Trump said: “On immigration you better get your act together or you’re not going to have Europe anymore.”

Iam64

Yes travel for those of us fortunate enough to have had the opportunity is a wonderful way to enhance understanding. I’ve been to India twice . Fantastic trips with guides. They responded to British colonial guilt skilfully. I was told ‘we’ve been invaded by so many people. At least the British left positive legacies, round abouts, railways and democracy. ‘
We could have more challenging discussions as well but humour a great ice breaker

Monsoon ditches! 🙂

Yes, we may have engaged in slavery which was abhorrent, but so did other nations and in fact Africans themselves captured and sold people, but Britain was instrumental in abolishing the practice and other countries followed.

Slavery still exists today, sadly.

Yes travel for those of us fortunate enough to have had the opportunity is a wonderful way to enhance understanding. I’ve been to India twice . Fantastic trips with guides. They responded to British colonial guilt skilfully. I was told ‘we’ve been invaded by so many people. At least the British left positive legacies, round abouts, railways and democracy. ‘
We could have more challenging discussions as well but humour a great ice breaker

Miss Slater opened my eyes to the complexities involved. We were all shocked by learning about slavery, our countries part in the terrible trade. It was a relief to learn about the opposition, the campaigns to end slavery. Children and young people are sponges, absorbing information, questioning and challenging. Miss Slater influenced my politics, not in a tub thumping way but by teaching so well

Iam64

The history of colonialism is something we should teach well in our schools and universities. Simply describing colonialism as abhorrent as seen through today’s telescope diminishes history and its importance.

Miss Slater taught year 3, year 9 as we know it today. I’d always enjoyed history but Miss Slater taught the slave trade, the
triangle of slaves from Africa to America, cotton and other goods to our nearest big port in Liverpool. Cotton to the mills in the north west where my grandparents still worked.

European countries going out to explore and yes, colonise, contributed positively as well as in ways we might see as abhorrent today. The past can’t be changed but will be learned from if we allow and encourage that.

I agree with you, I admit I attempt never dimishing history, learning from history is reason to encourage discussion, study, travel. IMO.

Iam64 agree 👍

The history of colonialism is something we should teach well in our schools and universities. Simply describing colonialism as abhorrent as seen through today’s telescope diminishes history and its importance.

Miss Slater taught year 3, year 9 as we know it today. I’d always enjoyed history but Miss Slater taught the slave trade, the
triangle of slaves from Africa to America, cotton and other goods to our nearest big port in Liverpool. Cotton to the mills in the north west where my grandparents still worked.

European countries going out to explore and yes, colonise, contributed positively as well as in ways we might see as abhorrent today. The past can’t be changed but will be learned from if we allow and encourage that.

Abhorrent as you may think it is Norah colonialism has shaped the world as it is today.

Plants with medicinal qualities, crops, fruits and vegetables which sustain life today.

Allira

Norah

Allira

Norah

GrannyGravy13

The British Empire was the biggest a quarter of the world’s landmass.

In my opinion that is not pleasant.

Oh dear, a bit late to complain now!!

I've always believed as I do now. Empire building was abhorrent.

Would you visit countries which were colonies or not, if you feel it was abhorrent?

Of course we have, I don't believe colonies to be at fault.

We also holiday in Italy, Portugal, Spain, Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, New York. All parts to Empires or Empire builders at some point.

Thinking the past to be abhorrent can co-exist with visiting countries over-run by Empire building in the past, in my opinion.

We have been to Israel, Oman, Bahrain, Turkey, all over Africa and South America - all places with instances of poor human rights.

Norah

Allira

Norah

GrannyGravy13

The British Empire was the biggest a quarter of the world’s landmass.

In my opinion that is not pleasant.

Oh dear, a bit late to complain now!!

I've always believed as I do now. Empire building was abhorrent.

Would you visit countries which were colonies or not, if you feel it was abhorrent?

That was then, this is now.

Allira

Norah

GrannyGravy13

The British Empire was the biggest a quarter of the world’s landmass.

In my opinion that is not pleasant.

Oh dear, a bit late to complain now!!

I've always believed as I do now. Empire building was abhorrent.

If colonialism by Europeans was a bad thing then the learning for those colonised is they should have resisted it more effectively. In many cases their state of weaponry was inadequate and in some cases they were sold out by native rulers keen to cash in variously including selling slaves. And some populations were decimated by European diseases against which they had no immunity.

Norah

GrannyGravy13

The British Empire was the biggest a quarter of the world’s landmass.

In my opinion that is not pleasant.

What isn’t pleasant in the 21sr century is President Putin trying to regain by force, at the cost of many lives, countries that fought for their freedom from the USSR.

Norah

GrannyGravy13

The British Empire was the biggest a quarter of the world’s landmass.

In my opinion that is not pleasant.

Oh dear, a bit late to complain now!!

So?

GrannyGravy13

The British Empire was the biggest a quarter of the world’s landmass.

In my opinion that is not pleasant.

GrannyGravy13

Norah The Portuguese Empire was the longest lived European colonial empire 1415-1999.

Their last colony was Macau

And widespread.
That is why Portuguese is the most widely spoken language and the official language of many countries in the Southern Hemisphere.

GrannyGravy13

The British Empire was the biggest a quarter of the world’s landmass.

So we were the best🤭

The French and the Belgians did much the same.Let’s face it, all the successful countries went in for Empire building.

The British Empire was the biggest a quarter of the world’s landmass.

Spanish Empire, the majority of South America apart from Brazil.

Norah The Portuguese Empire was the longest lived European colonial empire 1415-1999.

Their last colony was Macau

MaizieD

Allira

Norah

Eloethan Before we get too enraged about the oft-stated "invasions" of immigrants, let us remember that only a couple of hundred years ago Britain truly invaded many parts of the world, exploiting and ill treating their inhabitants and plundering their natural resources and antiquities.

Agreed.

Our history of colonisation is horrible, who are we to cast stones?

So should no other Europeans be concerned?
Many European countries had Empires too.

And those countries have immigration, regular and irregular, as a result of their past empire building, too.

Britain is not unique.

I don't believe Britain is unique. I think Britian's history of empire building is the worst. I'm ready to be proven wrong

PoliticsNerd

Oreo

Doodledog

I am happy to have foxes in my country but I don't want them in my home. The same applies to bagpipe players and goodness knows what else.

There is no reason why anyone would feel the need to give a bedroom to everyone and anyone just because they don't feel they are a national threat - that logic is beyond muddled.

The sheer number of people entering the UK in an illegal manner has become a national threat.
Some just refuse to recognise that fact.

Or some don't agree that you are always right Oreo.

Yes there are world wide problems with war, internal upheaval, climate change, etc. This does not mean we should treat others as less than ourselves. This is how the world has always worked. We are here because our ancestors left Africa, travelled to Europe and then on to the UK looking for a better life.

I don't think anyone on here has said solving the problem is easy but, in the end, it has to be a solution for all - or what do we become?

Some don’t agree that I am ever right PN but that’s a different story.😁
Solving the problem is far from easy as with so many things, and we don’t treat them as less than ourselves they are treated even better in some respects than UK citizens are.
Going back in time so many thousands of years to our ancestors leaving Africa is well…not helpful in any way.