spurspinter1
Pat van den Hauwe
Massive hybrid of emotions is Quebec, been there alot
I think people should talk about it, its the route to the future, I think people should feel shame for it, I don't think people should carry the guilt though and I don't think the blanket statements you see about England or the UK being racist because of it is truly indicative of the fact we are now one of the most if not the most multicultural nations in the world. Bigots and racists exists everywhere as unfortunately do any other kind of deplorable human, just par for humanity.
Im not a flag waving patriot, but I am patriotic for the place I call home, I enjoy being British and bring from London, but thats more a sense of belonging than the history and I think thats allowed, not so much into the showing of military power everytime the King or Queen has a birthday, thats all abit odd, a cake should work.
@spurspinter1 just to warn you playground comparison upcoming (I jest). But I do take some comfort that in the modern world we are no up to the Americans standard, just over a hundred years ago they killed of the last remaining indigenous tribe and since then they have dragged the country through all sorts, civil rights violations the lot....and they have the audacity to call themselves the home of the free and the land of the brave, I mean that takes some doing for 100 years of history....I am clearly tongue in cheek here but it does make me laugh
On the other point about being nationalistic in football, strangely for the idea we are hugely nationalistic as a nation our footballers seem more diluted to the idea than those abroad, you sense the Argies (see World Cup) and others are live and die for it over anything. Lot to be said for that IMO, others won't agree but taking the money out the game that what you are left with, I get why they are.
Agree with your first paragraph to Dubai.
I fudgein love England, it's a great place but like most countries there's a fair bit of grim history, best not sweep but under the carpet but ideally learn from it. It's a tricky balance of treating everyone as an individual in the present but also acknowledging what has happened.
There are people who un-ironically thinks that white people have had it tough of late because of supposedly being blamed for everything. The type who call people snowflakes but have fits at the mention of white privilege / guilt. Those who can't wait to bring up that some black people also sold slaves as if that's some kind of excuse, or label a film "woke" because the writers have the audacity to have an lgbt character in it - I despise these tossers and have fallen out with the majority of those types on here in no uncertain terms, it's my bad for thinking a football forum would be progressive place and some would say it's me taking things a bit seriously on here.
I think I get what you mean on the America front, I appreciate you saying it in jest as a comparison of who has been the most brutal most recently.
For us or them it's always so interesting / misguided with the anti foreign / immigrant sentiment when both countries essentially kicked out or culled the indigenous population. Obviously it always depend on when the line in the sand is drawn, a typical maga "Murica is for Muricans" might not accept that we all came from Africa anyways if you go far back enough.