Is Dr David Starkey right?

[anotheoldgit]

When he says,

/// Britain is a white 'mono-culture' and that children should focus on studying the history of their 'own culture'.///

Before some class him as a racist, please read the reports on what he said, from both ends of the political spectrum.

http://www.guardian.c...-monocultural-britain

http://www.dailymail....-British-history.html

http://www.telegraph....culture-comments.html

[emmie]

I honestly don't know, but he does come across at times as something of a boor. I know what we studied at school may not be on the curriculum of todays children, insofar as history goes.

[rojash]

Difficult to see how you can reconcile mono-culture with the teaching of British history. Which of the following should you leave out?

The Romans
The Danes
The Saxons
The Normans
The Picts
The Gauls
The Celts

[emmie]

rojash perhaps the common factor is most were white

[jno]

monoculture? So how does this tally with the claim, advanced by other rightwingers (some of them evenon AB), that Britain will be an Islamic republic in a few years?

[Brenden]

I have said many times on here that children should be taught english history - warts and all. We are a multiracial country (not multicultural) England has its own culture the same as every other country in the world. We do not discriminate against any persons practicing their own religion or culture, but the fact remains the culture and religion of this country is christianity.

[jno]

about 6% of the population go to church, so although the country has long been Christian, and even has an official church*, "Christian" culture is probably better suited to history classes than current events these days.

*It's England that has the church rather than Britain

[Brenden]

What current day events jno?

[jake-the-peg]

I don't have to read any further than the title

Starkey has a history (sic) of saying stupid things

[emmie]

Jtp, not sure I understand your comment, but Brenden is right that we do have a multiracial society, and some including myself have said, and believe, that one day Britain will be an Islamic State. If you look at the fact that Islam is second only to Christianity in Britain now, and how long has that taken, no time at all. It will eventually overwhelm Christianity, and be the dominant religion. I don't particularly care for any religion, but already we have seen the results of fanaticism amongst young men, and some women here, and who is to say truthfully that there isn't more to come. Moderates have a voice, but they don't speak out often enough.

[jake-the-peg]

well em this is a man who is a fan of Enoch Powell he's made numerous racist remarks - even extending to his fellow Brits

He said Scotland is a "Feeble little country"

Frankly he's a reactionary rent-a-gob so when I see "Is David Starkey right" I don't bother to read further

[emmie]

JTP, fair enough, but perhaps you should, commendable by the way that AOG didn't just post from the DM, so the Guardian/Telegraph have covered the story. And to add i happen to believe he spoke a deal of truth about the rioters in that distant free for all. What he should have said, or perhaps he did, was that it's black American culture they are imitating, right down to the bling, clothes, and must have trainers, and it has been like that for many a long year.

[jno]

"it's black American culture they are imitating"

then...er... this IS a multicultural country?

There have been Muslims here for about 300 years, too, they didn't just appear this century. The first big group seem to have been hired by the East India Company.

[emmie]

jno, didn't say they just arrived, I believe the first Mosque was built in the late 1800's, now there are over 2,000, and i reckon that figure is on the light side. And i wouldn't say Americans had a culture, they are a mishmash, more so than here.

[jno]

well, you did say "in no time at all", em.

Americans are much more of a unified nation than Britain is, in my opinion. There are fewer and less marked local accents, for instance. They are all happy to salute their flag. And they have exported what is in effect white American culture - that of Hollywood - far more thoroughly than black ghetto culture. Chances are you could name twice as manhy American actors as British ones.

[jno]

oh, and this, which sounds like deviant behaviour

http://www.guardian.c...n-scans?newsfeed=true

[jno]

rats, sorry, wrong thread.

[Riddlediddler]

I would say that listening to stuffy thieving delusional historians will only be a backward step for anyone that listened to him.
I honestly expected much more from him as an openly gay man and wonder did his quaker roots have anything to do with his current "Attitude"

[emmie]

jno, I was referring to how quickly Islam has spread in Britain, and most of the more recent incomers have been arriving since the early 1950's, when we had manpower shortages. And when Idi Amin kicked out the Asians from Uganda, that brought a large contingent to these shores, who have indeed multiplied every since.

[stokemaveric]

how does the name englistan sound???