Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Britain. It used to be Great.

A couple years ago I posted about one of Her Majesty's soldiers who lost a leg in action in Afghanistan and who was turned down for a handicapped parking decal because his amputated leg "might get better".
I'm dumbfounded that the Council could be so clueless as to tell him that his leg might grow back. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Grow back? Note to all Boston area lefties: observe your Philosopher Kings in action.

I normally leave the post at this point, with a sneer both at the sheer incompetence on offer in the UK, and the intellectual incompetence of an American Left that thinks we should import it to our shores. Not this time. There's no mistaking the malice on display: turned down not once, but three times; the suggestion that his leg might grow back.

Malice. Running the bureaucracy. This is what lampposts and rope were invented to handle.
LCpl Lee, it seems, is an inspiration to the Realm and to amputees everywhere, having through sheer determination taken up mountain climbing not only in his native land, but scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for a charity for the handicapped:
On February 23rd, twenty seven men volunteered to climb Mount Kilimanjaro- the highest peak in Africa. And these were no ordinary men- four of them were ex-military and single leg amputees from Pilgrim Bandits.

The volunteers, including Lance Corp. Johno Lee, Corporal Ricky Hatton, Rifleman Chris Parks and former REME John Sandford Hart, not only sponsored their own trip, but raised additional funds for the charity as well. The Pilgrim Bandits Kilimanjaro challenge may have raised up to $15,830, with another similar event planned for later this year.
Oorah, Squaddie.
Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire. Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it. We solicitously and apologetically caress and celebrate him, because he held on his way and scorned our disapprobation. The gods loved him because men hated him.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

But the UK bureaucracy is relentless and seems to have gone feral:
On February 23rd, twenty seven men volunteered to climb Mount Kilimanjaro- the highest peak in Africa. And these were no ordinary men- four of them were ex-military and single leg amputees from Pilgrim Bandits.

The volunteers, including Lance Corp. Johno Lee, Corporal Ricky Hatton, Rifleman Chris Parks and former REME John Sandford Hart, not only sponsored their own trip, but raised additional funds for the charity as well. The Pilgrim Bandits Kilimanjaro challenge may have raised up to $15,830, with another similar event planned for later this year.
This young hero cannot be described using words other than "hero" - not just for his service to Crown and Country, but as an inspiration to other amputees.  And the UK.Gov seems fit to chew on him like a bulldog on a sock.

Unlike LCpl Lee who deserves nothing but our approbation, the UK.Gov is seemingly a wretched hive of villainy and scum.  This is what lampposts and rope were invented to handle.
No man government likes to live under the eye of perpetual disapprobation.
- Dr. Johnson
The UK.Gov is well advised to get used to it.  This is Britain.  It's in the place where Great Britain used to be.

4 comments:

Rev. Paul said...

... because it might get better.

I'd say what I thought upon reading that, but then I'd have to repent. Again.

Barrett B. said...

BP, I think you ended up duplicate pasting the text under the line "But the UK bureaucracy is relentless and seems to have gone feral:". It's the same text as you have for the article quoted above that.

That out of the way, it's absolutely mind-boggling how some bureaucrats can sleep at night, knowing they're treating such men in this manner.

WoFat said...

As always - There are some STUPID people in the world.

Old NFO said...

Ye gods and little fishes... sigh