To think people genuinely hate England?

[beautifulblue]

Is anyone else sick of seeing the anger/hatred towards England in the World Cup? This 'anyone but england' mentality from almost every other country is disheartening honestly. I've seen every excuse under the sun, we haven't played a proper team yet, 200,000 signatures to re-play the Colombia match because apparently that wasn't fair, blaming a few rowdy fans for not wanting England to win. I'm especially surprised by the amount of Scottish/Irish/Welsh people who seem to feel like this (on social media) i know we'd so be routing for our neighbours if it was the other way round! So... AIBU to think everyone just friggin hates England?!

@stayathomer what part of Ireland are you in? I've never known anyone to cheer for England except a very bigoted, sectarian, DUP-supporting woman I know.....
Please tell me you're in a republican area somewhere - would blow my mind

I think the one thing we can all agree on here is that England deserve to win the World Cup this year.

Gareth Southgate has done a great job with the boys and even Ally McCoist (he was a cutie back in the day) supports England.

Also remember Rangers now have the lovely Stevie G as their manager.

Love and peace x

Ally McCoist supports England?
🤣

Ally McCoist supports his job.

Tbf it’s not just the Scots that hate the English. My DSD reeeeeeeally hates the English. She does caveat this with ‘its ok though stepmum kitty, I like baby kitty but I hate the rest of them’. My DD was born in engerland. Thanks.

Please don't tell me you allow statements like this to stand unchallenged .....
I would be mortified if a child of mine said this about any group of people.

Yes, @Lweji, it is all about privilege and the power imbalance. I often think that being English is like the white person's version of white privilege. When people of colour talk about the discrimination and bigotry they experience living as minorities in largely white countries, the reaction from many white people is:

1. But I'm not racist!
2. #NotAllWhitePeople
3. I'm working class - how can I be privileged??
4. Get over it already, slavery ended 150 years ago
5. Ok, Jim Crow, lynchings but I didn't do that, it's not my fault!

Nobody wants to be made to feel shitty about who they are but when you experience privilege, you should acknowledge it, I think.

Many English people react in a similar way when confronted with the privilege they enjoy due to the legacy of British imperialism and English cultural imperialism. (By which I mean, we all speak English - we don't speak Scots Gaelic and the Scottish / Irish / Welsh who participated in the Empire had to assimilate with English cultural norms, speak with English accents and follow the Protestant religion.)

1. But we'd cheer for you!
2. #NotAllEnglish
3. My ancestors are Polish / Irish / Scottish / etc
4. I didn't personally colonise anywhere, the Empire was 100 years ago!
5. OK, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Iran, Palestine, arms dealing, Afghanistan, Iraq, Brexit, torture, black sites, whatever, but I didn't personally do that!

Nobody wants to hear it, unfortunately, not white people and not English people but I'll keep saying it anyway. If that makes people think I'm a raging Irish republican loon (I'm not, solid Fine Gaeler all the way in case any English people know what that means. No? Didn't think so.. see, 'cultural imperialism' above) and I lose friends because of it, then so be it.

yogaginrepeat I'm from Dublin, not a particular republican area and yeah, it is the first year but everyone is saying it!!!

Wow, I'm really surprised @stayathomer ! Definitely different here in the north

Ally was hardly going to turn round on national TV and say no I’m not supporting England!

Anyway he is a rangers man and many many of them support England

Yes us English must all be punished for our forefathers sins and because we dare to think we might have a chance winning the world cup.
How dare we be happy and positive about it? After all we are english we must bow our heads in shame.

That's quite right Inion All those of us Bastard English who chose to be born here and deliberately made all you other sad fuckers be born somewhere else... we are responsible for all world ill, EVERYTHING ever!

You do know that over half of the world population does none of those 'English' things at all don't you? Less than 20% of the world population speaks English - a truly shit indictment if you believe their are less countries than you have fingers and toes that England aka Great Britain has not colonised!

You sound as though you have lived through some incredibly nasty times. I am sorry

But then again I am , female, white, working class, with Welsh and Scottish ancestry. I am not racist, didn't start any fires, don't run guns or torture anyone. So I am guessing I am everything you abhor!

No one is saying you can’t enjoy your teams success posters are
Just pointing out that maybe you shouldn’t expect the rest of us to fall into line and support your team too - when they aren’t our team!!

Just pointing out that maybe you shouldn’t expect the rest of us to fall into line and support your team too - when they aren’t our team!! Ooh! Who said that? Where? Show me, I'll tell 'em. Rude beggers!

Oh... [stands down]

I certainly don’t expect anyone to be punished for what their forefathers or existing fellow countrymen have done. What would be nice, and appreciated, is that when someone explains (after being asked!) why they or their nation has unresolved issues with England (or wherever) that the person asking actually has the courtesy and respect to listen and acknowledge there is still some hurt there. Rather than the response we’re all too familiar with “yeah but I didn’t do that and it was ages ago so get over it”. If you ask the question, be prepared to listen to the answer.

Anyway he is a rangers man and many many of them support England
That's what DS said! I have mixed feelings about Ally. I used to be a Rangers supporter and loved Ally before I met DH who is a died in the wool Celtic fan. However I don't think he's an Orange order loon. Football is complicated.

InionEile

My Scottish and Irish ancestors went stomping over the world colonising countries. They directly benefitted by the dispossession of indigenous people's land as they were given it to farm. Some of them served in the British Army as reservists, knowing that a farm was in it for them at the end.

They also contributed by this to the building of a prosperous modern nation.

I hate these "wicked English / evil Empire" discussions. They're like the 2 Minutes Hate and just as informed. It is particularly galling it goes hand in hand with accusations against the English of racism by people from a country that is as white as a Klu Klux Klan rally.

As an English person I don't expect other nationalities to want us to win but I don't expect to be bombarded with racist hateful comments because I happen to be born to English parents.
And yes I know England invaded countries but why the fuck are generations that were not even born then made to feel bad about something beyond our control.
So should I hate every northern Irish person because of the IRA?
Or every German person because of hitler?
And why all this English think they are superior bullshit.
Not a single English person I know feels like that it's just another way to exscuse being racist to us.

I certainly don’t expect anyone to be punished for what their forefathers or existing fellow countrymen have done. What would be nice, and appreciated, is that when someone explains (after being asked!) why they or their nation has unresolved issues with England (or wherever) that the person asking actually has the courtesy and respect to listen and acknowledge there is still some hurt there. Rather than the response we’re all too familiar with “yeah but I didn’t do that and it was ages ago so get over it”. If you ask the question, be prepared to listen to the answer.

Actually no. I expect to be treated as an individual, on my own merits. Anyone who has a grudge against me because of my nationality can just fuck off.

I can and do hold a respectful conversation about the historical wrongs done by the UK (and of course the wrongs done to it - there have been plenty of those, or had you forgotten 2 world wars?) but if you hold personal animus because of something that happened to your great grandparents then I do think it's time you got over it. It's very self-indulgent to think you deserve pity for something like that.

I would say the same to any English person who holds animus against Germans.

but if you hold personal animus because of something that happened to your great grandparents then I do think it's time you got over it.

What about something that happened to me? Am I allowed to be upset about that? What about stuff that is still happening to me? Just get over it? Because...? Reasons?

Blame the media. Sorry I just really struggle to support them because of the constant 1966 stuff over and over again.

Actually no. I expect to be treated as an individual, on my own merits. Anyone who has a grudge against me because of my nationality can just fuck off.

Well then you wouldnt ask the question then would you? As you have no interest in hearing the answer.

What would be nice, and appreciated, is that when someone explains (after being asked!) why they or their nation has unresolved issues with England (or wherever) that the person asking actually has the courtesy and respect to listen and acknowledge there is still some hurt there. Rather than the response we’re all too familiar with “yeah but I didn’t do that and it was ages ago so get over it”. If you ask the question, be prepared to listen to the answer

It is possible to know the reasons why someone has unresolved issues with England and still say that it was a long time ago. And of course, some events are far more recent.

I can certainly understand why many countries have an issue with our colonial past.

But how far back should the current generation of Brits have to think about?

If you ask the question, be prepared to listen to the answer Then why can't you listen to the responses you are getting and understand that you really do seem to hold the sons responsible for the sins of the fathers, unto the what 200th generation?

Maybe, as an English person, I have just as much right to say "Fuck off It wasn't my dong and the world is changing." As others have said, do we really still hold all Germans responsible for world wars? That isn't a mind set I want to hold!

Ooops! "doing"

And - speaking as someone from England - the xenophobia of some of our media is appalling. It has been worse during the World Cup - and the headlines in our red tops are awful.

I don't judge people by the country they come from. I hope that DS has learnt that - despite all the xenophobia that is out there.