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7 hours ago, Groundhog63 said:

Aaaw bless. 

Ok, notwithstanding you're ignoring the context and introducing an irrelevance, I'll run with it for you. 

Yes, the Celtic nations devolved powers don't include immigration. Those rules & regs are made by Westminster cheered on by little Englanders. 

I'm not sure that's the win you think it is. 

With regard to original context and "Little Britain" the Celtic nations have, and have always have had, a deeper social conscience & empathy for the oppressed than their English rulers. 

Probably because they were the 1st victims of the English Empire. 

Not the experience of my other half growing up in Glasgow - she and her family 'enjoyed' the hospitality meted out to immigrants from the Indian subcontinent on a daily basis.  I've seen her old schoolbooks, which have been daubed with delightful abuse by welcoming locals.  Thankfully being English, I recognise that P**i is a racial slur which is applicable on both sides of the border.  The stories she's told me about growing up as a Sikh in Glasgow would make you wince - I mean, I don't think it would be any less likely than she'd have had her hair set on fire by racists in an English school, so perhaps the kids who did it temporarily forgot about their deeper social conscience and empathy. 

 

The polling BTW makes it clear that Scotland is utterly indistinct in its attitudes to immigration from the rest of GB:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-46457341

 

Historically, it is worth remembering that the oppressing done by the British in the empire was conducted by people from throughout the British Isles - one third of the British army in the C19th was from the island of Ireland, and the Scots were no different from the English in terms of carrying that flag around the globe.  Also worth remembering that the act of union mainly came about because Scotland bankrupted itself with its own imperial ambitions in Central America.

 

None of this is to suggest that 'little Englanders' are not an issue; but the idea that it is uniquely English to be so virulently anti-immigration is simply not borne out in reality.

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6 hours ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Not the experience of my other half growing up in Glasgow - she and her family 'enjoyed' the hospitality meted out to immigrants from the Indian subcontinent on a daily basis.  I've seen her old schoolbooks, which have been daubed with delightful abuse by welcoming locals.  Thankfully being English, I recognise that P**i is a racial slur which is applicable on both sides of the border.  The stories she's told me about growing up as a Sikh in Glasgow would make you wince - I mean, I don't think it would be any less likely than she'd have had her hair set on fire by racists in an English school, so perhaps the kids who did it temporarily forgot about their deeper social conscience and empathy. 

 

The polling BTW makes it clear that Scotland is utterly indistinct in its attitudes to immigration from the rest of GB:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-46457341

 

Historically, it is worth remembering that the oppressing done by the British in the empire was conducted by people from throughout the British Isles - one third of the British army in the C19th was from the island of Ireland, and the Scots were no different from the English in terms of carrying that flag around the globe.  Also worth remembering that the act of union mainly came about because Scotland bankrupted itself with its own imperial ambitions in Central America.

 

None of this is to suggest that 'little Englanders' are not an issue; but the idea that it is uniquely English to be so virulently anti-immigration is simply not borne out in reality.

 

I'm not sure its fair to include Ireland in the same way as Scotland. The Scottish ruling class was extremely tied up with the British empire and Glasgow in particular is very much a city of empire. While elements of the Irish ruling class were involved, Ireland was definitely more subject to the rule of England and Britain in a different way to Scotland - with turning to Irish people to be fodder for the army very much part of that (like was done with 'British troops' throughout the colonies')

 

Sorry, forgot what thread this is :lol:

 

(PS - I'm not Irish, it's not about me being defensive)

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17 hours ago, Groundhog63 said:

Aaaw bless. 

Ok, notwithstanding you're ignoring the context and introducing an irrelevance, I'll run with it for you. 

Yes, the Celtic nations devolved powers don't include immigration. Those rules & regs are made by Westminster cheered on by little Englanders. 

I'm not sure that's the win you think it is. 

With regard to original context and "Little Britain" the Celtic nations have, and have always have had, a deeper social conscience & empathy for the oppressed than their English rulers. 

Probably because they were the 1st victims of the English Empire. 

Norman / Angevin empire. The ruling class were still speaking French when the first invasion of Ireland. Anglo Saxon nobility had been completely replaced by Normans almost instantly after 1066. If we’re going to be picky about events from a thousand or so years in the past. 

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10 minutes ago, Mahoneys Tache said:

Norman / Angevin empire. The ruling class were still speaking French when the first invasion of Ireland. Anglo Saxon nobility had been completely replaced by Normans almost instantly after 1066. If we’re going to be picky about events from a thousand or so years in the past. 

Wasn't that long ago the heads of the ruling class were speaking German/Russian as well ?

We English are definitely a bit mongrol. 

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10 minutes ago, Groundhog63 said:

Wasn't that long ago the heads of the ruling class were speaking German/Russian as well ?

We English are definitely a bit mongrol. 

One of our strengths. It’s why our language is so rich too. 
folk often forget that the people who invaded wales Ireland and Scotland also invaded England not long before because of a spat between Anglo Saxon and French / Norman toffs. 

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10 hours ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Not the experience of my other half growing up in Glasgow - she and her family 'enjoyed' the hospitality meted out to immigrants from the Indian subcontinent on a daily basis.  I've seen her old schoolbooks, which have been daubed with delightful abuse by welcoming locals.  Thankfully being English, I recognise that P**i is a racial slur which is applicable on both sides of the border.  The stories she's told me about growing up as a Sikh in Glasgow would make you wince - I mean, I don't think it would be any less likely than she'd have had her hair set on fire by racists in an English school, so perhaps the kids who did it temporarily forgot about their deeper social conscience and empathy. 

 

The polling BTW makes it clear that Scotland is utterly indistinct in its attitudes to immigration from the rest of GB:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-46457341

 

Historically, it is worth remembering that the oppressing done by the British in the empire was conducted by people from throughout the British Isles - one third of the British army in the C19th was from the island of Ireland, and the Scots were no different from the English in terms of carrying that flag around the globe.  Also worth remembering that the act of union mainly came about because Scotland bankrupted itself with its own imperial ambitions in Central America.

 

None of this is to suggest that 'little Englanders' are not an issue; but the idea that it is uniquely English to be so virulently anti-immigration is simply not borne out in reality.

I don't think I typed out anywhere that immigrants to Scotland, for eg, have been universally welcomed with open arms. 

Of course they haven't and I'd hazard much of the anti-immigration within the Scots referenced in that poll was against the English moving up there in droves ?

It's long been argued that racism emerging from the working class, much like the caste system in India, was encouraged and nurtured by the estsblishment. 

Divide and conquer and all that jazz. 

It was a mere 80 years ago when they didn't want Jews here, then the Irish, Black's, Brown's ad infinitum till here we are. Both parties talking about "invasions" to attract those little Englanders. 

An "Invasion" it has to be said that has been deliberately constructed. 

 

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5 minutes ago, Mahoneys Tache said:

One of our strengths. It’s why our language is so rich too. 
folk often forget that the people who invaded wales Ireland and Scotland also invaded England not long before because of a spat between Anglo Saxon and French / Norman toffs. 

It's only one of our strengths if you're aware of it and embrace it. English exceptionalism is a strange trait considering our colourful history. 

Actually, speaking of the vikings etc did I read on here about a fair few Geordie dialect words like "yem" being Nordic in origin ?

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3 minutes ago, Groundhog63 said:

It's only one of our strengths if you're aware of it and embrace it. English exceptionalism is a strange trait considering our colourful history. 

Actually, speaking of the vikings etc did I read on here about a fair few Geordie dialect words like "yem" being Nordic in origin ?

 

Yep, Norwegian & Danish "hjem" and Swedish "hem", but pronounced very similar to yem.

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4 hours ago, Inferior Acuña said:

 

I'm not sure its fair to include Ireland in the same way as Scotland. The Scottish ruling class was extremely tied up with the British empire and Glasgow in particular is very much a city of empire. While elements of the Irish ruling class were involved, Ireland was definitely more subject to the rule of England and Britain in a different way to Scotland - with turning to Irish people to be fodder for the army very much part of that (like was done with 'British troops' throughout the colonies')

 

Sorry, forgot what thread this is :lol:

 

(PS - I'm not Irish, it's not about me being defensive)

No, I agree - there is no way to frame Ireland as being anything but a victim of British colonialism.  But that is still different from the ‘rest’ of the empire - Ireland still sent MPs to Parliament, for example.

 

1 minute ago, Groundhog63 said:

I don't think I typed out anywhere that immigrants to Scotland, for eg, have been universally welcomed with open arms. 

Of course they haven't and I'd hazard much of the anti-immigration within the Scots referenced in that poll was against the English moving up there in droves ?

It's long been argued that racism emerging from the working class, much like the caste system in India, was encouraged and nurtured by the estsblishment. 

Divide and conquer and all that jazz. 

It was a mere 80 years ago when they didn't want Jews here, then the Irish, Black's, Brown's ad infinitum till here we are. Both parties talking about "invasions" to attract those little Englanders. 

An "Invasion" it has to be said that has been deliberately constructed. 

 


I understand the point you’re making - the issue to me is that bigotry isn’t a national characteristic, though I don’t doubt that it is in part a social construct.  It veers into the same territory as racism - and I’m pretty sure that the ascribing of character traits based upon race or nationality is racism by definition.  There are people all around the world with reactionary views - usually driven by unnecessary fear of the ‘other’.  
 

You’re not wrong re the calls against the ‘waves’ of immigrants - though antisemitism and race-based hatred is hardly unique to England.

 

Like many people from Newcastle, my family almost entirely hail from Scotland and Ireland in the recent past - but I don’t think that my dislike of racism stems from not being a ‘full blooded’ Englishman

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6 minutes ago, Groundhog63 said:

It's only one of our strengths if you're aware of it and embrace it. English exceptionalism is a strange trait considering our colourful history. 

Actually, speaking of the vikings etc did I read on here about a fair few Geordie dialect words like "yem" being Nordic in origin ?

 

Think you can also add "bairn" to the list.  Norwegian "barn", Swedish "bärn", danish "børn"

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4 hours ago, sturla said:
7 hours ago, Conjo said:

Think you can also add "bairn" to the list.  Norwegian "barn", Swedish "bärn", danish "børn"

You are all just speaking polluted Icelandic ;)

Bärn? :lol: Where did you find that? ?

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