What makes England free

The English were well known for their disposition to provide help in emergencies.  This disposition went to the heart of their conception of society, as a duty-bound relation between strangers.  Their charitable behaviour was a way of emphasizing that strangers are just as important as friends — because all of us, in the end, are nobodies.  By devoting yourself to the distressed stranger you make it clear that you too are a stranger in this world.  You reaffirm the distance between yourself and others, by showing that the motive that binds you to society is one of impartial justice and objective duty.  The charitable relief of strangers was simply another aspect of English reserve.

That is from Roger Scruton’s over the top but nonetheless fascinating England: An Elegy; he portrays the English as a people who have substituted morale and teamwork for intimacy.  If you are looking to understand why so many parts of the world find it difficult to adopt either capitalism or free political institutions, this is one of the very best places to start.  The English recipe is by no means the only way to go, but from Scruton one gets a good sense of just how much cultural background is needed to sustain liberty.