Still European

[MrsBrunch]

Does anyone know why people are putting this on their FB profile picture?

Obviously when we left the EU we didn't leave the continent, we are still part of europe. Is it because some people think we aren't or something?

It's interesting you should say that, because I've never really felt that way. I've never felt like a European per se. We know far more about the politics of the USA than we do about the politics and political leaders of countries in Europe, for instance.

I was lucky enough as a teenager to go on lots of school trips to European countries, and I was taught to think of myself as a European from an early age. However, the most European I ever felt was when I lived abroad, and I was thrown together en masse with a large number of Americans, Canadians, Australians and Europeans. I realised then how much closer I felt culturally to the other Europeans than to the others, especially the North Americans.

However, the most European I ever felt was when I lived abroad, and I was thrown together en masse with a large number of Americans, Canadians, Australians and Europeans. I realised then how much closer I felt culturally to the other Europeans than to the others, especially the North Americans.

This.

I do find it extremely odd that people don’t understand why someone would do this (not that I have) but I guess everyone’s brains work in different ways.

It’s symbolic and about emotion and regret.

But are they doing it as a sort of public service announcement to let people know we are still part of the continent of Europe.
Yes, that's exactly why they are doing it.*
*this is sarcasm.

It’s symbolic and about emotion and regret

Exactly. I haven't done it either (don't really do FB) but it really isn't difficult to understand why people might.

I can't work out if people are deliberately pretending to be obtuse because they're annoyed people not celebrating Brexit, or whether they're genuinely so devoid of empathy that they really don't get it.

I can’t either Alexa but am done with expending any more emotional energy and am sitting back to see this huge national success story that is coming.

I know it is as my Dad sent me an article on how Brexiters are the true progressives to reassure me that any misgivings I have are misplaced.

I think there there are either a lot of people who don't get nuance, or who are maybe being a little disingenuous.

I know it is as my Dad sent me an article on how Brexiters are the true progressives to reassure me that any misgivings I have are misplaced.

Oh, well that must have reassured you.

One thing I'm eternally grateful for in all of this is that my elderly parents didn't only vote to remain, they actually went out on the streets to campaign for it.

So day 1 of the steaming pile of poo that’s Brexit and leavers are already rewriting history and declaring themselves also still European. Ha bloody ha.

Give over - the faux-bafflement is convincing nobody.

Quite apart from the fact this is clearly an ideological statement rather than a comment on geography, there is a cultural divide between those who would see the UK aligned with other English-speaking countries (the us is what they really mean) and those who see a stronger cultural affinity with the rest of Europe. This ties in very strongly with where your views on Brexit and the eu lie, and I'd go so far as to say the EU really is a proxy for Europe in this sense.

I think it was last week I saw an article in the telegraph to the effect that we aren't really culturally European and never were.

Statements like this are a riposte to those sorts of arguments.

@Haggertyjane

Remainers think they have some kind of moral and intellectual superiority over leavers, and they like to signal this on social media as a badge of honour.

Good luck to them

Nope, just your inferiority complex making you think nasty things.

I am not on FB. I don't blame anyone who wants to remind people of the historic mistake this country has made, even if in an indirect way.

@IfTheSockFits I see your point but you are speaking for yourself and perhaps your immediate circle of friends.

We have a lot of American centric news because it's currently (although not for much longer) the world's biggest super power and we share the language and some history, but a lot of our news is also on the big European players like Germany and France. We have a lot of American films here too but so do the test of Europe, because the US are a huge exporter of movies.

In terms of the emotions around cultural identity (speaking for myself) I've grown up feeling more culturally European than American. Firstly I've never been to the US, whereas I've travelled in Europe extensively and have spent time there for work, secondly I have family on the continent and a European husband. So I feel very European and know lots of people who have had a similar experience to me (have EU partners, have worked or studied in Europe as well as travelling there). The EU as an institution is far from perfect, but it enabled a certain way of life that I was hugely appreciative of and that has been taken from me by people with nothing to loose from it.

Sadly my life has now been made more complex and less secure. Outwardly I'm very cordial, I try and understand people's reasons for Brexit. Inwardly, I'm extremely sceptical and judgemental of those that voted out, I've yet to hear someone make a convincing argument and quite frankly I think many of them at deluded, ignorant or have been duped by the right wing of the Tory party. I also harbour extremely negative feelings towards this government which seem to become more entrenched as time goes on, don't get me started on Priti Patel.

Brexit was the type of populist politics that a) relies on making extremely complex subject matter binary so it ideas can be sold in to public easily, and b) laying the blame for our issues elsewhere and having a bogeyman, that was EU. That destructive desire to place blame elsewhere won't go away now we've left, it'll just be transferred elsewhere perhaps immigrants from elsewhere or the picking apart of our trusted institutions or democratic processes, to the likely detriment of the U.K. We had no choice but to leave the EU after the vote, but it is extremely sad that we have a very concerning what the future may hold.

Sadly I think the Brexit debate, vote and aftermath have led to some people feeling it was acceptable to express their xenophobic views more openly. I've heard this from a number of European friends and colleagues living in the UK.

OP is either;

a) disingenuous, obtuse
b) dumb as a box of frogs

It's very clearly m, as stated above a symbol of regret/sadness. Like those inScotland who had '45' on their FB profile pics, it also symbolises, 'I didn't vote for that!'

Also anybody who says that a UK citizens relationship to the EU hasn't changed has not spent any significant time in the EU. It has, in a very fundamental way. We are no longer entitled, by law, to be there.

Yes I noticed a FB acquaintance had done this and I thought the same thing.

She also suggested everyone "hold their nose" and vote for Corbyn at the last election because of Boris being white, public school and racist but didn't have much to say when I pointed out Corbyn is also white, public school and racist. Oh, and he supported Brexit.

She also thinks feminism should include trans women.

So I didn't bother mentioning the European thing because I didn't want another spat.

The weirdest thing about it is I don't think she's ever set foot in a European country beyond like, France and Italy, and if so certainly for nothing more than a holiday. Whereas my family is Eastern European and voted for Brexit. But she's the one with "European" heroically strapped across her profile pic now. Ok love.

@Soutiner

Because remoaners are attention seeking sore losers!

Oh for goodness sake, grow up.

I see your point but you are speaking for yourself and perhaps your immediate circle of friends

Not really, no. One of my immediate family is married to someone from France, and they and their dc now have dual nationality. I also have German ancestors, and feel very at home on the occasions I've been to Germany. But I don't 'feel' European, I feel British.

I also have American relatives, but that doesn't make me feel any connection with America either.

Politics isn't something that I discuss with friends or acquaintances - in common with such things as abortion and fox hunting, it is a topic best avoided in my opinion.

@AlexaShutUp

It's interesting you should say that, because I've never really felt that way. I've never felt like a European per se. We know far more about the politics of the USA than we do about the politics and political leaders of countries in Europe, for instance.

I was lucky enough as a teenager to go on lots of school trips to European countries, and I was taught to think of myself as a European from an early age. However, the most European I ever felt was when I lived abroad, and I was thrown together en masse with a large number of Americans, Canadians, Australians and Europeans. I realised then how much closer I felt culturally to the other Europeans than to the others, especially the North Americans.

We may have gone to the same school!

@Haggertyjane

Remainers think they have some kind of moral and intellectual superiority over leavers, and they like to signal this on social media as a badge of honour.

Good luck to them

Actually no.

I put this on my facebook profile picture for a very different reason.

I was fortunate to take part in the Erasmus scheme in the 1990s and am in touch with many friends that I made from all over Europe on Facebook.

For me it is a sign of solidarity that the decision to leave the EU was not in my name.

I have always felt European and being a member state gave me more rights than I now have because I don't have the fortune of family ties to take up a EU passport.

I don't think leave voters are thick or stupid they just simply don't care about those things.

We may have gone to the same school!

I wonder! Was your school uniform inspired by the European colours, FifilaFrog?

@eurochick

What a disingenuous pile of shyte.

Like many, I am sad that my EU rights have been ripped from me. I still identify with the EU. I wish I was still an EU citizen, but I am not. Because of the choices of others.

This

@Fifilafrog And don't you have anything new to say? Rather than moaning about your rights being ripped away from you maybe consider the rights of the leavers who were forced to endure an unfair system that they felt disadvantaged them on many levels?

On the other hand, don't stop moaning, you obviously enjoy fuelling your anger issues.

There are 44 countries in Europe. There are 27 countries in the EU. So I don't think that I am pedantic to point out that calling the using the terms EU and Europe interchangeably is not correct. So saying things like "I am still European" to show that you wish that the UK was still in the EU doesn't make any sense. Just use a different word.

Basically, it's aimed at everyone who voted Leave for silly reasons. FB is a draining place.