The sad part is that to be truly British should mean to embrace all the other cultures that have helped to shape and define this country throughout the years.
Absolutely and totally agree.
In short we’re utterly ****
Absolutely and totally agree.
And yet...and yet...
I work with the most diverse group of people I've ever worked with for 30 years, Phillipino, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Indian, Spanish, Portuguese, Egyptian, Polish, Romanian, Welsh, Scottish, German,even people from Rochdale. All nice folk, all utterly different yet alike.
It's a mess, but I am hopeful, maybe even optimistic that things will, against the odds, despite the silliness, turn out OK.
The alternative is not a place I want to think about.
I agree with Edukators thesis although not his posting it on here. the constant low level jingoism poisons the english psyche along with such nonsense as "the special relationshipo" and "two world wars and one world cup"
Although 'Anyone but England' could be seen in a similar light, despite us having brought it on ourselves!
😉
"Opinion dressed up as fact (the contemporary malaise du jour). What’s a “significant number”? What proportion of the total forum membership is that? How do you know that the small sample of the British population you “have any contact with” is truly representative? Doesn’t match my own experience in any way and in this context that would appear to be an equally valid ‘fact’.
Talking “veracity”, that statement might be true from your PoV but that doesn’t make it a fact. It might be, but it might also equally just be your own confirmation bias.
Even if there is a disproportionate number of STWers obsessed with the Dambusters, that again might be correlation rather than causation (Nicholas Cage films and pool drownings is a good one). On a forum full of predominantly middle aged male geeks I suspect a prime reason for any interest is more likely to be the story and the tech (you’ve already mentioned Project Blinky) than any nationalist bias."
A very English trait, and especially so on here; Wasted Breath!
And no, I didn't read it all...
I went to a secondary school on a large council estate in the 90s.
I remember doing my GCSE exams, and focusing quite hard as I wanted a future and to get out.
At the end of one exam, one of the boys in the year, who was sat infront of me, and hadn't done a day's work in his life, produced the fruits of his labours. He'd created on the back of his unfilled in exam paper a Union Jack.
Since then, I've been to uni, travelled abroad, had an Italian girlfriend and lived in Italy. All these things made my life richer. I worked hard, and rightly it paid off. Now I feel that my country has been taken from me by the kid with the Union Jack on his exam paper. There is no point working hard here, it is best to start a new life abroad.
I think this thread has been derailed a bit. I do however, struggle to see that the examples given suggest a significant number of STWers being obsessed with WWII. One username and a thread with 9 posts. If that is a significant proportion of users on this site, I am really ****ed off that I've not won a prize in the Christmas giveaways!
Also, Taika Waititi has only made one film about WWII AFAIAA. He's a pretty talented human being. His films are pretty socially aware. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a thing of beauty.
An all-British Britain would be awful. With the exception that if nobody traveled globally in the way we currently do, we'd likely be better off environmentally. Maybe.
The pseudo of an STWer user is “Panzerjäger” a modeling fan sufficiently into WWII military equipment to chose the name of a armed vehicle used in action that included atrocites againt civilians.
Odd, I’ve been following the modelling thread for ages, and that username doesn’t ring any bells at all! In any case, the German army still uses panzers, it is, after all, a name for a tank, a weapon used by most nations involved in warfare since WW1.
And you’re talking about armoured vehicles being used by the Nazi army against civilians, on a thread where you’re complaining about a perceived British obsession with the Second World War, so I’m not entirely sure what point you’re trying to make. Are you?
I was born in 1954, so brought up during a period where I’m supposed, by your reckoning, to have been indoctrinated with some idea of a glorious British Empire subjugating a huge part of the globe, and still having a rose-tinted idea of a New Victorianism.
Sorry to disappoint you, son, but it’s not a notion I subscribe to, partly because I never heard any stories of action against the Germans from my dad, (who sadly died when I was thirteen anyway), because he suffered at the hands of the Japanese after Singapore fell and he was incarcerated in Changi Gaol, not an experience to talk about to a youngster. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the development of weaponry due to conflict, it does force technological advancements, both good and bad, and the Germans had outstanding examples of both!
Wasted Breath!
I guess the love of hopeless causes is quite British too...
But to leave questionable things unchallenged is (a) against my learned behaviour as a teacher, and (b) partially how we got into this mess in the first place...
Every day will be Red Poppy Day and anyone who doesn’t wear one will be pointed at like Donald Sutherland at the end of Invasion of the body snatchers.
Seriously, we need to forget WWI (it’s been a hundred years!) and move on from WWII.
This incorporation of anti-European nationalism into our annual appreciation of those who were killed or injured in war is a terrible development.
A personal family view, 5 uncles 2 grandfathers served in WW2 from the Atlantic Convoys to Arnhem to D Day to the liberation of Dachau. They all came back although 2 were badly wounded and i am sure my Grandfather who was a sergeant in the Durham Light Infantry has PTSD.
There were no medals on show, no Regimental Ties, no blazers and berets on Rememberance Sunday, no stories other than "never join up son"
Their experience was never visible, never held up as giving them "rights" never a bad word about the Germans and never a racist word uttered,
I have no doubt they would have given this bunch of ****s short shift who gladly refer to the "Dunkirk spirit"
My grandfather served in the navy, he never sold to me about it, but I know that both his ships sank, he was pretty jingoistic, very sexist, racist, I didn't see it at the time as a child but in reflection, as much as I loved him then I'm not sure I'd like him if I met him now.
My mum has pretty similar views to his notes, even though he was not the best father too her.
There was a lot of idolising the military & sectarianism rangers nonsense
My parents have become far more bigoted as theyve aged, racist homophobic, DM readers & obviously leavers (bizarrely obsessed with gypsies too)
My brother joined the navy (since left) & is an ardent brexiter
Meanwhile my wifes grandad was a bomber on a Lancaster (dam busters squadron, no-less-- it was mentioned so many times in his eulogy!)
He brought back a lot of baggage, and put my mum in law & her family through a tough time, Interestingly he was the opposite to my grandad: open & tolerant, and very anti-war
My wife's brother now captains a t45 destroyer, he is anti-brexit fwiw!
Not sure what my point is, but people are different
I want to be drinking water out of my bare hands… none of this foreign beaker nonsense.
It definitely started to go wrong the beaker folk, coming over here with their beakers.
Bastard beakers.
The beaker point is apt because in the minds of the majority of the little people who voted Leave, it was primarily a vote against 'progress' or what we used to call progress when we didn't take the first opportunity to gorge ourselves on populist Kool Aid. With lashings of 'sovrunty'.
An all-British Britain would be awful. With the exception that if nobody traveled globally in the way we currently do, we’d likely be better off environmentally. Maybe.
Maybe? English river quality is currently the worst in The EU. So if we leave the EU then it will no longer be the worst in the EU! We’ll be a nation of industrious industrial farmers and big landowners. Which will stop create flooding, destroy and open up new wetlands downstream. Maybe.
https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/environment/farmer-hits-back-over-flood-work-on-protected-river
We would have to lose St George as well - ruddy greek
And Santa, and christmas trees, and turkeys.
I was born in 1954, so brought up during a period where I’m supposed, by your reckoning, to have been indoctrinated with some idea of a glorious British Empire subjugating a huge part of the globe, and still having a rose-tinted idea of a New Victorianism.
Sorry to disappoint you, son, but it’s not a notion I subscribe to
It's not by my reckoning, you're putting words in my mouth there. That's entirely your own appraisal of yourself that you've atributed to me.
If it's a notion you don't subscribe to why did you vote leave?
Spam fritters with all the nites, twizzled turkey, cream soda, Mother's Pride, Cyril Lord carpets (depending on border arrangements) and sherbet lemons.
Yes people are different. My grandfather served throughout WW2 and was second in line at the DDay landings. I didn't really know him but I've been told he wasn't at all closed-minded, however his wife was. My dad thinks my grandfather was intelligent and their marriage was a mismatch from day 1.
My parents are quite similar however, my dad is open-minded but my mother has got worse with age. The word I would use to describe it is "surly". There is always a perceived injustice going on somewhere which they won't let go of. I recently fell for a woman but then I reflected on her character, and thought it would be a miserable relationship over the longer term, so didn't pursue it any further. My biggest regret is that I didn't pursue a relationship with someone at uni as she was from a higher social class, she is now a senior lecturer at a top university and would have been just right for me. Oh well, live and learn.
I think it comes down to one's attitude to change, most people naturally fear it, whereas some people - who tend to be more intelligent - see that is it an inevitable part of life and you may as well roll with it and adapt. Otherwise the only guarantee is that you will have a boring life.
Purely by coincidence, I watched this video this morning:
It was part of the opening ceremony from the 2012 London Olympics. Bearing in mind that the Olympics are attended by people from all over the world, was the theme tune from "The Dam Busters" entirely appropriate?
It does highlight how stirring and evocative, in a nationalist sort of way, a piece of music can be.
It does highlight how stirring and evocative, in a nationalist sort of way, a piece of music can be.
But you don't have to take it seriously.
I'm not sure whether it's feasible to feed everyone on UK veg, but for the last few years I've been a member of a community supported agriculture scheme. All of my (and 360 other people's) veg is grown organically within sight of work. It's genuinely amazing what they can grow us all through the year just with some mypex, crop covers and 7 polytunnels. Even now in December we're getting more salad than we can eat!
Tomorrow is quite a small haul but I'm collecting Carrots, Hamburg parsley, leeks, kale, salad, rocket, potatoes, squash and that will see me and my partner through to next Tuesday without a visit to the shops.
twizzled turkey
South American import.
Turnip twizzlers for you sunshine.
Hamburg parsley
Kraut parsley!?!
Not in MY Britain!
I'll carry on eating supermarket pizza made in Birmingham and washing it down with strong continental lager brewed in Luton.
Not allowed. funny furrin food. You will be cast out of our british utopia.
My Dad who passed away about 5 years ag, born in 1931 was a working class labourer who left school at 13 thought brexit was a very bad idea. He was poorly educated but not stupid and watched his Father and Uncles give their youth to a world war.
He once said to me (about the landed gentry) you can "rob them
but you cant beat them"
Not allowed. funny furrin food. You will be cast out of our british utopia.
And German, German, style beer...
Dear me...
Some synchronicity in the air. Get back in the sea you finned ****
