Are you sick of people trying to make us brits guilty?

Question

I am sick and tired of people suggesting us brits should be guilty of our past and essentially hand everything we have to the world... They judge us on the actions of our ancestors hundreds of years ago at a time when Britain was one of the most successful rulers of the time, I am proud of our history - people judge our history on todays standards which is wrong - is mohammed seen as a paedofile (he married a 9 year old), oh no other peoples history is never judged is it?. I think most of the whingers are jealous of such a great history. Many countries would not be were they are today if it wasnt for colonisation by either the british or french empire etc... and i commonly find that it is non-brits living in Britain that whine on yet are happy to reap the rewards of our history such as we live today... hypocrits or what!!!

Answer 1

I'm totally with you on that one! I'm a Patriot through and through.

Yes, we've had a colourful history, but that's why our Nation is so great! I would not trade any of our history for anyone elses! It makes us who we are. We have been undefeated for a millenium and our language and traditions are used worldwide. We had the biggest, most successful Empire, and were beneficial (on the whole) to our colonies. Every Brit should be proud of his/her Nation. none of this broken unities (England, scotland, Wales), We are all British! other nations should be respectfull of who we ARE not who we WERE!

Answer 2

Samuel Johnson once said "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel". It is right to be proud of your family, friends, and those people who strive to achieve, being proud of your country seems to be a very odd concept. In the same way to be ashamed of a country doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

The acts of a country are the acts of the ruling government - someone far wiser than me pointed out that the atrocities committed by the British ruling classes in Africa, India, Ireland, and well we could go on with this list couldn't we - were the same as those being perpetrated on its own peasant classes.

I am not sure whether a history of abuse, rape of the environment, theft on a grand scale (the Elgin Marbles still reside in the British Museum I understand) is something to be proud of - however the establishment of parliamentary democracy, education for the masses, a universal health scheme, the abolition of slavery, the pushing forward of scientific boundaries, and let us not forget The Morcambe and Wise Christmas Special - these are hardly achievements to be sniffed at and the people of Britain (all of them) should be proud of those people who stood up and did the right thing in the face of fierce opposition.

Answer 3

We have a very mixed history, I cannot be proud of many parts of our history, and I think we have a collective responsibility for the problems/inequalities in the world where the British actions have been part of the problem.
You say manny countries would not be where they are today, and that's not necessarily a good thing.
It's about time we, along with the other rich nations, started right some of the wrongs that were done in other parts of the world - rather than just selling arms !!!

Answer 4

What many people fail to realize when they bash a great western civilization such as yours, is the amount of knowledge, skill and technology that your country has bestowed upon the world. Indeed, because of the Great Britain and other great nations, the quality of life is far better today than it ever has been. Yet I wouldn't worry about the whiners, as they're so wrapped up in their own hatred and negativity that they can't see any point counter to their own.

Answer 5

I don't have a problem with brits. It's the same here in the US. I know Americans have done grievous wrongs in the past, but even today we still hear rants about "we owe this or that to people because our ancestors owned slaves" or something to that effect. I'm not predjudiced, but sometimes it's hard not to lash out. I just get sick of people walking around with this big chip on their shoulder over something that was done hundreds of years ago.

Answer 6

you have a factor, we don't get many Brits in Texas so i actually would not know. on the different factor of the coin, have you ever seen the way human beings act whilst they're in Europe? I somewhat have and that i'm able to somewhat say there have been instances whilst i could close my mouth and slip out the door hoping no you may still affiliate me with the gang that is there. Boorish habit is going the two procedures.

Answer 7

Not really, because basically we are. It may not seem fair to visit the sins of the fathers/grandfathers on the children, but that's the way it works.
As a Brit let me tell you this: My daughters were brought up in Switzerland and used to speaking German with their peers. When in England they made friends with an American girl who had been educated in Germany. They were verbally attacked in a bar in Leicestershire because they were speaking German. The youth, thumped on the table and shouted, 'Who won the war anyway?' My eldest daughter answered, 'Our grandfathers.' 'How d'you make that out?' 'Well we're British and she's American.' 'Then why are you speaking German?' Final answer ? 'It's not forbidden is it?' - possibly followed by an expletive which is best translated as ' and now kindly remove yourself.' It's not all one way. Or is it OK for a Brit to drag up the past, just as long as no one reminds him that the first recorded concentration camps were set up by the Brits during the Boer war. Not to mention colonial exploitation etc.?

The problem today is that we all forget our sordid past - and I don't just mean politically - it applies to our private lives as well.

Answer 8

Well, none of our historical mis-deeds (of which there are a lot) are my fault, so I don't feel any guilt for them, but we as a country did benefit enormously from being unpleasant to other peoples., and it's probably best if we keep this in mind.

And we do the same - look at our attitudes towards Germany, France etc. They're massively prejudiced by our shared history.

Answer 9

No, I'm not proud of the UK's history. I was born here, and I think I have a good idea of a lot of things the UK did... but other countries have done pretty awful things too, it's the human condition.

'Many countries would not be were they are today if it wasnt for colonisation by either the british or french empire' Yes, but I think a lot of them are worse off for the colonisation experience. It is a catalogue of sadness....

Answer 10

Well......you rised a very sensitive issue......
Don't blaim other people that they try to make you feel guilty.
Guilty subconsiousness is a brit's characteristic and I should say that it is further reinforce by your leaders.
i.e. How a brit should feels when his/her queen does not appreciate her own people and gets married to a foreigner?(Phillips was adopted in England before his marriage and is known as "Phillip of Greece" as well)

How a brit should feel when everybody shouts....."return the marbles of Parthenon"??????

What about Koh-i-noor diamond that tops the Crown of Britain?
"After the Sikh wars, it was taken by the East India Company as part of the indemnity levied in 1849, and was subsequently presented to Queen Victoria at a sparkling levee marking the company's 250th anniversary."
http://www.diamondtutorials.com/articles/diamonds.tutorials/71/The_Kohinoor_Diamond.html
(easy excuse...."part of the indemnity levied in...")
Do you want me to present you more facts to understand why you have guilty consiousness????
You are smart enough that you can make your own autopsychoanalisis and find why.