Love Letter from a Declinist

I have never heard the word declinist before in relation to Britain but I heard it last night on British television delivered by Martin Amis on Newsnight's 30th anniversary program.

Amis defines himself as a declinist in relation to Britain and what this relates to is the belief that Britain is in decline. It's no longer a player on the world stage and quite frankly can be ignored by all other major powers in the world.

I would argue that Britain's role in history has been dominant up to 1945 - 1950. Since then, there's been a number of spikes in world presence but in truth there's been nothing sustaining.

Europe has happened without Britain and I suspect Britain feared joining Europe for the simple reason that it's smallness on the world stage would be amplified and put to rest sooner than any Brit would want.

So what should the British do about it?

First, I think the country needs to disentangle itself from its past.

It frustrates the hell out of me to see so many people reading books about Britain's role in the world wars or hearing people use the world wars as social currency at dinner,

Britain has been a nation of exploration but I fear exploration in all its guises has been lost. Stepping out of common behavior and actions is frowned upon as much today as it has been in the past but I believe Britain can no longer afford to force conformity.

The cockney mockney period that's been around for a while gives the impression that the country's changed but this is a false promise and quite honestly only lives within the small island stage that Britain enjoys alone.

For Britain to play a role on the world stage, it must stop thinking it has the right to be on that stage and must start to think and act like the small country it is.

This seems like a strange suggestion perhaps but I think the only way Britain is going to be relevant in the future is by having a hunger and passion for acting on world issues and opportunities.

Britain for me has become a narrow minded, oppressive country swimming in self adoration where what's happening on reality shows and football games has replaced a desire to understand what's happening in the world off the island.

Don't get me wrong, I am only saying this because I really believe Britain has so much to offer the world - just compare the infrastructure challenge that a country like Britain has had to face to advance and compare this to the USA. Many Brits complain about their rail services and roads and yes they're not perfect but compared to the States, it's like night and day. America has done a terrible job of advancing its infrastructure.

Britain has done a great job of breaking down monopolies of the past like British Telecom and creating a competitive environment where the consumer is the number one beneficiary.

When it comes to music, Britain still continues to be at the forefront. While Brooklyn, NY maybe the most talked about music scene at the moment, Britain has one thing over Brooklyn - variety. The sound of Brooklyn is exciting and enjoyable but lacks variety - it's folksy at its core.

Britain still has a fantastic sense of humor that cannot be matched anywhere else I've been. Exportable? Probably not that much but still an attractive trait. Imagine if the context of the humor was the world rather than the island, then more people could join in the appreciation of this trait.

British television is unmatched in my opinion. I always fear turning the television on in Britain because once I do, I'm transfixed by a cornucopia of great documentaries, drama, news programs and comedies.

British puddings, custard and the good old British sausage just cannot be matched anywhere else.

So yes deep down I have a love of Britain and that's why I wish it could stop declining and start feeling like a country with a purpose on the future world stage.

Come on Brits. Be expansive in your thinking. Show encouragement to those who step out of conformity. Give at least a few hours a week to the world across the waters and embrace what the world can teach Britain.

Open the mind and stop talking about the past - it's gone.