Not With a Bang But a Whimper: The Politics & Culture of Decline

I found these essays sharp and thought provoking, but my goodness, the author doesn't half lay it on thick. His criticisms of things like the welfare state, liberal culture and modern politics are cutting and make many stark points- but you can't help feeling that his world view is tainted with extreme pessimism coloured by years working with those at the bottom. I enjoyed the dismantling of Tony Blair and thoughtful reflections in the German nation, for example, but elsewhere I found his analysis oppressively one sided, like a kind of professor of Daily Mail readers. I just finished the book wishing that such an obviously gifted mind could find a few more solutions or just the odd chink of light

Eloquent and witty, with a classical education that is increasingly rare, Dalrymple (who could only be criticized for choosing this name) creates the necessary connections between high culture and low, so as to make manifest the moral decadence that is all around us, yet so often missed. After reading it I understood that my life had been like a fish in water, who can never understand that drowning is still a possibility...

This is an excellent read with the author expressing his views on many topics in an interesting and very candid manner. It's the first book that I have read by this author but it won't be the last. i would certainly recommend this book to anyone wanting a good read that will also make you think.

Recommended for anyone concerned about the moral decline in Britain today. I'm looking forward to reading another by this author.

Theodore Dalrymple documents the relative decline of British society with great reflection and common sense. It is a shame I will refuse to read any more of his books for a while as I find them too depressing. I would recommend Dalrymple and Roger Scruton as excellent authors when starting to look into conservative thought. Personally, I do not need a to buy a book as a compendium of the denudation of British society, I just need to walk down the street.

More short essay-style pieces providing some (one hopes) accurate insight into the behaviour of some residents of the UK. Sorry reading, but entertaining.

The essays are just right coverage of sub topics within crime and social policy issues

The erudite doctor does it again. A great collection of essays critiquing contemporary culture.

Describes the effects of the "I'm all right Jack" post WW2 welfare state in the UK. Insightful but depressing observations of the Not in Education, Employment or Training population. Dalrymple's observations and exposure of the political and bureaucartic chicanary are heart wrenching and emotive. No wonder Populism is on the rise. Integtrity and values are in scare supply. Bad things happen when good people do nothing! Perhaps these are the cycles of societal evolution.

Dalrymple is always a good read, very logical, full of insight and information.

Decline? Th. Dalrymple gibt dafür sehr viele Beispiele, die aus seiner Erfahrung als Arzt, scharfem Beobachten seiner Erlebnisse und kultiviertem Menschsein herrühren. Diese stimmigen und zutreffenden Beispiele erzählt er mit teilweise sarkastischem Humor, als würde er sie zwischen den Zähnen hervorpressen, teilweise empört er sich sehr deutlich. Er beurteilt Ereignisse, die oft gleichgültig entgegengenommen werden und ordnet sie zu, sagt aus, dass der Verlust von Werten, die Abnahme von Kultur eben oft Politik und Kultur s i n d.Der Titel sagt bereits, was der Autor und mit ihm der Leser empfindet: tiefen Schmerz über das Durchlöchern und Dahinschwinden von Kultur (im Zusammenleben, in der Erziehung, bei Gesprächen und allgemein im sogenannten kulturellen Leben) oder wie es bei T.S. Eliot heißt, aus dessen "Hollow Men" von 1925 der Titel abgeleitet ist: "This is the way the world ends not with a bang but a whimper".Absolut lesenswert, oder um es mit einem modernen Slogan zu sagen: "Pflichtlektüre"!

good read

Condescending. Dalrymple would never demean the middle or upper classes, who buy and praise his books.

Not With a Bang But a Whimper is a collection of previously-published essays by Theodore Dalrymple (Dr. Anthony Daniels). Divided into two sections, “Artists and Ideologues” (8 essays) and “Politics and Culture” (11 essays), the pieces are unified in that Dalrymple’s social vision arises in each, sometimes peripherally, sometimes centrally. That vision is one in which postwar England has succumbed to devastating ideological tinkering (some of it well-meaning). The proud and independent English men and women of the past (indeed of the war era) have been replaced by individuals who have been corrupted by an entitlement culture whose educational system, medical system and justice system are all part of the problem rather than part of the solution. The government has stolen its citizens’ souls and left them to enjoy the ‘liberty’ of self-indulgence, even as it subjects them to surveillance, confiscatory taxation and a succession of liberal/progressive experiments. Individuals are no longer held responsible for their actions; students’ learning is subordinated to their ‘self esteem’; multiculturalist dogma is upheld in the face of recalcitrant reality.Dalrymple’s principal expertise is in medicine. A retired psychiatrist who has worked among the poor and the imprisoned speaks to the experience of his patients from first-hand knowledge. He is also a widely-read individual, capable of speaking with considerable authority on a host of subjects. When he enters the realm of literature, for example, he writes with the knowledge of an individual with graduate training at the master’s level. Two of the best essays here are on Samuel Johnson and the plays of Ibsen.One of the most moving essays is the final piece, “A Murderess’s Tale,” in which we are introduced to a teenager who has murdered her lesbian lover. Dalrymple takes us through her life, in which she was raped over a period of years (as early as the age of 8) by her brother. Her mother has been impregnated by a succession of (sometimes overtly criminal) lovers who have taken no responsibility whatsoever for the support of their offspring. These individuals live in Council housing, receive government handouts which disincent them from working. Their lives are filled with alcoholism and drug addiction as they live in their own self-created soap operas of violence, recrimination, and inactivity. When the young murderess is incarcerated she finally experiences stability. She enters a world in which there are boundaries, a world in which actions have consequences (some of them positive), a world which is governed by laws and rules rather than by whim. Her murder, Dalrymple concludes, “took place in a social universe that liberals have wrought, and whose realities they are too guilty or cowardly to acknowledge. It is a universe that has no place for children or childhood in it. Believing that man is the product of his environment, they have nevertheless set about creating an environment from which it is truly difficult to escape, by closing off all the avenues and bolt-holes as far as possible. They have destroyed the family and any notion of progress or improvement. They have made a world in which the only freedom is self-indulgence, a world from which—most terrible of all—prison can sometimes be a liberation.”Hence the book’s subtitle: “The Politics and Culture of Decline.” All of Dalrymple’s books are worth reading. This is one of the more powerful of them.

I believe that an unhurried delicious time spent in a company of wise, understanding and erudite person with a rich experience is one of the most exquisite pleasures of our lifetimes. That's exactly my impression from the hours, spent with Mr. Dalrymple's book: a wide range of the book's seemingly different subjects is tightly united by his sharp detection of their common basics and results, by his rich knowledge of the British history and culture, by his common-sense outlook. He is never militant with it, however, being not some ardent propagandist, but rather, just an honest and highly observant witness. In fact, I can say that my own outlook doesn't differ from that of Mr. Dalrymple, but my ideas were never corroborated by such a precise and well-sourced analysis as the one shared with his readers. But he is never too academic or too impartial either: his book is written both by the author's mind and by the author's heart and the result is extremely engaging, touching, powerful. I must mention the most eloquent cover design too (the quick transformation of a good apple into a rotten waste) – during my frequent business travels I see the same sad process, led by the utopian politicians, not only in Britain, but also in a lot of other European countries, in the USA, in Australia (and the example of my Russia shows that the reverse process is so torturously difficult that any really successful final would be bordering with a miracle). I've bought this excellent book in the Kindle edition, so I can't stand it on the cherished shelf of my favorite authors, alas, but nevertheless I think that Mr. Dalrymple has quite a worthy company in my electronic library too, being surrounded there by Eric Rush, David Horowitz, Jason Mattera and Ilana Mercer, God bless them all! Rostislav, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

The book is essential reading to get a grasp of how England has so declined culturally and politically. The last chapter about Africa is particularly enlightening. The writing style is engaging. I would have given it 5 stars, * but a there are a few chapters in the middle * where the author goes off topic expounding on authors from days of yore without connecting them to the rest of the book. This is probably why I noticed than one reviewer said that she didn't finish it. Anyway, it is an enjoyable read. If you come across a chapter that doesn't grab you, then skip through it and on to the next. All in all, I recommend it highly.

As a disclaimer, I think that Dr. Theodore Dalrymple possesses one of the most important and insightful minds in all of conservadom. He's one of five men whom immediately command my attention whenever I discover that they have authored a new article or essay. I've read most of what this retired English psychiatrist has written since 2001 due to my having a subscription to The New Criterion (since that time). I've also devoured all of his City Journal pieces since the new millennium began. Therefore, I figured that I would simply skim this book; a notion that lasted until I got to page 2. At that point, I gave it my full focus as the opinions of Dr. Dalrymple are unlike those you will find elsewhere.In these pages our narrator acts like a private Oxford Don instructing us both on the ways of humanity and the world. The one thing that the political left will never understand is that the doctor's detached voice is drenched in compassion and kindness. He offers us reality which is far more empathic than any gesture you'll receive from a utopian. Dr. Dalyrmple is appalled by what his native Britain has turned into but never lets his emotions interfere with the telling of the truth. His entire oeuvre is rooted in common sense but accentuated by erudition. Dr. Dalrymple thinks many of the same thoughts that the rest of us do but is better able to elucidate them due to his superior intelligence and breadth of experience.The strongest essays here are "The Roads to Serfdom" [how pertinent this could be after next week's election], "A Murderess's Tale," "In the Asylum," "Multiculturalism Starts Losing Its Luster," and an analysis of A Clockwork Orange called "A Prophetic and Violent Masterpiece." Basically, political correctness--along with its corresponding effluvia concerning sensitivity, tolerance, multiculturalism, and the multivariate isms of sex, race, and class--is chiefly concerned with one thing: lying. PC demands we lie as a means to relate to one another. We have to be obsessed by the feelings of "the other"--even if it necessitates our not communicating at all. Dr. Dalrymple refuses to be the drone of our academic elites so he peers his exacting eyes into the culture as a whole, including topics ranging from the methodology of the English justice system to the faculty of language. This is a masterful work by one of our greatest masters.

I recently read and enjoyed, if that’s the right word, two of the curmudgeonly doctor Theodore Dalrymple’s admirably written and perceptive essay collections, “Our Culture, What’s Left of it: The Mandarins and the Masses” and “Not With a Bang but a Whimper: The Politics and Culture of Decline.” For I came away sadder and wiser, particularly regarding the sorry state of Great Britain, whose illegitimacy and crime rates now rival or exceed those of the U.S. There, as here, the breakdown of the family and resulting cultural, spiritual and moral decline has come with best of intentions and the worst of outcomes. And without much thought to addressing the spiraling rot by rescinding the laws and policies that fomented it.But Dalrymple’s topics range far beyond politics and urban dysfunction (of which he has had ample firsthand knowledge, working as a prison psychiatrist.) He writes compellingly and freshly of literature, art, religion and more. I highly recommend both books—though not for those looking for cozy reads that posit an optimistic view of the future.

Theodore Dalrymple continues with his now familiar, but more relevant than ever, warning that modern society - England in particular - is rotting from the bottom up.This doesn't sound very "nice," but Dalrymple, who worked as a psychologist for the NHS in a very rough neighborhood, has genuine compassion for those "at the bottom," and believes that, with the appropriate encouragement and support (cultural, psychological, and financial), they could improve their situation.However, the dominant culture, fueled by bad ideas from the intelligentsia, keeps them down inadvertently by encouraging a sense of victimization while discouraging (and openly mocking) the self-help attitudes that are vital to motivating them to begin moving out of their pathetic circumstances.Every generalization is supported by an example, usually personal. The writing style is "English" - erudite, elegant.His descriptions of the attitudes that his clients bring in, and the effect of those attitudes in preventing them from taking the steps they need to take to begin moving into a better situation, are eye-opening, challenging the prevailing wisdom that contemporary poverty is caused by circumstances external to the decision-making process of the poor and amenable only to external solutions.It is not just the idea, which is interesting and relevant enough, it is the way the idea is presented that makes this book and all of Dalrymple's work special. His prose is a pleasure to read and he has a talent for bringing home his points with extraordinary elegance that is efficient, but not too efficient. In other words, "English" only better.It is impossible not to be affected by this book even if you disagree with it. If nothing else, it is a bracing tonic for those who think "conservative" means bible-thumping know-nothing (He is not religious, but shows characteristic respect for those who are comforted by it) No one cares more about these people than he does, and his distress at their plight is poignant.

I found Dalrymple to be his candid self in this collection of writings. I'm half way through, yet find it discouraging - not due in any part to the author, but rather due to the implications. The writings address the ills of the culture in the U.K., but the ramifications can still be aptly applied to any other first-world Western country. Fair warning: yes, Dalrymple approaches the topics from what I would consider nearly a paleoconservative perspective, but that shouldn't discourage reading what he has written. I consider myself a philosophical anarchist, yet have taken what he has provided on paper to heart. You don't have to agree fully on perspective when the writing is spelled out on the wall. As a side note, it isn't viscerally evident at first, but upon reflection, Dalrymple honestly seems a compassionate man. That in itself seems a rare feat in a world filled with demagogic sound-bytes and emotionally-ridden political tantrums. Great read thus far.

I really like Dalrymple, and I guess I have read every one of his books as well as tons of his essays and opinion pieces. One would think a book, or books, continually delivering the unwavering message that western society as we know it is on the fast track to hell would get depressing, but somehow his books manage to achieve a detachment. I think it is because as a doctor he was able to cope, as doctors do, by viewing the disease instead of the patient to a degree, and thus to be able to describe their horrible decline without becoming emotionally devastated. This only works to a point in life, and Dalrymple has finally left England for France for pretty much this reason, but this skill serves him well when forced to chronicle the decline of a country.Like his other books this book is a collection of essays on the decline of western civilization, specifically British civilization, using the prism of his background as a doctor in the slums and prisons of England to view this descent. He is circumspect about the decline, and like most doctors is excellent at diagnosing the disease and as impotent as any of us as to how to cure it.Yet there is some kind of comfort in that "stiff upper lip" analysis that at least lets you know some smart people are aware of what's going on. Cold comfort, but cold is better than nothing.A collection of essays can sometimes be redundant, but this book is pretty well edited so not a lot of material is repeated. He also usesa different tack in several of these essays where he more or less reviews books he has read to make a lot of his points and observations, so a decent part of this book serves as a list of authors for the reader to consider. He spent a lot of time on the educational system and suggested, implicitly if not explicity, a book or two from other pseudonym authors. He also spent a lot of time on law enforcement and has an author he highly recommends there as well. That is one area, my observation, where here in the U.S. we haven't quite followed the British model.In any event, well written, dry, insightful, and although he is probably preaching to the choir with most of his readers, he still takes pains to marshal his facts to make his arguments. If you haven't read him I would probably suggest starting with "Life at the Bottom", a bit better of a book and more likely to hook you. If you already read him, well, it's more of the same- and I mean that in a good way.

I note with sad amusement the review from "Publisher's Weekly," which claims that "the author's forays into literary criticism are appealing if amateurish." Well, how about reversing that, and saying that "Publisher's Weekly" makes appealing but amateurish forays into book-reviewing? The person who called Dalrymple "amateurish" is incapable of dealing with the first essay in this book, "The Gift of Language." This essay is an enjoyable skewering of the pop-intellectual Steven Pinker, but it is much more: it is an argument in favor of the obvious. Skill with language is extremely important in life, but it does not come for "free," despite the linguists who wave their hands and pronounce all languages equal -- and, more zanily, all language USERS as equal.There must be some reason why Winston Churchill stated that his highest priority in life was attaining mastery over the spoken language. Churchill was born at the top of English society, but he had to WORK at his language. As Dalrymple points out, champion runners need discipline and training; why should we imagine that champion writers (and speakers) do not?Continuing with his "amateurish" efforts, Dalrymple then offers up an essay I have been wanting to read for a long time: "What Makes Dr. Johnson Great?" A Russian emigre asked Dalrymple this question, in genuine perplexity, and I have long shared that Russian's curiosity. Dalrymple provides the answer, and now I understand why I missed the point for so long. You'll have to read the essay for yourself, but a major part of the answer is intellectual and emotional maturity --- the understanding that we all seek security and excitement, and the further insight that these are conflicting goals, and the final "tragic" insight that human life is bound to be imperfect. Especially brilliant is the comparison between Voltaire's "Candide" and Johnson's "Rasselas."So this book initially looked like a box of wonderful chocolates: Language, Dr. Johnson, Shakespeare, Koestler, and a blistering chapter on "the new atheists." But, of course, sooner or later the author had to return to the extremely sad situation of present-day Britain, where a delinquent child "raised" by the welfare state actually finds prison to be a liberating experience. You will have to read this very sad book to find out why.It seems to me that Dalrymple's writing has greatly improved since his early retirement, and therefore I hope there is much to look forward to.Don't miss this book, especially if you're one of those people who think that America needs to become a lot more like Europe.Highest possible recommendation!

I really appreciate Dalrymple's style and sensibilities. One would have to go far to find someone who better exemplifies a certain kind of conservative intellectual, very much at home in the pages of National Review. I bought this hoping that there would be more of a thread to the essays than I found, but it really is basically a collection of very good (some really excellent) essays.