Britain: A failed state?

[bombadillo]

In the FT:

How can you tell when a developed country is on a fast-track to becoming a failing or failed state? Does it only become official when Christiane Amanpour – CNN’s chief international correspondent – shows up with a documentary crew to chronicle a nation’s unchecked decline? Or can a big, fat “FAILED” stamp be applied long before there’s enough material to persuade an advertiser to sponsor the show?

Last Sunday I returned to Britain after a week spent weaving through Switzerland visiting clients, seeing friends and imagining the future of the media with my colleagues. Over the course of the weekend a large part of our conversation focused on the wave of knife crimes and general disorder that is currently suffocating the UK. There was a collective sense of disbelief and embarrassment when we read that some clever spark advising the Home Secretary wanted to take young knife wielders into hospitals and family sitting rooms to meet victims and distraught parents alike.

On a train from St. Moritz to Zürich, there was a subtle sense of wonder, not only at the low cost of a clean, punctual journey but also that wi-fi was available on the higher speed portion of the trip and the bar trolley dispensed a decent espresso. At Zürich airport, security staff were swift and efficient in their handling of passengers and, at the advertised hour, our Airbus pushed back for the flight to London.

Seventy-five minutes later, we arrived at a terminal that was heaving with annoyed, bewildered passengers and had the faint odour of failure – sweat, mildew, urine and a nasty scent attempting to cover up all of the former. Now, before you race to your laptop and write to tell me that Geneva’s Cointrin airport ain’t exactly great either and that Switzerland is a dull, dangerous place full of far too many referendums that should never see the light of day – keep reading.

As we made our way into central London, we travelled along a rubbish-lined motorway and then turned on to rubbish-strewn streets. Set back from the curb were shuttered shopfronts, little street-life and patchy street lighting.

...

A Swedish friend recently remarked that the UK government’s plan to distribute stab-proof vests to public service staff (nurses, doctors, teachers) to protect them in the line of duty was a sure sign that the nation was officially failing. While I wanted to stick up for life in London, I couldn’t have agreed more. London is by no means the UK, and the rest of the country certainly isn’t London, but the capital is still the hub that sets the agenda and the first port of call for most visitors (thus investors).

[Aptrgangr]

A Swedish friend recently remarked that the UK government’s plan to distribute stab-proof vests to public service staff (nurses, doctors, teachers) to protect them in the line of duty was a sure sign that the nation was officially failing.

I had to laugh about this - [liberal] Swedish friends and their good advices, what would we be without them - as if everything was alright up there. What's with the Swedish medics and firefighters that can't drive to Malmö without police escorts?
The only reason why the problems in Germany and Sweden still are not this visible like they are in GB is the Nordic welfare state that sucks billions out of the tax payers, in order to appease the increased number of immigrants and makes multiculturalism seem a beneficial ideology.
Maybe some here wondered why the governments permanently claim immigrants were a benefit for economy - I can remember how the numbers are made in the FRG: some investments of foreign companies into the German economy/stock market are subtracted from welfare payments payed to immigrants. So one gets a + and no - on the account of course...not to mention foreign investments and tax money are two completely different and incomparable assets.