Are You Proud To Be British?

[Mr.Showtime]

Please list one country in the world that doesn't have a "disgusting" history?

South Sudan.

 

Not really a list though is it, one country.

[CleetusVanDamme]

I'm not really bothered, at all. Some people class me as being part of a big island made up of four countries, instead of classing me as just Scottish, so what?.

 

 

 

Doesn't help that I'm surrounded by people who keep bleating on about it, almost daily. I don't see how people can get so worked up over it.

[Duke]

Let's face it, where would the world be without it, we abolished slavery, and the States eventually followed suit, without us all of Europe or even the world would be a Nazi empire, probably. We led the world in the industrial revolution and did more in a hundred years or so than about a thousand years previously. I don't do pride, but anyone who dosen't care about their nationality and dosen't defend it is just traitorous scum, IMO, same for those who think we have a discusting history, there should be laws against spouting stuff like that, but alas it's a free country.

We do though. We also have some pretty great stuff in our history, but to ignore the bad isn't patriotic, it's blinkered.

 

I'm proud to be English, I'm always a bit wary of saying British because I always feel the Scots, the Welsh and those Irish that consider themselves part of the union are so very different to we English, and considering I've never been to any of the above I feel like I'd just be saying I'm proud of Sean Connery, Fit Finlay and Gavin and Stacy.

 

As for the English though, we're tremendous. We've the arrogance of the imperial combined with the underdog nature of a small island, we pick fights with anyone, bigger or smaller, historically we've always played a large part in maintaining the balance of power in Europe, we plod on almost irrespective of what happens yet remain incredibly downbeat and sarcastic about it, we've got a tremendous sense of humour as a nation. We drink tea, plot world domination and refuse to show emotion, as it wouldn't be proper. We're such a wonderfully idiosyncratic nation, with lots of little quirks that we take for granted. And the fact that the English sit and talk about what needs to be made better rather than rest on our laurels and bang on about how great we are. I love that too.

 

Not as to say noone else should be proud of their country, nor am I being so vulgar as to start proclaiming ratings and say we're the best, but I love that I'm English. I love going to London and seeing the marriage of history and modernity that I've yet to see in any other city. Tremendous.

 

 

"There are many things in life more worthwhile than money. One is to be brought up in this our England which is still the envy of less happy lands"

[Richie Freebird]

I

[Amazing_Red_Fan]

And I'm proud to be a Geordie

And to live in Geordie-land

Some people think we're bawdy

And we're hard to understand

 

And they say it's just self-pity

And we're not so very tough

Cos the people in the big fat City

Haven't had it half as rough

[Kiffy]

Let's face it, where would the world be without it, we abolished slavery, and the States eventually followed suit, without us all of Europe or even the world would be a Nazi empire, probably. We led the world in the industrial revolution and did more in a hundred years or so than about a thousand years previously. I don't do pride, but anyone who dosen't care about their nationality and dosen't defend it is just traitorous scum, IMO, same for those who think we have a discusting history, there should be laws against spouting stuff like that, but alas it's a free country.

 

 

Lol, we do have a disgusting history, most people with the intelligence to spell disgusting correctly are probably aware of that, and to pretend it's not there just makes you retarded.

But on the flip side we've done some very good stuff, national health care is amazing, true socialism at work (although of course you're extra right wing types tend to forget their healthcare is subsidised by business's and the wealthy and pretend it's nice and capitalist). For the most part we're a shining example to the world of how multiculturalism can work, we did indeed lead the way on various liberal ideals like the aboloshing of slavery and beating hitler and all that good stuff.

Plus we have people like stephen fry, and eddie izzard, and armando iannucci and chris morris and the monty python chaps and so much recent rich culture like that. Jungle, drum and bass, hard rock, heavy metal, we pretty much invented all that, and it's really quite good.

There's loads of good stuff, and there's loads of utter shite as well, aldgate got some on saturday, bnp activists, little blue rinse nazi's reading their daily mail and worrying about those nasty polish types raping the queens swans, muslim extremism, christian extremism, homophobia, angry chav types.

We're pretty lucky to live in this country but we're along way away from being able to look at it and going "Wow, we can be proud of all this," we're more around the "Some good stuff here, alot of work left to do though," kind of area to my mind.

[ReturnOfTheMack]

Yeah, I'm proud to be British. But I think I'd be proud of the achievements of 'my people' wherever I came from, thats who I am. But I certainly dont ignore the bad stuff we did, as a nation we have done more than our fair share of damage to the world, but we seem generally to be trying to help more than harm these days.

 

I consider myself British before I do English, but my family roots are from Northern Ireland. I find the culture of the UK to be greatly enriched by all parts, the Scots, Welsh, Irish and English have all combined folklore and history to create a nation thats more important than the sum of its parts.

[Bellenda Carlisle]

Not proud to be British especially,

Proud-ish to be English but I'm very proud to be from London.

[kralcdxela]

Some people who I feel are great representatives of our nation are people like John Lydon, Bernard Manning, William Wallace, Mo Mowlan and Roy Hattersley, for varying reasons, but they are all great Britons and have done well by our country, and have that everlasting British spirit.

 

I think most of our greatness is to do with things we have done in the past, though, alot fo aspects of our modern society are I feel very 'un-British', take for instance this attitude of evidently alot of people on here, the cultureless who just want to be neutral coloured human beings, don't want to associate with their routes, it's not their faults it's a trait that is picked up by young middle class Brits through the media and society, but it's still a shame.

 

Also this whole media idea about "multiculturalism" being British is wrong, in my opinion, as it has done far worse for us that is has anything good, infact it feels like it's taken alot away from us, and I don't consider recent immigrants to be really British anyway, so don't include them in this as such.

[LaGoosh]

There are none to be fair, hence why i don't lay my hat down anywhere.

 

Well then it was a pretty bloody silly comment wasn't it.

 

Personally, while I think Great Britian overall is a force for good in this world (despite some of the shady shit it does, but let's face it, every country will forever be guilty of this) I don't hold any allegiance to it.

 

It's a beautiful and great country but it doesn't belong to me and I don't owe it anything. My parents just fucked here is all.

[WU LYF 4 LYF]

I'm kind of conflicted on this issue. I like England, and I'm not sure I would ever want to live anywhere else for the rest of my life - when I was away for a year I missed it, and have been away for just weeks or months and always enjoy coming back. I suppose everyone feels that way about their 'home'.

 

Then again, I hate the city I'm from and couldn't wait to leave. Now I'm back in limbo after University, I hate it yet more (though it's once again conflicted, as there are so many idiosyncrasies and parts of the city that I love and love to reminisce about - perhaps it's the sense of restriction that I really don't like).

 

Am I proud to be British? Well, I'm somewhat proud to be English. I think the country has more good aspects in its past than bad, and a lot of the things we most enjoy today and that make life easier and more enjoyable originated in this country. I'm proud of the way we have put money into science and discovery (whoever that money was made on the back of), and I think the world would be a far worse place today if it hadn't been for English attitudes, theories, discoveries and expansion in 1600-1800. But at the same time I don't feel ardently about this country as it is, and have no illusions it plays a mere minor part in the world these days. In some ways, that makes it better though, like a band you love and then begin to dislike more as they become bigger.

 

One thing I am proud of is England's cultural landscape. I think ideas are embraced in the arts and the music world, and that people of all sexual preferences and ethnic backgrounds are embraced. Having said that, there is still opposition in many areas to values I support, and many people in this country are small minded. That's the case everywhere in the world, and I like to think the percentage of more accepting and open minded people here is greater than in most of the world.

[Dead Mike]

Some people who I feel are great representatives of our nation are people like John Lydon, Bernard Manning, William Wallace, Mo Mowlan and Roy Hattersley, for varying reasons, but they are all great Britons and have done well by our country, and have that everlasting British spirit.

 

I think most of our greatness is to do with things we have done in the past, though, alot fo aspects of our modern society are I feel very 'un-British', take for instance this attitude of evidently alot of people on here, the cultureless who just want to be neutral coloured human beings, don't want to associate with their routes, it's not their faults it's a trait that is picked up by young middle class Brits through the media and society, but it's still a shame.

 

Also this whole media idea about "multiculturalism" being British is wrong, in my opinion, as it has done far worse for us that is has anything good, infact it feels like it's taken alot away from us, and I don't consider recent immigrants to be really British anyway, so don't include them in this as such.

 

OK I'll bite....what constitutes someone to be 'really British'? How many generations had to be born here before it counts in your retarded opinion? Who in this thread has come across as 'cultureless'? Also, given the sheer number of times our tiny island has been invaded how can it be anything other than multicultural?

[PowerButchi]

Some people who I feel are great representatives of our nation are people like John Lydon, Bernard Manning, William Wallace, Mo Mowlan and Roy Hattersley, for varying reasons, but they are all great Britons and have done well by our country, and have that everlasting British spirit.

 

 

Bernard Manning is a great representation?

 

Prithee, what are you thoughts on Mosley and Powell?

[David]

One thing I am proud of is England's cultural landscape. I think ideas are embraced in the arts and the music world, and that people of all sexual preferences and ethnic backgrounds are embraced.

I wish the same could be said of Scotland.

[Astro Hollywood]

Some people who I feel are great representatives of our nation are people like John Lydon, Bernard Manning, William Wallace, Mo Mowlan and Roy Hattersley, for varying reasons, but they are all great Britons and have done well by our country, and have that everlasting British spirit.

 

I think most of our greatness is to do with things we have done in the past, though, alot fo aspects of our modern society are I feel very 'un-British', take for instance this attitude of evidently alot of people on here, the cultureless who just want to be neutral coloured human beings, don't want to associate with their routes, it's not their faults it's a trait that is picked up by young middle class Brits through the media and society, but it's still a shame.

 

Also this whole media idea about "multiculturalism" being British is wrong, in my opinion, as it has done far worse for us that is has anything good, infact it feels like it's taken alot away from us, and I don't consider recent immigrants to be really British anyway, so don't include them in this as such.

 

***** troll!

 

Right?!