Does being English mean you are a true global citizen?

[Roman Rapper]

I suppose this thread will only be of real intrest to people who are British, or at least have lived in britain.

What this is about is the way that the English in particular do not have an "English" culture to call their own anymore. Now, IMO, this is a very good thing, because it is as a result of the impact that new arrivals coming into England have had.

I find it intresting to compare England to Scotland, and see the obvious differences. Even now, today, if you walk through most of the Scottish capital, you will rarely see a non-white face. But, in London, and the rest of England, diversity has been embraced. The fact that England and Scotland are joined together in a union makes the difference even more stark.

So what i'm asking is, What does it mean to be English? As i've said, there is no such thing as English culture, so, does that mean that to be English is to be a true global citizen?

[Vanquisher]

There being no such thing as English culture is folly. Have you ever actually lived here?

[Roman Rapper]

@Vanquisher


I am English. I have lived in London for almost my entire life.

I am intrested in what you would say if I asked you what English culture is now?

Personally, all I can think of is football.

You may say: "Being English means a belief in fair play" but that seems to me to not mean very much.

The other reason why I think being English is to be a true global citizen is because of the amount of English people who have left and settled in other nations over the years.

@Thanatos


Well, I'm not saying that I am right in what I'm saying, I am asking other people to tell me why I am wrong, while, at the same time, offering my knowledge into the mix.


For English people living in England today (people like me) There is nothing that we can look at and say "that represents true English culture"

Now, don't get me wrong. Normally when people say things like this what they are really getting at is how forigners coming into England have polluted England.

That is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that there is not a single other nation on this planet at the moment that has had its culture impacted to such an extent as England has had. And I'm saying this is a good thing, because it proves that the English people are incredibly open to diversity.

[Nydirannon]

@Vanquisher


I am English. I have lived in London for almost my entire life.

I am intrested in what you would say if I asked you what English culture is now?

Personally, all I can think of is football.

You may say: "Being English means a belief in fair play" but that seems to me to not mean very much.

The other reason why I think being English is to be a true global citizen is because of the amount of English people who have left and settled in other nations over the years.

@Thanatos


Well, I'm not saying that I am right in what I'm saying, I am asking other people to tell me why I am wrong, while, at the same time, offering my knowledge into the mix.


For English people living in England today (people like me) There is nothing that we can look at and say "that represents true English culture"

Now, don't get me wrong. Normally when people say things like this what they are really getting at is how forigners coming into England have polluted England.

That is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that there is not a single other nation on this planet at the moment that has had its culture impacted to such an extent as England has had. And I'm saying this is a good thing, because it proves that the English people are incredibly open to diversity.

What about the Americans?

As far as I know, America is a melting pot and is certainly more diverse than the UK (no offense to the British).
American culture and technology have definitively more impact on the world today. I know that the Engish have good musical groups but still. Also many Americans live abroad.

In football, the British don't have a monopolistic culture. Countries like Italy, Brazil, Spain, France, Argentina, Germany and Holland with many other countries have also very strong football traditions.

[Thanatos]

What's that supposed to mean, medieval? I might not have ever gone to Britain, but I know enough to know that they DO possess a unique culture, no matter how funny I believe parts of their culture to be.

[Vanquisher]

Being English is about the royal family, chavs, binge drinking, football as you said, and the good ol' country is more cultured than you can imagine mate, London is bound to be like you say as its full of cultures, go and live in the country all your life away from all these bloody forieners and tell me we don't have a culture. Its about

[Yorkshireman]

That might be the case in London but I think you'll find things a little bit different if you come up north.

[Roman Rapper]

@Yorkshireman and Vanquisher


No. What your really saying is that you have a paticular "country side" culture, which is essentialy the same as the culture of other country side people in every other developed nation.

What I am saying is very different. I am saying that England is unique in the world in that no other nation has had our level of immagration. over the last 10 years more than a million eastern Europeans have come to live in Britain. Yes, some of them have come to London, but many of them have settled in other parts of England.

After WW2 there was an unprecedented number of west indians and Jamacians who came to England.

The fact is, there is no such thing as English culture any more. It's intresting that I asked Vanquisher to name what English culture is, and all he could give me was joke answers.

Yorkshireman, can you give me any real answers as to what English culture really is? (country side, north, south, or otherwise)

[Syron]

What nonsense, of course there is an English culture. maybe you don't live by any aspects of it but what do you expect from london?

[Roman Rapper]

@Syron

then please tell me what Engish culture is.

[Syron]

@Syron

then please tell me what Engish culture is.

Or more to the point what is scottish culture, whiskey drinking and cabar tossing?

[Vanquisher]

They were not joke answers, watch the bloody news.

[deRougemont]

I was disturbed by what I saw in London... a dieing civilization... Ruins surrounded by unlikely conquerors...

[Vanquisher]

"Even the midlands?"

[deRougemont]

If you question, you have lost (or are near it).

[Real]

I agree with Fianóglach, London has many immigrants, I rarely see a "pure blood" in the English Capital.

Funny, I'm going to Scotland this Summer, and the trip includes London, Ireland and, of course Scotland (within it, basically all the big cities like Edinburgh, Glasgoqw and Inverness and some villages). I will be able to see the differences, but people, don't forget the World has changed. The means of transport are not the same of 100 years ago, what allows more and faster immigration/emmigration.

[Giorgos]

I loved London but there's zero culture there. Just people hurrying about, trying to catch buses and trains in time for work. Just like any other major city. The only culture prevalent there is business culture. However, having lived nearly 4 years in Yorkshire, i can verify what yorkshireman claims.
Do you want to see what english culture is? Head north. That's the only place where i saw actual english(not a multi-cultural business pressed mambo-jumbo) with my own eyes. Before that, i thought they were a dying breed.

[Vanquisher]

Oh come on people, even London has a unique culture. Ever heard of cockney rhyming slang? Where else in the world would you find that? It's not just the north where the culture is at either, go to Devonshire and Cornwall and tell me there isn't a distinct culture there. And have you ever heard of Fox-hunting? Whether you like it or not that is significant proof of English culture.

[Odovacar]

I was in England many times, and London is very spooky sometimes.
Dead inner city, crowded with asian tourist..everywhere is past glory and today's emptiness..just a few english sell books around the Picadilly
London is strange. It inspired me to write a novella about it.

But on the countryside....herds, horses....typical eglish faces in old cities full with Tudor age houses and all that...everything is so english.
And...you have a great chanche in the morning to eat hamm and eggs but little chanche to eat something not english. Drink a tea and you'll get with it..milk!
Listen to the chit-chat of blonde anglo-saxon ladies and gentlemans...see the red haired waitress besides the indian...

There is english culture. In speech, in houses, in the air...it is just hidden.

All Europe is in danger now...the rich countries are in greater danger in losing their identity but the poor ones see the possibilty as well with today's mass culture...
Oh, no,fellows, old Europe is not dead yet!
Just belive, and you will see!

[removeduser_487563287433]

The reason that London is so cosmopolitan is that it is one of the international cities, one of the financial centers of the world. If you want to do business, you want to go to London.