THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 1, 1995 TAG: 9506300032
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
SOURCE: Keith Monroe
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Americans have been in a gloomy mood about their future lately, but after a recent week in England, I can report that things could be worse. The Brits are even more pessimistic about the future, just less noisy about it. They're keeping a stiff upper lip and their sense of humor.
Of course, there's a lot that's right with England that we could learn from. They have largely preserved their past rather than pave it over and have kept the central business districts of their cities and towns lively and livable.
A lot of the food is terrible, but the breakfasts are good, the fish and chips great and the cream teas out of this world. They could teach us a thing or two about beer, and in the institution of the neighborhood pub they've created the kind of community gathering place much of America lacks. All we've got is reruns of Cheers. Best of all, there was no hint of O.J. anywhere in England, only the toe-sucking sex scandals of royals, nobles and members of parliament.
On the downside, however, there's the political and economic scene. For the Brits, now is the summer of their discontent. If you thought President Clinton was in bad shape, you should see Prime Minister John Major.
He's had to put up with so much sniping from members of his own party, including his predecessor Maggie Thatcher, that he stunned the nation by calling for a party vote to see if he should remain at the helm. He will be challenged a member of his present Cabinet. It's as if Jimmy Carter and Warren Christopher ganged up to change the locks on the White House while Clinton was out of town.
Major is unpopular with his party because his party is unpopular with the people. After 16 years of Tory rule and a wobbly economy, voters are ready for a change. Polls show that Labor would beat Major's Conservatives by a 70 percent to 30 percent margin if a vote were held today. As the man in chanrge, he gets the blame.
The reasons are mainly economic. The pound has taken a pounding. Housing prices have declined so badly that many homeowners have negative equity in their homes. They are paying mortgages for more than the house is presently worth and can't afford to move.
Major promised an opportunity society where class origin would no longer matter, but the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorly educated and face a future on the dole. Socialized medicine is a mess, but an alternative hasn't been devised. And then there's the question of Europe.
The Brits continue to regard themselves as one thing and Europe as another and the right-wingers of Major's party (the self-styled Euro-skeptics) are in revolt because they think he's going to make them a part of a united Europe even though that pipe dream is in tatters.
A Gallup Poll shows that however much Americans may kvetch about their gloomy prospects, they are Pollyannas compared to the Brits. Gallup asked folks in 18 countries from Chile to Iceland and from Japan to Germany the same questions.
Those dissatisfied with the way democracy was working were subtracted form those who were satisfied. Thus, a 50-50 split would yield a score of zero. Surprisingly, the U.S. finished second only to Canada with a score of plus-38. Britain finished ahead of only India, Venezuela, Hungary and Mexico with a dismal score of minus-3.
Next, people were asked if they approved or disapproved of the country's leader. President Clinton scored a respectable 51 to 39. Major finished dead last with a dismal score of 21 approval, 71 disapproval.
Finally, in probably the most dramatic way of measuring discontent, those polled were asked if they wanted to move permanently to another country. In the United States, just 11 percent said yes. Only the Spanish were more content to stay home.
The Brits, by contrast, couldn't wait to get out. A huge 38 percent said they'd like to pull up stakes. The place most said they'd like to start over was Australia. But the second choice was the United States. More than one waitress or shopkeeper said wistfully when they discovered we were Americans how much they wished they could come here. Apparently somebody thinks America is doing something right, just not us. Maybe we should lighten up. MEMO: Mr. Monroe is an editorial writer. by CNB