No evidence has been seen that a genocide is occurring in Gaza or that women and children were targeted by the IDF, UK government lawyers have claimed, as a high court case opened into the handling of arms exports controls to Israel.
They also suggested there was no obligation placed on the UK to make other states comply with international humanitarian law but only to ensure that no breach occured within its jurisdiction.
The government is seeking to defend itself in a judicial review brought over allegations that it acted unlawfully in continuing to sell F-35 parts and components to a global pool, even though some of those components might be used by Israel in Gaza in a way that the government regards as a breach of international law.
Much of the case will turn on the extent to which international law places obligations in domestic law.
That 4 classes thing definitelly matches my impression of the place (and in fact I think Brexit was to a large extent the product of the cross between foreigners - including Europeans - being seen as the lowest of classes and the way the English put a lot more energy into “keeping in their place” those they see as below them in the social ladder than in actually climbing the ladder themselves).
That said, nowadays there is a Middle Class, who do not think of themselves as Working Class (though they actually work for a living), the higher part of which (the Upper Middle Class) think of themselves as Upper Class, though said Middle Class which was the product of the strong turn Left of the country in the post-War period is now being destroyed along with the things that allowed its emergence out of the Working class in the first place.
America at least did not have the whole idea that “people should know their place”, quite the contrary even.
Here’s an interesting comedy sketch from back in the 60s, which is satirical hence based on how people think (and then taking the piss out of it) rather than pure fantasy and illustrates some of this mindset which as far as I can tell is almost the opposite of the mindset that American (used to) have.
As I see it, modern Britain somehow managed to combine the worst aspects of Europe with the worst aspects of America.