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/karmagovernment United Kingdom Feb 21 '17 edited Feb 22 '17

"Famous for once being the worlds leading power"

Oh come off it, the UK's famous for a hell of a lot more than that.

Evolution? Big Bang? Gravity? Computers? World Wide Web? Football? EPL? Rugby? Cricket? Trains? BBC? The Rolling Stones? English Language? Shakespeare? Roald Dahl? Industrial Revolution? Scientific Revolution? Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings? Kings & Queens? 2 World Wars? Churchill? Tea? Oxford? Cambridge? James Bond? The Beatles? Dickens?

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u/[deleted] Feb 22 '17

Genocide?

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u/demostravius United Kingdom Feb 23 '17

The key here is to blame other people or say it's not a genocide. For example:

Ireland - not a genocide because it wasn't a deliberate attempt to kill the Irish, it was just lack of caring.

India - see Ireland

Australia - the Aussies killed all the aborigines blame them!

Canada - see Australia

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u/Generic_name_no1 Ireland Feb 23 '17

The Irish Famine was Genocide. A controversial look at how the "Great Potato Famine" of Ireland in the 19th century. It was not a famine as there was plenty of food other than potatoes. The British government stood idly by and let millions of Irish die in what is now being called genocide.

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u/demostravius United Kingdom Feb 23 '17 edited Feb 23 '17

Eh, the reason it isn't usually called a genocide is because a genocide by definition requires an active attempt at eradicating a peoples.

This wasn't the case in Ireland, it was 'just' serious callousness and no attempt to help.

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u/Generic_name_no1 Ireland Feb 23 '17

The British prime Minister at the time said that it was punishment of the Irish from God and that they deserved damnation. He also increased the abuse and exploitation of Irish resources and food for the British empire. He cancelled aid for the Irish people and instead issued public work schemes which killed thousands of Irish and workhouses which some have likened to Soviet Gulags.

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u/demostravius United Kingdom Feb 23 '17

Okay so he was a massive cunt, the famine still wasn't an attempt to exterminate the Irish though. Which means by definition it wasn't a genocide.