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What defines Britishness?


Still Waters

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The monarchy, the BBC and pubs are among the most important aspects when it comes to defining Britain, according to a new research.

William Shakespeare, the House of Commons and our weather also top the list of key British associations.

However, the pride of Britons in their national identity has fallen to an all-time low, with only one in five young people "very proud" to be British, the British Social Attitudes survey has found.

http://www.telegraph...C-and-pubs.html

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A difference between the British and the American society can I have often thought be summarized by the two "ethics," the British/European aristocratic ethic that renders labor of low dignity and status and raises family and ancestry, leading to not just snobbishness, which has largely vanished, but also a hatred among the working classes of the rich.

The US has instead a "puritan ethic" where labor is respected far more and as a result unions and so on are far less strident and demanding and more understanding of the needs of the enterprise they work for.

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The monarchy, the BBC and pubs are among the most important aspects when it comes to defining Britain, according to a new research.

William Shakespeare, the House of Commons and our weather also top the list of key British associations.

However, the pride of Britons in their national identity has fallen to an all-time low, with only one in five young people "very proud" to be British, the British Social Attitudes survey has found.

http://www.telegraph...C-and-pubs.html

I think an increasing amount of people identify themselves as English,Welsh or Scottish as opposed to British,I know I do.

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I'm surprised that a holiday to Ibiza/Menorca to get drunk and pick up an STD wasn't one of the primary hallmarks of "Britishness". :mellow:

The times, they are a-changin'...

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Umbrellas... fog... singing policemen ...

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A difference between the British and the American society can I have often thought be summarized by the two "ethics," the British/European aristocratic ethic that renders labor of low dignity and status and raises family and ancestry, leading to not just snobbishness, which has largely vanished, but also a hatred among the working classes of the rich.

The US has instead a "puritan ethic" where labor is respected far more and as a result unions and so on are far less strident and demanding and more understanding of the needs of the enterprise they work for.

have you seen that thread about 'How did this Happen?'? --> http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=264873

Opinions would seem to differ there regarding the reasonableness and flexibility of U.S. Unions.

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what defines britishness in the 21st century, is the influx in migration from eastern europe, with leads to an all time high of unemployment of british born citizens

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have you seen that thread about 'How did this Happen?'? --> http://www.unexplain...howtopic=264873

Opinions would seem to differ there regarding the reasonableness and flexibility of U.S. Unions.

No one says US unions were cooperative or even smart. They just didn't have the hate that destroyed British industry.
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I think an increasing amount of people identify themselves as English,Welsh or Scottish as opposed to British,I know I do.

Me too, my nationality is English

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I've never understood of being proud of your nationality, or race, or anything else you've been born into.

You've achieved nothing, you dd nothing to gain it. What's to be proud of?

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No one says US unions were cooperative or even smart. They just didn't have the hate that destroyed British industry.

I think they largely destroyed their own industries through graft and corruption...

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However, the pride of Britons in their national identity has fallen to an all-time low, with only one in five young people "very proud" to be British, the British Social Attitudes survey has found.

I wonder, did they choose to only ask the opinion of young people whose parents, grandparents, great-grandparents even, are/were British?

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I've never understood of being proud of your nationality, or race, or anything else you've been born into.

You've achieved nothing, you dd nothing to gain it. What's to be proud of?

im proud of being who i am and who we are, i am proud that im alive

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There are 4 different races living on a group of islands which are called Great Britain. The 4 peoples have different cultures and different languages, but we all have to live together, but I defy anyone calling a Scotsman, English, or a Welsh man Irish, or any 3 from 4, you would have a BIG problem on your hands.We all respect each others Country,and if outsiders bother us, like Argentine we all gang together and sort them out.The problem is that anyone settling here will always be regarded as an "outsider", even when the children are born here, which is different from America and other Countries.So you guys be proud of your heritage which ever Country you were born in,but I'm not British I am English.It says so on my Birth Certificate.

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I've never understood of being proud of your nationality, or race, or anything else you've been born into.

You've achieved nothing, you dd nothing to gain it. What's to be proud of?

Exactly... what's gained by patriotism?

Patriotism is the highest form of Collectivism. This collective attitude is used to garner pride among each individual creating the sense of self-worth or belonging to something bigger than the individual. Collectivism enables the individual to be controlled or pursuaded into following orders or an idea when they may have not followed before.

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I think an increasing amount of people identify themselves as English,Welsh or Scottish as opposed to British,I know I do.

I think you're right, in America, anyway.

I once saw a survey of ethnicities in America. Germany was the most responded to ethnicity, with a caveat by the survey people,

they said that if people "told the truth", and said they were British, and not Welsh et al, than British would have

had the most.

another funny thang.

I'm playing chess an a website. everyone has the flag of their choice. My opponent had this white flag with a red cross,

which, of course, is the St. George English flag. I had to look this up because every time I see a flag representing England, it's always the Union Jack and had no idea that the St. George flag is actually the English flag.

I guess the Union Jack was mostly created to unionize the various navies. Learn something new every day!

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Exactly... what's gained by patriotism?

Patriotism is the highest form of Collectivism. This collective attitude is used to garner pride among each individual creating the sense of self-worth or belonging to something bigger than the individual. Collectivism enables the individual to be controlled or pursuaded into following orders or an idea when they may have not followed before.

surely the highest form of Collectivism would be the One World Government that we're always told we should fear so much. .. but wouldn't the highest form of Collectivism of all be to identify oneself as Human rather than just belonging to this or that or the other country?
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I think you're right, in America, anyway.

I once saw a survey of ethnicities in America. Germany was the most responded to ethnicity, with a caveat by the survey people,

they said that if people "told the truth", and said they were British, and not Welsh et al, than British would have

had the most.

another funny thang.

I'm playing chess an a website. everyone has the flag of their choice. My opponent had this white flag with a red cross,

which, of course, is the St. George English flag. I had to look this up because every time I see a flag representing England, it's always the Union Jack and had no idea that the St. George flag is actually the English flag.

I guess the Union Jack was mostly created to unionize the various navies. Learn something new every day!

here's the background to it --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Flag It was basically put together from the flags of England, Scotland & Ireland (in the form of St. Patrick's cross),although curiously, not Wales.

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surely the highest form of Collectivism would be the One World Government that we're always told we should fear so much. .. but wouldn't the highest form of Collectivism of all be to identify oneself as Human rather than just belonging to this or that or the other country?

Nope... were not there yet.... and no to the question.

Edited by acidhead
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A word in favor of patriotism: it is not jingoism. It is not the belief that one's nation or ethnic group is in any way better than others but a love for it that makes one want to improve it and make it as good as it can be.

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When it comes to describing Britishness most will scratch their heads, its not that they don't know what to say, its because they wonder if they'll say the right thing, the most agreeable. we are funny in that respect, we never blow our own trumpet, we very rarely do the flag waving. it only seems the best of Britishness comes to the fore in times of trouble. we simply endure, go quietly about our business, and yet when it comes to beating our drum, we rarely do, even though its one of the finest drums in the world. and yet so soon after the end of world war II we question what is Britishness. the answer is - Its the same Britishness we fought to preserve.

The modern day example i could use was the London Olympics - everyone thought following China ours would be a joke. a laughing stock on the world stage. well i think we all learnt a valuable lesson that day. its about time we started to beat that drum blow that trumpet, wave that flag and embrace all that is good about being British.

Edited by stevewinn
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I remember I used to watch a very funny programme on BBC in the 90's. It was about people living in Britain, but came from another country.

I posted a sketch from that programme

Edited by SkeptcByMindBelievrByHeart
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I've never understood of being proud of your nationality, or race, or anything else you've been born into.

You've achieved nothing, you dd nothing to gain it. What's to be proud of?

Quite right. I was having a drink by myself not long ago and felt compelled to nose into a conversation that was being had by some 20 somethings sitting next to me at the bar. They were talking about how proud they were of thier celtic ancestry and I asked them pretty much the same thing, 'How can you take pride in a coincedence of birth?'
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we are funny in that respect, we never blow our own trumpet, we very rarely do the flag waving.

Wow. Delusional a bit I'd say.

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