Meow

That's ridiculous. Every country has things in their past that are wrong, but Britain was the first to abolish slavery and not everything about the empire was bad.

Focussing on negatives, especially those of over a hundred years ago is a fruitless exercise. We learn, we improve, we move on.

As others have said, if you want to focus on slavery and empirem KSA is an interesting place to be. Slavery is alive and well there.


Are you sure you aren't related to Mentalist, our other bundle of laughs?

Theseus

To put in my tuppence....

I'm not proud to be British - but I am grateful. Its a great country to have been born in, at least relatively speaking. I'm with Nonthaburi I'm not into celebrating St Georges Day, just because other countries celebrate a national day doesn't mean I have to. Indeed another point in favour of England - we have the freedom to opt out of patriotic nonsense.

Instead of saying I'm proud to be the same nationality as a random historical figure (who was probably welsh) maybe we could all say that we're grateful or happy that we come from England's Green and Pleasant Land.

Meow

In my view, that's pretty much what it's about - whatever you call it.

Being patriotic isn't about thinking you are better than other nationalities, but England, and GB generally, has contributed so much to the world - most of it positive - that there there is much to be proud of.

the_red_sheep

And this is best done by naming a day after a Greek who slayed a mythical monster?

Is it just me, or has St George’s day slowly been given gradually greater prominence over the last decade or so as the English attempt to establish an identity and culture for themselves out with the comfy banner of ‘Great Britain’ as that now archaic misnomer dispels with increasing rapidity? *ducksforcover*

britexpat76

I can guarantee he was not English. As Meow says and I have earlier I celebrate today not for St George but for all great English Inventors, Explorers, Commanders, Chemists, Engineers who have helped discover and shape the world.

Not bad for a poxy cold little Island.

nonthaburi

It is a bit of a childish argument to say this . Along the lines of what people would say to a complaining expat of " if you don't like it here , then leave ! " .

As I said in a previous post there are good things about England , and I did agree that many great individuals have come from England , but let us not forget that there are many bad things that have happened too .

I mentioned two things . Slavery and the Empire . Slavery was without doubt highly profitable for the UK as was the British Empire . These two things have defined so much about how Britain as a place as developed with negative consequences for millions of people .

As to where I would have liked to have been born if anywhere . A stupid question , without having any idea of the life you might of had .

If it makes you happy to tell yourself that England is a great place that's up to you . Personally , I've not lived there in 15 years and I have no intention of doing so any time soon.

Sorry if you find it hard to accept other points of view . I always thought tolerance of others was one of these 'British' values .

nonthaburi

just my own personal opinion , nothing more nothing less . I don't see a lot of great things there in the present right now either .

Ronnie Biggs

You're a glass half empty kind of guy.....

nonthaburi

I'm not alone !!

the_red_sheep

Of course though, England is not an island.

britexpat76

And what about the good things the Empire did?? Education, Road and Rail, Laws not read from a 2000 year old book, Trade routes, Farming or Democracy??

nonthaburi

In Saudi so my glass is actually empty !

britexpat76

I think a lot of people are forgetting we are talking England and not Great Britain

the_red_sheep

Is this about to turn into a scene from The Life of Brian?

nonthaburi

or what about the bad things Empire did ?

Like taking over loads of other countries by force and profiting from it .

I remember being in Burma some years ago and talking to some old guys who could remember the British Rule , although they did say that they had better education under British rule ( which was probably more of a reflection on the military junta at the time) , ultimately for them , they wanted to be their own bosses and not have some red faced man from Manchester ruling them. And that is why they rejoiced in 1948 on gaining independence .