Category: the Rant Board
I know some of you may agree or disagree, but this is how I see hthings. Maybe I'm wrong but I want to investigate, so feel free to agree with me or show me the error in judgement. Sope box time starts here so feel free to skip past, or, if you want, comment and tell me why I'm wrong or right I welcome that.
Firstly: this one is directed towards the Brits.
Now, I like Britain, I think it's done a lot for me personally and can be a very good place from time to time. But there is that British culture that one just can't seem to get to grips with. I'm talking about oldstyle colonial nationalistic and traditional views. How can a British person onnestly be arrogant enough to say, Britain over all, Britain rules all and we should have an empire and have control? The reason they had an empire in the first place was because of their agressive and admittedly good combat, but absolute power corrupts absolutely, doesn't it?
So many people I've seen here, see the people for the country they come from, if you're affrican, you have to be poor or backward, if you're american you just simply must be an asshole, if your German you must be borring with no sense of humour and hate everything British! Whereas I try to see the country in terms of the people. One cannot just sterreotype a hole place based on the polacies of the government. I'll take a british example. Say some one said that Toney blaire is a push over and thus all Britain yealds to the demands of America because of Blaire's habbit of keeping Bush at bay. When one considers that labour was only elected by a 40% margin or so with a fucking 70% voter turnout, using FPTP that was enough to put them in office! Thus the government is not representitive of the people an one cannot say that all Brits love the US. It's just an example but my point is, one cannot judge an entire country based on polacies or what you read in the news. What about this Britain over all thing. Can they truly believe that they and only they have the right of things? Christianity is the only way, muslims are all terrorists and all immigrants are stupid, can't speak english and spunge off the government? I'm sure and I've heard of many Brits who spunge off the government, but their argument is, well it's my government why can't I? I agree if someone is to come to a country just to live easy and not work, that is wrong, but when many british people see a chinese person or an indian, they think, fucking bloody immigrant! regardless of if that person is in a job and doing well. What also of this clinging to the old snobbish over the top formality. So what what someone discusses over dinner, who cares what fucking fork they use or if they use one at all? If they are going to judge a person based on such trivialities then that is pothetic! I agree there are somethings, like farting or talking about vommit and such, that can be considered nasty to some. But onnestly, when the question asked is weather I should leave just a small amount of food on the plate, so as not to insult the host because you make them think that they've not satisfied you, or weather to take all the food because it shows you enjoyed it and wanted to finish it, I'm sorry but formality has it's limits! I know we need to protect culture and british people should be just as proud of things like lancashire hotpot and the Beetles and the Sex Pistals, or whatever, as any country about it's achievements. However if one's culture is snobbish, arrogant, unfriendly, biased and, homofobic an zenofobic, then can one not see a problem? I have british friends, so I'm not sterreotyping either, but there is that sect of the british public that thinks this way and they are raising their children to have the same condicention for the average individual as their forbearers. I'm inferior because I didn't grow up and go to a private school and wear a crisp uniform like afucking robot? No, I'm a human being and I try to help other human beings, without judging their culture or ethnicity or habbits. People are people, some bad some good, but they are still people and if one can stand up and say I have freedom because I will not condescend, I will not judge whenever I can help it and I will take the toughness and strength that the British have without taking on their zenofobia or hatreds, then you are human as well. Then you truly are a person, not just a product of a society-dictated thing that hates instead of shows compassion. That's what living is all about.
I have a problem with samallians because most I've met are just assholes and very unfriendly. Most being cab drivers.
Troy
As far as the United States are concerned, I'm really not a nationalist or a traditionalist. Yes, we have a great country here but I ahve no business saying it's the greatest one on the planet because I've honestly never set foot outside of it, so I'd just be waving a plastic flag as it were. As for traditionalism, I don't know. I'm more for trying new ideas and having a better society that way than to sit around pining away for some great golden age that only exists in the imagination. Now, I admit I'm quite ignorant politically, but if the old traditions were so great, why did they change and where were the people complaining about our loss of the old traditions when they started the change. Y'all should have nipped it in the bud there and then instead of waiting until now. Now it's too late, so adapt or die. Welcome to the 21st century and welcome to diversity, you can't have your white male Christian-oriented Fifties back.
indeed. Not all change is good, but sometimes it is necessary.
Next year Scotland could be on the brink of independence for the 1st time in 300 years, we will be free from english domination, experimentation and ridicule.Scotland is a racist country and there have been some murders committed by muslims and white Scots, both needless and generated by hate revenge and ignorance. However we are also fiercely patriotic and proud of our country and it's achievments. If the Scots take the courageous step to vote yes in a referendum, you can bet we will be waving our flags with pride, without a care for the foreigners who have chosen to live here.
and good on you. Every country has it's faults but every country needs to freedom.
Thank you. You would not believe how often the Scots have chickened out of voting for independence at the last minute. But I feel this time, we are definately scunnered.
this is a really good post, very intersting, and fabolous i do agree with alot you said
I don't think many people in the UK really wish to see a return of the empire. Things like Rule Britania are just things we say or sing to be patriotic. It doesn't necessarily mean we actually want to take over the world. It is worth pointing out though that many countries which did belong to our empire have done poorly since gaining independence. There are only 5 areas of the world which have done okay that I can think of which were once ruled from London. They are New Zealand, Australia, America, Canada and the Irish Republic. That's partially due to the fact that when we were in charge of our empire, there wasn't enough equality, and people weren't brought up to our standards.
There is far too much stereotyping in our country, and I think there is in many other developed countries too. The foreigners issue is a good example. Many people want to say how bad foreigners are, and it's amazing how many say foreigners have taken their jobs, even though they were unemployed at the time and therefore didn't have a job to be stolen. Some communities do bring on some of the criticism of them, by allowing themselves to be represented in the media by idiots, who shouldn't even be at large. The Islamic community here is the best example of this. I know of no example in which they have utterly condemned constantly and consistently, the linking of their religion with politics. Unless they do, tension between their communities and the rest of us will rightly remain. I think that we are more tollerent towards foreigners than some other countries, and there is probably more legislation here than in some other countries to prevent descrimination in terms of employment etc.
As for the government, well a lot of people don't even know how democracy works in this country. For example, they think they are voting for either the leader of Labour, or the leader of the Conservatives. Actually, they're voting for who they want to represent them in parliament, so really they're voting for their local MP. Therefore if Labour wins the elections, it doesn't mean that all Labour voters voted for Tony Blair. Rather, they voted for their local MP who they thought was better than the other candidates in their particular constituency.