Author Topic: 'Broken Britain' is like The Wire, say Tories (Read 1236 times)

Elano · « **on:** August 26, 2009, 06:48:39 AM »

Lock up the children, turn out the lights and put metal grills over the front door. That is the message from the Tories who will warn today that Britain is falling apart so rapidly that the country is turning into an episode of The Wire.

Comparing the green fields of Britain with the gritty cult television show about the drug-ridden streets of Baltimore may appear a little far-fetched, but Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary, believes the analogy perfectly encapsulates Tory warnings about what the party calls "broken Britain".

In a speech in London today, Grayling will say: "The Wire used to be just a work of fiction for British viewers. But under this government, in many parts of British cities, The Wire has become a part of real life in this country too. Far too many of those features of what we have always seen as a US phenomenon are now to be found on the streets of Britain as well."

The Tories believe they have struck a chord over the past year with their warnings about how family breakdowns and drug abuse are ripping apart communities in Britain. Grayling believes The Wire illustrates how that the US "culture of deprivation, harm, addiction and failure" is being imported across the Atlantic.

"It's the world of the award-winning drama series The Wire," he will say. "Of the award-winning series that tracks the nightmare of drugs, gangs and organised crime in inner city west Baltimore.

"It's a horrendous portrayal of the collapse of civilised life and of human despair. Neighbourhoods where drug dealing and deprivation is rife. A constant threat of robbery to fund drug dependency. Communities dogged by violence and by violent crime."

Grayling is on strong ground as far as the Tories are concerned. David Cameron is a fan of The Wire – and not just because fellow Etonian Dominic West plays a leading role as Detective Jimmy McNulty.

Across the five seasons of The Wire – which add up to 60 often blood-soaked episodes – there are a total of 82 murders, according to a count by Guardian staff. The violence starts with three murders in the first episode and one particularly grisly storyline in a later series involves police investigating the discovery of more than 20 bodies after a drug turf war.

In real-life Baltimore, Maryland state – described sometimes as "Bodymore, Murderland" – there were 234 murders in 2008, the fewest in 20 years.

The murder rate in the city is still far higher than, say, Greater Manchester, where there were 49 murders in the 12 months leading up to March 2008.

Cali Climate · « **Reply #1 on:** August 26, 2009, 10:38:01 AM »

This article is making euro wiggers cream their pants.

JAZ · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2009, 02:01:52 AM »

i was thinking it was about a tv show. fuck.

StreetsAllSalute · « **Reply #3 on:** September 01, 2009, 08:59:12 AM »

Quote from: J Bananas on August 26, 2009, 10:38:01 AM

This article is making euro wiggers cream their pants.

u mean as well as making the u.s wiggers get insecure??...i concur $:-\$

and its the u.k not the whole of europe you clown

but anyway while its a bit of a sensationalist comment the country has deteriotated in the estates over the last 10 years...like even on a personal note there has been so much drama these past 2 years...some of it is just the fucked up mentalities ppl in estates have other shit stemmin from economic restraints and job prospects

but if anyone gunna fix it u can be damn sure it wont be politicians

picque999 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 26, 2010, 11:10:22 PM »

I live in a part of London where houses are regularly valued at over a million pounds. So here is the scene on the high street and why it is nothing like what I see in other cities in more civilised western nations.

When school lets out, it is pure mayhem on the high street, as youths steal, attack each other and litter. The sad sight of politically correct community support officers (who are physically not up to the job of confronting violent youths) trying to rein it in, is pathetic. I don’t see such a scene in other countries. Young people in those countries have things to do and places to go. And they know how to behave. That’s broken Britain.

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