Patriotism: Well it really kicked off in London didn't it, flag wearing, flag waving people gathered together to shout their individual opinions on the world. To make public their disagreement as to how their views of England should be and not how it is at the moment.
Am I patriotic definitely not in that way, I love my country from a deep sided emotional feeling for this small piece of rock surrounded by the sea. It has suffered from a tempestuous history, colonialism rife for so many years has not improved its reputation. But through it all goodness has tried to find its path gathering all the ruffians along the way. We still call them out under old Saxon laws.
I won't join in singing Blake's Jerusalem, this England may be fair as far as the landscape is concerned but humankind has a lot to answer for. The people who denigrate the immigrants, forget that we have had so many excursions from foreign lands as to make us a pretty a DNA match as the sweet jars you see in an old sweet shop. Our DNA is probably mostly European anyway but the Brexit disaster put an end to that.
I don't want to see us turning back into the Alf Garnetts of past comedic television, I like and welcome the Black and Asian faces I see around, in government, in the council offices. Especially in the NHS, the doctors and nurses who tend to our ills. Tribalism is out as far as I am concerned. It breeds foolishness and silly beliefs. And yes the immigrants may be causing a problem in some people's heads - answers must be found for an honest humanitarian place for them.
End of not exactly a rant, but a response ;)
Orwell has some pretty nifty words on Nationalism.
Sunday Music: Erland Cooper's Carve the Runes at Stonehenge
I had a conversation with one of my Indian tenants, and he already understood that the English protests were not against established South Asians and West Indians, and to my amusement, he said something along the lines of 'I like that Indian immigrants in England set up so many businesses and made lots of money from the white people. England exploited India, the Indians came and exploited England. Pay back'. I laughed.
ReplyDeleteYes Andrew I am not quite sure how this double thinking came into being. Our towns are full of the diversity of people. Go to an Asian solicitor, or supermarket person. In fact I read this this morning on F/B so apologies to the person who wrote it for swiping it, but perhaps we should speak out more......
ReplyDeleteBeen in London 23 years. I am a Londoner.
This morning at Paddington Station, a bunch of fascists waved the English flag in my face… as if it wasn’t my flag too.🇬🇧🏴
Imagine thinking a piece of fabric makes you more British than someone who’s actually lived here longer than your teeth have had time to rot.
It’s my flag, love. I just use it for tea, skirts and not being a Nazi.
But let’s talk taxes.
I pay for this city.
I pay for the streets you march on
I pay for the bins you piss on
I pay for the police you make pose with your slogans
I pay to clean up the racist graffiti you leave behind.
And yet I’m treated like immigrant? I was born here. I’m from from here.
You eat Indian street food like it’s roast dinner, then complain about immigrants. You’re the punchline, not the patriot.
You come into my city to scream about “outsiders” while you’re the one dragging swastikas down the high street like it’s a personality.
You want to talk about British values?
Here’s one: Don’t shit where you eat.
And don’t come into my home, scream in my face, then expect me to fund your little fascist field trip.
London doesn’t want you.
We drink oat milk lattes and read banned books here.
I think it is possible to love a place and yet acknowledge that it is changing, and will change -- which is inevitable and true of all things. People who want to hold on to the past, and often an imaginary vision of a past that never was, are confused. The universe doesn't work that way. Change is all there is.
ReplyDeleteChange is good, frightening at first, but good. Olde world England never existed, it is television that keeps it alive, like Downton Abbey for instance....
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