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It's a pity some people in Britain can't accept the mongrel nature of Britain. Look at Boris Johnson, a mix of Turkish, french and old England
by fiftyacorn 6y ago
It's a pity some people in Britain can't accept the mongrel nature of Britain.
Look at Boris Johnson, a mix of Turkish, french and old England
- gerdesj 6y ago... or me: A mixture of all the the four nations hereabouts, plus German (whatever that means) a dash of Spanish etc etc ... all the way back to somewhere in Africa, depending on what the archaeologists dig up tomorrow. I dare you to define what Turkish, French and old England actually means. For starters: where/when does French stop and German start and vice versa? "Turkish" is just as complicated.
- xwolfi 6y agoAnd the italians? I m french but I sure look a lot more like an Italian than a german. The mongrel nature of Britain is common for all multi border countries... and many are even Germany or Spain. I think we should really define countries by language, mountain and seas rather than blood, and frankly even those are shaky and changing. Maybe the best definition of a country is the largest geographical gradient that could sustain influence from a gigantic power centre without succumbing to another (for me, Paris, for the brits, London)?
- gerdesj 6y agoLondon is France's sixth largest city: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18234930 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18234930 or it was in 2012!
- lonelyasacloud 6y agoIndeed. Or on the other side, that at least some of that diversity cost large amounts of blood and suffering at the time.
- secondcoming 6y agoWhat do you mean by this? I've never heard anyone claim that Britain hasn't been settled by various peoples over the millenia.
- neilsense 6y agoThe only meaning they have is to push an agenda of something that doesn't really happen but makes them sound good to HN.
- smcl 6y agoI don’t think it is about recognising the origin of what we now call “British” people. But that there is still some intolerance of immigrants (particularly if they aren’t white) in Britain. It’s nowhere near as bad as it was but it still exists. Edit: downvotes suggest there’s some disagreement. I don’t think what I said is controversial or wrong, so I’d like to know the motivation
- swiley 6y agoidk, after talking to a number of British people during lockdown there's a general intolerance of white immigrants too.
- smcl 6y agoYep there's a weird anti-Polish thing that popped up through the 2000s as Poland joined the EU. I never really understood it or saw anyone in my friends/family holding this belief so I hope it's not too bad.
- type0 6y ago> I don’t think it is about recognising the origin of what we now call “British” people. But that there is still some intolerance of immigrants (particularly if they aren’t white) in Britain. As the saying goes in the old days some people could have a signs outside a shop "No dogs, no Irishmen and no blacks allowed". Was that really true for some parts of Britain or is it just tales?
- mrslave 6y ago> Look at Boris Johnson, a mix of Turkish, french and old England I don't understand, is Boris Johnson good or bad?
- secondcoming 6y agoTory: -1 Wealthy: -1 British: -1 Mixed Race: +100
- Cro_on 6y agoHe's right wing, which in the UK means you're either 50+ or racist.
- fiftyacorn 6y agoI meant establishment more than old England. Which id define as a mix of old families and imperialism