Thoughts from a lecture....Britain....whats in the name??

OK here's my first proper post on my brand new blog. The lecture Ive just been in talked about the ideas of Britain and its so called "image" as a powerful nation alongside other European nations around it. The basic element in my view regarding this so called issue of whether Britain was such a powerful nation, directly centred around the very idea of that so called "image". The heavy state of Jingoism that has been a common factor within this country could be a centre cause to why we got, and still do, get carried away with the very idea that Britain is the greatest country in the world, and no one else is.....unless we managed to take over a random country a couple of decades ago, stuck a flag there and said "Right matey this place its now ours!". A good question to ask is this. With all the propaganda and Jingoism; what "exactly" does it mean to be British? What does make you British? This is certainly something you could ask yourself. What IS the criteria of being properly British? Its certainly a problem that's still going strong today. The Fact that Britain likes to still think its the greatest and still compete with other nations about it. People have certainlly taken this on board throughout the decades, and to some extent, it has caused more harm than good.

Take our natural obsession with Germany for example. Fair enough we fought them in two world wars and beat them in a certain World Cup final but do we really need to keep kicking the same old rusty Heinz baked bean can into the bin? Is their any point of still refering those guys "across the river and slightly to the right" as the natural enemy? Clearly their really shouldnt be. However this is sadly not the case. This still all boils down to the type of Jingoistic, happily produced, union jack wrapped patroitism which we have become renouned for. The Two World Wars against them certainly havent helped, and niether has the works of a certain Basil Faulty or Harry Enfield played any part in finally laying this much flogged ghost to rest. But take into consideration those people that fought during the conflicts. With the experiences that they went through and the suffering that they must of went through, the emphasis shifts in a completely new direction. Can you blame them? To a massive extent no. But what about the the other aspect of the argument? I'm just writing this. That's up for you to decide.

So what is the right definition of British? Its definatley a tricky one. Is it the "Keep Calm & Carry On" emphasis the same old patterns that we have grown up with. Or does it mean something else? That's only something for you to decide. The issue though isnt modern. The issue is firmly in the past. Why were we so stubborn in the face of European events/intervention? Even in the face of great struggle, especially as the 20th Century rolled into the 2nd half the century, we still stood there with the impression that Britannia was still riding high with spear in hand, when in reality we were nothing more an secondary state to America, holding up nothing more to the world than a plastic spoon. Why did we do that?!?! Why were we so "stiff upper lipped" about everything, even though we were basically broke? Whatever routes or choices we could of taken, and whatever "image" we had, whether it be with alling with the Germans before WWI, the finanical and social turmoil that gripped the UK in the 1970's, one thing is for certain. As regards to Britain looking back other the decades and the trouble we have been in, and the possibilites we could of taken, we certainly didnt help ourselves one little bit. But then again, thats my own view.

Anyway take care everyone and speak to you all soon.