Staff Reports
Douglas Mary, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, recently shared some striking observations on the current state of the United Kingdom, urging America to take heed of Britain’s struggles as a cautionary tale. As detailed during a recent interview, Mary pointed to a myriad of issues plaguing the once-great nation, painting a sobering picture that rings an alarm with a soft echo for America. From their open border policies to economic woes, the UK seems to be navigating rough waters that could serve as a guidepost for where not to steer.
Britain’s approach to immigration has been akin to throwing open the floodgates and then wondering why the floor is sopping wet. Mary highlights how the British government adopted a liberal immigration policy that left borders porous, reminiscent of the Biden-era southern border situation in the US before President Trump intervened. Every week, thousands of illegal migrants arrive by boat and are housed at the taxpayers’ expense, leading to significant cultural shifts. Mary argues this phenomenon amounts to a kind of cultural suicide, causing an identity crisis reminiscent of scenes from his aptly titled book, “The Strange Death of Europe.”
The UK’s economic policies haven’t been any rosier, either. Mary pointed out that the current Labor government, in power for about a year now, might as well be handing out “free” miracles funded by sky-high taxes. These policies have successfully chased away around 15,000 multi-millionaires from London in the past year alone. Just imagine a retreating army of Scrooges, fleeing high taxes like the Dickens character might if his ghostly visitors had been the taxman. This mass exodus naturally leads to a ripple effect on the economy, compounding Britain’s issues in a not-so-merry-decline.
In essence, the UK has become a petri dish of failed policies that the United States would do well to avoid. It’s as if Britain is playing a cautionary tale on repeat, reminding America of the pitfalls of certain liberal policies. Mary specifically calls attention to higher taxes and the deceptive allure of free public services that, spoiler alert, are anything but free once the tax bill arrives. These attempts at social engineering haven’t exactly delivered a happy ending for the British. Instead, there’s a pervasive malaise, a sense that nothing is getting any better, and perhaps more worryingly, little hope for improvement on the horizon.
So what’s the takeaway for the US? Well, if you’re an American looking to the UK for inspiration, it’s a bit like trying to learn sartorial elegance by watching a clown convention. Mary suggests these missteps serve as a lesson for avoiding the same path of wasteful policies and cultural identity crises. As Britain navigates these troubled waters, maybe America can look abroad and steer clear of similar mistakes, keeping its promise as a land of stability and prosperity.
