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Tagalie
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Joined: 10 Mar 2006
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Location: Out on the wiley windy moor
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 Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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I think "empire" is too sweeping a term to talk about "good" vs "bad"- there were different circumstances surrounding the invasion/colonialisation/exploitation of the various countries involved. You can't compare the approach to the native population of New Zealand with the way the Australian aboriginals were treated, for example.
I don't think the history of Britain's colonial past, or its relations to Ireland is taught properly at school at all- wasn't covered at all pre-GCSE in my day.
Back on topic though, The Open University makes me very proud. Frumpy housewives doing a degree in Organic Chemistry just for the hell of it, beardy lecturers in socks & sandals enthusing over Geology- just brilliant.
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penleguin
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Joined: 13 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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| geordie_racer wrote: | | [b] the fact that from 1939 to 1942 we stood alone in the west against the might of hitler's germany and without help from other nations fought off his attempts at invasion and rid Mainland Europe of the Nazis. |
Geordie, I agree about this however we weren't alone. Don't forget the role the Commonwealth played from the start. |
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geordie_racer
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Joined: 25 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:48 pm Post subject: |
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| penleguin wrote: | | geordie_racer wrote: | | [b] the fact that from 1939 to 1942 we stood alone in the west against the might of hitler's germany and without help from other nations fought off his attempts at invasion and rid Mainland Europe of the Nazis. |
Geordie, I agree about this however we weren't alone. Don't forget the role the Commonwealth played from the start. |
well actually... the Empire as it still then was!
but absolutely right, yes. I suppose Im just thinking of them as British in the wider sense
the commonwealth is something to proud of too IMHO
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Jimbob
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Location: Norwich
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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Quite what Oliver Cromwell has to do with this thread I'm not sure 
The British Empire, as Geordie says done some incredibly good things. It also done some appaling things that brought shame on this great nation of ours! Whether the good outweighed the bad or not I'm not sure but there are countries that were part of the Empire that were very much in favour of British rule. Even now the Aussies still vote for The Queen when asked!! Canada, New Zealand, Gibraltar, The Falklands, Malta All were part of the British Empire and all fiercely pro British to this day! Hell we must have been doing something right!
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lochsong
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:08 pm Post subject: |
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Quite right too!
I'm so glad our ancesters invaded my country, it was full of bloody pirates (hold on - it still is..) and gave my forebears somewhere nice and sunny to emmigrate to.
Interesting to note that all the Caribbean countries previously owned by the French and Spanish have all gone to hell in a handbasket.
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dogsaver
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Joined: 21 Feb 2006
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Location: enniskillen n.ireland
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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| geordie_racer wrote: | so
the things that make me most proud to be British are
[a] the rejection of fascism in the 1920s and 30s when people like my Grandad stoned moselys blackshirts, and
[b] the fact that from 1939 to 1942 we stood alone in the west against the might of hitler's germany and without help from other nations fought off his attempts at invasion and rid Mainland Europe of the Nazis. |
here we go again having a go at those poor germans if i may quote the great john cleese "dont mention the germans"  |
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RightJudgeIam
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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I'm most proud of the abolition of the slave trade and how once the decision was taken to put a stop to it the Royal Navy went out and battered people until they stopped...love that attitude 'we're the Royal Navy, we've gotta job to do and we're bloody well gonna do it properly'
when I was at school I loved reading all the stories of 18th century naval exploits
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jennywales
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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Certainly the abolition of the slave trade
Universal suffrage
The factory acts that stopped tiny children being worked to death
Public sanitation
Medical research of all sorts
A free press (regardless of how we slag off the red tops nowadays!) |
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Papa 2
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Joined: 25 Jan 2008
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Location: Wirral, Merseyside
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:52 pm Post subject: |
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| jennywales wrote: | Certainly the abolition of the slave trade
Universal suffrage
The factory acts that stopped tiny children being worked to death
Public sanitation
Medical research of all sortsA free press (regardless of how we slag off the red tops nowadays!) |
I think it had something to do with the liquorice content.
 
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johnnio
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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| jennywales wrote: | Certainly the abolition of the slave trade
Universal suffrage
The factory acts that stopped tiny children being worked to death
Public sanitation
Medical research of all sorts
A free press (regardless of how we slag off the red tops nowadays!) |
Try telling that to poor old Cristiano Ronaldo. |
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Papa 2
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Location: Wirral, Merseyside
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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| johnnio wrote: | | jennywales wrote: | Certainly the abolition of the slave trade
Universal suffrage
The factory acts that stopped tiny children being worked to death
Public sanitation
Medical research of all sorts
A free press (regardless of how we slag off the red tops nowadays!) |
Try telling that to poor old Cristiano Ronaldo. |
Quality. 
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Owl of Minerva
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Joined: 08 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:04 pm Post subject: |
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| jennywales wrote: |
The factory acts that stopped tiny children being worked to death
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Good one. To take this further I'd say I'm proud of the nature of our labour movement in general. Whereas throughout the 20th Centruy most of the rest of Europe had quite strong, silly Marxist parties/groups calling for the overthrow of the state/kill the bourgeoisie etc., in Britain the public were far too sensible/moderate to allow these kind of parties/groups to permeate and have any real influence. Rather we've had a steady 'gradualist' social democtratic movement with no daft revolutionary ideas etc. (obviously this ultimately also happened in other countries too but not without some hassle in many of them!) |
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jennywales
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Joined: 22 Apr 2006
Posts: 10220
Location: Wales
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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| dogsaver wrote: | | geordie_racer wrote: | so
the things that make me most proud to be British are
[a] the rejection of fascism in the 1920s and 30s when people like my Grandad stoned moselys blackshirts, and
[b] the fact that from 1939 to 1942 we stood alone in the west against the might of hitler's germany and without help from other nations fought off his attempts at invasion and rid Mainland Europe of the Nazis. |
here we go again having a go at those poor germans if i may quote the great john cleese "dont mention the germans" |
Sorry dogsaver, I think it was actually "Don't mention the War"! |
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dogsaver
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Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 2134
Location: enniskillen n.ireland
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| jennywales wrote: | | dogsaver wrote: | | geordie_racer wrote: | so
the things that make me most proud to be British are
[a] the rejection of fascism in the 1920s and 30s when people like my Grandad stoned moselys blackshirts, and
[b] the fact that from 1939 to 1942 we stood alone in the west against the might of hitler's germany and without help from other nations fought off his attempts at invasion and rid Mainland Europe of the Nazis. |
here we go again having a go at those poor germans if i may quote the great john cleese "dont mention the germans" |
Sorry dogsaver, I think it was actually "Don't mention the War"! |
could be but it amounts to the same |
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suejoe
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Joined: 29 Nov 2006
Posts: 4236
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Owl of Minerva wrote: | I know what you mean Papa2 - there are exceptions to every rule - the arrogance and cockiness of people like Suejoe and GP really annoys me at times too but that shouldn't stop the rest of us from staying true to our typical British modesty
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Sue |
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