To be embarrassed to be British?

[ReasonablyIntelligent]

I've just seen on the news that the 29 Brexit Party MEPs all turned their backs (quite literally) during the European anthem in yesterday's opening session to the European Parliament.

Regardless of Pro-Brexit / Anti-Brexit debates, this is deeply deeply inappropriate, insanely undiplomatic and will have done nothing other than make the UK look ridiculous, childish and plain rude.

I'm ashamed to be represented by these people and the way things are going, ashamed to be a part of a country that is behaving like this.
Everyone else in Europe must think we are dirt.

I am very amused at the idea of finding plays that have no negativity about anything. Any suggestions?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lonesome_West

It doesn't sound very 'anti-Christian' really, from that description. More surreal.

and a total downer

It’s actually incredibly funny. And yes, Christianity is discussed at length in “disrespectful” terms. I warned relative because I wanted him to have the opportunity not to go. He did, in fact, leave at the interval.

@bertrandrusell

most plays are OK- you have to work quite hard to find something blasphemous.

I'm not ashamed to be British in the slightest. I'm also a proud Scot and Nigel Farage's party seems to espouse a sort of English identity I can't relate to. However I feel that English people's only outlet for benign national pride is through football. Not allowed at any other time.
I was a bit to discover that the EU had an anthem and you had to stand for it. I think if I was an MEP my bottom would be firmly ensconced on my chair.

It must be a very British thing to be ashamed of being British. Never met an ashamed Scotsman or Welshman or Irishman.

Scotland and Wales are not part of Britain????
It would be hilarious if it wasn't so fucking depressing.

There are some corkers on this thread! grin

Some of which you've kindly provided

They've been voted in by us to represent us - we should be embarrassed that we have voted them in.
I'm very ashamed of the UK through this whole Brexit disaster. I now always say that I'm Scottish.

Brexit has come about because people feel disenfranchised and supplanted in government concerns as Janey does.

People should have their voices heard but she was mixing up so many different issues to just scapegoat foreigners, any foreigners.
Sorry but a) that won't help b) brexit isn't the solution anyway.

I think if I was an MEP my bottom would be firmly ensconced on my chair.

That would probably have been better

Songsofsixpence - I understood what the pp was getting at. She meant that some people feel ashamed to say they are English. You hear a lot of people saying they are Irish, Scottish or Welsh, but if someone says they are English it's almost frowned upon as if people think you are a member of the BNP or EDL.

This is what the Brexit party turned their backs to (Ode to Joy translated):

Whoever has created
An abiding friendship,
Or has won
A true and loving wife,
All who can call at least one soul theirs,
Join in our song of praise;
But any who cannot must creep tearfully
Away from our circle.
All creatures drink of joy
At nature's breast.
Just and unjust
Alike taste of her gift;
She gave us kisses and the fruit of the vine,
A tried friend to the end.
Even the worm can feel contentment,
And the cherub stands before God!
Gladly, like the heavenly bodies
Which He set on their courses
Through the splendor of the firmament;
Thus, brothers, you should run your race,
As a hero going to conquest.
You millions, I embrace you.
This kiss is for all the world!
Brothers, above the starry canopy
There must dwell a loving Father.
Do you fall in worship, you millions?
World, do you know your creator?
Seek him in the heavens;
Above the stars must He dwell.

mamamia
I get it. Of course people should be proud to be English but those who don't want to sound like a member of the EDL or the BNP shouldnt talk like them then.

“I'm not a believer in anything, but wouldn't criticise any religion in front of children.“

Why not?

DP is a plasterer, he has worked seen his wages stagnate and then decline.
He has been on building sites where he was the only one who spoke English. He walked off a building site before because they were only accepting orders for materials in another language, and he only speaks English.
It’s been proven time and again that high levels of ‘low’ skilled immigration has a negative affect on ‘low’ skilled workers
So ship assistants, lorry drivers, and many manual workers.
My DP isn’t white though, so people don’t tend to just fob him off as being racist when he brings this up.

My Father is also in the trade and this is his experience also. It was largely why he voted leave despite being an immigrant from Jamaica.

it’s just frustrating when people tell you that these issues don’t exist, just because they haven’t seen it it their own village

Similarly, its equally frustrating for people to state that the whole country is being affected at the same extent that their local area is. The solution isn't to make large, country wide irreversible decisions

I can understand - to some extent - why Janey and others feel the way they do. I cannot understand the English nationalism that appears to fuel some Brexiters. (Actually I can understand it, I just don't condone it. It must be comforting to believe that you are better than everyone else without actually putting any personal effort in).

Economic pressures and cultural tensions abound. But whilst it is definitely true that wages have stagnated, and the current period of stagnation has coincided with high levels of immigration, blaming the migrants themselves is misguided.

We should blame global capital, the corporations, the asset owners and the shareholders who happily squeeze wages and strip employment benefits so they can make ever more profit and keep an ever bigger slice of the pie for themselves.

We should blame a political class who allow themselves to be lobbied and bribed by powerful economic interests, and who legislate to protect the wealth of the one percent who are getting richer whilst the rest of us are getting poorer.

It is in the interests of the rich and powerful that those of us without wealth or power should blame and scapegoat each other. Whilst we are busy fighting amongst ourselves for the crumbs off their table, we are failing to scrutinise and hold accountable those who are really responsible for our plight.

Similarly, its equally frustrating for people to state that the whole country is being affected at the same extent that their local area is. The solution isn't to make large, country wide irreversible decisions
I do understand that it may be a bit frustrating, but I think it’s a massive stretch to say ‘equally’.
On the one hand, people are annoyed at what they see as ignorance, and perhaps hyperbole in the media which doesn’t reflect their surroundings and community.
On the other, people are literally being accused of being ‘thick’ and ‘racist’ because they are objecting to going from a position to being able to feed and put a roof over their families head, to not being able to.
We really struggled. We were literally on our knees, on the absolute breadline, yet all we heard was how ‘intolerant’ we were being.
We grew up and still live in one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, yet we had people talking down to us because the one Romanian family that had moved to their village had integrated beautifully.
It was beyond missing the point.
(Again, I’m not directing this at anyone on here personally, this is just a lot of pent up frustration about this particular issue)

PreseaCombatir You make a very valid point.

BertrandRussell
“I'm not a believer in anything, but wouldn't criticise any religion in front of children.“

Why not?

It's their parents business, why be such a fucking know-it-all that you feel entitled to sound off about your own personal beliefs to impressionable children?

I consider it all fairy stories, but I don't have a duty to share my opinions. I'd be well pissed off if someone had tried proselytising to my children about religion, so it behoves me not to do it either.

@PreseaCombatir

I hear what you're saying, I genuinely do, but is it really being a part of the EU that is causing these problems?

It seems like the EU is the scapegoat of a lot of problems that are actually a result of poor internal politics and BRITISH people exploiting the system.

At the end of the day, it is true that 92.6% of benefit claimants are British and only 0.3% of NHS expenditure is on EEA migrants.

I worded it that way as people describe themselves as welsh/Irish/Scottish rather than British anyway. You could of picked anything though Spanish or Russian it still stands. Being proud to be British or English (even worse!) is seen as wrong but any other is fine.

I understand too. My uncles both work in construction and voted Leave for work reasons. Do I think they will be better off after Brexit? I think it is highly unlikely that any normal, working people will be. Only the rich will gain.

Yes, I do believe that issue was due to the EU, because it was the EU migrants in the building sites. I also agree that the government started this issue, but probably not the same one most people here would blame.
I hand on heart believe that the rise we have in the right wing now needs to laid at the door of Tony Blair and his government.
That was when the issue could have been addressed, but that government went ‘la la la’ you’re all bigots and racists, and it went from there.
Listen, I don’t and would never begrudge anyone going anywhere, to earn a living and improve their standard of life or to provide for their families, but o also expect that of DP goes to work at 5am 7 days a week and works 12 hour shifts, he should also be able to provide for his family.

In terms of who claims what benefits I wouldn’t know, I’ve never claimed immigrants come over just to claim benefits.
I’m sure the vast majority of them work very hard, and are more often than not exploited for their desperation to work and earn money.
I’ve heard people slagging off English builders by saying things like ‘the Polish are so much better, they turn up at x time and work straight through until x time, no fucking about for ages with tea breaks like the English do’ as if that’s something to be proud of, as if people didn’t fight for the right to have breaks and decent work in conditions!