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Immigration and the death of British culture
We often here arguments over the death of British culture due to immigration - but looking at pictures of some of the EDL earlier today it struck me that Britain has indeed changed, but is there a bigger argument - that cultural imperialism has impacted the UK to a larger extent?
You get into your Peugeots, VWs, Fords or Fiats (French, German, American or Italian), drive into town, grab a latte from Starbucks (American), call your partner on your Nokia phone (Finland) to arrange to pick up a coffee table from Ikea (Sweden) and then go shopping for jeans at French Connection (French).
The following day, you log onto your Sony Vaio (Japanese) to book tickets to go see the new film 'Night & Day' (American) and decide to pop into MacDonald's (American) for a burger...after realising that the kebab (Greek), Indian (Indian) and Chinese (Chinese) restaurants are going to be closing soon.
If British culture is dying on its feet, isn't it because we've bought into the lifestyle of rest of the world and we like it?
You get into your Peugeots, VWs, Fords or Fiats (French, German, American or Italian), drive into town, grab a latte from Starbucks (American), call your partner on your Nokia phone (Finland) to arrange to pick up a coffee table from Ikea (Sweden) and then go shopping for jeans at French Connection (French).
The following day, you log onto your Sony Vaio (Japanese) to book tickets to go see the new film 'Night & Day' (American) and decide to pop into MacDonald's (American) for a burger...after realising that the kebab (Greek), Indian (Indian) and Chinese (Chinese) restaurants are going to be closing soon.
If British culture is dying on its feet, isn't it because we've bought into the lifestyle of rest of the world and we like it?
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anotheoldgit
"We the indigenous people were never asked if we wanted multiculturalism"
British people have had the choice to reject multiculturalism at the general election. They chose not to reject it - the BNP and UKIP didn't get a single seat.
The England of dreaming spires, country churches, Miss Marple and cricket on the village square still exists, but it NEVER existed for the greater part of the population who moved to the cities during the industrial revolution.
You are mixing up the industrialization and urbanisation of the country with it's ethnic make up.
A mechanic working at Fords in Dagenham would have no relationship with the chocolate box cover version of England as would a Pakistani shop owner from Bradford.
"We the indigenous people were never asked if we wanted multiculturalism"
British people have had the choice to reject multiculturalism at the general election. They chose not to reject it - the BNP and UKIP didn't get a single seat.
The England of dreaming spires, country churches, Miss Marple and cricket on the village square still exists, but it NEVER existed for the greater part of the population who moved to the cities during the industrial revolution.
You are mixing up the industrialization and urbanisation of the country with it's ethnic make up.
A mechanic working at Fords in Dagenham would have no relationship with the chocolate box cover version of England as would a Pakistani shop owner from Bradford.
-- answer removed --
AOG
Back to the question -
Why is it that when people complain about the erosion of British (or English if you will) culture, they ignore the fact that they feed into it? For instance, remember when in the past families went to church on a Sunday morning, then went back home for a nice roast dinner, then perhaps a walk in the afternoon?
Well, now it's been replaced by a trip to B&Q, then lunch at a gastropub followed by an afternoon on Sky telly, the X Box or the Internet (with the family scattered all over different rooms in the house).
Why is it that this cultural change is ignored?
Why is it always the 'fault of the immigrants'? Do people think that Britain would've remained like an episode of Miss Marple (the Joan Hickson BBC version, not the rubbish ITV remakes).
Back to the question -
Why is it that when people complain about the erosion of British (or English if you will) culture, they ignore the fact that they feed into it? For instance, remember when in the past families went to church on a Sunday morning, then went back home for a nice roast dinner, then perhaps a walk in the afternoon?
Well, now it's been replaced by a trip to B&Q, then lunch at a gastropub followed by an afternoon on Sky telly, the X Box or the Internet (with the family scattered all over different rooms in the house).
Why is it that this cultural change is ignored?
Why is it always the 'fault of the immigrants'? Do people think that Britain would've remained like an episode of Miss Marple (the Joan Hickson BBC version, not the rubbish ITV remakes).
Culture's constantly changing and evolving. There's no point in history where you can draw a line in the sand and say 'At this point British culture was truly British, and it's been degrading ever since'.
The biggest influence over the last 100 years has been America - nothing to do with immigration. Take a look at teenagers today (of any ethnic group). They're likely to be listening to American music, wearing American clothes halfway down their ass, and eating in American burger or pizza chains as their restaurant of choice - none of that stuff comes from the Caribbean or Asian sub-continent.
The biggest influence over the last 100 years has been America - nothing to do with immigration. Take a look at teenagers today (of any ethnic group). They're likely to be listening to American music, wearing American clothes halfway down their ass, and eating in American burger or pizza chains as their restaurant of choice - none of that stuff comes from the Caribbean or Asian sub-continent.
Afternoon. I read this recently:
Hero-Myths & Legends of The British Race
http://www.gutenberg....les/25502/25502-0.txt
A cracking read. Remember it was published in 1910, at the birth of literary modernism in Britain. It is a nice road map to "Britishness" as it is someone from some time ago looking back a great deal further.
It positively celebrate immigration to these isles.
Also, please remember when complaining about globalization and "them others" that Empire was the first force of gloablization. And if you think the wider interconnection of people is a problem, please watch this:
http://www.ted.com/ta...n_ideas_have_sex.html
Just my tuppence for the afternoon!
Spare
Hero-Myths & Legends of The British Race
http://www.gutenberg....les/25502/25502-0.txt
A cracking read. Remember it was published in 1910, at the birth of literary modernism in Britain. It is a nice road map to "Britishness" as it is someone from some time ago looking back a great deal further.
It positively celebrate immigration to these isles.
Also, please remember when complaining about globalization and "them others" that Empire was the first force of gloablization. And if you think the wider interconnection of people is a problem, please watch this:
http://www.ted.com/ta...n_ideas_have_sex.html
Just my tuppence for the afternoon!
Spare
-- answer removed --
sp1814
You have got it all wrong I am not blaming the immigrants to this country of changing some of our habits, B&Q for instant was created to service the increase in DIY. The introduction of TV made vast alterations to our everyday life, the introduction of cheap package holidays, almost killed off the great British sea-side holiday.
What I am trying to get over is the fact that in a future hypothetical situation, taking into account that immigration continues to exist as at present, and the fact that some immigrants tend to have more children than us, so much so that the indigenous population finally becomes the minority.
The whole of our country would change out of all recognition, as a white European country, with white European values along with their thousands of years culture, this must never be allowed to happen.
Let's face it a person from say Somalia wouldn't be bothered about maintaining ancient buildings such as the Tower of London, just look what state of repair the British Empire buildings are now in, in Africa and India for instance?
I could go into say Towers Hamlet, and ask some children, to name me some English Kings and Queen since the Norman conquest and truth known they would not even know about the Normans never mind the Kings and Queens.
You have got it all wrong I am not blaming the immigrants to this country of changing some of our habits, B&Q for instant was created to service the increase in DIY. The introduction of TV made vast alterations to our everyday life, the introduction of cheap package holidays, almost killed off the great British sea-side holiday.
What I am trying to get over is the fact that in a future hypothetical situation, taking into account that immigration continues to exist as at present, and the fact that some immigrants tend to have more children than us, so much so that the indigenous population finally becomes the minority.
The whole of our country would change out of all recognition, as a white European country, with white European values along with their thousands of years culture, this must never be allowed to happen.
Let's face it a person from say Somalia wouldn't be bothered about maintaining ancient buildings such as the Tower of London, just look what state of repair the British Empire buildings are now in, in Africa and India for instance?
I could go into say Towers Hamlet, and ask some children, to name me some English Kings and Queen since the Norman conquest and truth known they would not even know about the Normans never mind the Kings and Queens.
-- answer removed --
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