George MacDonald Fraser

On 5 January 2008, George MacDonald Fraser, author of the Flashman novels, was quoted thus in The Daily Mail:

"The philosophy of political correctness is now firmly entrenched... At its core is a refusal to look the truth squarely in the face, unpalatable as it may be...

The selective distortions of history, so beloved by New Labour, denigrating Britain's past with such propaganda as hopelessly unbalanced accounts of the slave trade, laying all the blame on the white races, but carefully censoring the truth that not a slave could have come out of Africa without the active assistance of black slavers, and that the trade was only finally suppressed by the Royal Navy virtually single-handed.

No generation has seen their country so altered, so turned upside down, as children like me born in the 20 years between the two world wars. In our adult lives Britain's entire national spirit, its philosophy, values and standards, have changed beyond belief...

The United Kingdom has begun to look more like a Third World country. Shabby, littered, ugly, run down, without purpose or direction, misruled by a typical Third World government, corrupt, incompetent and undemocratic.

My generation has seen the decay of ordinary morality, standards of decency, sportsmanship, politeness, respect for the law, family values, politics and education and religion, the very character of the British...

It's the present generation... I feel sorry for. They regard themselves as a completely liberated society when in fact they are less free than any generation since the Middle Ages. Indeed, there may never have been such an enslaved generation, in thrall to hang-ups, taboos, restrictions and oppressions unknown to their ancestors (to say nothing of being neck-deep in debt, thanks to a moneylender's economy).

We were freer by far 50 years ago - yes, even with conscription, censorship, direction of labour, rationing, and shortages of everything that nowadays is regarded as essential to enjoyment... We could say what we liked; they can't. We were not subject to the aggressive pressure of special interest minority groups; they are.

We had no worries about race or sexual orientation; they have. We could, and did, differ from fashionable opinion with impunity, and would have laughed PC to scorn, had our society been weak and stupid enough to let it exist. We had available to us an education system, public and private, that was the envy of the world.

We had little reason to fear being mugged or raped... Our children could play in street and country in safety. We had few problems with bullies because society knew how to deal with bullying and was not afraid to punish it in ways that would send today's progressives into hysterics.

We did not know the stifling tyranny of a liberal establishment, determined to impose its views, and beginning to resemble George Orwell's Ministry of Truth.

Above all, we knew who we were and we lived in the knowledge that certain values and standards held true, and that our country, with all its faults and need for reforms, was sound at heart.

Not any more. I find it difficult to identify a time when the country was as badly governed as it has been in the past 50 years. We have had the two worst Prime Ministers in our history - Edward Heath (who dragooned us into the Common Market) and Tony Blair. The harm these two have done to Britain is incalculable and almost certainly irreparable...

There may well be more who think like me than the liberal Left establishment likes to think... Among the middle-aged and people in their 20s and 30s there is a groundswell of anger and frustration at the damage done to Britain by so-called reformers and dishonest politicians who hardly bother to conceal their contempt for the public's wishes."

Not just me, is it?

Trouble is, George, this 'groundswell', who do they vote for when a General Election rolls around? Huge numbers are still voting for the 'stifling tyranny' of 'a liberal establishment, determined to impose its views,' I'm afraid. Too many who may well agree with everything you write here, are still placing their cross in the box marked tyranny.

I'm afraid I no longer care for such folk. For the terrible changes that our enemies have wrought upon our society to occur, the 'majority' had to acquiesce. This they did. They are still doing so.

More here.