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 edited Feb 23 '17

Am I proud that my daughter is trying to exterminate all arachnids? Am I proud that she snatched a toy off her baby sister? Am I proud that my daughter doesn't tidy her room?

No. But I am proud of my daughter because overall the benefits outweigh the negatives. On a country level the bad points may be more evil but the good points are also more elevating.

Promotion of common law, democracy and trade. Freedom of the press and individual. There are many awesome legacies of the British empire that had they not happened the world would undoubtedly be different but potentially also a darker and dangerous place.

So yes, for better or worse, and having read my history I know there is a lot of worse, I don't think it is unreasonable for people to feel proud of the Empire.

Personally, I think the treatment of Turing was despicable but we have evolved away from that while other countries and cultures have not.

I take pride that we can adapt and change even knowing that some have paid a more terrible price than they should. It's a more terrible thing that we revise our history and overlay current norms without understanding why.

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u/[deleted] Feb 23 '17 edited Feb 23 '17

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u/[deleted] Feb 23 '17

We fundamentally disagree and I'm not going to be persuaded by simply pointing out the bad things of the Empire as I already agree they are bad things. But as you said on the whole I don't think it unreasonable for people to be proud if they believe the benefits were better than the worst elements given the context of the times.

As for alternatives I have no idea. We could be living in a version of Russia.