This reminded me of the famous Rousseau quote.

“The people of England regards itself as free; but it is grossly mistaken; it is free only during the election of members of parliament. As soon as they are elected, slavery overtakes it, and it is nothing.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/11/coronavirus-exposed-myth-british-exceptionalism?CMP=share_btn_tw

I’ve lived in England, England (London), Scotland and Belgium.

Of those the most socially oppressive, the one where people shouted insults at strangers in the street, the one where deviation from the norm got abuse, was England.

Only in England has a stranger in a takeaway queue said, unprovoked, “you don’t need anymore chips you fat cunt” to me.

Only in England has a teacher shouted “Oi, fat kid” at me across a crowded school hall.

Only in England have people followed me around saying “are you gay, hair guy?” over and over again. (The double irony of them assuming I’d take “gay” as an insult, and it being used as one by people with the same haircut as Jimmy Somerville).

Only in England a stranger said, upon seeing me with a guitar case, “Who do you think you are like? Some sort of fucking musician?”

Erm, yeah.

“Aye, well fuck off then”

Only in England have I been called “clever” used as an insult, even, yes, by my teachers.

Yes, England has a political tradition of negative liberty. That which is not forbidden is permitted. Yes, it has the capital and some other metropolitan areas where difference and multiculturalism and tolerance are celebrated.

But it is the most socially intolerant and oppressive place I’ve lived. Growing up where I did meant the constant choice between being careful to conform, or accepting abuse and aprobation from strangers.

This concept of “famous English freedom” translates (only partly, and only for some, I stress), into an atomistic belief in your entitlement to be a twat to other people for no reason other than your own satisfaction.

I feel ten, even a hundred times freer in Nepoleonic (legally) Belgium than in England.

Freedom is a political concept, but it’s not just about laws and political systems. Mill wrote about the tyranny of society in England a hundred and fifty years ago and it’s still powerful now.

Growing up in England turned me into a social liberal because it showed me how powerful and oppressive social tyranny can be.