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.
FTFYnickfrog - 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, andb) 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.
