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/abrasiveteapot Feb 23 '17

I'm not sure Australia and New Zealand would disagree - yes there are things Aussies didn't/don't like about the English, but it wasn't like what they did to Ireland and South Africa etc

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u/Generic_name_no1 Ireland Feb 23 '17

Australia- where they shipped off people for crimes such as stealing a single apple to feed their starving families.

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u/TheHonourableJoJo Great Britain Feb 24 '17

In defence of transportation it was actually a better option for those convicted than going to prison, you could feasibly come home far richer than you left.

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u/Generic_name_no1 Ireland Feb 24 '17

Are you serious? You genuinely think sending people literally to the furthest point from them across the globe on a ship where they are treated horribly is better than prison? You think that they had a chance to make a better life for themselves there? Tell that to the huge number of corpses that died on those ships.

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u/TheHonourableJoJo Great Britain Feb 24 '17

You have no idea what the prison system was like at the time do you? One of the key systems for imprisoning people was the use of hulks. Old rotting ships that were turned into to floating prisons. They were disease infested rat holes where people were literally eaten alive by prisoners and rodents.

As for the prison system the Victorians subscribed to the idea that villainy and corruption spread through contact so prisoners were locked in a cell on their own for 23 hours of the day with nothing but a bible. For one hour a day they were allowed out onto the yard to be exercised. Exercise was often either walking around the yard in silence for an hour or shot drill where a pile of cannon balls had to be moved from one side of the yard to the other. Prison wasn't for reform, you didn't come out of prison with prospects a large number of people went mad during their time in prison because there was literally nothing to do. Better to be in Australia to be honest.