What has the UK become?

[Gabriel]

Was that monsieur really a monsieur?

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

We have declined so much as a nation in the last decade. Since the Olympics, pretty much.

 

[blueinsa]

So today on radio phone ins I have heard people advocating that

a/ we need to stop supporting Ukraine as we can't afford to

b/ why should we help earthquake victims in Turkey and especially Syria - we can't afford to

There are so many shit stains in the gusset of the UK's underpants right now

Go on then, tell us all where you heard all this?

In other news…

Turkey-Syria earthquake: UK aid appeal raises more than £50m https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64609836

Disasters Emergency Committee biggest donor to charities after Ukraine appeal

DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities

www.independent.co.uk

 

[BrianW]

Really hard lads don't tell you they're hard.
Really patriotic people don't tell you they're patriotic.

 

[Palerider]

Why did you take umbrage at the thread title?

What has the UK become could mean many things, some of which you may very well blow your own trumpet over.

I take it you see yourself as a patriot, my issue is If patriotism is politicised, so is anti-patriotism. “That’s unpatriotic” has long been a cry to silence dissent, formally through laws, informally through social pressure. Presenting patriotism as an apolitical sentiment infused with devotion to a place or tradition only makes such silencing easier. The anti woke become the cancel culture afficiando's How weird is UK politics?

“O, let my land be a land where Liberty is crowned with no false patriotic wreath.” Langston Hughes.

On patriotism, if you look at any attempt at defining human needs you get, in order of importance

1 Physiological - so food, water, sleep etc
2 Safety - so health, housing, employment etc

now the interesting three

3 belonging and love - so, family, friendship etc
4 esteem - so achievement respect of others, respect by others, mattering.
5 self actualisation - morality, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts etc

So, patriotism should fit in at no 3 and for most people I think it does. If someone is knee jerk unpatriotic rather than patriotic (basically not liking your own country and fellow citizens) then surely it would be better to leave that country? I think the ideas behind the hierarchy of needs is that you really need all the steps fulfilled to be a happy and a balanced person, so, unpatriotic people will probably not be happy.

Slightly moving topic, I'm a great believer in the 80/20 rule and think that 80% of this country have pretty decent lifestyles. One of the great mysteries of our democracy is why, as it seems, the bottom 20% do not vote. They often answer that question with 'it makes no difference, it doesn' t matter,' and lo and behold self esteem and mattering are basic need 4! So, people don' t vote because they do not think they matter.

 

[BrianW]

Define 'patriotism'. Because it is an abstract term.

My patriotism is wanting my country to prosper and be one of the leading states of Europe. (You need the prospering thing first BTW.) By 'leading' I mean being an exemplary state with a high standard of living and excellent public services, as well as freedom from corruption in public life.

Some people think patriotism is about waving flags, hating foreigners and arselicking the royals.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Slightly moving topic, I'm a great believer in the 80/20 rule and think that 80% of this country have pretty decent lifestyles.

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation you are correct in that 20$ of the population live in poverty - not sure that someone at say 1 or even 5% and poverty level have decent lifestyles - they are the folk claiming in work benefits and using foodbanks etc. If you consider just kids then its 25% live in poverty - I have said who has the money and where its going coz those figures should not exist in the 6th biggest economy in the world

 

[bluethrunthru]

Define 'patriotism'. Because it is an abstract term.

My patriotism is wanting my country to prosper and be one of the leading states of Europe. (You need the prospering thing first BTW.) By 'leading' I mean being an exemplary state with a high standard of living and excellent public services, as well as freedom from corruption in public life.

Some people think patriotism is about waving flags, hating foreigners and arselicking the royals.

also is it patriotism to lay your life on the line for your country? If so we seem to struggle to fill the vacancies in the military here so maybe our youth are un patriotic. Plenty of young Russian lads - badly trained and equipped are being forced to go to the front against their will. I doubt they feel that patriotic - more just scared I'd imagine.

 

[malg]

So today on radio phone ins I have heard people advocating that

a/ we need to stop supporting Ukraine as we can't afford to

b/ why should we help earthquake victims in Turkey and especially Syria - we can't afford to

There are so many shit stains in the gusset of the UK's underpants right now

What station was that? Certainly not 5Live.

 

[blueinsa]

It’s like a 6th form fucking common room on here at times lol.

OP does what he always does and when it’s pointed out that in a matter of days the great British public have donated over £50m to Turkey and Syria and so far over £400m to the Ukraine blowing his little rant out of the water it’s ignored.

Meanwhile we get yet another patriotism/brexit/fascist/racism/far right thread as if we don’t already have enough for everyone to keep repeating themselves on.

That of course was the aim from the start…