AIBU to think my colleague's anti England comment was rude?

[ProudBlackMomma]

What would you make of this? A colleague declared in front of the whole team in the office the other day that she’d never ever support England in any sport due to their history colonialism. Personally I think it’s rude and fails to read the room. Most people had been enjoying cheering on England in the World Cup so to hear this felt a bit like raining on the parade. This woman is African but living in England and reaping all the benefits that come with that. I’m Black too but proud to say I’m English and happy to cheer on the players, who include plenty of black men who I assume also cheer on England!!

Oh dear

You mean like singing “Two world wars and one World Cup” or “Ten German bombers” At them?

There’s a time and a place but that was neither.
Therefore, yes: she was rude.
None of those footballers had anything to do with colonialism - they are just young men playing football for their (and her) country.

@GoodkneeBadKnee care to elaborate?!

YABU

She's entitled to her opinion. I don't see what she said as rude, England football supporters are so sensitive in my experience! I wouldn't ever cheer on England either and have no qualms with voicing that.

As for the "reaping the benefits of living here", I'd love to know what they are please.......

It's not "her" country. Just because she's living here, doesn't mean she feels that it is now her country. I've been living in England (for too long), and never ever has it ever felt like "my" country. I still call my home country "home", and always will.

Scots were also very much involved in colonialism and benefitted from it. Glasgow was one of the main ports of empire. This ' holier than you ' attitude from some Scots is tedious, just because it doesn't fit in their own shibboleth of being a victim of being colonized by the 'English'. Instead Scotland was one of the many western nations benefitting from its ' bounty'.and Scotland's self serving exploitation of genuinely colonised countries .I say this as as Scot.

Or perhaps she needs to live here to have a quality of life British colonialism denied her own country?

Give her a taste of her own medicine.
Either tell her to F off or put a grievance in about how her disgusting behaviour is affecting your mental health and as an English person, you feel intimidated and threatened!!!
Also talk very loudly on Monday how brilliant England were! 6-4! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

If you had ever lived in Africa, you would understand the benefits of living here.
Pipe down and crawl back into your bitter little world.

Where shall we start?

We can’t cheer on your team because they never feature!

I'm not a football fan; but if she is taking against England for doing something as harmless as playing football, with the days of colonialism long behind the country - and perpetrated by long-dead ancestors of the privileged few - is she saying that she would prefer English people to still be active in colonialism instead, to at least validate her perpetual beliefs?

What would actually make her happy: for England to be actively engaging in violent colonialism or to be engaging in all manner of peaceful pursuits instead? Or has she just decided that she must constantly despise everybody who now lives in England - including herself - because of what happened centuries ago, regardless of what they do now? Is she one of these strange people who is only happy if she's unhappy? It is a very strange decision to choose to settle in a country that you hate, full of people (of all skin colours) whom you also apparently hate. Why would anybody want to live their life like that?

Was that supposed to burn?! 😂

Given that I can't stand football, I really couldn't give a fuck 😂

Why do you think she’s benefitting? Because she’s not living in a mud hut like all the Africans who live in Africa?

If this was said in the office then HR might like to know. She sounds like the sort who’d be wailing if the shoe were on the other foot.

But they weren’t discussing politics or religion….. they were cheering on the England football team…

Totally inappropriate to bring up colonialism in this context.

Of course you can be critical of the past. Equating it to a reason to dislike the current people though is not acceptable

She’s not wrong, so… her opinion. If she’s happy to get the flack for saying it out loud so be it.
Shes not the only one who thinks that.

I say that all the time minus the colonisation part.

‘We should forget all ‘that’ - fans dress up as crusaders…

Is it the football that you hate; or the individual players in the team; or the country as a whole?

If the latter, do you feel the same about Germany, because of their ancestors' (much more recent) actions - or some other reason?

You took the words out of my mouth. If people don't like England, go somewhere else, north Korea maybe. We'll help you pack...

What, all of them? And does the country officially encourage or endorse this?

I think most people live in the now. There are some who like to use past issues as if they are suffering them now. They are not. They sound silly and deserve to be mocked behind their backs.

I wouldn’t say it to her face because I would assume she’d be the first running, crying to HR. In fact I’d put money on it that’s she’s that person.