St George's day - English and proud?

Gervais has a point.

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Historically we've done more to civilise the world than any other nation - much of that was borne out of greed but the fact remains England has enriched the world massively in proportion to the size of our population in terms of social, political and scientific advances.

The only other nation that comes close and possibly exceeds us is in those terms is Scotland, and much of that was as a result of the successful union.

In terms of language, culture and sport, no other nation has given so much to the world, yet we're just a tiny country with a small population.

So yeah I'm proud to be English and screw any weak-wristed, weak-minded liberal that says otherwise.
 
Firestar_3x said:
I'm going to post this before the thread decends into the usual, bash england we've done nothing ever type thing.
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Brilliant post but just the tip of the iceburg...

Darwin - Evolution
Isaac Newton - Physics and the most influential scientist of all time
And the oft forgotten Joseph Lister (there is a good chance you're alive because of him)

thing is that people of all countries bang on about things someone from their country invented but these guys changed the world more than it's possible to convey.

it's often said that if there was a mount rushmore of the most important scientists ever - Newton and darwin would be up there - that's 50% English.
 
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Just playing Devil's advocate:

I've never understood why naming a handful of brilliant individuals says anything about a country. Surely it was their achievement alone and not due to where they were born?
 
Rachmaninov said:
Just playing Devil's advocate:

I've never understood why naming a handful of brilliant individuals says anything about a country. Surely it was their achievement alone and not due to where they were born?
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A good education system and people around you breed inventions and success, otherwise country’s such as Botswana would have invented world changing things.
 
Rachmaninov said:
Just playing Devil's advocate:

I've never understood why naming a handful of brilliant individuals says anything about a country. Surely it was their achivement alone and not due to where they were born?
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When all of them come from a tiny country with a tiny population whilst the teeming masses of humanity struggle largely in utter ingorance, then yes you can attribute nationality, at least in part, to their achievements.


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Rachmaninov said:
Just playing Devil's advocate:

I've never understood why naming a handful of brilliant individuals says anything about a country. Surely it was their achievement alone and not due to where they were born?
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shsss! Dont cause trouble, nod and move to the next thread. Just be happy knowing these people will be the first to sign up and "do there bit" in WW3
 
Wolfe777 said:
When all of them come from a tiny country with a tiny population whilst the teeming masses of humanity struggle largely in utter ingorance, then yes you can attribute nationality, at least in part, to their achievements.


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We have some of the oldest and most respected schools and universities in the world.
 
I'm proud of things I've actually personally achieved.

Not the location which I was born, neither do I vicariously feel pride through the achievements of others who happen to be born on the same bit of land as me (But have nothing to do with me).

Rachmaninov said:
Just playing Devil's advocate:

I've never understood why naming a handful of brilliant individuals says anything about a country. Surely it was their achievement alone and not due to where they were born?
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It's pretty obvious why the concept of national pride/identity has been played up over the last few hundred years, much easier to get people to die in a pointless war if they buy into it.

Patriotism isn't a good thing when it makes good people do bad things, it put's too much importance on made up lines on a map.

I'm lucky to be English (born into a more civilised society, which takes care of the most vulnerable) I'm happy that we don't have thousands of children die of starvation either - but proud?, no - I'll reserve pride for things I've done.
 
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I wrote a blog post once about how being quietly proud is the British way and anyone who flag-waves too much is actually rather un-British.
 
Rachmaninov said:
Just playing Devil's advocate:

I've never understood why naming a handful of brilliant individuals says anything about a country. Surely it was their achievement alone and not due to where they were born?
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I agree with you to an extent - it's more than a little bt of willy waving.

However a sensible case can be made for the culture and general environment of a country if these occur with multiple people of extended periods of time.

If many many people achieve great things from many parts of the country over a significant length of time - THAT says something about the country in my opinion.
 
Rachmaninov said:
Just playing Devil's advocate:

I've never understood why naming a handful of brilliant individuals says anything about a country. Surely it was their achievement alone and not due to where they were born?
Click to expand...

Because if they were born elsewhere it wouldn't have happened.
 
Efour2 said:
Hmm St George's cross has been part of England's/Londons heraldry since the early renaissance. People love saluting/dying for bits of cloth.

I dunno about him personally, I guess he was a good role model for killing people in the name of something or something heroic that suited some ones pious needs at the times
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St George's cross was the Genoan flag. I believe England did a deal with Genoa whereby English ships could fly the flag of Genoa as a strategical thing. It then led to us adopting the flag.

St George never set foot in England. St Edmund would make a much better patron saint.
 
Gilly said:
Sunday Roast :rolleyes:
Fish and Chips :rolleyes:
English Breakfast :rolleyes:
Yorkshire Puddings :rolleyes:
Lancashire hotpot :rolleyes:
Cream Teas :rolleyes:
Pie and Mash :rolleyes:
Cornish Pasties :rolleyes:
Pickles and preserves :rolleyes:
Many, many desserts :rolleyes:

Too many to name :rolleyes:
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Yup, it may not be exotic but we cant compete with the sun of France/Spain/Italy

It has a purpose and has fed many many generations, so it cant be that bad. Give me a roast dinner with all the trimmings any day of the week over Pasta.

We have some of the best meat and cheese going.
 
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