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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be ashamed to be British

436 replies

yesterdayschild · 28/04/2020 15:29

Every day more and more British deaths. When compared to other countries some of them third world, we have an appalling death rate from Covid 19.
Why oh why did the government allow 3000 Spanish to enter just to watch a football match when Spain would not allow them to watch in their own country.
Why was the Stereophonics concert allowed when other countries had locked down.
Why are thousands of people still entering the U.K. with no checks.
Why are our NHS staff still begging for PPE

I am feeling very very low about all of this and wish I lived in some other country.

OP posts:
IcedPurple · 28/04/2020 17:40

Not sure, but you can bet they criticise their government as much as we do. Certainly in France, I'm not as familiar with Italy, but I would guess so.

Having lived in Italy, I can tell you that criticising the govt is practically a national sport, even more than football. Italians have very low trust in authorities, perhaps for good reason. Though to listen to some posters here, you'd think everywhere outside of Britain was wonderful and there would be no need for anyone to complain about anything ever.

ProfessionalWeirdo · 28/04/2020 17:40

Yes, I'm ashamed to be British - and it isn't just because of C-19. I've been ashamed to be British ever since June 2016.

MarshaBradyo · 28/04/2020 17:41

It’ll be hard when other countries get into their travel bubbles, eg NZ and Aus.

I’m not embarrassed but I do feel a bit weary about where we are. Which is in the middle of the mire.

MarshaBradyo · 28/04/2020 17:41

Or ashamed rather.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 28/04/2020 17:42

In Italy the benefits system was updated to deal with this issue weeks after lock down. Charities have been having to deliver food for weeks to families who haven’t even been able to apply for any benefits

MarshaBradyo · 28/04/2020 17:42

Very proud of the scientific work going on at Oxford and Imperial

Yes I do feel a lift when I hear of vaccine etc work. It’s one bright lead.

ivfgottostaypositive · 28/04/2020 17:43

Emigrate then if you feel such "shame"

Or better yet do something to make it better and less shameful to you. But i imagine like most people who criticise something they can't be arsed to actually be involved in bringing about change

becauseIcare · 28/04/2020 17:44

When this dreadful virus is finished and I believe we will see a lot more deaths throughout the world before this happens. You will be able to have your wish and leave this country.
Until then the scientist are working day and night to try resolve both in the UK and throughout the world.
Be grateful you have your life at this terribly fragile time for many.

Lily193 · 28/04/2020 17:45

I'm not ashamed to be British. I've lived in several developed and developing countries and regularly travel all over the world on business which informs that opinion.

Fairyliz · 28/04/2020 17:48

Come back op and have a discussion.
You do know when you flounce off you look like a drama queen, or are you busy packing to move to this mythical land of milk and honey?

LonelyInLockdown · 28/04/2020 17:49

No, not ashamed to be British.
YABU.

ChicChicChicChiclana · 28/04/2020 17:51

Yanbu. The news today has got me down more than any other day so far, and yet I knew it was coming. The elderly people and staff who work in nursing homes and care homes have been more or less sitting ducks. It makes my blood absolutely boil Angry.

And I agree with pp - have felt shame about being British since the Brexit referendum. We have met lovely people from all over Europe when abroad on holiday and they have expressed genuine astonishment and bafflement over what the UK did.

ddl1 · 28/04/2020 17:52

I think you are not U to be upset about it, but you are U to be ashamed (or proud) to be British; it's not a choice!

Saladmakesmesad · 28/04/2020 17:52

I actually agree. There are lots of wonderful British people but I don’t feel my mindset fits with how we’ve handled this. I’d fit in better in New Zealand I think.

Student133 · 28/04/2020 17:53

I often find that those who claim to he British are nearly totally ignorant of history, and how the vast majority of humans lived. Until the end of the second world war the average life of an average person was nasty, brutish and short, and would have involved famine violence and privation by at we can comprehend.
The change for humans of being able to live moderately healthy lives without the fear of being systematically raped and murdered comes from the principles of individual liberty and the subservience of the state to the citizen. This occurred in the late 18th century, primarily in anglophone parts of the world, where previously people had been at the mercy whatever warlord was more violent than the rest. Though the brutality of humans continues to this day, I am proud of existing within a legacy where the individual is free to do as they please, and gave rise to the subsequent industrial revolutions that increased the quality of the average person to relative prosperity. Without this we would not have the modern medicine that is going to subdue this virus and though not perfect, this country is far more pleasant to live in than most others, as evidenced by the poor souls willing to cross the channel to improve their lives. There is a reason they are fleeing to western countries, and it is because of the principles that originated on this misty rock, imperfect as it is.

GlummyMcGlummerson · 28/04/2020 17:53

What a weird reason to be ashamed of your nationality.

I don't get this ever popular inverted patriotism. I've never been ashamed or disgusted at being British.

chaosmaker · 28/04/2020 17:53

OP how are you only now ashamed to be British? We have a crap government that idiots keep voting in that have consistently lied to protect themselves and the NHS has been being sold off since the tory blair was in... it's been a slow long decline. This current state of events just shows the lack of long term thinking even when they have an exercise to simulate what they'd need in a pandemic crisis. You should be more ashamed at the state of the enormous divide between rich and poor

AnneOfCloves · 28/04/2020 17:55

I'm ashamed of us.

We've spent 4 years making ourselves internationally irrelevant and a laughing stock. Our government is obscene and corrupt, but they keep being voted in. Johnson lies to our faces and is repeatedly caught in them, but there are no consequences.

I used to believe this were a great plave to live and work. Now I think the venal, the bigotted and the xenophobic feel emboldened, and dominate the discourse. I thought we were better than this. I was wrong.

DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 28/04/2020 17:56

I'm not ashamed to be British, because shame would mean I voted for the self-satisfied vermin who were prepared to kill a million of us.

We haven't done too badly once Boris had his fright, although more testing is needed. That works well as we found this weekend.

For the future: strip the billionaires, big prison time for the employers who forced people to work on furlough, let Brexit slide.

Gtugccbjb · 28/04/2020 17:56

ChicChicChicChiclana

Well that funny because I was in Thailand a few months ago and met loads of French and Germans who didn’t really give a crap about Brexit and just enjoyed having a discussion about it and sharing different views and opinions. The conversations were always rounded up with something along the lines of, what will be will be and it will be interesting to watch it unfold.
However we did meet a few French who said they wanted Britain to Brexit and thought we were doing the right thing!

Graphista · 28/04/2020 17:56

It’s been a complete FUCKING FARCE!

Yet there are still people defending Johnson & this Tory govt despite such clear and bloody prominent evidence that they have massively fucked up!!

I have family & friends in other countries and they are completely stunned and bewildered at how utterly incompetent things have been handled here. And yes I’ve lived overseas myself too and frankly I wish I was now!

I voted “no” before in the scottish referendum which I’m very much regretting, the sooner Scotland goes independent the better!

From

ENCOURAGING large gatherings well past the point when it was blindingly bloody obvious this was really stupid and other countries were already locked down.

REFUSING to organise equipment and staff that again, it was blindingly bloody obvious we were going to need more ventilators, ppe and appropriately trained staff. The latter is more tricky but back in January they could have been ensuring soon to qualify or usually assigned to other depts medics were suitably trained on vents etc

REFUSING to sort testing and tracing, absolute fucking disgrace this STILL isn’t being done in a formal organised way

REFUSING to close schools basically until their hands were forced by public pressure and devolved govts

REFUSING to lock down ports and airports. At the very least they should have restricted them to returning brits only and testing & quarantining them upon arrival

WHAT THE FUCK they have played at with regard to furlough, help for self employed unable to work, mortgage relief etc is just bonkers! Would have been far easier, quicker and CHEAPER to just give everyone a Universal Basic Income even temporarily. Whole swathes of the population have been completely forgotten in that mess! Ridiculously and unnecessarily complicated, so much so that even people who deal with this kind of thing from payroll clerks and accountants to financial journalists have found it a nightmare to work out what the rules are.

They so clearly have NO IDEA how to bring us out of lockdown remotely safely and keep fobbing us off on that subject.

And there’s been NO MENTION (as far as I’m aware) as to the impact of all this on the country in connection with Brexit which is 8 short months away!

A few have mentioned “well at least we’re not American and governed by trump” well fuck me! Talk about scraping the bloody barrel!

I’m struggling to think of a more incompetent pm and govt in our entire history - I genuinely don’t thing there has been!

He’s seriously giving even Eden a run for his money!

Try looking at population density as well, we are a densly populated island; it's no wonder we have a lot of deaths. an extremely poor excuse for their lack of action and lack of care for the British public.

Yes I am ashamed to be British, and that started back in 2016 with peoples behaviour in the run up to the referendum.

The racism, bigotry and selfishness while being completely unaware of the ramifications of Brexit was astonishing, shocking and heartbreaking.

And it’s gone downhill since then!

Yes there are many acting bravely, selflessly and helping others but there’s a hell of a lot bitching about not being able to get their nails done, or go to the pub when there are literally 10,000’s DYING and 100,000’s very sick as a result of this virus.

I didn’t, never have and never will vote Tory but a significant number of people did for the most bizarre reasons in some cases, ignorance in others and blind faith in yet more.

The tories never have and never will give a shit about ordinary people. They care only about their bank balances!

“as they are doing an excellent job by following the advice of the experts.” Please DO tell us exactly how when we have apparently the highest death rate of developed nations?! And that’s very likely an under reporter number anyway!

They’ve done an absolutely abysmal job and haven’t listened to anyone sensible at all.

Why haven't we ever introduced quarantine? We're on an island, ffs!

Exactly my thought! We should really, if only by virtue of geography, have been one of the countries handling this the best!

The freedom allowed to journalist questions. are you serious?! You do know that journalists have been warned off asking anything too challenging? That certain journalists and papers have been banned from press conferences? The briefings have been very strictly controlled so that no “awkward” questions are asked in the 1st place! The very opposite of what SHOULD be happening and what a good, honest and open press SHOULD achieve!

The MSM in this country is another massive source of embarrassment!

but again, we were in the very early stages of it all then and had no real idea of how it would play it for real but we had the evidence from other countries including countries with similar population, population density and culture to our own and our govt IGNORED that evidence.

Anyone who says we didn’t have enough notice is thick as mince. yep!!

noavailablename · 28/04/2020 17:57

Covid19 deaths to date
Thailand 52
Hongkong 4
Singapore 14
New zealand 19
Taiwan 6
UK 21,092
Yes. This government is doing marvellously.

KisstheTeapot14 · 28/04/2020 17:57

Two words: government dithering.

Am ashamed of our government for their poor leadership on this.

It seems most of the British public have done their absolute best in a dreadful situation. I am proud of the community spirit I have witnessed.

Not something this poor Uber driver Rajesh saw a lot of though - there's a link if anyone wants to send something in support of his family. Two young kids with no dad anymore Sad

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52413431

Easilyanxious · 28/04/2020 17:58

Not at all and you can't compare countries against each other at the moment , this is not over yet
Different factors to take into account in each country as well we are densely populated and have one if the busiest airports in the world .
I am actually proud as most people are really coming together to help their communities something than generally doesn't always happen

noavailablename · 28/04/2020 17:59

X posted with graphista.
With whom I agree.
All those poor hcps were like lambs to the slaughter.
Criminal.