r/europe • u/MarktpLatz Lower Saxony (Germany) • Feb 21 '17

What do you know about... the UK?

This is the sixth part of our ongoing weekly series about the countries of Europe. You can find an overview here.

Todays country:

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The UK is the second most populous state in the EU. Famous for once being the worlds leading power, reigning over a large empire, it has recently taken the decision to exit the EU.

So, what do you know about the UK?

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u/[deleted] Feb 23 '17

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u/[deleted] Feb 23 '17

If you're only going to be proud of things that did no harm at all, it's going to be a real short list. The Empire did a lot of good, and fucked up a lot. I can be proud of the UK's role in destroying the global slave trade even if though I know it benefited from that slave trade beforehand.

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u/AbstractLemgth United Nation Feb 23 '17

I can be proud of the UK's role in destroying the global slave trade even if though I know it benefited from that slave trade beforehand.

'Don't criticise the Empire because it's our ancestors we had nothing to do with' vs 'The Empire is something to be proud of because it does a lot of good', pick one

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u/[deleted] Feb 23 '17

Who is proposing the former? I've never heard anyone seriously suggest that the empire, by dint of being in the past, is somehow immune from criticism.