The Scum of the Earth

Max Hastings discusses the feral youth looting Britain's cities.

Once upon a time, the "scum of the Earth" (as Wellington once described his troops' origins) could at least be trained to fight for God and King. They became something more than they could have on their own.

Now, coddled instead of disciplined, the modern scum of the Earth just roam the streets preying on the innocent. They have no use to society or for it, and plunder it when they can. Usually with checks and subsidies from the state. And now directly with fire and bricks to steal from businesses.

UPDATE: I suppose the point I'm making, and I should just be direct about it, is that the scum have been around a long time. The difference is the society around them and how it deals with the scum. Back in the imperial age, one could send the scum off under harsh discipline in the army or Royal Navy to forge and defend an empire. Britain can't do that now, of course.

But having failed to find a way to use the scum of the Earth and give them a purpose today, the British official society and government have simply convinced themselves that they aren't scum at all. But they are the scum of the Earth, as the looting shows.

Britain must change their society to cope with the scum rather than indulge them by subsidizing and encouraging their behavior. Yes, once upon a time the British people--including the scum--answered the call to arms and died in appalling numbers in horrible conditions in the trenches of the Western Front in World War I. The British government that sent them into that killing machine made a promise to repay that debt and began the cradle-to-grave welfare system they have today. That bargain must end. There will be no more "over the top" ordeals for the British. And the people who receive the current benefits wouldn't go over the top for God and Queen unless they could grab some consumer electronics while they are there.

Britain has the capability to change. You can see the potential in the stories and pictures of people who build things (including immigrants) defending their property (even without the tools--i.e., firearms--which the government has denied them) and you can see the potential in the people (including young people) who organized to clean up after the scum of the Earth.

This can still be Britain's finest hour.

UPDATE: But resistance to change will be vigorous. The military-industrial complex is a bunch of kindergarteners compared to the dole-guilt complex that defends the motives of the looting bands of thugs roaming the land.

Oh, and I apologize for the New York Times for their attempt to revive the "why do they hate us?" line of thinking that absolves the violent haters for their actions. It's not Britain, it's them.