Proud to be British...what does this mean?

[Tiger]

I've seen the phrase 'Proud to be British' said, quoted, tweeted and printed a lot over the weekend but what does it mean nowadays? The Empire no longer stretches over a fifth of the globe (and the pacifists may question the legitimacy of such an empire. Does the Commonwealth have any mean any more? Our military are still the best the world has to offer but you could question the nobility of some of the battles they are being asked to fight. We are no longer the world leaders in Science, Engineering or Industry that we used to be. The Pound is weak and we are reliant on an 'export' business that is based around service provision.

The Scots want devolution, the Welsh retain pride in their nationality through their language (and their flag is not even represented on the Union Jack. Even that our national symbol has been hijacked by far right nationalist parties.

My only hope that out of the euphoria of the weekend that we're not only proud to be British but as a nation we remember what it means to be British.

Pioneers, thought leaders, hard workers, diligent, loyal... other adjectives welcomed

 

[bobmac]

Except now we're not from Britain anymore, we're from the UK. Just one more thing we've copied from the good old US of A :angry:

 

[Tiger]

Except now we're not from Britain anymore, we're from the UK. Just one more thing we've copied from the good old US of A :angry:

Was that because the term 'Great' Britain was deemed to be an oxymoron?

 

[bigslice]

would think everyone is proud of their home country, im proud to be Scottish but will vote NO when the time comes. plus will support England in the euros this friday till they get to the quarters and then support the other team.

 

[MizunoGreyhound]

I find it quite frustrating that a Welshman can say he is Welsh and a Scotsman can say he is Scottish and not get into any trouble at all, but if an Englishman says he is English.........
Sadly, he has to say he is British.

The pride seems to have gone from our nation as a whole. Someone has something nice, so someone else has to vandalise or steal it. Very few people look after things now as we live in a throw away society.

Morals, principles and common sense are found in fewer and fewer people these days.

I used to be proud to be British and all it used to stand for. Now, we are laughed at by the rest of the world.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[Val]

British by birth and Scottish by the grace of god

 

[Dodger]

Asking the wrong man here...proud to be Scottish full stop.

 

[Aztecs27]

Asking the wrong man here...proud to be Scottish full stop.

What?! I DID NOT see this coming!

 

[Monty_Brown]

Asking the wrong man here...proud to be Scottish full stop.

The Scottish sense of national pride is something that I look at with a degree of envy as the English/British sense of identity seems to have been sadly misappropriated by the far right in recent years, although I see signs of that thankfully changing and a sesne of legitimate pride returning, partly thanks to events liek the jubilee.

Dodger, can I ask what are the qualities or aspects of your heritage that make you proud to be Scottish? I am NOT being sarcastic, I genuinely am interested. :cheers:

 

[Yerman]

Irish by family, english by birth and proud to be Irish, English(ish), British, European and the human race. To me it means being happy to be a member of the group of people that also share the label. Don't feel it very often but really got the tingle seeing the olympic flame in Ireland today and the warmth it received.
Diamond Jubilee - no chance, always been a republican and it seems only a southern england delusion.

 

[CliveW]

The Scots want devolution,

The Scots have had devolution since July 1999.

 

[JustOne]

I'm not proud to be British, but I am GLAD that I'm English.

 

[bobmac]

Dodger, her Madge is coming after you

 

[chrisd]

I'm not proud to be British, but I am GLAD that I'm English.

I'm English and proud too. The UK is not where I was born it was in England and I am happy for you Scots, Welsh and Irish and the way that you support your own countries, I hope that you don't mind me doing the same for England!

 

[Dodger]

The Scottish sense of national pride is something that I look at with a degree of envy as the English/British sense of identity seems to have been sadly misappropriated by the far right in recent years, although I see signs of that thankfully changing and a sesne of legitimate pride returning, partly thanks to events liek the jubilee.

Dodger, can I ask what are the qualities or aspects of your heritage that make you proud to be Scottish? I am NOT being sarcastic, I genuinely am interested. :cheers:

Sod all to do with anything other than being proud to be a Scotsman,a part of a race,an identity,if we had no heritage and a drab landscape I would still be proud to be Scottish.

Glad all the pish is over for the time being......Berwick has been like living at bloody Ibrox for the last week,respite for a wee while til the Euros and Olympics start it up all over again.

 

[bladeplayer]

I hope that you don't mind me doing the same for England!

Not at all , good for you mate , im suprised how many prefer being called English rather than British !! real eye opener , me im glad to be Irish as we seem to have some great appeal to the world , singing , dancing , laughing , great craic indivduals , pity we also have a country full of scroats & scumbags who travel abroad & live of the illusion set by the decent irish people

 

[Wolfman]

I have one word for the massive shift............. Dilution

Thats the reason we are seldom proud to be British as its lost until we get a gentle nudge as a reminder such as last weekend

 

[Tiger]

The Scots have had devolution since July 1999.

I'm sorry Clive I typed this is a hurry, I meant to say Independence, although this Devolution Max (fat free Independence) concept is politically fascinating...

 

[AuburnWarrior]

I'm English, not British. I wasn't born in Britain, I was born in England.
Some years ago I'd have died for my country, I don't think I would now. I'd have no idea what I was fighting for. Freedom - yes, without a doubt but I seriously question whether in this self obsessed country where arrogance is #1 whether the same could be said for the rest of society. The war heroes of yesteryear must be turning in their collective graves with how this country and it's inhabitants have turned in to.
Was I proud this weekend? I'm not too sure that I was. Yes, it was great to see the flags and the unity coupled with the community spirit that is so lacking in everyday life but, throughout the celebrations, I couldn't stop remembering that this country has far too many problems that make me feel genuinely sad on an almost daily basis. Maybe the point of this weekend was to forget the problems. I couldn't.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm English, not British. I wasn't born in Britain, I was born in England.
Some years ago I'd have died for my country, I don't think I would now. I'd have no idea what I was fighting for. Freedom - yes, without a doubt but I seriously question whether in this self obsessed country where arrogance is #1 whether the same could be said for the rest of society. The war heroes of yesteryear must be turning in their collective graves with how this country and it's inhabitants have turned in to.
Was I proud this weekend? I'm not too sure that I was. Yes, it was great to see the flags and the unity coupled with the community spirit that is so lacking in everyday life but, throughout the celebrations, I couldn't stop remembering that this country has far too many problems that make me feel genuinely sad on an almost daily basis. Maybe the point of this weekend was to forget the problems. I couldn't.

Totally agree.