What's So Bad About Saying We Are The Best ?

[Bobbisox1]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55175162

( if there's already been a thread on this, I haven't seen it)

We are the best, we've always been the best and we will continue to be the best

Rule Britannia

[pastafreak]

Doesn't every nation think that?
Sometimes it works, sometimes it's true. But then look at the pickle the U.S. is in now.
I'm still trying to figure out exactly what IS the best.

[Bobbisox1]

I watched GW and to me it was a firm tongue in cheek thing he said

[emmie]

it doesn't do to blow one's horn so to speak.

[Sqad]

Best?
At what? How? Whingeing perhaps?
Have you lived in another country?

[Bobbisox1]

I don't thing we whinge Sqad and you know I've never lived anywhere else, how are we whingers?

[andy-hughes]

It's not clever because any humour the Secretary may have intended when he spoke, is competely lost when his quote is printed.

As regulars on here know well, sometimes written speech does not come over with the intention intact - irony and humour can be competely missed.

Not a big deal on here - more of an issue when your words are going around the world, and you are a member of HM's government.

[Ken4155]

He sounded like a schoolkid. Just surprised he didn't continue with, "And my dad can beat your dad up."
We may still rule Brittania, Bobbi, but successive governments have ensured we no longer rile the waves.

[david small]

We are unfortunately not the best. We’ve allowed ourselves to succumb to idleness, apathy, greed, and stupidity. We have bred a great amount of C3s. Thick, degenerate, ignorant, undisciplined, gimme’s.
If we can pull ourselves out of this downward spiral, I know not. There’s always hope I suppose.

[Bobbisox1]

I just saw him as being elated because of the vaccine breakthrough Ken and I found that 'good'

[Ken4155]

His words have a very hollow ring to them when our deaths from Covid are compared to other countries within the EU. We are certainly near the top of the league in that respect:-/

[jim360]

I'd say the particular harm from it is if you take the claim literally to the point of assuming that there's nothing to learn from any other country. I'd also say that there's a problem if even the remotest way of objecting to the claim is taken as anti-whatever nation you're in. I am not sure, for example, that the UK can claim its response to Covid-19 has been the best in the world -- even if you claim that it was about the best we could have done under the circumstances, other countries have manifestly had better outcomes, and we shouldn't be afraid to say so and to attempt to understand why. It's not anti-British to be jealous of South Korea's success, both economically and in terms of their health outcomes (or Japan's, Finland's, etc etc.).

In short, if claims of being the best stop you from striving to be better still, or stop you from thinking there's anything to learn from other countries, that's a problem.

[Bobbisox1]

Depends how you look from outside in David, I personally love my country , to me anyway, it's the best

[Ken4155]

Personally, i think we've taken over from the French for being the most arrogant. Just my opinion, of course.

[emmie]

no one beat the French for arrogance. Not even us

[Bobbisox1]

Haha, now we're arrogant and whingers??
Oh dear :0)

[Mamyalynne]

I wasn't keen on his delivery, it had an element of crowing about it - not helped by him thumping the desk as he spoke.

[emmie]

Bobbi, i didn't see the piece bit can only surmise that as its GW it won;t have come across well.

[Bobbisox1]

Yeah may of to some Emmie, I agree, but I saw nothing wrong in him saying we were the best

[emmie]

he is a bit stiff and awkward at the best of times

[Bobbisox1]

I someone that thinks we have to believe in ourselves