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Why is british culture so awful compared to the rest of europe?
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Original post by Fleming1928
Villages .. but have you ever been to a city like Wroclaw, Krakow, Lodz .. Warsaw?
I've been to Warsaw and Krakow; some of Warsaw I saw was really grim, with lots of Soviet era housing blocks, the roads had lots of potholes. It's true that there are areas of the UK which are not brilliant, though you also don't see the grinding rural poverty that you still have in Poland.
Also, there are areas of the UK that are, frankly, nicer than places in Poland. Oxford and Cambridge are really beautiful. And London has many very nice areas; even the areas that are not as nice tended not to have the kind-of down at heel, neglected look I saw in areas of Warsaw.
For example, this square in South London (Cleaver Square) is what a lot of very pretty residential parts of London look like.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.488062,-0.109101,3a,75y,105.32h,88.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seRAF0YdFzKkTKT4ge8Emfg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Frankly, you don't see very much like that in Warsaw.
Yeah but you're looking at these other countries through a tourists eyes. I mean I liked Cologne when I went but my friend there was like 'Yeah loads of people here just sit around drinking and smoking' and I love Paris but everyone knows there's dodgy areas to Paris and it's not all wine and sophistication all the time. I've had friends come up to Aberdeen and be like 'it's really nice up here'. I grew up there and couldn't wait to leave 
There are dodgy areas to every town and city. I mean that's not to say other countries don't do things better than here, but comparing somewhere you went on holiday with somewhere you live and know well is always going to give a slightly skewed impression.
There are dodgy areas to every town and city. I mean that's not to say other countries don't do things better than here, but comparing somewhere you went on holiday with somewhere you live and know well is always going to give a slightly skewed impression.Original post by PurpleLamb
M8, go look at your posts, you called me a chav because I called London a ****hole
That's a statement of fact. If someone believes that London is a ****hole, it tells us they either lack the intelligence or cultural disposition that would permit them to appreciate its vast cultural assets, or the area they stayed when they were there is a ****hole and they think the entire city must be like that.
Well, if you associate London with being cultured and intelligent you're a bit beyond help.
Yup. All those museums, art galleries, live music venues, historical architecture, publishers, universites, broadcasters, theatres etc... nothing cultural in London at all
Do you realise that the more you go down this line, the more you confirm that you are utterly bereft of any link to the cultural life of this nation?
Original post by ExcitedPup
That's a statement of fact. If someone believes that London is a ****hole, it tells us they either lack the intelligence or cultural disposition that would permit them to appreciate its vast cultural assets, or the area they stayed when they were there is a ****hole and they think the entire city must be like that.
Subjective opinion
Original post by ExcitedPup
Yup. All those museums, art galleries, live music venues, historical architecture, publishers, universites, broadcasters, theatres etc... nothing cultural in London at all
Do you realise that the more you go down this line, the more you confirm that you are utterly bereft of any link to the cultural life of this nation?
Yup. All those museums, art galleries, live music venues, historical architecture, publishers, universites, broadcasters, theatres etc... nothing cultural in London at all
Do you realise that the more you go down this line, the more you confirm that you are utterly bereft of any link to the cultural life of this nation?
Some of those are nice, but much of it is just tourist trash thats been diluted through globilisation, and you'd get a more genuine British version of them in other cities in the UK, but you probably wouldn't know because you don't seem well travelled, in this country or the rest of the world.
Also important fact, buildings aren't what make a city, its the people, and when they see its full of people like you its a big impact of why London is an awful place. Still at least its nice to have most of the bellends in one area to avoid.
Original post by PurpleLamb
No, it's an accurate assessment.
Some of those are nice, but much of it is just tourist trash thats been diluted through globilisation, and you'd get a more genuine British version of them in other cities in the UK, but you probably wouldn't know because you don't seem well travelled, in this country or the rest of the world.
Scraping the bottom of the barrel now, are we? I'm originally from the opposite side of the planet. Literally. I bet you've never even left Europe. Your blind hatred of Muslims confirms just how small your world is and how little you've travelled outside this countryThis obsession with putative "authenticity" is something those who have a huge chip on their shoulder about London tell themselves, that London is not "real" England. It is, of course, absolute crap, but it's a vital element of the narrative spun by those who are bitter about London
Also important fact, buildings aren't what make a city
You're right. The buildings are less relevant than what's in them, like the fact that the Tate and the British Museum are filled with things you will only ever see in a textbook or on wikipedia. Or the fact that a building like the Royal Opera House has people inside it performing operas, or the SheBu Empire has people inside it, actual people, who are part of bands that are playing for their fans.
This city is filled with artists, journalists, entrepreneurs, performers, writers, filmmakers, workers... a profusion of creative individuals who love living and working here because of what this city is. Your average regional British theatre can't even operate without a government grant and contents itself with renditions of the Mikado
The more you slate London, the more it tells us you're just a bitter little Englander with a huge chip on his shoulder about London (as so many others do). The more you try to assert that London has no link with culture, the more it tells us that you don't have any link to cultural or intellectual pursuits
What was the last gig you went to? What was the last book launch? The last play? The last black tie dinner? Wouldn't be surprised if you'd never been to any
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by ExcitedPup
I've been to Warsaw and Krakow; some of Warsaw I saw was really grim, with lots of Soviet era housing blocks, the roads had lots of potholes. It's true that there are areas of the UK which are not brilliant, though you also don't see the grinding rural poverty that you still have in Poland.
Also, there are areas of the UK that are, frankly, nicer than places in Poland. Oxford and Cambridge are really beautiful. And London has many very nice areas; even the areas that are not as nice tended not to have the kind-of down at heel, neglected look I saw in areas of Warsaw.
For example, this square in South London (Cleaver Square) is what a lot of very pretty residential parts of London look like.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.488062,-0.109101,3a,75y,105.32h,88.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seRAF0YdFzKkTKT4ge8Emfg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Frankly, you don't see very much like that in Warsaw.
Also, there are areas of the UK that are, frankly, nicer than places in Poland. Oxford and Cambridge are really beautiful. And London has many very nice areas; even the areas that are not as nice tended not to have the kind-of down at heel, neglected look I saw in areas of Warsaw.
For example, this square in South London (Cleaver Square) is what a lot of very pretty residential parts of London look like.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.488062,-0.109101,3a,75y,105.32h,88.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seRAF0YdFzKkTKT4ge8Emfg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Frankly, you don't see very much like that in Warsaw.
Yes I agree that some parts of Poland are still very run down, but then again it was a communist country until 1989. Poland is quickly catching up and every year it only becomes more and more beautiful.
Have some pictures of my hometown, Wroclaw
Original post by ExcitedPup Scraping the bottom of the barrel now, are we? I'm originally from the opposite side of the planet. Literally.
Scraping the bottom of the barrel now, are we? I'm originally from the opposite side of the planet. Literally.Oh I see, you're a foreigner. That explains your ignorance about the UK I guess. Continue on, I should have known a native Englishman wouldn't defend London like you would, lol.
Original post by Fleming1928
Yes I agree that some parts of Poland are still very run down, but then again it was a communist country until 1989. Poland is quickly catching up and every year it only becomes more and more beautiful.
Have some pictures of my hometown, Wroclaw
Have some pictures of my hometown, Wroclaw
I'm sure it's very nice in the centre. What's the building at the top? Is it like a guildhall? I really like it.
But the photo from the tall building showing us the cityscape doesn't look that different from a regional English city like Leicester or something. As for the building with the coloured glass, it's modern but there are lots of modern buildings here. Just take a walk around central London, or even regional cities in the UK, and you'll see modern, architecturally interesting buildings.
In every country, there are nice areas and there are not so nice areas. I personally really enjoyed visiting Poland, but I don't think you should be blind to its very real problems, just as the UK has problems.
To criticise the entire UK based on some stereotypes about how people dress, based on some misapprehended belief that the British don't have culture, tells us much more about the person saying it than it does about England. It's like when someone says that the Americans have no culture, it tells us far more about the person who is saying it, and their profound cultural ignorance, than it does about the US
(edited 8 years ago)
I don't believe any culture exists in any country in the world. People are individuals.
You choose if you want to :
watch tv
play video games
live on junk food
dress like a pig
be lazy
be rude
You choose if you want to :
watch tv
play video games
live on junk food
dress like a pig
be lazy
be rude
Original post by Dexa
I visited southern portugal over the holidays and even though the country is not as developed as britain i noticed the people over there were very dignified and civilised. and i've noticed this in other european countries i've visited such as denmark, germany and italy.
ladies dress fashionably yet modestly, unlike here. they don't look like they've woken up and slapped on a massive amount of makeup while putting on a duckface. you won't see men wearing tracksuits and trainers, people actually look smart and put an effort in how they look.
Also there are no chavs to be seen anywhere. you don't get little nobheads going around in bikes, or a group of youths causing havoc in the town centre. the streets are impeccably clean, people value the ground they walk on and give it care.
i came back to the uk and felt sick at what i saw on my return. from the people to the state of the cities, and british culture in general, i long to finally emigrate from this place. and before someone criticises me for generalising, i do happen to look at this from a general point of view. generally british culture is a lot more awful and disgusting than the rest of europe.
ladies dress fashionably yet modestly, unlike here. they don't look like they've woken up and slapped on a massive amount of makeup while putting on a duckface. you won't see men wearing tracksuits and trainers, people actually look smart and put an effort in how they look.
Also there are no chavs to be seen anywhere. you don't get little nobheads going around in bikes, or a group of youths causing havoc in the town centre. the streets are impeccably clean, people value the ground they walk on and give it care.
i came back to the uk and felt sick at what i saw on my return. from the people to the state of the cities, and british culture in general, i long to finally emigrate from this place. and before someone criticises me for generalising, i do happen to look at this from a general point of view. generally british culture is a lot more awful and disgusting than the rest of europe.
Presumably you come from Birmingham if you have such a poor impression of the UK. It's like a 3rd world country compared to the rest of the UK!
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Original post by PurpleLamb
Actually I'm a dual citizen and I have a British passport
I note with some interest you carefully avoided my comment about your having never even left Europe.I should have known a native Englishman wouldn't defend London like you would, lol.
To have an opinion on London, you should probably have actually spent some time here. Have you ever even been to London?
I would not be surprised if I've seen more of this country than you have(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by PurpleLamb
a native Englishman wouldn't defend London like you would, lol.
Where do you live?
Probably just outside Bradford or something.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by TeachChemistry
If UK is so bad why are there so many immigrants risking their lives to get here?
one word. benefits.
Original post by ExcitedPup
I'm sure it's very nice in the centre. What's the building at the top? Is it like a guildhall? I really like it.
But the photo from the tall building showing us the cityscape doesn't look that different from a regional English city like Leicester or something. As for the building with the coloured glass, it's modern but there are lots of modern buildings here. Just take a walk around central London, or even regional cities in the UK, and you'll see modern, architecturally interesting buildings.
In every country, there are nice areas and there are not so nice areas. I personally really enjoyed visiting Poland, but I don't think you should be blind to its very real problems, just as the UK has problems.
To criticise the entire UK based on some stereotypes about how people dress, based on some misapprehended belief that the British don't have culture, tells us much more about the person saying it than it does about England. It's like when someone says that the Americans have no culture, it tells us far more about the person who is saying it, and their profound cultural ignorance, than it does about the US
But the photo from the tall building showing us the cityscape doesn't look that different from a regional English city like Leicester or something. As for the building with the coloured glass, it's modern but there are lots of modern buildings here. Just take a walk around central London, or even regional cities in the UK, and you'll see modern, architecturally interesting buildings.
In every country, there are nice areas and there are not so nice areas. I personally really enjoyed visiting Poland, but I don't think you should be blind to its very real problems, just as the UK has problems.
To criticise the entire UK based on some stereotypes about how people dress, based on some misapprehended belief that the British don't have culture, tells us much more about the person saying it than it does about England. It's like when someone says that the Americans have no culture, it tells us far more about the person who is saying it, and their profound cultural ignorance, than it does about the US
The first building was the Town Hall.
I'm not blind to it's problems, I like the look of it better than England, but I would never want to go back and live there. I lived in England for longer than I have in Poland, therefore I am able to make my own judgement of both places.
Original post by Dexa
one word. benefits.
Precisely. Under our ridiculous system, most immigrants go straight on benefits at the the expense of the British taxpayer, who actually work for a living as opposed to most immigrants who have never worked a day in their lives.
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Original post by Crongety
People saying london has culture? What do you mean? I don't think London has any culture, it has fashion and trends.
Museums, art galleries, live music venues, opera houses, theatres, publishers, newspapers, universities, historical architecture, clubs (in the Pall Mall sense), festivals, nightlife
How do you define culture then? I don't think any serious definition of culture would result in London not being high up there
Original post by ExcitedPup
Where do you live?
Probably just outside Bradford or something.
Probably just outside Bradford or something.
I don't, you probably couldn't even find Bradford or where I live on a map, its just once of the few cities you heard in the media.
Original post by ExcitedPup
Actually I'm a dual citizen and I have a British passport I note with some interest you carefully avoided my comment about your having never even left Europe.
I note with some interest you carefully avoided my comment about your having never even left Europe.I didn't avoid it, just didn't feel compelled to answer because its a mocking question. I've been to countries in Asia, Afica and the USA
Original post by ExcitedPup
I would not be surprised if I've seen more of this country than you have
I doubt it, but you have a very arrogant personality so whatever helps back up your world view.
Original post by Crongety
People saying london has culture? What do you mean? I don't think London has any culture, it has fashion and trends.
London has a culture of its own, so to speak. I'd describe it as quite different to the rest of the UK, especially outside of South England.
(edited 8 years ago)
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