What is 'Britishness'?

[Bilk]

May 3, 2008 18:54:42 GMT sandyrowglenman said:

May 3, 2008 18:02:17 GMT Bilk said:

No not the same at all, because Canada is called Canada. Now some people in their stupidity call it North America, but not the Canadians, they call it Canada, so they are Canadians. And would and do get pissed when they hear their country called North America.The goverment of the time decided to call this part of the island Northern Ireland, that makes us Irish by name. As two different countries North and South Korea are all koreans. There is no name that separates this part of Ireland from the other.

First off, their country is not called "North America" but is called "A North American Country". See the difference???
But there are those who have the same mind set as the "I'm not Irish"/"I'm not British" brigade. "Don't let the facts get in the way of our belief".
As in the case of "British" it's simply a geographical identity. Look at the vast and various countries that are ASIAN!!!
Would you believe I knew some people years ago who wouldn't acknowledge being "European". "That's them farners on the continant". Honest!!!!

I know that Sandy, but there are those who call Canada "North America" like it is the name of their country. In much the same way as some on here would say that the country I live in is Ireland when it is not. It is Northern Ireland, all I ask is they give my country it's proper title. Many Canadians feel the same about Canada. I know it's a technicality, but to some it's a very important one. As I have said I don't mind being called Irish, because that is what I am culturally and by dint of the fact that I was born on the island of Ireland. I don't even mind being called a European, because that's what I am. I was born on the continent of Europe. But don't call my country either Ireland or Europe, because it's neither, nor am I Irish by nationality. Just as "North America" is not the name of Canada, and they are not Americans by nationality. I know Canadians who get pissed at hearing people refer to their country as North America.


And oh boy jim is "British" ;D

[Wasp]

Maybe I just look at all this differently for the rest of you, I am British by birth, not Irish by birth blah blah.

Jim when did you come to terms with the truth and accept it lol

[Jim]

I've been living in England for two years and like the place, I've no problems with British people and I am a citizen so it doesn't bother me to call myself British. Any problems with Britain I've had since I was about 16 or 17 and started to read more (before I went back to do my A levels, or was in university) have been with the Government and the Army. I still don't like either of them and it seems most English people don't like their Government either looking at the last election (although for the record I would support labour 100% over any other british party).

If someone asked me outright not from this forum if I was British or Irish I would obviously say I am Irish. I'm much more in-tune with and knowledgable about traditional Irish culture and its language, any Britishness I identify with is mainly modern British culture like music, fashion, football and whatever else you can think off -what people my age in England are doing, its certainly not waving around union jacks or being a little englander. I'm just not afraid to say I have an element of Britishness about me. I came to terms with it a while back.

We're all Europeans anyway.

[Wasp]

Fair enough Jim and all credit to you. TBH I am surprized because of what you said a while back on threads to do with identity. If memory serves you were quite annoyed at being labelled British.

But as I said fair play to you.

[Jim]

I was annoyed plenty of times it just depends on who says it and what they mean by it. Almost all identity I have with Britain is its modern culture, music, fashion, films, football (the big one), a lot of it is the same in Ireland too so it wasn't a very big gap to cross. but I'd not be out celebrating november the 5th or joining the tory party tomorrow

I know you don't consider yourself Irish, but other people would and I'm sure you find plenty of things in common with Irish people, and it seems Blik and SRGM don't have a problem with considering themselves Irish as long as their Britishness is also part of their lives and its their main identity. Thats how I am in reverse.

[Wasp]

In all honesty because of your previous posts I would never have thought that you would consider yourself British in anyway shape or form.

[Jim]

I'm still Irish and I'm still a Republican.. I'm just not afraid of the big bad brits. Can't be arsed with that shite.

[Jim]

Aye ya are.

You fuckin shite your primark y fronts everytime.

[Wasp]

Why would I want to give him a couple of years, Jim has clearly said he is British as well as Irish.

[Jim]

Not gonna deny that I've gotten to know the brits and english a bit more since ive been living here, because in belfast a lot of people still keep to their own side so it becomes alien to you.

im not saying im proudly british and am no champion of britishness, i just cant be arsed running away from it, i accept i can have their passport, i live here and i pay taxes to their state, and i get on with them as if i was english. i dont talk about ireland or irishness or the troubles (i get asked a lot though) when im here unless its some friends wanting to visit or im talking with other people from NI while here.

I'm making an example mate, Wasp denies that hes not in any way Irish despite coming from the same island as me and you and speaking the same accent as me (i assume.. belfast..) and he probably even drinks the same drinks as me and if we didnt have these distinctions of culture he would be the same as me. I can embrace any Britishness about myself while still remaining a republican through and through, I still want a united ireland and achievements for my language and other things on the republican agenda, but im not afraid of recognising that the british have and always will have a big part to play in the north. can you not embrace the irishness of your britishness (afterall britishness is a union of nations) while still remaining loyalist?

[Jim]

Haha leave the baseball bats at home mate!

[He_Who_Walks_in_The_Wilderness]

While i do not regard my self as 'Irish' I do accept that irishness is part of my over all identy, in realty before it was politicized the Ulster-scot identy was supposed to be a recognition of the scots/irish parts of our identy, this has been undermined by the already politication of the 'irish' identy and in responce to this certain main stream unionists politicing the ulster-scot identy placing the 2 identys in compertition

[Wasp]

May 7, 2008 9:11:54 GMT @setanta said:

Do you have the same opinions as you did when you were 21?

Well I don't think something like identity is going to change much do you?

[Jim]

May 7, 2008 17:13:58 GMT He_Who_Walks_in_The_Wilderness said:

While i do not regard my self as 'Irish' I do accept that irishness is part of my over all identy, in realty before it was politicized the Ulster-scot identy was supposed to be a recognition of the scots/irish parts of our identy, this has been undermined by the already politication of the 'irish' identy and in responce to this certain main stream unionists politicing the ulster-scot identy placing the 2 identys in compertition

Perhaps because the "British" vs "Irish" identity has become a lot more prominent, or that Ulster-Scots doesn't really exist. How many people do you know that claim to speak the said language afterall? Fluently, without the influence of English..

Not trying to say it doesn't exist I'm actually very in favour of it having language status, but I seem to have more interest than most feckin loyalists do.

[earl]

And another example of changing identity would be the fact that the last generation of Irish and British would not have considered the European aspect of their identities. A European used to be someone from the continent.