Hi, Foreign People! Quick Question About Britain...

Do you see the British people as Europeans or do you see us as something else? I constantly veer towards a United States Of Europe but then all of mainland-Europe simultaneously pisses me off over the course of a few weeks - like it has done recently.

The UK is in Europe. That makes you Europeans.

Well, New Zealand is in Australasia, but I don't think of NZ citizens as "Australasian", though they undoubtedly are.

It's strange. Although i'm from the UK and pro-European integration, I still somehow think of Europe as being "the rest of Europe" - i.e. not including the UK, although this is obviously nonsensical.

But anyway, this question was for non-UK residents, so...

(mutters to himself in a corner)

I see where you a coming from I have always grown up knowing we are part of Europe ( I Am educated ya knopw!!), but being British rather than European. Something about being an Island I suppose, I have always reffered to mainland Europe as Europe rather than the rest of Europe. My wife hates it (she's Italian) and was shocked when she hears Brits talking about "Europeans". It's strange but I quite like the concept of being European, it is growing on me - despite Jaques Chirac.

TheFrog said:

UK is in Europe... that says it all for me!
[Edited 11/19/04 6:02am]

Of course the British are Europeans...but then again, what is a European, really ? Do Greeks and Sicilians really have a lot in common with, say, Swedes or Irish people ?
The British are a bunch of very different , eccentric people, and it always gives me a weird feeling to go to England because on the one hand everything seems so familiar because I grew up with its pop culture and children´s programs, like Enid Blyton movies, the Tripods, The Avengers, Watership Down, Tolkien and so on, plus it really reminds me of North Germany in some ways, and on the other hand it´s weird because I ´ve been to the USA first, it was the first English speaking country I ever visited, so seeing English traffic signs and English words all over the place instantly reminds of the USA....I know it sounds stupid...and then there´s the food...I mean in some ways you can still find elements of British "cuisine" in the USA, like fluffy toast bread and other things...
So, to sum it up. geographically you are Europeans, but then again an island plus you share a lot with the USA, especially today, with all the americanisation of Britain ( TV, movies, fast food chains, etc.) ..

Were British first and foremost. Actually, I think were not even that. I think were English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish before were British... How can we think of ourselves as European when we have problems thinking of ourselves as British...

We are a recently crumbled empire. Weve gone from staking claim to a huge portion of the world to finding it hard to keep the home countries united. And all this in the space of around 50 years or so... So its a recent demise in the British Empire, not a long forgotten historical one.

Weve always resisted European integration, and although we are happy with the economical aspect of it, I think there is a general fear of a real integration.

Plus we have strong ties with the US...

So fuck knows what we are... I think we are just destined to be ourselves in the big scheme of things, never belonging to any particular union or state... Just like we always have been since the Romans... And I dont think where we are politically really means anything. We could completely sign up to Europe and the constitution, yet we still wouldnt feel very European...

As for what the rest of the world sees in us, no idea. Half the world probably thinks of us in terms of football hooliganism and boozers, the other half thinks of us speaking the queens english, sipping tea and being nice and polite...

Most Americans dont even know where the british Isles are....

Americans see the British differently than the rest of Europe, if only because we can understand what you're saying half the time. Plus, you gave us Led Zeppelin.

Most importantly if Europe were one day one country like the US, who would you pick for the football team?

Personally id just go with the Arsenal line up minus the brazilans and the African.

Seriously tho. Europe is full of different cultures and languages, people should feel pride in thier country (in a positve way of course) a united europe is not for the people but for the bankers and fat cat businessmen to get richer. and of course for Germany to gain the power they failed to gain in 2 world wars. Those poor old soldiers must be fuckin livid.

lust said:

Europe can be a great way to have global significance and financial (and possibly social and juidicial (sp?)) unification, while allowing for cultural diversity and promotion of regional independence (like Wales and Scotland, but also for Basks or Flemish or ... people).
The difficult thing is that the same stupid people who used to blame everything on the state federal governement will be able to blame everything on evil europe, spiced with a little xenophobia and hollow rethoric to boot ( @ lust)

Oh, and to adress the original question:
I guess it's fair to say the Brits are a bit slow when it comes to Europe. What is also interesting is that the UK, with a leftist primeminister, are kissing the US's ass, while mainland Europe, which is leaning more to the right in recent years, doesn't like the US at all.
Or it could simply be because they have horrible food, drive left (left!) and have a national contest every friday night "which ugly chick in skanky clothes can get drunk the quickest". Although those are probably the 'mainland europe' predjudices (sp?) speaking .

SpcMs said:

SpcMs said:

lust said:

and of course for Germany to gain the power they failed to gain in 2 world wars. Those poor old soldiers must be fuckin livid.

That's one of the most stupid and insulting things i've read here since a while, which means quite a lot.

Oh, btw, reported.