[Closed] Are you glad you're British?

real seasons
You're joking, right? We get less 'real seasons' than most places outside the tropics! You can have the same day basically any time of year, and we frequently do.

Didn't read everything, but the point being brought up about embarrassed about brexit seems ludicrous. Was in Spain and France for several weeks. Interacted with the locals, and various other nationalities. Issue never came up, never had any negative flow from people and as far as I can tell, not even an issue for anyone. Really not a thing.

Probably didn't want to embarrass you.

I don't correlate nationality to where I live. I wasn't born here but there is no other country where I want to live for a variety of reason and despite the recent populist penchants of the under-educated of late.

I don't believe in nationality anyway, I have found a similar proportion of morons and nice people in any nationality.

Nationalism has become the opium of the people IMO.

I have found a similar proportion of morons and nice people in any nationality.

Me too but that doesn't stop me believing that a country like Scotland would be best governed by people who live in Scotland

I'm glad I'm not American

Very happy and proud to be Brtiish

If I had to chose another nationality it would be Swiss mainly for the stunning landscape and pkayground of mountains and lakes at the heart of Europe

Is that not what I just said?

Great Britain is the entire island, and Britain is the southern bit that stops at the Scottish border, ie Britain is England and Wales.

Thus British = English and Welsh.

You realise you are using a definition of British that might just have held water about 2,000 years ago? I know you are always trying to forward a very virulent anti-British agenda but this is taking it to extreme levels of silliness.

English, but wish I could say that with the pride and conviction that the Scots do. I feel that England doesn't project much of its own identity

Not allowed to stick a St Georges flag up outside your house either cos that shows your'e a racist.
The Scots & the Welsh are allowed though. & probably the Irish too.

kennyp - Member
You realise you are using a definition of British that might just have held water about 2,000 years ago? I know you are always trying to forward a very virulent anti-British agenda but this is taking it to extreme levels of silliness.

Your rabid opposition to the right of Scots to seek democratic freedom is blinding you to what the Ordnance Survey says. Or do you believe it is infested with Scots?

They define Britain quite clearly. And that has been the definition for a very long time. The Victorians didn't call the Scots British. They knew the difference. They called us North British.

If you don't like the OS definition, tough, I can't change it for you, but if it really sticks in your throat that we call ourself Scottish, we won't be offended if you call us Great British.

As for me being anti-British, look a few posts further back where I say England is a great country and something to be proud off.

My agenda is political freedom for Scotland, and nothing to do with being anti-British.

So I'll always be Scottish not British (ie not English or Welsh).

Your rabid opposition to the right of Scots to seek democratic freedom is blinding you to what the Ordnance Survey says. Or do you believe it is infested with Scots?

They define Britain quite clearly. And that has been the definition for a very long time. The Victorians didn't call the Scots British. They knew the difference. They called us North British.

If you don't like the OS definition, tough, I can't change it for you, but if it really sticks in your throat that we call ourself Scottish, we won't be offended if you call us Great British.

As for me being anti-British, look a few posts further back where I say England is a great country and something to be proud off.

My agenda is political freedom for Scotland, and nothing to do with being anti-British.

You just don't get it, do you? I am all in favour of Scots having the right to decide their future in a democratic way. We had a vote in 2014 that your leader assured us was a once in a lifetime referendum and you lost. Do you understand that? You lost! The Scottish people spoke and what they said was that we want to remain part of the UK.

You talk about democracy, but a few months ago I asked you if you would accept the result of a second referendum once and for all. Your reply was no, you would want a third, fourth, fifth referendum, however many it takes till we vote the way you want. Where's the democracy in that?

And as for that old "England is a great country" thing, that's straight out the SNP propaganda machine. The thing they are all told is to stress how great England is because that's more acceptable. Plus it emphasises the difference between England and Scotland to encourage the thinking of them as totally separate. I as told that by an SNP insider.

I have no issue at all with you calling yourself Scottish. I'm Scottish too. I'll be at Murrayfield next year cheering Scotland on against the "auld enemy". The difference is that I recognise our differences get left behind on the sporting field.

Yes, I'm sure you do want what you think is best for Scotland. However you need to start realising that so do I, and so did the majority of the folk who voted to remain British. We are sick to the back teeth of being told we are traitors to our country or that we don't want what is best for Scotland.

Scotland isn't some English colony ruled by the iron fist of St George. We are a great wee country that is part of a great bigger country. We voted to stay that way Deal with it!!!

Apologies if any of this sounds personal. It isn't. I appreciate you want a certain thing. But get to grips with the fact I want essentially the same thing. Please.

Lucky, but not proud. The scary rise of the voice of PC in this country is worrying and embarrassing. There's no space for honesty or simplicity without fear of some group of people shouting how offended they are, how things should be another way.

The increase in culture of suing because you're entitled to. Voting in leaders nobody knows or wants. Interfering in global matters we have no right or place to be. Almost half of women rubbing brown sludge on their skin, black marker pens on their eyebrows and turning their hair a horrendous pale yellow. Almost half of young men wearing clothes that are too small for them.

Britain is quite embarrassing overall!

I'm very glad to be British and extremely proud of the way we voted Brexit, we will show Europe the way forward . . . Again

Says the Japanese car buyer.

kennyp - Member
...I am all in favour of Scots having the right to decide their future in a democratic way. We had a vote in 2014 that your leader assured us was a once in a lifetime referendum and you lost. Do you understand that? You lost! The Scottish people spoke and what they said was that we want to remain part of the UK.

Leaders, that's the thing about democracy they are not rulers. We don't have a leader, we have representatives. Whatever Salmond said on his way to his resignation has absolutely no relevance to what the rest of us think and was a throwaway comment, not binding law.

The Scottish people were extensively lied to in a propaganda campaign that sunk to depths unprecedented since the Germans were supposedly spiking babies on their bayonets while simultaneously raping Belgian nuns in WW1. Maybe Brexit came close.

You talk about democracy, but a few months ago I asked you if you would accept the result of a second referendum once and for all. Your reply was no, you would want a third, fourth, fifth referendum, however many it takes till we vote the way you want. Where's the democracy in that?

The democracy is in allowing people a choice, otherwise why bother having General Elections every few years, although it seems the Tories are working on solving that inconvenience.

And as for that old "England is a great country" thing, that's straight out the SNP propaganda machine. The thing they are all told is to stress how great England is because that's more acceptable. Plus it emphasises the difference between England and Scotland to encourage the thinking of them as totally separate. I as told that by an SNP insider.

Are they? I'm not aware of that. I am not and will not ever be a member of that party. I do know they try to tamp down on anti English sentiment, and quite rightly.

Decades ago, the SNP's biggest holdback was when it was infested with racial attitudes to England rather than attending to the real problem - which is the system of government.

Our problem isn't English people, it is the Westminster system of government. And for that matter I think the north of England gets a similar raw deal, but that's up to them to deal with.

Scotland isn't some English colony ruled by the iron fist of St George. We are a great wee country that is part of a great bigger country. We voted to stay that way Deal with it!!!

Not a colony? Then why do we have what is effectively a Governor General in the shape of an appointed Secretary of State for Scotland? Surely in these times of austerity that is a redundant position seeing as we have a Scottish First Minister who is more than capable of representing Scotland's interests.

We had a vote on the matter, yes. I am dealing with it. Democratically insisting on my right for another vote after the material changes in our relationship.

Apologies if any of this sounds personal. It isn't. I appreciate you want a certain thing. But get to grips with the fact I want essentially the same thing. Please.

Pleased to hear that, and once folk like yourself realise that the best people to govern Scotland are those who live here, it will be a better place.

Seems I need to clarify my post:

I admire the way the Scottish promote their national pride. Little things like how products in a supermarket are labelled as "Scottish" - I can't think of an English equivalent. It feels to me as though Scotland and Wales have a clear sense of their national story and the imagery around it, whereas for the English our "story" is woven into the "British" discourse and so we don't project or feel a particulalry unique identity.

I do disagree with the idea that "we're not allowed to fly" St George's crosses, but there is an issue with the negative connotations of the symbol having been associated with the EDL, football hooliganism etc.

To repair divides post-Brexit some significant cultural work should be done to encourage each UK nation to celebrate its heritage and achievements, but then have another national holiday, like Canada Day, to celebrate togetherness. By properly understanding each nation's stories maybe we can better understand our cultural differences and become more united.

I for one am proud to be both English and British and in the coming years we will all need a sense of pride and determination to push through the challenges our nation faces. Currently we're less productive per hour worked than many other European nations and a large number of jobs are about to open up in lower skilled areas as immigration limits take effect, so we need to become more productive AND be ready to take on manual jobs in the meantime. The answer is partly to develop automation to overcome those challenges, especially in the food and agriculture industry (which Brexit will hit hard). We've got a lot of work to do and being positive, realising our strengths and patting ourselves on the back will become important.

Scottishness is woven into Britishness, I think the english are often the other way round, they try and weave britishness into englishness. It's how you get things like the west lothian question, frexample, "How dare [i]they[/i] vote in [i]our[/i] parliament" or not understanding that you can leave the UK but you can't kick another part out. It's pretty understandable, obviously England is the biggest part and does most of the heavy lifting

I don't agree Northwind. I think Scottishness, aside from a particular romanticised vision of lairds and "dashing" highlanders is left out of Britishness. Personally I often cant tell the difference between Englishness and Britishness.
I wish Essel and many others felt they could fly their flag. Perhaps they should after all the flag belongs to all English people not just the EDL nutters.
This is also an issue in Scotland as I think KennyP said. Lots of Yessers fly the saltire in their gardens etc but no voters have as much right to that flag as anyone. I can't be doing with talk of traitors etc . Unionists referring to Natsis is just as bad. It also irritates me that some products that were branded Scottish or with a Saltire are being rebranded as British or with the Union flag. Bells whisky is crap whichever flag is on the bottle.

It also irritates me that some products that were branded Scottish or with a Saltire are being rebranded as British or with the Union flag. Bells whisky is crap whichever flag is on the bottle.

gordimhor - Member

This is also an issue in Scotland as I think KennyP said. Lots of Yessers fly the saltire in their gardens etc but no voters have as much right to that flag as anyone. I can't be doing with talk of traitors etc

Oh, absolutely, drives me up the wall this- nothing's more guaranteed to turn people off than this sort of crap. Quislings, traitors, "enemies of the people"...

Well having just seen the price of beer in Ireland, yes I am.

While we bitch about the weather in Britain, although I don't see too many complaints about this weekend, I think this pretty much highlights just how lucky we are with our pretty benign climate:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/24/hurricane-harvey-threatens-texas-pictures/

Yeah but there are places that don't get tornados and are still reliably sunny in summer and cold and snowy in winter. I've talked about this a lot with my wife who is from one such place. The issue in the UK is reliability. You can book a holiday or arrange something, and you have no idea if it's going to be 25C and gorgeous or 15C and ****ing miserable. And there'll be nothing you can do about it cos it's all booked. In some other countries that is not the case. A day's rain in summer is a surprise but tomorrow it'll be back sunny again.

Yes, there are a lot worse places to be be born.

Saying that, British History does leave a lot to be desired....

Yeah but that kind of behaviour is pretty much endemic to humans, it's not an exclusively British thing.

In some other countries that is not the case. A day's rain in summer is a surprise but tomorrow it'll be back sunny again.

I lived in Australia for a year and this was one of the most liberating aspects of it for me: you never made an alternative bad weather plan, you didn't take jumpers or jackets with you in case it got cold or rained, and you didn't wait for a forecast before deciding what to do.

Aussies think it is ridiculous that the poms talk about the weather so much, but that's because in the UK we [i]have[/i] weather, sometimes all four seasons in one day.

molgrips - Member
Yeah but that kind of behaviour is pretty much endemic to humans, it's not an exclusively British thing.

POSTED 7 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Yerbutt... the British had an appetite for conquering other nations and causing atrocities that to this day are swept under the wooden floors of 16C & 17C & 18C warships...
But that's fine, they were only human slaves, all in the name of Trade eh.

nickfrog - Member
[s]Nationalism has[/s] Vaccuous cliches have become the opium of the people IMO.

Try being from Northern Ireland.

Identify as British, half will disapprove. Identify as Irish, the other half will disapprove. Identify as Northern Irish, everyone will disapprove for not taking a "side"

I'm glad and proud of where I'm from.

One thing I like about Americans. National pride. Be ****ing proud of where your from. Celebrate it, enjoy it.

I am very glad to be British. At 46 with young children I cannot believe our luck. Health care, water comes out of a tap, our lives are not under threat from government forces, education is supplied for my daughter as well as my son.

Am I 'proud' to be British? No. I don't really understand what that is supposed to mean. The majority of voices I hear that are 'proud to be british' usually make my skin crawl.

Our history is far from perfect, in fact we have been downright shites to the rest of the world that we have decided to visit over the centuries with our over entitled 'Pride'.

I am still glad to be this lucky though.

One thing I like about Americans. National pride. Be **** proud of where your from. Celebrate it, enjoy it.

Hardly. That means justifying your countries **** ups and overlooking its problems, in many cases.

But that's fine, they were only human slaves, all in the name of Trade eh.

a) I never said it was fine, and

b) Neither counquering countries or capturing and trading slaves were exclusively British activities.

Having once been staunchly proud of being British, it's waivered in recent years. Or more... being English I guess, especially after the Brexit debacle. A lot of my friends either live or work in Europe. It's sad to think of
That door potentially shutting.

For all the "look at what we've got" posts above - look at what we are giving up. My honest opinion is that there's too many people living on perceived past glories of what a great power we once were.

We're becoming less and less relevant in the global stakes, less welcoming, more xenophobic and our economy is going down the shitter. Along with the gbp.

Am seriously thinking of taking a time out and living on. The continent for a bit with my European wife. Which is a shame as there's elements of Britain that I love (particularly Scotland and Wales!)

Am seriously thinking of taking a time out and living on. The continent for a bit with my European wife.

I would suggest this anyway, if you have the ability. It's a great thing to do. I've done it before and enriched my life. I'd have spent time in America with my American wife if they didn't make it so damn complicated even if you are entitled.

I sort of have had a go... albeit two ski seasons. But something a little more permanent....

Yerbutt... the British had an appetite for conquering other nations and causing atrocities that to this day are swept under the wooden floors of 16C & 17C & 18C warships...
But that's fine, they were only human slaves, all in the name of Trade eh.

Decks (you ought to know better .....eh)

Yes.

I think of myself as British first and English when the rugby is on.

I have traveled all over the place and still enjoy coming home to the UK. We have an astonishing culture which many people in the world admire and try and copy. Yes the extremes of the UK are not pleasant but I like the fact that I live in a country that allows extremes (up to a point).

Our history is full of embarrassing cock ups but also fabulous achievements. I just wish we had a bit more confidence.

molgrips - Member
a) I never said it was fine, and

b) Neither counquering countries or capturing and trading slaves were exclusively British activities.

Ya' very true, and I understand your point..

My point is the British were just [i]so[/i] damn good at it.

Like others I'm glad rather than proud of being British. It's not perfect and Brexit is a glitch but given the majority of alternatives I'm very lucky to have been born here.

The grass is always greener and when you dig a bit deeper in to 'perfect' countries to live in they all have issues of some kind.

Name me a major country that doesn't have something to be ashamed about in it's past? How far do you go back? I'd prefer to look to the future to look back at what can't be changed ( that doesn't men that lesson can't be learn't from the past, there just no wasting time being ashamed of it).

Ya' very true, and I understand your point..

My point is the British were just so damn good at it.

For a while.

I was, like most people on this forum, born into the 50% of the world's population most likely to be involved in war, invading other countries, slavery, torture and aggression in general. There isn't much risk of us* losing our position in that particular table.

I do indentify with being English (not so much with the other British, nice though they are, and even less with the British I saw in Plymouth last Friday night). In the end I'm proud of being one of the cross-cultural group with which I identify.

* I'm talking about males.

True. But I do think it's nuanced. There were good and bad things going on, just like there were in the Roman Empire. I knew a bloke from Sudan once, he lived in Manchester and when he went back the old people would ask him when the British were coming back, because they longed for those days.

Lots and lots of terrible Imperial behaviour all over the world by lots of peoples.

Glad to be British - proud to be Welsh.

Lots of people here whinge about things aimlessly ... its very often about nonsense thats not even worth worrying about; Brexit and Trump being the two most obvious topics, but when you consider people living in some parts of Africa, Asia, S.America etc and what they have to worry about you realise how lucky we are here.

Moaning about brexit and trump is fair. We have it so good but still manag to **** it up by voting for these things!

It's nonsense to be proud of your nationality. It isn't something you achieved, it's just an accident of fate. It's like being proud of how tall you are.

I'm lucky to be British, because there a lot of places that are a lot worse.

But obviously people who are 5'7" tall are superior to anyone who isn't.

My point is the British were just so damn good at it.

They also did the most to end it as well.

Something to ponder: what would you say British values are?

Glad [ or i feel lucky ] to have been born in a wealthy liberal western democracy that has healthcare, education, law and order etc.

As for pride or love or what not its just conditioning that would have happened whatever bit of rock your lucky incarnation in life happened to plonk you down on.

Yes I could list great things about here but I am not patriotic about the place. Its just a place and if i had been born elsewhere i would feel the same level of ambivalence to that place just as the patriotic would feel patriotic bout that place were they born elsewhere.

Well, I'm very proud to be British and a Lancastrian. However, I hate right wing nationalists and some of our jingoistic press. I personally think that these islands are too small to contain 4 separate countries and would be happy to see Ireland back in the fold (I'll get my coat).
I am ashamed of the Brexit result, too.
It seems that my opinion is a minority one on here though.
And another thing, I always try to buy British if I can afford it - it's interesting how many 'patriots' drive foreign cars, for example.

Just posted up a thread about the BBC 2 programme featuring the work of the RNLI, and if there's nothing else, the RNLI and what they do and what they achieve truly makes me proud of my country, and the people who generously give their money to support an organisation who rely entirely on public donations and volunteers who give their time for free, and who risk their lives to rescue anyone in danger regardless of race, creed or colour.

Am seriously thinking of taking a time out and living on. The continent for a bit with my European wife. Which is a shame as there's elements of Britain that I love (particularly Scotland and Wales!)

Do it. I have enjoyed the years I have spent living abroad and it was a fascinating experience to see what is better and worse vs the UK. I suspect when I retire I will spend 60-75% of my time in France (my wife is from Paris), if I do move to Switzerland for work (been hankering after that move for 15 years) it's quite possible I will live there post retirement maybe permanently (ie sell up in the UK). As Imposted before I am very happy and proud to be British but that doesn't mean I [b]have[/b] to live here.

the RNLI and what they do and what they achieve truly makes me proud of my country,

+ 1, but don't forget the likes of the Mountain Rescue teams as well.
I've actually been 'rescued' by them & could potentially require the services of the RNLI, being a sea fishing person.
Both are very high on my 'esteemed' list.

After two weeks in the US, even prouder to be British

Nay lads. It's Yorkshire I'm proud to be.

Seriously, in general I'm pleased even proud to be British, proud that i have a Scottish grandmother and Welsh Grandad. Given the countries varied and interesting history from first population post ice to today, if think its not done to bad. Not perfect by a long way with some serious stuff to answer for but some highlights to take pride in.

@teamhurtmore, spot on with that.

What mt says, I love the fact we are a diverse nation

Another perspective.

[url= https://randompublicjournal.com/2017/09/01/sick-of-the-british-mentality/ ]How others see the British[/url]

Wow that's pretty grim reading. I don't think it's that bad & I'm pretty pessimistic about our nation's future.

Yes I'm glad I'm British. Generally it's a wonderful place. Recently though I've been glad I can fall back on Irish citizenship.

Another perspective.

How others see the British

He's a British journalist!

No. Other than the landscape I see too much selfishness to enjoy being British.

There are good things, and there are worse countries but we should be a lot better than we are.