Comments on: Nutty Nationalists?

By: Claire

Claire — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:06:05 +0000

Hmm actually am kind of proud of our NHS!

By: Claire

Claire — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:52:00 +0000

Sorry can’t help it, I’m a negative person, probably get it from the news.
Was going to say “English” but then all parts of the British Isles have benefited (or not) from what I was saying so… you’re right, we were not the only country to do all of that but our empire was the biggest (another reason to be proud of being British/English whatever eh?).

Who knows what I would have thought had I been alive then, however obviously some people realised it wasn’t right otherwise it would never have changed.

As for the changes in working class housing, do not kid yourself that it was done for honourable reasons that warrent pride; the appalling conditions that the working classes lived in spread diseases like cholera etc which ignore class divides and seeing as it was the working classes which enabled those in power to be wealthy and for England to compete industrially with other countries, they needed to be vaguely healthy.

Maybe they should do another Great Exhibition for the 21st century of all that we can be proud of now. Any ideas?

By: Luke_D

Luke_D — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:24:11 +0000

And of course it is easy to be critical of the past as judged by today’s standards. As a reminder, we were not the only country to have ‘dabbled’ in the slave trade, nor were we the only country to have colonies across the world.
Herein lies the confusion, I presume you meant English (in line with the point I was originally making) rather than British?
It would be interesting to see if you would have had the same reaction had you been alive say, in the 1880s. At a time when the Great Exhibition celebrating achievement had been held. At a time when improvements in working class houses were being made and implemented. At a time when we were at the heart of scientific research.
The point is, too frequently do we dwell on the negativity of the past, and too infrequently do we look at the positive things that have made England into what we now know.

By: Claire

Claire — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:47:35 +0000

In the past this country has built up colonies in other countries, used their materials and goods to make us rich, dabbled in the slave trade, come back to these countries later lent them money and charged them ridiculous rates of interest, leaving them in poverty for years to come. When they finally start developing countries like ours relocate industry there, putting workers here out of jobs and exploiting people out there.
Of course it goes without saying that I’m proud to be British!

By: Luke_D

Luke_D — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 09:12:14 +0000

I’m not sure it is a case of what have you done to be proud of being English. I think it is more a case of what has the country done in times gone by that can make you proud to say that you are English. I would point to things such as democracy and industry that England more or less gave to the rest of the world in some form or other. I think more than anything though, I am proud to just be associated with a country that has such a rich and colourful history, full of characters and individuals who did things to make you proud.

By: Claire

Claire — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:45:23 +0000

Am I proud to be English? no, because the way I see it, it was only luck that I am English, I could have just as easily been born elsewhere. I haven’t actually done anything to be proud of by simply being born in a certain place.

I think this gives some indication as to why nationalism is viewed as old fashioned. It did once have it’s place, e.g. in WW2 everyone was pulling together and making sacrifices for their country for a war that people knew that Britain was “in the right” for. We haven’t really had that since.

I am not however saying that I am not very happy to be English- I couldn’t imagine dying anywhere else!

P.S if the government had national pride surely st George’s day would be a bank holiday!?

By: Luke_D

Luke_D — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:01:03 +0000

Do you see the point in St Paddy’s day? More importantly, do you celebrate St Paddy’s day? What that implies is that for something to have a point, it must be related to your consumption of alcohol.

Suddenly your fondness for the Labour party makes sense.

By: brigidjones

brigidjones — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:42:45 +0000

Aint nowt wrong with it, i just dont see the point! You can’t even make it into a drinking fest, nowhere does ale and Carling is rubbish