What is ... Britishness?

[Bigga]

I watched the very impressive Panorama, the other night, and it's a good question! As we have fractures within a fractured 'kingdom', has the idea of what defines a Briton completely collapsed? And what was that 'idea', anyway?

This is not meant to be a racial line, so please don't take it as such. That's going to be a issue, regardless. I'm wondering what is the definition of a 'Briton' is.

Devolution was a subject raised, on the programme, with Scotland being used as a prime example of the problems behind it, as well as (some of) Northern Ireland's wish to remain with the affliation to be British.

Moreover, there were two points highlighted about Brown's tenure. Firstly, that on his entrance to PM, he tried to get Britain to define itself(which I remember, actually) via a competetion. And secondly that as a Scotsman, his reinforcement of St. George's Day, by waving the flag was at odds with the celebration. I agree with the latter point. It would have better to get Jacqui Smith to wave the flag BACKED by him.

Anyway, the point is, what defines Britishness to you?

 

[mat]

i think it's tolerence.

 

[Bigga]

Such an interesting word that. 'Tolerance'. It's such an associated word used by the English, rather than the British.

Why did you choose that, Mat?

 

[nijinsky's fetlocks]

Used to be;

Acceptance
Civility
Good Manners.


Is now;


Drug Abuse
Binge drinking
Mindless Violence.

 

[Corky]

It goes back to the empire for me and the "white man's burden" which was to "civilise" the rest of the world.

 

[Bigga]

Used to be;

Acceptance
Civility
Good Manners.


Is now;


Drug Abuse
Binge drinking
Mindless Violence.

Two faces of Britain? At what point did one change to the other? And hasn't there always been:
"Drug Abuse
Binge drinking
Mindless Violence"?

Your first view reminds me of stuff well before my lifetime, in the 40's/ 50's. Don't ever remember that in the 70's.

 

[nijinsky's fetlocks]

Used to be;

Acceptance
Civility
Good Manners.


Is now;


Drug Abuse
Binge drinking
Mindless Violence.

Two faces of Britain? At what point did one change to the other? And hasn't there always been:
"Drug Abuse
Binge drinking
Mindless Violence"?

Your first view reminds me of stuff well before my lifetime, in the 40's/ 50's. Don't ever remember that in the 70's.

Depends how far back you want to go.
Personally I don't think there was a pivotal moment when one set of values was lost and the other adopted,it has been more of a gradual erosion over time.
Yes,drugs, booze and violence have always been present within society to some degree,but not anything like the scale of today's problems.
Possibly the easy availability and,(relative),low cost of both illegal drugs and alcohol are a key factor.
And the fact that the overwhelming amount of petty crime committed nowadays is to fund drug use.
As to violence,the influx of guns and knives on the streets has meant a corresponding rise in incidents and fatalities which were not as common in the 70's.
It is commonplace now to read of 2 or 3 deaths every weekend in City Centre Manchester.
Many people in countries unfortunate enough to be colonised by Britain used to see us as slavemasters and oppressors.
Now,seemingly,we can't even run our own country properly,let alone anyone elses.

 

[pee dubya]

Britishness - a delusional feeling superiority over everyone else.

 

[Swales lives]

Rampant materialism and selfishness, bloody-mindedness, tolerance.

But also a sense of "knowing your rights"

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Saying "sorry" when someone bumps into you.