Touching From A Distance

Liberal democracy is a great thing. You can say what you want, act how you want, are protected by the state and when necessary are provided for by the state. One of the evils it has produced is hippy culture. Every idea produces some reactionary group, which is basically formulated out of the positive points of the political ideas, and taken a step to far. Hippies, take the idea of social democracy a marathon to far.

Social and liberal democracy is probally one of the least selfish and all encompasing ideas out there. You are expected to work hard and play hard, pay your taxes, and in return the money is usually spent for the betterment of the worse of classes in society, through free education, health care, a police force to ensure the streets are safe, well cared for roads etc. Hippies' ideas of social equality is to dismantle this well thought and and productive system, so the rich no longer pay taxes, the poor no longer have free access to health care, no police to make sure the streets are safe (and it's substanially the working classes rather than the upper ones who are the victims of crime).

Ideas of peace and unity are all too well in a world were everyone thinks the same way... but I'm afraid the organizers of Glastonbury don't think the same way as the organizers of concentration camps in North Korea, or the organizers of public beheadings in Saudi Arabia. And as long as people in the world who believe in either revolutionary political ideas or dogmatic theocratic ones, then the need for an army from Western nations continues. In fact, it's probally thanks to the British, French and American military superiority and influence in the UN that they're not living in a Gulag, being fed a bowl of rice a day, working a 15 hour shift in a field and being put against the wall and shot. Like it or lump it, George W Bush cares more about your right to live the way you do and say what you say than the juntas in North Korea or Syria.

And as for drugs, I'm sure most people who have read this have tried some form of soft drugs... but we quite rightly don't believe it to be a way of life or a constructive way to Saturday afternoon. There is a lot of injustices in the world, genocide in Darfur, suppression of democracy in Burma and Nickelback number 2 in the charts, when my band couldn't get a record deal, but these terrible evils will not be solved by taking so much acid you imagine fairies are cooking you dinner, nor will they.

The best way you can help the world is to put down the bong, trade in your VW camper van, don't believe in any form of religion and especially crazy Indian ones, work hard, pay taxes, give to charity, look after those in your community, start a pressure group, because no ammount of ganja you smoke is going to help your buddist monk friends in Tibet.

The claws of religion have been sunk into the body of modern Britain, and though bloodied there is still life in this animal yet. The time for idle pandering and rhetoric is over, no, its attacker will not be beaten by diplomacy and concessions.

For the first time in years, Dr. Rowan Williams' Anglican Church has finally hit the nail on the head concerning religion and culture and its place in modern Britain, despite it being a counter-productive one for the Bishop. His 'Sharia' comment is a valid one, and with endless appeasement and pampering to relgious minorities (I say minorities because Britain is now essentially non-religious) then it won't be long till Islam has a place in the British legal and political systems. And to be honest, who can blame some Muslims in Britain for wanting a way for Islamic Law to settle their social disputes, when Jews and Christians can do the same.

Since the end of The Second World War, and the defeat of facism is Western Europe, Britain, along with most of its European counterparts, have been dedicated to creating a system which no longer relies on doctrine, authoritarianism and prejudice. A society was created which destroyed traditional oppressive hierarchal structures of governance, and one placed its importance on the individual rather. One where an individual can live the life they choose, with freedom to practice what they think and believe, without state or society interference. The power of the once dominant Christian Churches fittered in away in Europe, as the populations became educated, and with the help of science, arts and reason, began to question, realising that life is one to live as we choose, with no constraints as long as others are not harmed. Europe became united on these principles of human respect, making nationalism moribund, and since The Second World war there have been no others in Western Europe.

The turn of the millenium a new wind of radicalism entered Europe, one which was largely unknown, but since the time of Christendom it was seen frequently as 'the other', Jihadism. After the fall of the Shah and establishment of a theocracy in Iran, the defeat of Arab Nationalism and the Muhajadeen kicking the Soviets out of Afghanistan, Islamism has been an appealing political idea to many young, dissilusioned Muslims across the world, but nowhere was it as strong as oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

In Britain, Mosques built with tacit agreement from our governments, have been struck with the vile illness of Wahabbism, the Saudi doctrine of hatred and intolerance. It is one which leaves moderate Muslims and non-Muslims at risk, a doctrine which promotes, no, demands, a compulsary obligation to violently attack those who don't believe in the desert-based Medievil laws of Muhammad ibn Abd-Al-Wahab. Terrorism and violent attacks have become a daily threat for all people in Britain, regardless of age, race, gender or religious beliefs, since this idea took hold in certain areas of Britain.

This aggressive attack on our beliefs and ideas must be dealt with in a similar aggressive maner, but a purely European one of articlulate debate, gloves off no longer afraid of insulting the feelings of people because they believe in centuries old scriptures. Dawkins and Hitchens are correct in this arguement, and the more people who are exposed to such articulately put arguments, the weaker the case of radicalism stands.

Since Dr. Rowan William's speech we have seen Britain turn in this direction. Society and the media are not attacking individual Muslims for their beliefs, but turned their attention to why Sharia should not happen in Britain, as it would leave Muslim womens' rights in the hands of an un-elected and male-dominated ulama, acting on scriptures which makes a clear differenciation between the rights of man and women.One where a woman is worth less than a man, one where it is permissable to beat her for disobedience, one which shamlessly supresses the individual dreams and wishes for living the life, choosing the husband and following the career she wishes.

There will never be stoning of adulters on the streets of Burnley, and amputations of thieves' hands in Bradford, but the threat of extinguishing the flames of feminism (and one which was started by the suffragettes in Britain) is at threat. The idea of human liberty, which for decades Europe has pursued as the basis of which we live our lives, can be easily displaced due to cultural and relgious sensitivities. The time for action through debate is now, to keep the blood of liberty pumping through the veins of Britain once again.