As an outsider living there, one thing that I always felt in the air was the continued nostalgia for Empire. The Tories are the party of Empire. Possibly that will disappear as the generation that was alive during WWII continue to die out, but I think some of Brexit’s popularity was tied up with this nostalgia as well, and that wasn’t entirely pensioners.
1 Like
Well that is the next campaign slogan sorted.
3 Likes
Knowing they Lib-Dems they would probably use it too
4 Likes
I agree with that. Britain has never really managed to come to terms with the decline of its empire.
Sadly, I think the whole thing just gets passed down the generations. We just had the celebrations for VE day and but for the lockdown they would have been a delightful expression of jingoism. Even as it was, the number of my neighbours who appeared to feel a very personal sense of pride and responsibility for events that took place well before they were born was impressive.
I think Britons just like wrapping themselves in their version of the nation’s past. It makes it easier to ignore the realities of our modern position in the world. This is the nation that still prides itself on winning the soccer world cup in all the way back in 1966 and despite every world cup since still manages to persuade itself that this next one will be the one where our natural superiority will ‘bring football home’. Every single time.
3 Likes
I think it’s worth questioning where your perspective is coming from, the link i posted to talks about the media using unreliable sources of information - the fact he was unarmed when they said otherwise, the lies about his supposed criminal and gang background etc. Maybe you’re not at all influenced by those news reports but unfortunately many are and it plays into the narrative of the “drug dealing gangster lifestyle” and i will say the authorities are quite happy to let that play out during these protest movements.
https://archive.voice-online.co.uk/article/media-coverage-2011-riots-was-disgraceful
1 Like
Elections.
Brexit.
Football…
There’s probably more but you get the vibe 
1 Like
Except for the last one, where everyone thought “we’re not going to be fooled again”. Then England got to the Semi-finals, so now we’re going to have another 30 years of this national fantasy.
2 Likes
Was gonna mention that the soccer isn’t as delusional as people generally say, I mean, get to the knockouts and, if injuries are kind enough and you have a reasonably thick squad, who knows? Some bang average teams have got to finals.
But any excuse to post this genius:
3 Likes
That does not chime with my memory of them, certainly some of the protesting in Brixton I saw was linked to the death of Mark Duggan, but Croydon on the next day had no similar activity. In both cases I was travelling through and had limited opportunity to see more than a brief snapshot. In terms of failures during and up to the riots the media reports and bias, there is no doubt that it was not comprehensively or independently checking their reporting; politically, the Government (and local government) should bear a responsibility for the causes and the early inactivity, ineffective actions of police. To me it did not feel like fundamental change or anything positive would be a likely outcome.
3 Likes
It’s less about their abilities and more that there is a belief that England is naturally superior and should win the World Cup by default. That attitude was what led to England being hammered by Hungary in the 1950s and I think it needs to happen again.
I met Ivor Broadis, the guy who scored England’s goal a few times, he lived in Carlisle. He said (not to me personally) that the England team put in the effort but Hungary were just far superior.
Alternatively they could support Scotland, have low expectations and rarely be disappointed
4 Likes
I think that’s the point i was trying to make, that for a fleeting moment i felt maybe some fundamental change will come about but it was a fool’s hope. I haven’t made that mistake again, certainly not since 2016 anyway.
I think Timd has made the point for me. My perspective was someone who saw minor looting and absolutely no political protests in a UK city that wasn’t London. Outside of a very specific place, the 2011 riots in the UK was more about the realisation that the police couldn’t arrest everyone at the same time.
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
