Little Britain - the state of England today

I don't really relish seeing how others see Essex girls, to be honest.
It's not important to me to hear that people think I'm thick as two short planks, and common to boot. (With a foul accent)

I would hope people might form a more considered opinion. or they may still think those are true of me and everyone else in Essex

I don’t seem to remember that previous poster pounding us with all that is wrong here. I just remember someone who loved this country and devoted her working life (as did her husband) to the people of this country and being in despair about some of the things that were happening. And being told it was none of her business because she was a foreigner. Even though one of the things she despaired of was the rise in racist crimes due to Farage et al.

A feeling of déjà vu here too. I have said this to you before Kali. We have had a poster who has spouted disdain for England/UK for years who has left, returned with another username a few times. You seem to be on track for going down the same route with the same theme, constantly pounding us with all that is wrong here.

Isn’t it important to see us as others see us, though? I always find it interesting to see what foreign newspapers say about what’s happening here. If I remember right, years ago there was a German magazine called Stern that always knew what was going on here before we did.

Ellianne I was actually thinking of teenagers because that's who I used to see on the tube and at the bus stops in the middle of Brixton. I'm aware that it is often the parents who have a racist attitude.

Completely agree with you MissAdventure. If, on any of the posts that directed unsubstantiated criticism of England, or English people, and it was replaced with India/Indian, China/Chinese, Africa/African, Pakistan/Pakistani; there would be absolutely no tolerance of such blatant and unacceptable stereotyping racism.

It needs calling out for what it is: racism.

I actually think the tone of this post was pretty racist to begin with.
I'm not sure it would be tolerated to make sweeping generalisations about other groups of people.

They still do and so do adults.
It depends where you live perhaps.

Dinahmo

When I lived in South London in the 70s and 80s I regularly saw school children of all races mixing together and I used to think that we were gradually seeing the end of racism. Sadly it appears that we aren't.

That is sort of correct Dinahmo. Racism rarely exists in infant/junior schools. Young children play side by side regardless. If any racism is brought into the setting at that age it usually stems from the parents' attitude.

MerylStreep

^i used to think that we were gradually seeing the end of racism
Sadly it appears we arnt^

Because your looking for it. And by that your missing all the good stuff going on between mixed races.
Seek and ye shall find certainly applies here.

Please do not be so silly. Of course I'm not looking for it. It's on the news, in the papers, etc etc. And of course there's good stuff going on but it's taken a long time in coming.

And despair of the image portrayed by a small minority- which is the one picked up by the world's press and TV- tragically.

Smacks of bullying and racism by the press, then, as other countries have the same problems with their minorities too.

Kali2

So I shall repeat

''A massive majority of the people whose country the UK is- are hugely concerned. Because they love their country, my country too- and despair of what is happening to it recently. And despair of the image portrayed by a small minority- which is the one picked up by the world's press and TV- tragically.

Anyone who loves the UK couldn't stand by and not feel massive sadness at what is being done to it.''

I have a feeling of déjà vu.

That may have been cut and pasted because I've read the same or similar words so many times over the years on GN from one particular poster.

Just like the GN poster who, sad that she was missing the tournesols in France this summer, delighted in sharing a beautiful photo of a sunflower she discovered in an English garden. And the world smiles back.

I disagree, most English people do not despair and feel massive sadness about life in the UK. Yes, it is fraught with problems and we should seek to improve things, but we are not all living under a black cloud just because the media wants to paint a very dismal picture of some out of order behaviour and some poor political choices.
MerylStreep is right that by always looking for the bad, we often miss the good and ordinary right under our noses.

No misunderstandings, no "not reading them", no lack of awareness kali2.

You have, thus far, been unable or unwilling, to provide any evidence to substantiate your post at 21.06 on 18th July. Nor have you apologised for making unsubstantiated claims about English football fans or English holiday makers in Benidorm. Nor have you acknowledged that even worse, and more violent behaviour, occurred in several other European countries and was reported all over the world.

Your apparent utter disdain for England, and English people, has become more and more apparent and I, for one, am becoming more and more offended by it.

So I shall repeat

''A massive majority of the people whose country the UK is- are hugely concerned. Because they love their country, my country too- and despair of what is happening to it recently. And despair of the image portrayed by a small minority- which is the one picked up by the world's press and TV- tragically.

Anyone who loves the UK couldn't stand by and not feel massive sadness at what is being done to it.''

MawBe

You said this before and it is patently not the case.

In which case, you are choosing to misread them.

^i used to think that we were gradually seeing the end of racism
Sadly it appears we arnt^

Because your looking for it. And by that your missing all the good stuff going on between mixed races.
Seek and ye shall find certainly applies here.

When I lived in South London in the 70s and 80s I regularly saw school children of all races mixing together and I used to think that we were gradually seeing the end of racism. Sadly it appears that we aren't.

Little France is in Edinburgh

Little Italy is in NY, I believe, as was Little Spain....

Very well said lemongrove. Yes we still have problems with racism, unfortunately, but it is becoming more and more non acceptable. It was interesting to see the people arrested for the racism against our three young lions were younger men, not the elderly citizens that some on here associate with racism. Also that the Jewish bus passenger was racially abused, seemingly by a black man, who you would have thought would be empathic with his fellow passenger. In this Country I have also witnessed black on black ethnic racism, not pleasant either.

Well said, lemongrove

Your posts on England have been read for years on this forum Kali and commented on accurately, nobody is misunderstanding you, not at all in fact just the opposite!

I think the OP title says it all, calling the UK ‘Little Britain’ (then targeting England only) a typical insult really from some who live abroad.

As many posters have shown on here, all comparable
countries have similar problems, so....Little France? Little Spain? Little Italy? Little Anywhere?No,of course not the ire is reserved for England only by those who choose to live elsewhere and then lob missiles.

You said this before and it is patently not the case.

You obviously don't read my posts.