I don't hate being British, I know we have a lot of faults and there are plenty of things I would like to change, but there is a lot of things to be proud of. We have a rich cultural heritage, we have equality (for the most part), free education, great health care, democracy, law, good pubs, the list goes on.
OP every country in the world has good and bad points, take your attention seeking elsewhere
There's far more reasons to love Britain than there are to hate it. It can't be that bad as everyone seems to want to live here. It's a shame some of those people can't embrace our culture instead of just coming here in order to take the bits that benefit them with a total disrespect for everything else.
Saying that, some Brits can be a bit like that too. Just look at places like Benidorm which have been inundated with English pubs, chippys and everywhere you go it's like Essex only in someone else's country. Their coastline has been decimated by British louts and drunken yobs and crooks. I think that is equally as disrespectful to their country and culture. We go there to benefit from the weather and cheaper beer and cigarettes due to them having lower taxes yet we still want it to look and feel like Britain with our PG Tips and a copy of the Daily Sun.
How is that any different than people who come here from Muslim based countries then want to adopt their native dresscode or build mosques and open shops which sell food catered for their own community like Polski Sklep stores or halal meat suppliers etc. If we want foreigners to respect our ways and our cultures then we should be doing the same abroad.
This free school in Derby - if it does indeed require all female teachers to wear the Hijab, even though it's not a requirement in Islam - is the perfect example. I hope Ofsted tell them you can't force cultural beliefs on people in this country - including women - and close the school down if they don't comply.
I agree about Brits abroad too, though not the PG Tips thing. :sleep:
I don't hate being British, I know we have a lot of faults and there are plenty of things I would like to change, but there is a lot of things to be proud of. We have a rich cultural heritage, we have equality (for the most part), free education, great health care, democracy, law, good pubs, the list goes on.
" Free education " is actually paid for , just indirectly
Ditto healthcare - indirectly £2500 per person per year ,again via tax
The law is increasingly driven by political correctness
" Free education " is actually paid for , just indirectly
Ditto healthcare - indirectly £2500 per person per year ,again via tax
The law is increasingly driven by political correctness
The pubs are shutting
Just playing devils advocate !:D
Actually those who are re-inventing themselves are staying open and remember cheap booze from Supermarkets is putting pubs out of business too and most of us shop in them.
You can't control where you're born, or who you are born to. In that sense, it's an accident. The consequences are beyond your control.
You can't have pride in something beyond your control.
Oh, that rather puts a dampener on things. My daughter successfully auditioned for part in a West End musical, all on her own volition. I have no performing arts ability whatsoever and other than financial input, had no influence over this. But I'm immensely proud of her talent and success.
Damn you jrio for taking all this away from me :mad:
Actually those who are re-inventing themselves are staying open and remember cheap booze from Supermarkets is putting pubs out of business too and most of us shop in them.
Where I live the villages seem to be full of nothing but pubs. In my experience cities have very few pubs, but if you go out into the countryside they are full of them
Whilst I'm not proud of the British Empire and the way it invaded underprivileged countries and claimed rule on them, we gave those countries stability and a better standard of living and when we pulled out, those countries were in a better economical state than they were when we came there. Admittedly a few have reverted back into poverty since we left but that's not our doing. We went and shared our knowledge and traded off a lot of our ways, traditions, culture, standards, education and produce and generally gave those countries a better standard of living than they were prior to us being there. In return we fed off some of their resources to our own benefit. So what? Sounds like a fair trade off. Believe me, they were better under British rule than they were before we invaded so if anything we helped improve those countries, not bleed them dry.
Today most of these countries are indebted to us for our historical input during the empire which helped them set up trading posts in order to better their country's economy and most are still proud to be our allies and some are even proud to still hold our queen on their currency.
Because of the trading links we set up during the empire, a lot of those countries now continue to make a living from trading with us and the rest of the world which in turn keeps their economy going. If it were not for the British they may not have had that opportunity.
This is complete nonsense. The idea that these people were too inept to control their own lives, and benefited from British rule, is one that infantilises them as child-like savages. At least the Romans didn't pretend they used their wisdom and might to improve the world. They regarded themselves as superior to all other peoples and ruthlessly took what they wanted.
Military force was used to make these countries comply with British wishes. Infrastructure built was used to efficiently move resources from each country. Any benefits are an unintended side effect.
Yes, any other country in our position would have done the same, but let's not pretend we had higher motives. It's sheer garbage to maintain "we went and shared our knowledge" as though Britain was mostly philanthropic. It was raping and pillaging with a veneer of sophistication.
You were lucky to be born here! There's no pride. You didn't do anything to be proud of. It's an accident of birth.
The Empire.
You enslaved people and sucked out resources from their countries. That's a source of shame, not pride. Take a lesson from the Romans, proud fascists.
Tolerance
Largely, only if you're white. You don't like ethnicity. See the latest YouGov research - 34% of electorate uncomfortable with "ethnic minority" PM.
Deference
You suck up to those you believe have more value than you, the "class system". You "respect" the Royal Family, purely because they were born into wealth.
United States
Your leaders persist in believing you have a special relationship, not realising you're the monkey to the organ grinder.
"The EMpire" was a trading empire mainly, we didn't enslave anybody.
"The Empire" gave the world the financial and industrial model on which all of it runs nowadays, that should be a source of great national pride.
Sounds very much like Emperor Palpatine.
Free countries willingly trade with each other. An empire enforces its rule and takes what it wants.
Britain was a conduit for slavery and ensured that the countries dominated had a great measure of servility. They enforced it with military power. There are too many instances to mention.
Colonies aren't free countries. None of them became free countries without insurrection and many of their people being killed by the British armed forces. Britain didn't tacitly withdraw when is was clear their "trading" wasn't welcome.
Today land appropriated by force is still in the hands of those whose British ancestors took it. Those ancestors didn't arrive with lots of help and tips for the native population to use it more efficiently.
Free countries willingly trade with each other. An empire enforces its rule and takes what it wants.
Britain was a conduit for slavery...
Sorry but this really pathetic guilt tripping, or self loathing, as may be. Everyone alive probably descends from peoples who dominated other groups or peoples at some time in the past, to be ashamed for the past is delusional.
Sorry but this really pathetic guilt tripping, or self loathing, as may be. Everyone alive probably descends from peoples who dominated other groups or peoples at some time in the past, to be ashamed for the past is delusional.
So should we just forget about it all they key to not doing it again is remembering it and how bad it really was
Free countries willingly trade with each other. An empire enforces its rule and takes what it wants.
Britain was a conduit for slavery and ensured that the countries dominated had a great measure of servility. They enforced it with military power. There are too many instances to mention.
Colonies aren't free countries. None of them became free countries without insurrection and many of their people being killed by the British armed forces. Britain didn't tacitly withdraw when is was clear their "trading" wasn't welcome.
Today land appropriated by force is still in the hands of those whose British ancestors took it. Those ancestors didn't arrive with lots of help and tips for the native population to use it more efficiently.
I am certainly not proud of the empire, but is it really right to judge a whole country and its people by something that its ancestors did? And of course there is so much more to Britain then just one segment in its history. Every country on earth has its dark parts, including this one
The only thing I don't like about the UK is the weather but if it were a favourable climate it would spill over the edge with everyone wanting to come and live here.
You can't have everything in life OP deal with it. lol
The only thing I don't like about the UK is the weather but if it were a favourable climate it would spill over the edge with everyone wanting to come and live here.
You can't have everything in life OP deal with it. lol
I don't think the weather is that bad, I think we just like to moan about it.
So should we just forget about it all they key to not doing it again is remembering it and how bad it really was
There is a big difference between learning from the past and being ashamed of it or using it as a reason to hate. I don't think we should ever forget what the nazi's did for instance, but did I hate Germany? No, its a fine country.
You were lucky to be born here! There's no pride. You didn't do anything to be proud of. It's an accident of birth.
The Empire.
You enslaved people and sucked out resources from their countries. That's a source of shame, not pride. Take a lesson from the Romans, proud fascists.
Tolerance
Largely, only if you're white. You don't like ethnicity. See the latest YouGov research - 34% of electorate uncomfortable with "ethnic minority" PM.
Deference
You suck up to those you believe have more value than you, the "class system". You "respect" the Royal Family, purely because they were born into wealth.
United States
Your leaders persist in believing you have a special relationship, not realising you're the monkey to the organ grinder.
All very true BUT those aren't reasons to hate Britain, just reasons to be mildly perturbed with certain types of Briton.
if not for the british empire would britain have a power and influence over the world what it does to day. and don't forget what david cameron said
"We are very proud of everything we do as a small island - a small island that has the sixth-largest economy, the fourth best-funded military, some of the most effective diplomats, the proudest history, one of the best records for art and literature and contribution to philosophy and world civilisation."
He added: "For the people who live in Northern Ireland, I should say we are not just an island, we are a collection of islands. I don't want anyone in Shetland or Orkney to feel left out by this."
He repeated the speech at a press conference at the close of the two-day summit, adding in references to The Beatles, Shakespeare, Elgar and latest pop sensations One Direction.
"If I go on too long about our literature, our art, our philosophy, our contribution, including of course the world's language
Comments
OP are you jealous?
OP every country in the world has good and bad points, take your attention seeking elsewhere
This free school in Derby - if it does indeed require all female teachers to wear the Hijab, even though it's not a requirement in Islam - is the perfect example. I hope Ofsted tell them you can't force cultural beliefs on people in this country - including women - and close the school down if they don't comply.
I agree about Brits abroad too, though not the PG Tips thing. :sleep:
" Free education " is actually paid for , just indirectly
Ditto healthcare - indirectly £2500 per person per year ,again via tax
The law is increasingly driven by political correctness
The pubs are shutting
Just playing devils advocate !:D
Put down the mail
Actually those who are re-inventing themselves are staying open and remember cheap booze from Supermarkets is putting pubs out of business too and most of us shop in them.
Oh, that rather puts a dampener on things. My daughter successfully auditioned for part in a West End musical, all on her own volition. I have no performing arts ability whatsoever and other than financial input, had no influence over this. But I'm immensely proud of her talent and success.
Damn you jrio for taking all this away from me :mad:
Where I live the villages seem to be full of nothing but pubs. In my experience cities have very few pubs, but if you go out into the countryside they are full of them
Military force was used to make these countries comply with British wishes. Infrastructure built was used to efficiently move resources from each country. Any benefits are an unintended side effect.
Yes, any other country in our position would have done the same, but let's not pretend we had higher motives. It's sheer garbage to maintain "we went and shared our knowledge" as though Britain was mostly philanthropic. It was raping and pillaging with a veneer of sophistication.
This. Sometimes I wish I was Canadian.
Free countries willingly trade with each other. An empire enforces its rule and takes what it wants.
Britain was a conduit for slavery and ensured that the countries dominated had a great measure of servility. They enforced it with military power. There are too many instances to mention.
Colonies aren't free countries. None of them became free countries without insurrection and many of their people being killed by the British armed forces. Britain didn't tacitly withdraw when is was clear their "trading" wasn't welcome.
Today land appropriated by force is still in the hands of those whose British ancestors took it. Those ancestors didn't arrive with lots of help and tips for the native population to use it more efficiently.
So should we just forget about it all they key to not doing it again is remembering it and how bad it really was
I am certainly not proud of the empire, but is it really right to judge a whole country and its people by something that its ancestors did? And of course there is so much more to Britain then just one segment in its history. Every country on earth has its dark parts, including this one
If that happens I will die inside
You can't have everything in life OP deal with it. lol
You're still British at the moment :cool:
I don't think the weather is that bad, I think we just like to moan about it.
There is a big difference between learning from the past and being ashamed of it or using it as a reason to hate. I don't think we should ever forget what the nazi's did for instance, but did I hate Germany? No, its a fine country.
So you are embarrassed then otherwise you wouldn't want it brushing under the carpet
"We are very proud of everything we do as a small island - a small island that has the sixth-largest economy, the fourth best-funded military, some of the most effective diplomats, the proudest history, one of the best records for art and literature and contribution to philosophy and world civilisation."
He added: "For the people who live in Northern Ireland, I should say we are not just an island, we are a collection of islands. I don't want anyone in Shetland or Orkney to feel left out by this."
He repeated the speech at a press conference at the close of the two-day summit, adding in references to The Beatles, Shakespeare, Elgar and latest pop sensations One Direction.
"If I go on too long about our literature, our art, our philosophy, our contribution, including of course the world's language