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Original poster

What do other nationalities think of the British

999 replies

Baggingarea · 28/10/2020 19:06

For non UK MNers, what are your general impressions of the British?

I was watching a documentary recently and a Spanish man said our houses are all dirty. I'd never heard that before but can see why someone might think that with muddy weather etc etc.

What do you think about us? Promise I won't be offended (no racism/sexism/general bigotry though please). Can't vouch for others though.

OP posts:
Tollergirl · 31/10/2020 13:54

Ah my mistake- she stayed because she has found like minded racist and xenophobic people...

Tollergirl · 31/10/2020 13:56

And by the way @enigma16 - your user name is a travesty - nothing enigmatic about such bigotry towards a whole nation of people.

Ginfordinner · 31/10/2020 13:57

@enigma16

why did you stay?

Xenophobic
Racist

I consider it a reasonable question, being not 100% English myself.

I would expect someone to ask me that if I had been living in France for example and said the things you have said about their country.

user1471565182 · 31/10/2020 13:58

It is a funny one. Its like blokes who go around calling themselves 'the night wolf' when they're a accountant from swindon.

enigma16 · 31/10/2020 14:04

Ginfordinner

Still here, and I have stayed because I have made a life for myself here and enjoyed it. Many things I like about living here and the people. But I don't like the direction this country is going in though. Or the racists and xenophobes crawling out of the woodwork. Or people allowing themselves to be hoodwinked by Boris n' Dom and co. Hence ignorant.

Have you never met any well educated, open minded, left wing, unassuming, outgoing English people in your 20 years of living here? Yes, I married one.

MacDuffsMuff · 31/10/2020 14:04

Well @enigma16 they do say that like-minded people are drawn to each other, so perhaps you need to learn to associate with the many many Brits in this country who are the opposite from those you seem to know.

FairFridaythe13th · 31/10/2020 14:06

I think enigma must be hanging around some odd places.

MacDuffsMuff · 31/10/2020 14:08

My thoughts too @FairFridaythe13th, I don't choose to surround myself with the kind of people she describes, who, as anyone with half a brain would know exist in all countries, but I certainly wouldn't assume that everyone of that nationality is the same. That would be ridiculous.

FairFridaythe13th · 31/10/2020 14:10

Some people do get a bit dewy eyed sentimental about ‘the old country’ when they’ve been away a while. I’m Scottish, so I don’t...

user1471565182 · 31/10/2020 14:16

Statistics still regularly show britain to be the least racist place in Europe, if not the world so its ridiculous to call the whole british population 'racist and xenophobic' in comparison to others

Tollergirl · 31/10/2020 14:16

This thread has become a Brexiteers dream - as a staunch remainer I was sad and rather despondent about the upcoming divorce from the EU. However, realising how we are universally despised is making me reconsider. I had hoped that our commonalities were greater than our differences and that we were akin to old friends who had drifted apart but still had mutual respect and fondness for each other. I now realise that I was totally deluded and it is more akin to a nasty breakup whereupon you're ex informs you that they never liked you in the first place and always thought you and your family were ignorant fat ugly dirty uncultured ingrates.

Food for thought and a very sad end to the dream of a peaceful and harmonious Europe. Makes me wonder if these "foreign" posters are actually working for the UKIP PR department Wink

swindongoddess · 31/10/2020 14:21

London is the money laundering capital of the world and the UK government is infamous for "confiscating" money and assets on dubious grounds (while turning a blind eye to whoever's is the current flavour of the month) and adding it to its coffers. If only it had a zero tolerance policy to it's own history of blood money. Actually it's not really zero tolerance is it? If said "blood money" is awarded to treasury?

How long will we 'be up there' when we become a medium sized country with no clout?
It already is a small country with no clout. The UK's clout comes from it's relationships with the EU and the US. Well the EU one is no longer existent (no access to EU intelligence sharing) and if Trump wins this election and the US continues to lose its prominence on the world stage and become more insular- that relationship won't matter either. The problem is the UK still thinks it holds the same place it did 100 years ago but the world has moved on.

Expert craftsmanship (unfortunately we have moved most manufacturing out of the UK to focus on services and finance - which might all come crashing down as services move into mainland Europe because Brexit puts up barriers to business that were not in place before making London less than ideal)
Great Literature
Good TV (esp BBC for now - a number of these stereotypes are actually from TV shows popular outside the UK- you can blame unhygienic and dirty stereotypes on Come Dine with Me )
Great university education (Oxbdrige and RG schools - but Brexit and other policies are putting students off)
Terrible food (blame Come Dine with Me and the over boiled vegetables)

I'm British and well travelled, live in London and work with an equal mix of EU, non EU and British colleagues.

enigma16 · 31/10/2020 14:23

And I do think the standard of free education could and should be a lot better - I would happily pay much more in taxes for that! And the education system is so unequal, giving those who can afford it a huge advantage! As a consequence the level of general knowledge of the average Brit is poor, as several people have pointed out upthread. So many people believe whatever dog whistle propaganda and lies are spouted by corrupt politicians, The Daily Mail etc, they vote Conservative, and here we are!

Figsandcream · 31/10/2020 14:24

@Tollergirl

This thread has become a Brexiteers dream - as a staunch remainer I was sad and rather despondent about the upcoming divorce from the EU. However, realising how we are universally despised is making me reconsider. I had hoped that our commonalities were greater than our differences and that we were akin to old friends who had drifted apart but still had mutual respect and fondness for each other. I now realise that I was totally deluded and it is more akin to a nasty breakup whereupon you're ex informs you that they never liked you in the first place and always thought you and your family were ignorant fat ugly dirty uncultured ingrates.

Food for thought and a very sad end to the dream of a peaceful and harmonious Europe. Makes me wonder if these "foreign" posters are actually working for the UKIP PR department Wink

Couldn't agree more , but you forgot to add " inbred" to the list of ignorant, fat, ugly , dirty uncultured ingrates. With friends like these, who needs enemies.
DeKraai · 31/10/2020 14:30

@Tollergirl

This thread has become a Brexiteers dream - as a staunch remainer I was sad and rather despondent about the upcoming divorce from the EU. However, realising how we are universally despised is making me reconsider. I had hoped that our commonalities were greater than our differences and that we were akin to old friends who had drifted apart but still had mutual respect and fondness for each other. I now realise that I was totally deluded and it is more akin to a nasty breakup whereupon you're ex informs you that they never liked you in the first place and always thought you and your family were ignorant fat ugly dirty uncultured ingrates.

Food for thought and a very sad end to the dream of a peaceful and harmonious Europe. Makes me wonder if these "foreign" posters are actually working for the UKIP PR department Wink

The Brits aren't universally despised. Every country has prejudices and stereotypes about it. What's made people really scratch their heads is 1. Why we voted for Brexit and 2. Why we voted for Boris Johnson. He certainly isn't seen as a world-leader outside our shores!

In my experience Brits aren't hated but those two points do get raised A LOT.

The only thing that pisses people off in a more general front is the expectation when abroad that everybody know and is willing to speak English. The general lack of Brits abroad ability to actually integrate, although there are a few that do, is noted. Especially when we want to close our borders etc.

enigma16 · 31/10/2020 14:41

Lack of care for the poor and a 2 tier education system. I have relatives that come from a poor part of the North who have somehow managed to get all the way through the education system being unable to string an intelligible sentence together in writing. If you look through their Facebook friends they are all the same. It isn't just the lack if literacy it also the very narrow world view they have, a general lack of any education really.

I am not the only one to have said this, just more blunt!

I come from a poor, working class background and I'm very grateful for the high quality free education I received and the equal opportunities that were available to all, regardless of background. It's very different here.

Tollergirl · 31/10/2020 14:43

@Dekraai - I'm afraid I can't answer either of those because I didn't do either of them. However I must conclude that those who did, have their reasons. Personally I feel that the last five years has been so divisive and there has been such appalling behaviour from most of our so-called leaders that many of the electorate had had enough and perhaps just voted on the issues that were most pertinent to them. How do we ever really know others reasoning, it may come from personal experience or from a Daily Mail soundbite but that's the downside to democracy. I'd still rather that than dictatorship.

Also, although I am obviously poorly educated, ignorant and insular, as helpfully pointed out by others, I am quite sure that other European countries are having their own existential problems too - there are plenty of far right groups on the rise, and perhaps the only real difference is that we were given enough rope to hang ourselves (by the blessed David Cameron) whereas they haven't been ... yet.

Figsandcream · 31/10/2020 14:49

Maybe a lot of people voted for Brexit because they understood very well how the rest of Europe is repulsed by them. They may have thought to themselves that it didn't seem a good thing to be part of an organisation that has contempt for them.

TableFlowerss · 31/10/2020 14:49

@wightwine

maybe Europe is not 'nice' about brexit because of the contempt they think that the UK is now showing them, when they thought we were their friends/allies/partners. there is no brexit 'plan' other than telling Europe to get lost. brexit may affect Europe's budget but 2 dozen countries working together will do better than us on our own.

As for London being a financial hub, it is said that it is a money laundering hub, is that something to be proud of?

the UK did well in acquiring goods and money from the empire.

How long will we 'be up there' when we become a medium sized country with no clout?

Aye because it’s all negative isn’t it. Britain didn’t do anything good, industrial revolution and all.... pretty big players I would say!

Treating Europe with contempt? With paying more in than the majority of countries? Not being able to uphold our own laws because of the European courts of human rights? Great most of the time but can’t deport known terrorists etc because it would infringe their human rights.... 🙄

Because you know the ins and outs of the worldwide financial markets and where all the fraud happens?.... of course you do!

What about the rest of the empires throughout history? Are you suggesting they all got where they did on the back of pleasantries and loyalty? People are quick to pull up the British empire but forget there were many many more.

Tollergirl · 31/10/2020 14:50

@enigma16 - I am not disputing the fact that there are pockets of deprivation and poverty in this country that are a national disgrace and reflect poorly on us. THAT DOES NOT EQUATE TO THE BRITISH BEING UNEDUCATED. You may have experienced a world class education but clearly nuance was a lesson you missed!

TableFlowerss · 31/10/2020 15:00

I also find it sooooo ironic that hardly anyone has posted to say where they are from.

‘Sorry, where’s that? Never heard of it..... ever’ 🤭

stickygotstuck · 31/10/2020 15:16

@08Tollergirl

Not a stereotype at all, mere personal observation from living in the UK for many years. I didn't even know it was well known. But glad to see I'm not the only one who's noticed Wink

I wish it was a stereotype. Love fish, only been able to eat whole, varied, fresh fish on a trip to the Scottish Isles. Oh, and in a and Italian-owned restaurant in Leeds, if all places. But that doesn't count as British.

Tollergirl · 31/10/2020 15:22

@stickygotstuck - best get yourself down here to Cornwall then - fish restaurants a plenty!

lazyfecker · 31/10/2020 15:28

the British Empire was just one of many over the centuries:

"The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule from the 16th century to the late 1980s. From the 16th to the 17th centuries, the First French colonial empire stretched from a total area at its peak in 1680 to over 10,000,000 square kilometres (3,900,000 sq mi), the second largest empire in the world at the time behind only the Spanish Empire"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EvolutionofftheFrenchhEmpire

lazyfecker · 31/10/2020 15:29

[quote stickygotstuck]@08Tollergirl

Not a stereotype at all, mere personal observation from living in the UK for many years. I didn't even know it was well known. But glad to see I'm not the only one who's noticed Wink

I wish it was a stereotype. Love fish, only been able to eat whole, varied, fresh fish on a trip to the Scottish Isles. Oh, and in a and Italian-owned restaurant in Leeds, if all places. But that doesn't count as British.[/quote]
I had a halibut once in Scotland that has just been caught that morning - best fish ever!