Brexit: Now What? Part III

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Belgian thought said:
Chatted to some guy tonight, I am currently in Spain, and when the conversation lead to Brexit, his reply was "England..." He never mentioned Scotland or Wales let alone N. Ireland.

He voted Remain.

I do not know if I am seeing the destruction of Great Britain or the UK but it saddens me greatly.

I spent over 35 years in the UK, from where I got my education, understanding of fairness, honesty and good pragmatism.

Those years seem gone.

I am truly depressed.
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Why would the destruction if the UK sadden you? I don't see that anything would be lost
 
Archie Gemmill Goal said:
Why would the destruction if the UK sadden you? I don't see that anything would be lost
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Because, as I see it, the culture benefited from the UK being a mongrel. The great ideas and science came from all territories, combined, they were/are great.

I do not think separate territories would create such intellect.

The tension within the Union helps and has helped create one of the best of brains of the world.
 
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Belgian thought said:
Because, as I see it, the culture benefited from the UK being a mongrel. The great ideas and science came from all territories, combined, they were/are great.

I do not think separate territories would create such intellect.

The tension within the Union helps and has helped create one of the best of brains of the world.
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I really have no idea what you mean. Can you give any examples to help me understand?
 
Archie Gemmill Goal said:
I really have no idea what you mean. Can you give any examples to help me understand?
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It may refer to the fact that the Enlightenment, with all its cultural and scientific advances, reached its climax after the Act of Union. It is sometimes argued that had Scotland remained independent, her immense contribution to that movement might have been much more limited.
 
McHrozni said:
EU managed to do in minutes what UK couldn't in 9 months and needs an election for.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39755124

I could be wrong, but it looks like a (-nother?) harbiger of bad news for Britons.

McHrozni
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Typical foreigners, preparing ahead of time unlike the British "Corinthian" approach of muddling through and making it up on the hoof. It's Germany and penalties all over again.
:p
 
 
Belgian thought said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_inventions_and_discoveries

plus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:English_inventors

plus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Welsh_inventors


Healthy competition based on national pride held within a large umbrella making Britain great.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/sci...Greatest-50-British-inventions-full-list.html
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The question arises in the mind of a Scottish reader, whether these Scottish inventions would have been less impressive if Scotland had not been incorporated into Great Britain in 1707. You seem to be of that view, as you are suggesting that the main motive of these innovators was national pride engendered by the size of Britain's umbrella.
 
Craig B said:
The question arises in the mind of a Scottish reader, whether these Scottish inventions would have been less impressive if Scotland had not been incorporated into Great Britain in 1707. You seem to be of that view, as you are suggesting that the main motive of these innovators was national pride engendered by the size of Britain's umbrella.
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It's possible to argue that the economic and cultural environment wouldn't have been the same for the industrial revolution and the British contribution to the age of reason was partly as a result of the Union.


Meanwhile a bit of light relief... see his apologies towards the end

 
Belgian thought said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_inventions_and_discoveries

plus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:English_inventors

plus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Welsh_inventors


Healthy competition based on national pride held within a large umbrella making Britain great.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/sci...Greatest-50-British-inventions-full-list.html
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Still not following the logic. Do you think, to example Canada would be more inventive if it were a state of the USA rather than an independent country?

Would Belgium benefit from being part of France?
 
Archie Gemmill Goal said:
Still not following the logic. Do you think, to example Canada would be more inventive if it were a state of the USA rather than an independent country?

Would Belgium benefit from being part of France?
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Given that innovation is most likley to occur where communication and collaboration are easy then quite possibly, as there would be less barriers.
 
jimbob said:
It's possible to argue that the economic and cultural environment wouldn't have been the same for the industrial revolution and the British contribution to the age of reason was partly as a result of the Union.


Meanwhile a bit of light relief... see his apologies towards the end

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I know it's a comedy but that video sums up the problem of Britain. He means he's English ... And a very specific subset of that. Britishness or British culture is a complete myth as far as I can see.
 
I'd say he's parodying an part of Britain that is indeed overwhelmingly English, but not exclusively - I have some Welsh in-laws who would come pretty close to a non-parody version (some are native Welsh speakers). It's more of a class thing, I'd say.
 
jimbob said:
I'd say he's parodying an part of Britain that is indeed overwhelmingly English, but not exclusively - I have some Welsh in-laws who would come pretty close to a non-parody version (some are native Welsh speakers). It's more of a class thing, I'd say.
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Possibly but I would never associate the stereotype in the vid with Irish or Scottish....
So more of the Southern aprt of the island & mostly English/possibly welsh than British....
 
jimbob said:
I'd say he's parodying an part of Britain that is indeed overwhelmingly English, but not exclusively - I have some Welsh in-laws who would come pretty close to a non-parody version (some are native Welsh speakers). It's more of a class thing, I'd say.
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Possibly. But look at all the examples mentioned in the video. Nobody ever says something like as British as lava bread or as British as haggis. Yet Morris Dancing, cricket, cucumber sandwiches, etc etc are all quintessentially British. Britishness is a fiction which is as you say a particular priviliged class of almost overwhelmingly English toffs.

If such culture ever did exist it's an anachronism now and yet it's still it is still wheeled out as somehow being representative of the United Kingdom.

I realise that's a parody video so obviously not to be overanalysed but there is a bigger picture when the small minds talk about preserving British culture the non parody version of this is the kind of thing they have in mind
 
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