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The United Kingdom of the 1930s was well meaning, not lacking a sense of principle. The appeasement of Adolf Hitler was motivated not by apathy, nor a lack of moral principle, but a genuine desire to avoid ‘The next great war'. This was understandable as a child born on the day the 'great war' ended (11/11/1918) was soon going to be old enough to die in ‘The next great war'. Quite understandably, the country wanted peace, and abandoned the policy only when it was 100% certain that all of Germany's legitimate grievances had been addressed, and it was abundantly clear that Hitler was no statesman, but a power craving megalomaniac, and that nothing short of force would stop him.
But the United Kingdom of the 2020s is a very different place which not even Sr Winston Churchill could relate to nor defend. It is a country which has lost all sense of society as a certain Margaret Thatcher would have wanted, where all sense of solidarity has broken down, as has community cohesion, and one where all semblance of compassion and common sense has long since flown out of the window. And one which resists change for the sole sake of resisting change. Where it is everyone for themselves. A country which, for example, places social status before individual merit. An example of this would surely include the dogged determination to retain the television licence, despite it having lost all relevance decades after the BBC ceased to be the sole provider of radio and television services, regardless of whether people actually use its services, and despite it being glaringly obvious to all with an I.Q. over 30 that it is nothing more than an irrelevant fossil relic from a bygone age. This example gives some insight into the mindset of the majority (which would, for example, account for rejection of electoral reform or the reform of the House of Lords).
For the most part, mass apathy reigns unchecked, social cohesion has long since been abandoned, political correctness’ hampers the efforts of the police, and the system as a whole serves not the needs of the many, but the whims of the privileged few. Why else then are your qualifications less important than your social background (and even where you went to school)? I rest my case.
It's not as good as it used to be, in my opinion. But such judgements are always relative. Compared to a lot of other places in the world, yes, it is still a relatively good place to live and raise children.
Here we have universal free education for children up to the age of 16. Even up to 18, if they choose to continue their education. But our education system does not condition our children to achieve high expectations, nor does it enable them to achieve their full potential.
We also have universal free health care for everyone. But it can be difficult to get an appointment to see a doctor, and it is commonplace to wait many months to see a consultant in hospital. You can wait years for an operation.
We have a welfare state here. That means no-one has to endure absolute poverty, in theory. You don't have to work to eat, like you have to in some countries. This has some disadvantages, as you can probably imagine. Some people do exploit the system.
Life here for working people is not easy. We have to work ever harder, doing more work in less time, working to ever-increasing productivity targets. Our noses are kept to the grindstone. Transport costs are ridiculously expensive, as are housing costs and utility bills. Pay, especially in the public sector, does not keep pace with the cost of living.
Most people are busy looking out for themselves and their families. Most people care nothing for their neighbours. There is little sense of community here. Many are intolerant, uncivilised and lacking in compassion. Life here feels like a rat race, and (for many) that is exactly what it is.
The roads in our towns and cities are congested and full of potholes. Our streets are often dirty and unkempt. Of course, the same can be said of many other countries.
Our traditional industries went to the wall a generation ago. Maybe that was inevitable, but the end was not pretty. Our image of ourselves as the crucible of the industrial revolution was shattered.
We seem to have lost our way in the world. We are looking to find a new place for ourselves in the order of things, and we seem to be making it up as we go along. We still think we can punch above our weight, and few others agree with that.
Life is getting harder for most of us here. The same is true of most places in the world. If you are one of the privileged few, life is good, and that is true everywhere. I don't see the UK as exceptional any more. It is neither exceptionally good nor exceptionally bad. I am not complaining. I was born here, and this is my lot. But I know our children will have it harder than we did, and that does not feel good.