Is This the Britain the D-Day Generation Fought to Save?

[Social Media]

 

Eighty years have passed since the D-Day landings, yet the valor and sacrifice of the tens of thousands of troops who fought to liberate Europe from tyranny remain a shining beacon of courage and selflessness. We rightly celebrate the dwindling number of veterans and honor their fallen comrades, expressing our gratitude for their immeasurable contributions. However, there is a profound sadness in recognizing that the Britain these heroes fought to defend seems to be fading away before our very eyes.

 

It is tragic to witness the casual abandonment of the freedoms they sacrificed so much to preserve. Perhaps most galling is the perception that many Britons today despise the very country these heroes sought to protect. The most fundamental freedom of all—freedom of speech—is under threat. In today’s Britain, holding an unpopular opinion often results in abuse, professional ruin, and social ostracization.

 

Consider the experiences of Graham Linehan, Rosie Duffield, Kathleen Stock, and countless others who have faced severe backlash for expressing their views. Ironically, social media, which was once seen as a platform for free expression, has often become a tool for silencing dissenting voices. Without freedom of speech, true democracy cannot exist. This erosion of free expression was starkly highlighted by the attempts, spearheaded by Sir Keir Starmer, to overturn the Brexit referendum, treating the democratic will of the people as a mere inconvenience.

 

The erosion of freedoms does not stop with speech. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a troubling willingness among many Britons to surrender their liberties. During the pandemic, draconian lockdown measures were not only accepted but, in many cases, demanded. People cheered for severe restrictions, even at the cost of their children's education and social development. Fear proved to be a powerful tool in persuading the public to accept, and even call for, stringent controls on their lives.

 

Sir Keir Starmer emerged as a leading advocate for lockdowns, frequently criticizing the government for any relaxation of restrictions. However, it was a Conservative prime minister who initially imposed these extreme measures. This bipartisan embrace of restrictive policies raises concerns about the future of personal freedom in Britain.

 

Another threat to liberty is the rise of "wokery," a social philosophy characterized by judging historical figures and events by contemporary standards and dividing society into oppressors and oppressed. This worldview condemns Britain’s past as a source of shame and seeks to reconstruct its present according to modern ideological norms. Consequently, we see absurdities such as convicted male rapists being sent to female prisons upon declaring themselves women, the defacement of Winston Churchill’s statue, and a populace increasingly reliant on the government for guidance on how to live their lives.

 

Any country will inevitably change over the course of eight decades, and Britain is no exception. However, the determination to protect and cherish freedom should remain a constant. This was the essence of what D-Day represented. Imagine if the thousands of young men who died on those beaches could see Britain today in 2024. Would they recognize the country they sacrificed their lives to protect? Would they understand how easily we have surrendered our liberties?

 

The decline of free speech, the eagerness to relinquish personal freedoms, and the rise of divisive social ideologies suggest a Britain that might be unrecognizable to the D-Day generation. It is imperative that we reflect on this trajectory and recommit ourselves to the principles of freedom and democracy that so many fought and died to defend. Only then can we truly honor their legacy and ensure that their sacrifices were not in vain.

 

Credit: Daily Telegraph 2024-06-08

 

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[Chomper Higgot]

Oddly in its fretting over disappearing freedoms and liberty, The Telegraph misses out laws restricting the right to protest and the rightwing calls to remove the UK from the ECHR and European Human Rights laws, which the UK and Churchill played such pivotal roles in establishing in the aftermath of WW2. 
 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

IMO the Britain they fought for is as dead as the bodies moldering in war graves in France.

[Thingamabob]

The Britain they fought for, and which I grew up in during the 1940s and 1950s, has gone, sadly. Change is inevitable, of course. A shame it has not been for the better, to put it mildly.

[VBF]

9 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Oddly in its fretting over disappearing freedoms and liberty, The Telegraph misses out laws restricting the right to protest and the rightwing calls to remove the UK from the ECHR and European Human Rights laws, which the UK and Churchill played such pivotal roles in establishing in the aftermath of WW2. 
 

 

You're right, but IMO the Human Rights Laws do go too far in the name of freedom. An example, and there are many others, is the ECHR interfering in UK's right to deport illegal immigrants. That should be a decision for individual sovereign states, NOT an unelected body in Brussels.

[newbee2022]

10 hours ago, Social Media said:

Brexit referendum, treating the democratic will of the people as a mere inconvenience.

If you ask the people nowadays, Britain would stay in the Union. They can see now the outcome and it will not a good one over the years.

More migrants than ever before, no workforce, poor NHS, rotten infrastructure without subsidies from EU, diminished to a back stage country, clinging on US, no international influence.

To have a say in Europe's future a membership in EU is the only way. I hope Starmer will correct the mistake.🙏

[riclag]

Wake up everybody your childhood dreams of god & country are getting 

bit-h slapped by the Globalist elites ,

held bent on cultural Marxism .

[soalbundy]

10 minutes ago, VBF said:

You're right, but IMO the Human Rights Laws do go too far in the name of freedom. An example, and there are many others, is the ECHR interfering in UK's right to deport illegal immigrants. That should be a decision for individual sovereign states, NOT an unelected body in Brussels.

I understand that it's the UN charter to which the UK is a signatory which stipulates humanitarian help to refugees, the ECHR is merely upholding international law.

[soalbundy]

Just now, riclag said:

Wake up everybody your childhood dreams of god & country are getting 

bit-h slapped by the Globalist elites ,

held bent on cultural Marxism .

I've never had childhood dreams of god or country. Marxism or Capitalism, neither has your well being at heart, you are just a cog in the runaway machinery of money and power.

[soalbundy]

24 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

The Britain they fought for, and which I grew up in during the 1940s and 1950s, has gone, sadly. Change is inevitable, of course. A shame it has not been for the better, to put it mildly.

Well as long as you have a good job and a roof over your head living standards have risen. Before 1948 there was no NHS, people either paid or relied on charities. The national character in the cities has deteriorated of course, violence, drug taking, alcoholism, poor mental health are signs of stress and a lack of purpose. One can kill a nation with hopelessness, in the distant past when I lived there I knew that feeling very well.

[riclag]

10 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

I've never had childhood dreams of god or country. Marxism or Capitalism, neither has your well being at heart, you are just a cog in the runaway machinery of money and power.

First of all  you & I have different opinions politically. Secondly, since the beginning of time humans have used money & power to create  societies. That being said,

What pronouns are you using today?

[Chomper Higgot]

44 minutes ago, VBF said:

You're right, but IMO the Human Rights Laws do go too far in the name of freedom. An example, and there are many others, is the ECHR interfering in UK's right to deport illegal immigrants. That should be a decision for individual sovereign states, NOT an unelected body in Brussels.

The Court decisions blocking the costly Rwanda scam are all handed down by UK courts with reference to UK law.

 

 

[soalbundy]

Just now, riclag said:

First of all  you & I have different opinions politically. Secondly, since the beginning of time humans have used money & power to create  societies. That being said,

What pronouns are you using today?

Male pronouns, what has that got to do with it? It doesn't matter what your politics are, no political party gives a thought to its people until its power base is threatened, just look at the chaos in the US and UK.

[Drumbuie]

Brexit was NOT the " democratic will of the people". It was a rushed, miscalculated attempt by David Cameron to outflank his extremist right wingers. It was not voted for by a majority of the electorate. There was no White Paper explaining what people were voting for. It was a shambles. 

 

I agree that this is not the Britain my parents fought for. They fought for democracy and the rule of law ( my father's words). They fought for freedom from fear of the knock on the door in the small hours ( my mother's words). 

 

Instead we have creeping fascism, curuption, cronyism, politicians blatantly lying and getting away with it, attempts to undermine the judiciary, one law for the rich and a country that is happily complicit in war crimes as long as one of the ruling party's donors is making money out of it. 

 

Thankful my parents did not live long enough to see this. 

[Nick Carter icp]

2 minutes ago, Drumbuie said:

Brexit was NOT the " democratic will of the people". It was a rushed, miscalculated attempt by David Cameron to outflank his extremist right wingers.

 

   David Cameroon was a Remainer and he resigned when the Exit  vote was cast

[proton]

er no, it might be Eid but is just a few more than normal, lived here once! 77 Mosques, and of course a muslim Lord Mayor

 

 

Edited June 8 by proton

[soalbundy]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

IMO the Britain they fought for is as dead as the bodies moldering in war graves in France.

How true, I like Thailand because although it's charmingly, unashamedly, openly corrupt, they still have national cohesion, their traditions are still adhered to despite being more show than substance, their institutions are still respected in an amusingly careless ad-hoc way. No woke nonsense here. They are proud of their country and they like being Thai, good luck to them. I was born in England in 1948 but I've disliked the place even as a child.

[VBF]

51 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

1 hour ago, VBF said:

You're right, but IMO the Human Rights Laws do go too far in the name of freedom. An example, and there are many others, is the ECHR interfering in UK's right to deport illegal immigrants. That should be a decision for individual sovereign states, NOT an unelected body in Brussels.

I understand that it's the UN charter to which the UK is a signatory which stipulates humanitarian help to refugees, the ECHR is merely upholding international law.

I may have got that wrong (?) but my opinion on who governs remains the same. The UN charter does of course contain many good clauses - this is not one of them (again, IMO)

[VBF]

25 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The Court decisions blocking the costly Rwanda scam are all handed down by UK courts with reference to UK law.

 

But is that not, in turn, being influenced by the ECHR because of UK's time in the EU?

[Nick Carter icp]

10 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Oddly in its fretting over disappearing freedoms and liberty, The Telegraph misses out laws restricting the right to protest 
 

 

 

   Those are new laws to stop regular disruptive demonstrators , those who frequently turn protestors into disruption , there are new laws to stop them disrupting protests .

 The new laws actually help people to protest peacefully and keep the disruptive people away from disrupting the peaceful protests

 

 

New laws to clamp down on disruptive protesters come into force

 

 

New public order powers to prevent individuals causing repeated serious disruption come into force today, as the government continues with its plan to protect the public from criminality at protests.

 

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-clamp-down-on-disruptive-protesters-come-into-force

 

[soalbundy]

16 minutes ago, Drumbuie said:

Brexit was NOT the " democratic will of the people". It was a rushed, miscalculated attempt by David Cameron to outflank his extremist right wingers. It was not voted for by a majority of the electorate. There was no White Paper explaining what people were voting for. It was a shambles. 

 

I agree that this is not the Britain my parents fought for. They fought for democracy and the rule of law ( my father's words). They fought for freedom from fear of the knock on the door in the small hours ( my mother's words). 

 

Instead we have creeping fascism, curuption, cronyism, politicians blatantly lying and getting away with it, attempts to undermine the judiciary, one law for the rich and a country that is happily complicit in war crimes as long as one of the ruling party's donors is making money out of it. 

 

Thankful my parents did not live long enough to see this. 

Most soldiers didn't fight for democracy and freedom, they had to because they were called up. My father ran away from home and joined the navy (he was too young to do so and his parents wouldn't allow him anyway but he got away with it) and why? For adventure, not for democracy, after a year or two it sickened him. My whole family left the UK years ago, most to Australia, I left for Germany over 50 years ago followed by my sister, nobody ever regretted leaving.

[Nick Carter icp]

46 minutes ago, Drumbuie said:

Brexit was NOT the " democratic will of the people". It was a rushed, miscalculated attempt by David Cameron to outflank his extremist right wingers. It was not voted for by a majority of the electorate. There was no White Paper explaining what people were voting for. It was a shambles. 

 

I agree that this is not the Britain my parents fought for. They fought for democracy and the rule of law ( my father's words). They fought for freedom from fear of the knock on the door in the small hours ( my mother's words). 

 

Instead we have creeping fascism, curuption, cronyism, politicians blatantly lying and getting away with it, attempts to undermine the judiciary, one law for the rich and a country that is happily complicit in war crimes as long as one of the ruling party's donors is making money out of it. 

 

Thankful my parents did not live long enough to see this. 

 

   That is not true . 

The U.K doesn't support any war crimes by any Country .

The U.K is not "happily complicit in war crimes " .

That is a false untrue accusation . 

But your Grandparents fought for the freedom for you to tell those untruths 

 

 

 

[CG1 Blue]

1 hour ago, newbee2022 said:

If you ask the people nowadays, Britain would stay in the Union. They can see now the outcome and it will not a good one over the years.

More migrants than ever before, no workforce, poor NHS, rotten infrastructure without subsidies from EU, diminished to a back stage country, clinging on US, no international influence.

To have a say in Europe's future a membership in EU is the only way. I hope Starmer will correct the mistake.🙏

you forgot to say it rains more since we left the EU....🙄

[riclag]

32 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Those are new laws to stop regular disruptive demonstrators , those who frequently turn protestors into disruption , there are new laws to stop them disrupting protests .

 The new laws actually help people to protest peacefully and keep the disruptive people away from disrupting the peaceful protests

 

 

New laws to clamp down on disruptive protesters come into force

 

 

New public order powers to prevent individuals causing repeated serious disruption come into force today, as the government continues with its plan to protect the public from criminality at protests.

 

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-clamp-down-on-disruptive-protesters-come-into-force

 

No mention of face covering in that new law ! Shame Shame.

 

methinks

[Nick Carter icp]

Just now, riclag said:

No mention of face covering in that new law ! Shame Shame.

 

methinks

 

   Would be a bit confusing for all .

Having laws saying you must wear face masks when out (covid) and another law stating you must not wear face masks when outside 🙂

[xtrnuno41]

I dont get what is D day, we had many D days.

D day from French, Spain, Germany (way before ww2), Austria, Italians or integrated in it religion. Just to name some.

We never think about those. And all changes dont realy do any good, still not. It always change to bad again.

[James105]

44 minutes ago, Drumbuie said:

Brexit was NOT the " democratic will of the people". It was a rushed, miscalculated attempt by David Cameron to outflank his extremist right wingers. It was not voted for by a majority of the electorate. There was no White Paper explaining what people were voting for. It was a shambles. 

 

The vote to join the EEC in 1975 was not voted for by a majority of the electorate receiving ~17m out of a potential ~40m votes.  There wasn't even a vote allowed on the treaty that turned the trading block membership into a European union and certainly no white paper in 1975 explaining that what people would actually be voting for would be a political union rather than a trading block.   If you are going to use that argument then you need to realise that it works both ways and the UK would never have joined in the first place using your logic.  

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, newbee2022 said:

.

More migrants than ever before,

 

   The U.Ks recent high immigration figures are because of the influx of Ukrainians and Hong Kongers , nothing to do with Brexit

[riclag]

25 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Would be a bit confusing for all .

Having laws saying you must wear face masks when out (covid) and another law stating you must not wear face masks when outside 🙂

I was referring to the scarfs covering the face to purposely conceal identities 

Edited June 8 by riclag

[nauseus]

11 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Oddly in its fretting over disappearing freedoms and liberty, The Telegraph misses out laws restricting the right to protest and the rightwing calls to remove the UK from the ECHR and European Human Rights laws, which the UK and Churchill played such pivotal roles in establishing in the aftermath of WW2. 
 

 

 

A different time. The ECHR is past it's sell-by date and needs serious revision.