Brits..Do you class yourself as "European"?

Question

I certainly do NOT, why should we be lumped in with France,Germany and the like?
Should we remain our own little ever sinking island or become followers of the Euro rule....?

Thomas A the yank....coming from a country that bans online poker but alllows guns so every tom dick and redneck can go off bullet happy you really have no reason to make a noise now go away and shag your cousin redneck tosser!!!

Answer 1

I'm English ... I am proud to be English, and I am proud of our country, why would I want to call myself anything other than English ... pity more isnt made out of St. Georges day!

Answer 2

No I don't..After 2000 years of attempting to remain independent and self controlling by fighting wars, trying to repell invaders (occasionally unsuccessfully) and protecting our independence and our right to live our lives in the way that WE see fit we are now on the cusp of handing over everything to some beaucratic faceless, chatacterless, grey, unappealing, unimaginative group of politicians in a foreign land that i'll never visit or wish to visit. What about the Thousands who have give their lives down through time to protect and preserve out independance? Don't we at least owe it to them to fight? I hope we as a people have not gone soft and become a nation of wimps. Personally I feel that we have EVERYTHING we need here in this country to remain a world power without conceeding our liberty. I detest the way that I'm considered 'Small Minded' for having these views, or worse Racist. However, we really do have to wake up as a people and get active in demanding more from our politicians as there can be no doubt that over the last 50 years Britian has declined in many ways but it's not too late, if we can tear ourselves away from the mind candy and anesthetic which is television, pop tarts and celebrity we can stop the rot and become 'GREAT Britian' again. I'd like to add that I'm not part of some extreme far right group or anything like that, just an ordinary Joe who NEEDS to feel proud again.

Answer 3

Big up the limeys :o)

I'm certainly not European but this country is a union of 4 countries anyway and I would argue that I'm not British but English and I know Scottish people that classify themselves as Scottish first and English second. The term United Kingdom is a political construction along with the Union Jack and so is the EU.
The EU is also a political construction that was initially established to ensure stability in the post war period..... Politically I don't want to be affiliated to the EU, and that's the problem as we are Atlanticists that side with the States with our 'special' relationship but geographically and hopefully culturally we are European to some extent.

Answer 4

You can take this to the n'th degree. Do I class myself as European? No. Not because I have any peculiar xenophobic hatred of other nations, nor because I am a royalist sipping tea from my 1988 princess Diana mug - but because I have nothing in common with 'Europeans'. The French have nothing in common with the Germans, the Germans have nothing in common with the Italians, the Italians have nothing in common with the English and we all speak entirely different languages!! Furthermore, there's a whole SEA between us an Europe. So if I was to 'classify' myself as European, then I might as well classify myself as 'Earthling' -

The crux of the issue is this - the EU (not other Europeans, but the political structure of the EU) wants us all to be European, so we can benefit from crossing boarders easily, sharing the same money, have a more vibrant trade, and all live happily in this delightful United States of Europe. BUT it will never happen. So if you're Scottish, English, Welsh, Irish or whatever be proud of it and recognize that its only politicians that want us to be 'European'!

Answer 5

I don't. I'm British (actually English, but I consider myself British)

We are physically part of the continent of Europe, but we certainly are not European. We should keep the Pound Sterling, and be our own Nation. There have been so many European laws "snuck" into our legal system already. Also, being part of Europe makes it easier for illegal immigrants to get in. We're saturated as it is!

eg, have you noticed how all fire extinguishers are red now? the only way you can tell what's in them is by a sticky label on them! In a fire, the label could burn, or simply fade over time in the sun. They used to be totally painted in the colour code for the contents. To be honest, in a fire, I'd like a very quick and clear way of choosing an extinguisher. The European rules have clouded this.

The way it seems to be going, we'll be the United States of Europe. A truly sad day indeed.

Answer 6

No I do not. I think the time has come for us to kiss the EU goodbye. The cost of us being part is so great and our returns on that investment is the Human Rights law, immigration and politicians earning a fortune doing nothing. The French only want our tourist money they do not like us. The Germans still want to rule the whole of Europe. Now we are expected having allowed 500,000 Polish in to accept the same or more from Eastern Europe. The idea of a commercial link is fine but Blair has sold the British Values and way of life to the Europeans and the Muslims. If we do not stick up for the British system and way of life we will no longer be the majority in the UK.

Answer 7

Britons are Western European as are Germans and the French, Greeks and Italians and Spanish are Southern European, Russians are Eastern European and Balkan people are Central European.

I am Australian. I am a part of the Australasian South Pacific community. In the Olympics, Australia is classified as an "Oceanic" nation. Am I "Oceanic"? No. Am I "Australasian"? No. The word is a term for geographical land mass, not people.

I'm Australian. Are you European? Up to you...

Answer 8

Guys, you can be both English and European, just as an American can be both, say, Texan and American.

The two don;t cancel each other out, only in your sad xenophobic minds. A Britain without Europe is nothing, wether we liek it or not we are part of the European Continent, our society is increasingly being Continental in its approach to life and we work together to help support one another.

Poster, i ask you, why SHOULDN'T we be 'lumped' with France, Germany and the rest of Europe? Our histories are the same, we were created out of the fire of each others wars and Europe is our Home. What is so wrong with that people?

NB
Sorry guys, i've got to rant again. So many of you twits are relying on old Stereotypes of Europeans and false misconceptions.

Ok, firstly, the claim that 'all Europeans have nothign in common'. Ok, where did you pull this from? We're all bustling Market Economies, we all have a strong Family Ethic, we all believe in responsible Democracies. Uniqely, we're all pretty Left-Wing as nations. Im just pleased the vast majority of Brits aren't 'Little Englanders' liek yourselves. Do you seriously think we can survive without Europe?

Secondly, this idea that we get 'nothing' from Europe. Ok, ill ignore the fact its our BIGGEST market, by a long shot, and that the vast majority of tourists who fuel our economy are European. I'll ignore the fact we have cheap flights to Europe, we have no internal Border Controls *due to the Schengen Agreement* and mainly, the fact there hasn't been a major war in Europe since the Second World War. Anyone who knows the smallest bit of European History will tell you that this is a vast achievement.

Answer 9

No I class myself as British. I see Europe and being European as being something completely different. It seems to me that all the countries joined together like France, Germany, Spain etc are similar in terms of the people and city lifestyles (clearly rurally I am sure things change dramatically) and I cant really differentiate my experiences in each place. I think we should definitely keep our identity and stay the United Kingdom, not just another part of Europe.

Answer 10

No, never. Born and raised brit living well in canada.

Are Canadians, American since they are a part of the North American Continent or Mexican's etc also American because they are part of the South American Continent? Don't be daft!

Answer 11

I was Born in England, grew up in Germany, got married a Denmark, and worked for a Belgium Company.

My lifestyle is European but I'm English