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Original poster

To be deeply disappointed in John Cleese

999 replies

drspouse · 29/05/2019 23:06

I have no idea if this is typical but he just tweeted that London isn't an English city any more
What is it then pray tell? What's not English about it??

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
CuriousaboutSamphire · 30/05/2019 13:37

I’ll find my hair shirt then You'll have to wait a bit, I borrowed it and appear to be in dire need of some time in it!

IrmaFayLear · 30/05/2019 13:38

And as for making good. It cannot be made good. We should all be aware that the extremely wealthy country we have today is a direct result of inhumane policies carried out under the empire and yes we SHOULD feel bad about that.

This drivel bears reposting. Are you not aware of any other atrocities or empire builders in history? It was just us, right?

Furthermore, try telling previous generations that they were "extremely wealthy". You make out that we're all loaded landed gentry striding about counting our fortunes derived from the misery of exploited foreign people. Have you not seen any photographs of, let's say, ordinary people in this country in the 1930s? Even the 1960s? My grandfather was unemployed in the 1930s with six children. No money for rent; no money for food. Try telling them they should be guilty for being "extremely wealthy".

Strewth. Your so-called education appears to have been rather one note.

IAmAlwaysLikeThis · 30/05/2019 13:40

"This drivel bears reposting. Are you not aware of any other atrocities or empire builders in history? It was just us, right?"

As mentioned previously, yes, very aware.

"try telling previous generations that they were "extremely wealthy""

I'm not talking about previous generations though, am I? That's the whole point.

"Strewth. Your so-called education appears to have been rather one note."

Cute.

woodhill · 30/05/2019 13:40

Interesting report on local news the other day about how Somali parents are sending their dc to East Africa because of the crime and danger for them in London.

woodhill · 30/05/2019 13:42

I don't think the next generation will be particularly wealthy. High housing costs and low wages particularly in London

CuriousaboutSamphire · 30/05/2019 13:43

You yourself said you were pissed off. Smile yes, because of the daftness of the things you have posted. I can't get my head round the need to be permanently on the naught step for something that my feeling and thoughts will have ZERO EFFECT on.

If there are no reparations to be made and, as a country we no longer act in that manner, what else do you want?

The UN exists already!

IrmaFayLear · 30/05/2019 13:46

So, IAmAlwaysLikeThis, should we all be responsible for the sins of our fathers? What if your father was a burglar/serial killer... should you have to live your life cowed and apologising for something you had nothing to do with ? What if that criminal was your great great great great grandfather? Still sorry?

CatherineOfAragonsPrayerBook · 30/05/2019 13:47

This drivel bears reposting. Are you not aware of any other atrocities or empire builders in history? It was just us, right?

But isn't the point being made in reference to John Cleeses remarks sbout London so what difference does it make what other countries did/didn't do?.

The point is that Britain had an empire that was at one time included a quarter of the earths population. Where we are in terms of immigration is a large part of that. Britain took its culture and attempted to export it all over the world so yeah, it is a bit rich to complain when it happens the other way around although you have every right to do so and I somewhat agree with JC comments.

IsabellaLinton · 30/05/2019 13:48

@IAmAlwaysLikeThis

I’m happy to disagree with you then.

I was fortunate enough to be born here, but I cannot feel shame or guilt for that. And were my ancestors part of building the British Empire (which none of them were, they all lived miserable, hard lives of unrelenting toil. Even my father ate rotten potatoes for Christmas dinner as a child, because they had nothing else!) I still wouldn’t feel personal guilt. History is there for us to learn from.

Perhaps our forebears didn’t act or think or feel in the way we now find appropriate, but they struggled mightily to do their best for themselves and the next generation, rather as we do for our children. They weren’t, on the whole, evil people. I’m grateful to be a beneficiary of their toil.

IsabellaLinton · 30/05/2019 13:52

Britain took its culture and attempted to export it all over the world so yeah, it is a bit rich to complain when it happens the other way around

So current generations should suffer for the sins of their forebears then, got it.

I would also note that the British is the only empire that has spawned a series of self-governing democracies.

diaduittoyou · 30/05/2019 13:52

I think many have forgotten the original point of this post - to complain of multi-culturalism. Many of us believe this is a bit rich considering you're responsible for more colonisation than any other country throughout history, and a likely result of this.

Cottongusset · 30/05/2019 13:56

I totally agree with him. FFS England isn't Engish any more!

Pointless2 · 30/05/2019 13:56

So current generations should suffer for the sins of their forebears then, got it.

Are we suffering?

Pointless2 · 30/05/2019 13:57

FFS England isn't Engish any more!

🙄 This certainly isn’t true.

leckford · 30/05/2019 13:58

Dear me, there were plenty of empires in the past, all of which had slaves. Roman Empire, Chinese empire, Persian empire, Assyrian, etc.
The Dutch empire, Belgian, French, German, but in the universities now all they are taught it was the evil British.

People should be allowed to express their views all this shouting down of valid views is one of the multitude of reasons people voted for Brexit

Cottongusset · 30/05/2019 13:58

Because it is full of non English people.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 30/05/2019 13:59

FFS England isn't Engish any more! Huh? Of ocurse it is!

Are we suffering? I think that was a comment based on the suggestion we all be contrite and think nice thoughts, stop benefitting from our history, or something.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 30/05/2019 14:00

Let me see I am here, I am English... so not full at all.

Fuckwittery!

Cottongusset · 30/05/2019 14:01

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

IrmaFayLear · 30/05/2019 14:02

Exactly, leckford. But we have one loud voice on here bellowing ^that they learned it at university!" If my ds who is studying History at university at the moment came out with such blinkered and unconsidered stuff I'd tell him to go and demand his fees back!

CuriousaboutSamphire · 30/05/2019 14:03

Oh ENOUGH!

Testy as the thread has been thre has been none of that shit!

Reported!

Cottongusset · 30/05/2019 14:04

Good!

IsabellaLinton · 30/05/2019 14:04

Are we suffering? I think that was a comment based on the suggestion we all be contrite and think nice thoughts, stop benefitting from our history, or something.

Yes, that!

Pointless2 · 30/05/2019 14:05

English is born of parents who were born in England who have TRUE English blood in their veins.

And out comes the truth. Who, pray, has only English blood in their veins? We are the product of numerous waves of historic immigration. This is nonsense, pure and simple.

How will you determine who is a worthy pure blood, and what will happen to the rest. What should happen to the rest?

Will you stop all English people from having relationships with non-English people and having children?

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 30/05/2019 14:07

How far back does the ‘blood’ need to be? You do realise that excludes most of the royal family?