, even at that time of night, were crawling in and out at the doors, or screaming from the inside. The sole places that seemed to prosper amid the general blight of the place, were the public houses; and in them, the lowest orders of Irish were wrangling with might and maim. Covered ways and yards, which here and there diverged from the main street, disclosed little knots of houses, where drunken men and women were positively wallowing in filth; and from several of the doorways, great ill-looking fellows were cautiously emerging, bound, to all appearance, on no very well-disposed or harmless errands."

[JohnBovenmyer]

I concur. The best episode overall and the best written episode. The best woman Kirk ever chased was the one he had to let die. My only complaint is the soft focus often used on her. It wasn't needed! Joan Collins was flawless in sharp focus.

[Liberty Valance]

"Rack Alexis Carrington Colby Dexter"

bumparooni... [:o)))

[kaehurowing]

From the "Will There Always Be An England?" File . . . .

(Apologies to New Yorker Magazine.)