- submitted by s.levenstein on 11/04/2009
Welcome To the Ninny 'Nanny' State
By Steve Levenstein
You've got to hand it to our British buddies across the pond. When they get an idea, silly though it may be, they make like bulldogs and just won't let go. Admirable, wot?
Take the most recent display of blind do-goodedness initiated by the Watford local council: parents are no longer allowed to accompany their children to public playgrounds because said parents haven't been cleared by a thorough police check. Even nannies aren't allowed.
Sorry, Jo Foster, that's what happens when you take Nanny State nannyism to the nanny-teenth degree. Since the assumedly evil parents can't be trusted with the safety of their own children, so-called Play Rangers will patrol the playgrounds ensuring everyone plays nice and doesn't say "bollocks", "knickers" or "farthing"... that last one really isn't as dirty as it sounds but 'ere in England, we take no chances.
What on earth has befallen the formerly feisty Brits?? The iron island that thumbed its nose at Hitler and gave us Jack the Ripper, Winston Churchill and Johnny Rotten has become soft & doughy as leftover Yorkshire pudding; politically correct to the extreme.
That may be a generalization and I'm sure there are still plenty of Sid & Nancy types roaming This Sceptered Isle but we just don't hear about them 'cause they're not ridiculous. Nope, it's the over-earnest do-goodedness of the UK's local councils that make the Weird News section and the online forums, both of which get much mileage out of the latest Nanny State nonsense.
It's not hard to figure out the motivations and modus operandi of the councils. Give average folks a modicum of responsibility and all too often it goes to their heads. Then give 'em too much time and a perceived need to justify their existence beyond being mere civil clerks and you've got a recipe for disastrously petty authoritarianism.
Need examples? How about not allowing firemen to use ladders because it could place them in situations dangerous to their health & well-being? Or this latest one: Bristol council is advising tenants renting storage sheds from the city NOT to padlock the doors because thieves tend to cause much more damage breaking down locked doors or busting in through windows. Sort of a "Well old chap, they're going to steal your belongings anyway so let's make sure it doesn't cost the city any extra pounds sterling to fix the damage."
One 71-year-old codger, evidently a holdover from braver, more commonsensical times, commented that "It beggars belief that the council is telling us to leave our sheds wide open so that anyone can get in them." I'd add that it also "beggars belief" that any sane insurance company is going to cover any expensive items any old (or young) codgers may consider storing in any unlocked shed.
It seems that there are forces in Great Britain (and elsewhere as well) that hold to the idea of a coming utopian society where everyone acts -- no wait, thinks -- with the utmost in political correctness (enforced by the authorities if need be). What they fail to see is that we're not quite there yet... in fact, society appears to be slipping back, becoming less utopian and more dysfunctional. Tune in CNN or FOX News for proof -- or just visit an English playground.
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Steve Levenstein was born & raised at the then-northern edge of metro Toronto, Canada. Looking through the prism of the suburbs has not only given him a slightly skewed view of society, but has also helped frame the wider world as a series of variations on a theme. Closer to home, Toronto's multicultural mix acts as a rich, vibrant tonic -- an essential elixer that, by putting people out of their place, highlights the common humanity which lies within.
After a 15-year dip in the corporate pool, Steve abandoned the daily commute to focus on his first love, writing, and spending time with his family. Steve's wife of 18 years hails from Tokyo, Japan, and provides a unique window into the delights and diversions of modern Japanese culture while his 2 sons (the younger an established tech blogger in his own right) help keep the house from getting too quiet. Steve writes for a number of respected blogs including InventorSpot, WebUrbanist, Dark Roasted Blend and The Thinking Blog...read more rants
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