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As a Brit my feeling is that the state has basically given up on the concept of doing the right thing (not even from an ivory tower moral perspective, but from a realpolitik grow the economy / fix the issue sense) and is just throwing sticking plasters everywhere.

The recent issues with crime are, at root, apparently down to the fact that we don’t have enough prison places and we don’t have enough police.

The obvious solution is to hire more police, raise the wages, compulsory purchase a big field somewhere, make a massive prison and lock up the worst offenders for a long time.

There is some obsession with “making the books balance” as if this even matters. The Government is sovereign but acts as if somehow they have to do everything at market price like a private individual would.



The British state is actually very effective at doing what it wants to do - it just doesn't want to do the things we consider to be 'right'.

The government prioritises order over law, liquidity over solvency and the status of our politicians at international dinner parties.




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