Despair Over the State of British Society

How the worst aspects of America now permeate the UK

I’m not anti-American. So many of the most wonderful people that I’ve ever met have been Americans, and I appreciate the strength of the Christian faith in America. Also, many of my favourite musicians of all time are American.

However, I feel that there have been very negative influences from America on British society. The materialism of American capitalism has exerted tremendous influence over here, leading to our incorporation of fast food, fast fashion, and one-click shopping, for instance, which create problems such ill-health and increased debt.

Another very worrying influence from America is technocratic society. Everyone these days is on their smartphones, on Facebook and Instagram, and I think this has led to serious societal problems, including the breakdown of community spirit in the real world, and the inability of people to engage with one another in healthy relationships. Computers are the dominant force in every area of society, leading us to spend our lives behind screens rather than enjoying the benefits of nature.

I feel as though the United Kingdom has become to a large extent a kind of miniature version of America. Although the UK still maintains many of its unique cultural attributes, many of them have been overtaken by American influence in the unhealthy ways I have described above.

The reason why this article is titled as it is, is because it feels as though we have reached a point of no return in relation to these things. The system now feels increasingly like a kind of technocratic Orwellian police state under the influence of American power. Everyone walks down our streets like zombies scrolling through their smartphones and goes to work feeling disillusioned and somehow trapped in a system that feels increasingly broken.

A deterioration in the moral strength of the church and the secularisation of society have led to a kind of moral decay which is increasingly prevalent. London does not feel very Christian at all these days, and while there are still very many churches, I’ve noticed and read about many being shut down and reopened with alternative functions - again a sign of secularisation. Homosexuality and Pride are celebrated more than God is worshipped, or so it seems.

Without Christian values, and with negative American influence, I feel the only hope for British society is a resurgence of belief in and respect for God, which will only come about through sincere repentance and prayer. I hope that wherever you are in the world, you will join me in praying for things in the UK to improve.