The Virtue of Humiliation

Humiliation rankles. It stays. Because it has staying power it has transforming power. Britain was humiliated. Can Britain again become manly?

Britain did get back her fifteen service women and Britain seems pleased. I have no idea why. Is it because if they pretend the fifteen were not a humiliation then Britain herself was not humiliated? The modern British military man is now a Britsy Boy. They're dangerous. You want to keep them out of your ranks, out of your area, out of sight, downwind if possible. The modern English military man does not exist.

So who's humiliated? The fifteen exposed themselves in public and feel no shame. Nothing can be done with them. Many in Britain applaud that indecency, or ignore it or excuse it. Nothing can be done with them either. The shameless are just that. But are there those in England now who feel the flesh of their face burn? There have to be such people, and these have to be the people who have to make a difference.

It is Britain who has to make the difference. All America can do is exercise polite distrust.

Humiliation rankles, and so it can transform. But it's only honor that can be humiliated. Without honor there can be no transformation.