to think my neighbour might wise to remove his flag?

[IamMrsElf]

I just think in the current climate that it might be ill advised to fly a Polish flag.

I'm not against national pride and patriotism. I don't particularly like seeing the St George's cross - unless it's St George's day.

I just think it might not be a good idea at the moment. Am I being a twat?

[IamMrsElf]

As my Mum & Dad live in the States we have dealt with immigration morons a fair bit and find them to be intimidating and stupid in equal measure. What worries me is when you see them with guns!!

We saw quite a few news stories whilst we were out there at Christmas, where the police had shot or tazered citizens or animals, for ridiculous reasons and their response was always "what else could we do?"

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I had a go at one once. I was en route from Fiji to Canada and had the temerity to have to fly via the US. They didn't have a transit system, oh no. You had to get your bags, clear customs and immigration, only to do it again in order to get into Canada. After hours, and queues and questions and forms for no reason, I was asked by one why I wanted to enter the States. I replied, "I don't want to enter the States, I want to enter Canada, I have to go through this to get that.". Amazingly I wasn't arrested.

Weirdly, I also met the nicest Americans that day too. After immigration shite, I went to buy Stupid White Men in the bookshop as a treat. There was an African American woman at the counter. I said "have you got Stupid White Men?". She laughed and pointed behind her at the two white, male employees. They grinned and waved. They had obviously been waiting to be asked. I think I made their day.

[HerRoyalNotness]

Continuing the derail.....

I had the temerity to smile at a ludicrous situation at uS border control and was threatened with a $500 fine. On my entry card I had marked no fruit, begs etc.. While beside me my DS who had declared hunger in the queue was munching on an apple. Now you might think fair enough I should have declared the apple. However we were still in Canada! The fruit would be consumed and binned before getting into the US. I pointed it out and said the Canadians didn't say anything. But as he said, they're "Canadians", it doesn't matter what they say.

I fear the trouble I'll get myself into I'd we actually end up moving to the US with work. Fingers crossed I have a black mark for the apple incident and wont be granted a work permit.

[ComposHat]

I travel to the US for business. New York and Los Angeles, mainly. Every time I go I am stunned that a country would choose the most pigheaded simpletons of their citizens to represent them at their ports of entry.

Exactly this.

I have always found them to be the most humourless, dimwitted and intransigent idiots I have ever met. I usually get so nervous that I start babbling shite and once accidentally gave one of them a saucy wink and a clicking noise out of sheer fear and embarrassment.

I'm amazed I didn't get tazered for trying to proposition a boarder guard or being gay or something.

[TrinityRhino]

[limitedperiodonly]

They aren't exactly renown for being a globally aware outwardly looking nation

I travel to the US for business. New York and Los Angeles, mainly. Every time I go I am stunned that a country would choose the most pigheaded simpletons of their citizens to represent them at their ports of entry.

[ComposHat]

I find England flags quite useful when I'm down south, it lets me know that it is a pub to avoid. A bit like a reverse Les Routiers guide.

[Wuldric]

I don't like to see a flag of any description*. An England flag, particularly outside a pub, would see me doing a quick swerve to avoid. Nationalism may not be crass on its own, but it can be a home to all sorts of bigotry.

*Unless it's Welsh because the dragon is pretty.

[WafflyVersatile]

It never used to be that Scotland flags were everywhere, well not that I noticed, but maybe I wouldn't have reason to. I've not particularly noticed them recently either. Anyway if there has been a rise it's probably down to the rise in pro independence sentiment.

The wearing of kilts to weddings has risen greatly too. Up until the 90s most men wore suits IME.

[ComposHat]

I love how the US are so patriotic. They don't give a shit

Yes blind, unthinking patriotism has done the USA a power of good hasn't it?

They aren't exactly renown for being a globally aware outwardly looking nation.

[ComposHat]

In Scotland we don't vote for ukip. Or the bnp. The stories I've seen on the news about anti immigrant feeling sound totally alien to me as we just don't have the same fear or hatred of minority groups, at least in NE Scotland.

But in Scotland we have sectarianism that is largely an alien concept in England, the Orange Lodge scumbags (and their followers) are cut from the very same cloth as BNP/UKIP. It is the same sort of small minded bigotry only aimed at our fellow countrymen.

[JollyPurpleGiant]

It seems to me that the Scottish National Party are more pro immigration than any of the Westminster parties.

[IamMrsElf]

It is interesting that Scotland and Wales have a nationalist party but they are very different from the BNP...

[IamMrsElf]

interestonly not Scottish. I'm a mixed bag of Welsh and NI heritage (Grand Parents) but only ever lived in England. I'm your typical, overly worried about causing offense, PC, middle class English Elf.

[JollyPurpleGiant]

In Scotland we don't vote for ukip. Or the bnp. The stories I've seen on the news about anti immigrant feeling sound totally alien to me as we just don't have the same fear or hatred of minority groups, at least in NE Scotland.

There is more negative feeling about English immigrants though. That is true.

[lottieandmia]

'My worst thought of the day: coalition government in 2015 between Conservatives and UKIP '

Mine too!!

[lottieandmia]

I heard 'UKIP voters' talking this morning on radio 4. They sounded like thick, nasty bigots. Most people I know are nothing like them and hopefully are still in the minority.

[JollyPurpleGiant]

Why would the OP being Scottish explain anything interestonly?

[LaGuardia]

Nothing wrong with national pride, wherever you are. Yes, OP, you are.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Also, inabeautifulplace I'm sure you know it is entirely possible that Britain would have lost the war without the Polish. In two very important areas Polish contributions were massive in places Britain was very squeezed. One was intelligence. There is every chance the Poles made the salient difference. Also, in the air war, which Britain was extremely close to losing, Polish Bomber Command had brave, experienced pilots including my late Grandfather. The Polish did indeed fight and die for the Allies.

[inabeautifulplace]

"History: when the Nazis marched into Poland we declared war on Germany, so I think we got into the war to fight for the Polish but also for freedom across Europe. If I'm wrong anyone please correct me."

We declared war only on Germany (not Russia, who invaded Poland about a week later). We had a written pact with Poland to provide ground intervention within 2 weeks. We ignored this agreement, and sent some bombers to drop bloody LEAFLETS. Seriously, we left the Polish to fend for themselves in 1939. Then we failed to persuade the Americans to help in 1945, so Russia just swallowed it all up retreating across Europe.

None of these decisions were tactically wrong but it's incorrect to claim that we fought for Poland; we fought for ourselves and ignored Polands pleas for assistance. It is much more accurate to say that Poland fought for us, given the numbers who joined the Allied cause. Many of these people were subsequently killed, imprisoned or exiled by the Communists after WW2.

Sorry for the lecture! An earlier fact I gave was wrong; about 5.75 million Poles, or 16% of the population, were killed during WW2. This compares to British losses of 450000, or 1% of the population. That first fact is one of the most horrible things I've read in my lifetime ,especially so since 5.5 million were civilians.