News From Britain

CHEESE ROLL RACE

My native Gloucestershire has gotten global attention for the chasing of a roll of cheese down the hill. Whoever gets to the bottom of the hill first gets the cheese. This is an old yearly event but now people from all over the world are entering. Image from Google Earth.

NATIONAL SERVICE 

The British Government has revived the old idea of National Service. This is that young people will be required to spend some time in the service of their country. It might be in the military but also in some form of community service. Exemptions will be given if there is a good reason.

The theory is that National Service will foster a strong sense of community.

But there is another side to it, and that is the loss of individualism. What I noticed one day when reading about the leaders of the computer and internet revolution is that none of them ever served in the military. Furthermore, none seemed to have been really into team sports. This also tends to go for people that come up with breakthrough new ideas, such as Albert Einstein. 

National Service may provide a sense of community but it also gets people to think alike. That may sound like a good thing but the breakthrough new ideas that lead the world forward tend to come from people who notice things that other people haven't noticed.