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liberalism, bastion of free speech (LOL) football, alcoholism.
There is a British culture which is the basis upon the Protestant English Language bible and the environment of the British Isles. There is no British identity or values, there is only British culture.
Original post by laurennmc
Sat watching Question Time (exciting, I know!) and the question has just arose of whether there is such a thing of a British Identity and, if so, what is it? What do you class as a British value?
Who is on the question time panel and what were their replies?
Original post by laurennmc
Sat watching Question Time (exciting, I know!) and the question has just arose of whether there is such a thing of a British Identity and, if so, what is it? What do you class as a British value?
I dunno. but when I think of britain as an identity i think of things like boris johnson and nigel farage.
value-wise.
i think being "sporting" "fair" "banter" "manners" are all things i associate with being British.
I think british people pride themselves on being superior via manners. however thinking you are superior isn't very polite.
so for example the french are romantic, yes, but largely imoral and depraved in terms of liberal attitudes towards hedonism.
I think Victorians really sum up british character with their mix of utilitarianism and moral character. despite the fact that the moral character would be highly contradictory when it came to slaves or the slave-like conditions in work houses etc...
those are the two things i hear britain criticise other countries most for: either poorly managing things or being of poor morals.
so like the Victorians thought they were racially superior to pretty much anyone from ireland to africa. however countries that were equally imperialistic they judged on character and efficiency. so like french were considered to be hedonistic and vulgar along with the italians. the spanish/portuguese considered lazy and emotional.
although germany seems to have been a tough one for them. because germany was very productive and has a very strong and possibly stronger culture of honour, respect and manners. so england stumped with that seems to have gone with just cracking jokes about how camp they can be or, that they are rapists. although after WWII they just scream Nazi and Hitler which of course, is much easier.
so yea. thats my 2p
(edited 9 years ago)
There is a British culture which is shared throughout the Anglosphere. It is a culture of political and (to some extent) economic freedom, which shuns all forms of totalitarianism and celebrates liberal democracy.
Have you not noticed that the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have never been totalitarian? The first four have also been forces against totalitarianism throughout the 20th century.
I think this is a record for which Britain can be proud.
Have you not noticed that the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have never been totalitarian? The first four have also been forces against totalitarianism throughout the 20th century.
I think this is a record for which Britain can be proud.
Original post by laurennmc
Sat watching Question Time (exciting, I know!) and the question has just arose of whether there is such a thing of a British Identity and, if so, what is it? What do you class as a British value?
It always puzzles me why people ask this question. Would you question if Japan has an identity? If India has an identity? If Italy has an identity?
Whenever this question comes up in a debate, it just reinforces the British penchant for self-hate.
Original post by laurennmc
What is a 'British Identity'? Is there one?
Pretty much the same as every other national identity.
Original post by Lady Comstock
It always puzzles me why people ask this question. Would you question if Japan has an identity? If India has an identity? If Italy has an identity?
Whenever this question comes up in a debate, it just reinforces the British penchant for self-hate.
Whenever this question comes up in a debate, it just reinforces the British penchant for self-hate.
Yeah I only hear this in the context of British identity and Britishness. Maybe the qualities of Britishness is to be emo and self hatred?
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by felamaslen
There is a British culture which is shared throughout the Anglosphere. It is a culture of political and (to some extent) economic freedom, which shuns all forms of totalitarianism and celebrates liberal democracy.
Have you not noticed that the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have never been totalitarian? The first four have also been forces against totalitarianism throughout the 20th century.
I think this is a record for which Britain can be proud.
Have you not noticed that the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have never been totalitarian? The first four have also been forces against totalitarianism throughout the 20th century.
I think this is a record for which Britain can be proud.
No this Conservative and Libertarian rubbish needs to be put to bed. The Anlgosphere has nothing to do with culture. I has everything to do with geography and the government system, same a Britain. It is the governmental system which stops totalitarianism not culture.
Original post by william walker
No this Conservative and Libertarian rubbish needs to be put to bed. The Anlgosphere has nothing to do with culture. I has everything to do with geography and the government system, same a Britain. It is the governmental system which stops totalitarianism not culture.
Why didn't the German governmental system stop totalitarianism then in 1933? It was arguably at least as democratic as the UK one.
Original post by felamaslen
Why didn't the German governmental system stop totalitarianism then in 1933? It was arguably at least as democratic as the UK one.
Because democracy is the least important part of any government system. The problem in Germany was they had just removed the Monarchy and replaced it with a life long president who died, so the government filled the gap which was the NAZI's. Germany was also a very young country, going through an economic crisis and had just lost millions of people in a war and had its borders constrained it was going to seek to reclaim its territory and national pride if it was democratic or not.
Original post by felamaslen
There is a British culture which is shared throughout the Anglosphere. It is a culture of political and (to some extent) economic freedom, which shuns all forms of totalitarianism and celebrates liberal democracy.
Have you not noticed that the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have never been totalitarian? The first four have also been forces against totalitarianism throughout the 20th century.
I think this is a record for which Britain can be proud.
Have you not noticed that the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have never been totalitarian? The first four have also been forces against totalitarianism throughout the 20th century.
I think this is a record for which Britain can be proud.
Umm... Zimbabwe? Apartheid era South Africa? Some might even argue Northern Ireland.
As an outsidere I would argue that there is one thing Britons should be proud of-
The NHS.
Original post by DK_Tipp
Umm... Zimbabwe? Apartheid era South Africa? Some might even argue Northern Ireland.
As an outsidere I would argue that there is one thing Britons should be proud of-
The NHS.
As an outsidere I would argue that there is one thing Britons should be proud of-
The NHS.
You say that because you have never had to use the NHS is a lightly populated area.
Yes there is a British identity. British people who identify with being British and view themselves as a distinct group of people is what is defined as identity
If there is any confusion it can only be down to the way the extreme left has framed national identity, its ideology having been absorbed by the BBC and all government institutions.
Britain is a place where, if you are white with ancestry going back for centuries, you belong to a nation of mongrels and are therefore not a true Briton. But if you're a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant, you're totally British.
Britain is a place where, if you are white with ancestry going back for centuries, you belong to a nation of mongrels and are therefore not a true Briton. But if you're a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant, you're totally British.
Original post by thesabbath
If there is any confusion it can only be down to the way the extreme left has framed national identity, its ideology having been absorbed by the BBC and all government institutions.
Britain is a place where, if you are white with ancestry going back for centuries, you belong to a nation of mongrels and are therefore not a true Briton. But if you're a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant, you're totally British.
Britain is a place where, if you are white with ancestry going back for centuries, you belong to a nation of mongrels and are therefore not a true Briton. But if you're a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant, you're totally British.
Question time has asked this question several times and it infuriates me that the panel where mostly made up of 1st and 2nd generation immigrants like Benjamin Zephania lecturing us on what they think British identity should be defined as
Original post by william walker
Because democracy is the least important part of any government system. The problem in Germany was they had just removed the Monarchy and replaced it with a life long president who died, so the government filled the gap which was the NAZI's. Germany was also a very young country, going through an economic crisis and had just lost millions of people in a war and had its borders constrained it was going to seek to reclaim its territory and national pride if it was democratic or not.
But Britain too had suffered millions of deaths in the first world war. And many people were on the breadline during the great depression. But Britain never turned to all-out communism or fascism, like Germany did.
A good old stiff upper lip.
Original post by DK_Tipp
Umm... Zimbabwe? Apartheid era South Africa? Some might even argue Northern Ireland.
As an outsidere I would argue that there is one thing Britons should be proud of-
The NHS.
As an outsidere I would argue that there is one thing Britons should be proud of-
The NHS.
Zimbabwe is run by a totalitarian and racist dictator - it doesn't conform to Britain's standards of freedom and is not part of the Anglosphere.
Apartheid was not a British invention. It was an Afrikaner one.
Nevertheless, obviously if a country is run imperialistically you can't call it a liberal democracy. I'm talking about Britain's legacy in the countries which conformed to its ideals. (I.e. Australia, Canada, the United States.)
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by felamaslen
But Britain too had suffered millions of deaths in the first world war. And many people were on the breadline during the great depression. But Britain never turned to all-out communism or fascism, like Germany did.
That is because Britain is geographically different from Germany, it has a different history and culture, also the British governmental system had been the same for over 200 years.
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