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mjed9 · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 242

To be honest I no longer care. I am glad I am British (compared to being any other Western English - speaking nationality) but the thought of being European doesn't bother me. I am European. There is no doubt. Europe is a fantastic place, with many fine people (apart from the Germans obviously).

I had heard that Concentration Camps were being thought of in the UK at the same time as Nazi Germany but where did you read that it was a concept originally created by the British government? Reveal your sources!

mjed9 · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 242

On Concentration camps:-

"The term was first used to describe prison camps used by the Spanish military during the Cuban insurrection ( 1868-78 ), those created by America in the Philippines ( 1898-1901 ), and, most widely, to refer to British camps built during the South African War (Boer War) to confine Afrikaners in the Transvaal and Cape Colony ( 1899�1902 )"

Bloody Spaniards!

http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/c1/concentr-cmp.asp

Bindair Dundat · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Yea, Ludwig's right. The blacks in South Africa had it so much better after the Brits left.

Ludwig · Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 7:17 am Post subject:

Joachim · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Posts: 311 Location: Brighton, UK

I have always been faintly embarrassed to be British, and have always made a point to stress my Scandinavian and Jewish heritage by way of apology for my Britishness!. This has always been a kind of "guilt by association" due to the history of the Empire.

However, since I have been away, I have begun to appreciate Britain more and more, and am very greatful for my EU passport.

Although I think the European countries are very different, I definitley see Britaon as part of Europe and we should be full members of the EU and give up the pound ASAP.

I do think that British people have more respect for the world and for other peoples' way of life than other native ENglish speakers, and for that reason I am pleased (but not proud) to be British.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Even though I do a bit of English bashing on other threads I am proud to be British.
God save the Queen

waxwing · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 719 Location: China

RVN · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 62 Location: China

I can think of one reason why we should all be thankful for the British and their empire. Our current jobs. If they hadn't built up such a big empire including what would later be the world's most powerful country then I doubt it would be likely that English would be so widely spoken and that there would now be such a need for teachers of the language. Just imagine, we could all be trying to teach or learn Dutch.

I'm confused as to why the British came up with the idea of the concentration camp first but then told Spain and America about their idea and let them use it before they did, up to 30 years later. Were they letting the Spanish and the Americans test run it first?

Another thing that was said about the time of the empire was that a third of the world was pink. Hmmmmmmm. Well if it happened again British cartographers would probably chose a different colour for Britain and her colonies.

Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves,
Britions never never never shall be slaves.

vre · Joined: 17 Mar 2004 Posts: 371

I'm fed up of people getting on their high horses about things that happened such a long time ago.

I'm fed up of inferiority complexes from ultra-patriotic nations

I'm fed up with always feeling guilty for being a Brit (especially an evil English one).

I'm fed up of people thinking that all Brits are from wealthy families and don't ever consider the poverty stricken ones with a lack of any opportunities (past) that some of us are from.

I'm fed up of people of English descent not admitting to it where others always show off that they are of 'Irish' or 'Scottish' descent.

I'm fed up of people with such narrow minds that their stereotypes of 'English' are:
1 all English men are gay
2 all English food tastes like shit
3 all English people are cold
4 all English people are racist

I've never, unlike other nationalities, gone round saying that I am British and I am this and that and wo is me!!!. But I am going to say now:

I am PROUD of my nationality. I can't change it. I don't want to change it. The longer I stay away, the more I appreciate it! Thank God I am not of certain other nationalities! Thank you all for making me realise that!

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

Ludwig is quite correct about what Gandhi said. I fear middle age has taken, nay, is taking its toll on my memory.
The only good thing about empires is that they collapse sooner or later.

gugelhupf · Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek

Concentration camps are an evil invention irrespective of which colonial power first came up eith the idea. Colonialism as it was practised by various European nations was a fairly heinous occupation and, as I stated previously, I think we have all progressed a long way since those days. By all means enjoy the novels and screenplays about romantic encounters on the veranda in the days of the Raj but lets not forget the realities either...such as the opium trade and the re-invention of black slavery.

Back on the subject of concentration camps, I might add that this is one area where further progress needs to be made. I refer to Camp X-ray or whatever nice name it is known by today.

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

zaneth · Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 1:28 pm Post subject:

Back in the eighties when there was a lot of press about the Japanese coming and buying real estate in the states people were all worried about "foreign ownership." But I read somewhere that by far the largest foreign investor in America was Britain, that they still owned a huge amount of property.

There was another place where I read that it was British beef interests that set up the system of grazing and feed lots now in existence in the states, a major force in US agriculture and land use. The british didn't give up their interests in America, it seems.

Maybe we owe our jobs to the Empire. so much would be different that our language or job is hardly the biggest thing that would be different. My existence as I know it would be different. It hardly even makes sense to talk about my existence without the existence of a British Empire.

David Bowles · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 249

The problem with looking back on the various colonialisms as downright evil is the naievity: 'back then we did horrible things, but now we're so much more civilised'.. It seems a short step from there to adding that some nations don't seem quite so civilised, and a quick hop to thinking that they might need 'civilising', and from there...