Poll: Proud to be British

[k-ossuburb]

What's there to be proud of? When I was born I happened to land on British soil instead of somewhere else, why be proud of something you never have nor never will have any control over? It's just pointless.

Plus, Britain's a joke now, the same as every other Western nation; our politics are in tatters, our culture is dead and our economy is worthless. You can't stand on the shoulders of giants forever; what's in the past has passed and what's happening now is embarrassing. We're a country that started the Industrial Revolution yet we grind to a sickening halt when faced with a foot of snowfall.

Pathetic.

 

[JTLW]

Nope. Not in the slightest. The bundle of cells and crap that made up baby me did not have a choice in what country I made my debut. I don't see why I should be proud of things that happened, and I had absolutely no influence on. I really don't see why the land I was dropped out onto has any bearing on whether or not I should be proud.

From my perspective, Britain is a bit of a shithole. I couldn't care less about most of the history (PAH! HISTORY! BELONGS IN THE PAST!) and I care even less about the current government and status of culture.

Things I like about Britain:

My family lives here.
Got me a cool Leeds drawl that makes all the American ladies swoon.
The comedy is gold.

That's about it. I'll be leaving when I can.

For the record, I am 20. :3

 

[Kernow Chris]

Yes I am proud to be British, although I call myself Cornish first XD

Kernow Bys Vyken!

 

[Flutterbrave]

It surprises me how often English people are happy to identify as British, but Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish will refuse completely. I'm happy as English or as British, even though I consider the two things to be very different.

Seriously guys, you can be British AND Scottish/Welsh/Irish, y'know.

EDIT:

Am I proud to be British? Proud is a bit strong of a word, I'm glad I'm British because there are a lot of worse places to be from than Britain, despite all the whining people do.

I think that sums up my feelings quite nicely.

 

[electric discordian]

Snip

We werent mindless savages before you came either. We had culture, had gods, a system of speech, we could use tools. There was a city in the Southeastern US during precolonial times that was actually bigger then most cities in Britain, this is proven (though i forget at the moment want it was called).

Also, I would have been born, i just would not have this life, it would be different. Every sperm carries the essence of the same person, just with a bit of different genetics. Therefore, my father, his father, his father's father, etc are all the same person, just a little different.

Snip

On the contrary, I approached the trip with high hopes and good feelings. I knew British people in the US and they were really cool people. So I thought people of the country would be the same. besides, if you ocant think of anyhitng to talk to me about besides why i look/sound different you shouldnt talk to someone. and yeah, at least most of the jewish people i've met were decent people.

Snip

When you wrote the Declaration of Independence, you pretty much said you werent British, so you cant say you're British and did that.

and i'd rather have a democracy then the parliament system.

and forgive me, let me go find what america invented it may take a bit of time.

Snip

because, I didnt expect people to be complete douches about it. I know British people from the states and British Canadians who dont treat me like the garbage the native british people did. I guess i should just take away from my visit that all Brits are incapable of an intelligent conversation without insulting someone first. Again, you can talk to a Native American about so many other things besides about how they were almost wiped off the face of the earth, a custom started by YOUR original Brits. It was imbedded into the culture that it was right.

Okay, I am done. If "I guess i should just take away from my visit that all Brits are incapable of an intelligent conversation without insulting someone first." is all you've got after 2 hours of chatting then I'm just leaving it here. You started off borderline racist and have just progressed to being outright insulting. The depressing part is you aren't even just trolling.

Amazing how derailed these topics get, heh.

I clearly didn't mean Independence I meant the Constitution which was written by English political thinker John Lilburne and stolen by the Americans! The Parliamentary system is a democracy, in fact its slightly better than the deadlocked American system where one party is in power and the other party can veto everything!

As to us being insulting and offensive, yeah we are. But just saying that is a National trait is like me characterising the entire American race as Fat Christian rightwinger's who only travel to Europe to find the next McDonald's. This is of course not true in anyway.

Also to hate the British because of what people did hundreds of years ago is a bit stupid to be fair it would be like me hating all Christians for persecuting and executing millions of my Pagan brothers or the French suing for what happened at the Battle of Agincourt( Oh hang on they did!)

We need to let the past be the past, intolerance is based in history, hatred is based on preconceived ideas passed on from our ancestors. if we actually gave them up we could live happily, guilt free and treat everyone equally as opposed to be poisoned by white guilt or the hatred of some oppression which happened within the lifespan of our great great great great grandfathers!

 

[Spoon E11]

No. I cannot be proud of this country until we no longer have Tories in power and the lib dems in hiding.

but nick cleg isnt lib dem he's just david cameron's sidekick. (thats not the first word that came into my head but i'm filtering it)

Anyway yes I am proud to be british. Here's a easy way to tell:

when isntalling software and it says "language: English (US)" do you think oh no no no no no no I want "English (UK)"

 

[Nukeforyou]

I can never understand ethnic or national pride; cuz to me, pride should be reserved for something you achieve or attain on your own, not something that happens by accident at birth. Being Irish isn't a skill... it's a ----ing genetic accident! You wouldn't say 'I'm proud to be 5'11'', I'm proud to have a predisposition for colon cancer.' So why the ---- would you be proud to be Irish? Or proud to be Italian, or American or anything... hey, if you're happy with it, that's fine, [...] be happy, don't be proud. Too much pride as it is: 'pride goeth before a fall', never forget your proverbs.

-George Carlin

 

[EeveeElectro]

Yes and no. I'd much rather live here but that's probably because this is the only thing I'm used to. I prefer British TV and food (maaaaaybe >_>). If I had to move to another country, I'd probably be lost.
I hate those absolute idiots who try hide their racism by calling themselves patriotic.

 

[Nickolai77]

I am Scottish. Not British.

I'm not British. I'm Scottish.

I've only read the 1st page of this thread so apologies if someone's already told you this: I hate to break it to you but both of you are actually British. Britain consists of England, Wales and Scotland- if you are from any of these countries you are also British.

 

[No_Remainders]

And to be fair emerald, I think British rule was helpful to a lot of the empire. Look at the state parts of Africa are in, after we (and the French)left.
And *cough* Native Indians *cough*.

The fact that you brought up the way the state parts of Africa are in surely must lead you to conclude that, indeed, the British rule there was NOT a good thing.

IN ANY WAY.

Seriously. I don't think it's down to "good ruling" that the British went to Africa, basically stripped them of the majority of their resources, and then just said "Oh... Well... There's nothing much left." and wandered off back to Britain.

Being Irish, I can actually say that I'm thankful I'm not British.

 

[Srdjan]

Fuck no, because I'm not one.

And England never did anything good, for anybody, ask any American, Scottish, Irish, Chinese, Japanese, African, Arab or Indian people you tried to enslave, also ask any Serbs you left for the Turks and later destroyed their country, several times, or ask Turks you betrayed later, or Russians to whom you did the same. Ask French whose country you occupied for hundereds of years, and later left for Germans to destroy it, or ask German, from who you snatched all colonies from and whose unification you opossed several times, also Italy's.

Everyone hates you and who says they love you do that just because thay can use you at the moment.

 

[The Fork of Truth]

I feel English rather than British, personally.

 

[TipsyPeaches]

I am Scottish. Not British.

this.

but I am proud to be Scottish, I couldn't tell you why in the world I am though.

 

[TipsyPeaches]

I am Scottish. Not British.

I'm not British. I'm Scottish.

I've only read the 1st page of this thread so apologies if someone's already told you this: I hate to break it to you but both of you are actually British. Britain consists of England, Wales and Scotland- if you are from any of these countries you are also British.

Birthplace is in Scotland, therefore we're Scottish first. And yes, we are then British, well done for knowing what the United Kingdom consists of.

and we're not the only ones who do it - I know a certain Englishman who refuses to call himself British because, and I quote "I'll be lumped in with those fucking Scots, and that's not on."

 

[The_Emperor]

How can you be proud of being pushed out of a vagina on a bit of dirt someone called "Britain"?

You have achieved nothing by being British and therfore have nothing to be proud of.

Our long history is nothing to be proud of, it's not even that long compared to the eons that passed before Britain even existed. Our actions "as a nation" are not as a nation they are the actions of a few people that managed to gather the support of many by different means.

Britain only exists because England went around shafting the smaller countries until we were all "united", England didnt even exist until the romans left and even then we had the dark ages before anyone decided to unite Mercia and the other english nations into one.

Patriotism is idiotic and promotes xenophobia and one upmanship.

All of you, American or British have no reason to be patriotic, to be proud of things achieved by people long dead. History is just a series of events that evolved over time, not an achievement.

You can be glad to be British, I'm pretty glad I'm British, and not African or Indian or something because we've fucked everywhere else in their tenders and stole all their money (and spent it all), now we're America's *****, but even America is taking its turn on the bottom to China, and the cycle of perpetual shafting goes on.

Nations are lines drawn on dirt nothing more. I mean wtf when we colonise Mars are we going to have Martian pride?/thread

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I wouldn't say "proud". Proud is a pretty ugly quality even when it's earned. I couldn't imagine being proud of something that I lucked into.

Happy to be British, not proud.

 

[Rubymuto]

I would be proud of my country if I felt I had something to be proud of. Despite taking history at GCSE spending two years studying WW1 and 2, mainly WW2 and copying the same bullcrap answers each essay and exam instead of studying anything else interesting so i cant appreciate any rich history or heritage of this country.

I have no idea what politicians classify as work but feel like i can do a better job than most of them and I'm sick of us who can barely scrape a living being robbed to keep not only rich people rich, but lazy benifit cheats rich too.

AND DONT GET ME STARTED ON POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.

unless to be politically correct means to let the world walk over you. in which case STUFF THAT, i get enough of that at work.

 

[mrF00bar]

Aye, that I am. For such a small island, we've had a massive effect on the world, most of it positive. We also have the S.A.S (AKA the Techno Ninja Squad), what's not to like?

We do have a lot of good things to our name like the S.A.S but in comparisent to what we used to be we are a weak pathetic country. We no longer have the Harrier jump jet or a flagship/aircraft carries because we for some reason don't need a large air force or navy, its funny how England used to own the sea and now look at us.

 

[WolfThomas]

No but I'm an Australian...and a staunch republican, which is something I may regret posting in a thread full of proud brits.

 

[Madcat75]

I am not British I am Welsh and it is about time Wales was free from the english oppression and Wales was independant!!!!

CYMRU AM BYTH!!! WALES FOREVER!!!
FE GODWN NI ETO!!! WE SHALL RISE AGAIN !!!