THE (ENGLISH) EMPIRE STRIKES BACK : THE 51st STATE
Read Time:2 Minute, 57 Second
People, and, given the current oil slick disaster, animals, fish, mammals and birds of America.
We, the people of England, adore America and Americans….right…let’s get personal.
I, an Englishman and proud, adore America and Americans.
If I look to the east I see Europe – and I quite like Europe. I like Italians and Greeks and Lithuanians and Swiss and Spanish and….oh alright…up to a point Germans and French…well…’like’ is not necessarily entirely accurate with Germans and French but there you go…Germans in the east are marvellous. Germans in the west perhaps not quite so….French eat snails, bits of frogs and, I’m led to believe, horses. There’s something to like? Pardonne Moi?
However, my antipathy towards a ‘United States Of Europe’ stems from my desire, and the desire of many many many English people to be ever closer to our true brothers and sisters in America.
I was – as recent posts / comments suggest – somewhat chastised regarding a certain oil disaster. The chastisation (is that a word?) was primarily due to my suggestion that the wildlife came first and the people second.
Holty made the quite valid comment that, living on a relatively small island my ability to conceive the magnitude may be impaired….and he may well be correct. Mike even suggested, somewhat darkly, that I shouldn’t piss him off….As he is an ex cop I will comply – daft I may be but American cops have guns…;-)
Er…sorry Mike…got the wrong pic…oops…;-)
Let’s get this straight. I love America and I love Americans. End of.
That doesn’t necessarily mean I will always join in with any American melodrama but, without fear of contradiction, I will support the ways of America – if only because I would rather like them to become the ways of England (I’m not particularly worried about Scotland and Wales….up to them).
If England could become the 51st State I would rejoice. So would so many many many people.
Of course, it is unlikely to happen. I have to admit that if it came close even I would think….’er…actually’.
You see, we the English, are a patriotic breed. We are quite happy to have a sensible relationship with Europe – ie, a relationship that doesn’t entail bombing anyone – but, on the whole, we feel far more akin to you – America.
This may be as a result of ‘Starsky and Hutch’ but I like to think it is more akin to your extraordinary resilience and your extraordinary belief that ‘you are right’….and, as it happens, you mainly are.
So. If I offended regarding this awful oil spill business I genuinely regret it – not that I take anything back…there is a limit…
I speak on behalf of England – now that IS pompous..;-) – but we love you millions and want you to be what you have been, could be and can be.
The business.
And despite my assertion sometime back….if I won a few million on the Euro Lottery I would, actually, dish a few $ to the fishermen.
Humanity caused it as we are ‘the virus’, animals / birds etc are the innocents but, realistically, the poor buggers who can’t go and fish aren’t to blame either.
BP? You may be paying for clearing up the disaster but, how about covering a few mortgages and bills for the humans who are on the receiving end too?
God Bless The Turtles.
Until sometime later in the week, my highest regards,
Love and hugs from England…
4D xx
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
I miss these brotherhood days we enjoyed back in 2010. It is now 2014, and the USA isn’t as loved as it was. Hope we can get it back together. It would be a sacrilege of historic proportion if Britain ever stopped being Britain. I, actually, don’t believe then United States could ever stand the site. Britain is actually beloved by us. We call you family. President Obama turned into something of a goofball, but hey – at least we are all CERTAIN he is a goofball, now. 🙂
With a new President in 2016, it would be nice if we did things to support our union or family tie. If we, somehow, acknowledged that brotherhood, but kept our identities.
@4D,
I find generally, wherever you go, whoever you are, you run the risk of being mistaken for the “complaint box” of your own respective country.
Here’s a true example from just days ago: Chinese guy, an exporter (sells rubberised armour for martial arts training, youth sizes only) and a Frenchman (IT guy, Database builder/programmer, works for Wannadoo) meet in a midtown bar in America (Specifically the Pig & Whistle near Times Square) http://www.pignwhistlets.com/ both are mutual friends I’ve known for over ten years, -they meet each other for the very first time and what do they say to each other?
Olivier: Why is China so fucked up? What’s your problem with free flow of information?
Wing: Why are the French always holding up every important deal in the EU with their bullshit?
–Now, these guys are smart; -they are extremely accomplished (Wing is pretty much a self-made millionaire) and yet they seem to have no idea that neither of them actually run their respective countries of origin.
Alcohol did not help this debate/inquisition, but at least it kept them from asking me why Americans are so religious/bigoted/insert-generalization-here.
-SJ
@ Mike – You would have to adopt my cats in perpetuity if you did. (Don’t worry about the wifey…she’s half Scots and 1/4 Irish along with being 5 feet tall so she’d top you before you’d had chance to say ‘oops…’ 😉
Gwen : Our Royal Family are mainly of Germanic descent. That anomaly doesn’t prevent us in A) Loving them and B) Loving The USA.
Slightly bizarre perhaps as the USA was once a colony but, the USA grew in a way we couldn’t – we’re on a very small island – and, as a result, ‘the worm turned’ and the majority of English people (I can’t speak for the Scots and Welsh)….er…actually I can’t really speak for the English but, being a bit pompous I will…;-)…the English as a breed absolutely adore the USA and all it stands for.
This may be related to ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and other such movies when it became apparent that Churchill mattered not and the USA saved us – I do adore sarcasm – but, ultimately, I genuinely belive that English people are slightly envious of you Americans.
You’ve already ‘got there’ even if you don’t know it.
Despite our history we’re still trying to ‘get there’.
Anyroad.
We love you so there.
Somerset? NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Lancashire and the Pennines!!!!!
Historically speaking… when not abdicating from English rule I think the United States, on the softer side of it, considers UK a kinder, older brother country. Well, at least I’ve been told that by US diplomatic kin. It’s hard to figure your Europe ideal though… I mean the persterpies (that means lineage by blood relation) of your rulers through UK and Europe into the near east is well told, I’d think that held some national sway?
Infidel – I’ve traveled to UK regularly through Clinton and Bush admins and I never, ever ran into outright nasty manners about America… only about our leader. At the time most were very annoyed with Blair too. I don’t care much for M. Thatcher… but I would never insult her to her fellows. I saw that courtesy extended to me even when I was fine with hearing that Bush was insane and a war criminal. I’ve stayed all through Scotland, England, Wales. Grand place to visit. And I’d adore a summer home in Somerset. The scent of the roses alone doesn’t stray far from memory.
@ Infidel : Actually I’m truly shocked. America is considered ‘the business’ over here by all sane citizens.
Admittedly you gave us GB Jnr and, more historically Mr. Nixon Esq. but, on the whole, you are the only country the English (not necessarily The British I admit) look up to.
I can only assume that Americans receiving less than a warm welcome to our shores have had the misfortune to run into ‘mad Jocks’ / ‘demented Welsh’ or…possibly, Labour supporters.
I am ashamed if any Americans visiting this great land have been greeted with anything other than a warm handshake and a warm beer.
I apologise on behalf of England (I can really sound pompous can’t I?) and promise faithfully that any Americans who venture into my neck of the woods will be looked after and protected as if they were ‘my own’.
I should stress that my own experiences in Britain have always been good (the last time I was there was 1979, anyway). I was going by things I’d read that other people say.
Mike : You wouldn’t shoot an unarmed Englishman!!!!
Infidel : Odd. I have no idea old bean. In my experience all but Labour supporters love America. Possibly depends where Americans go I suppose. Staunch Labour areas may be critical but other thaen areas of that nature you would be carried shoulder high to the nearest bar to pay for all the drinks…;-)
Truth : After three…one, two, three…
(I’m in pieces, bits and pieces)
Since you left me and you said goodbye
(I’m in pieces, bits and pieces)
All I do is sit and cry
(I’m in pieces, bits and pieces)
You went away and left me misery
(I’m in pieces, bits and pieces)
And that’s the way it’ll always be
…and that’s as far as I’ll go…apologies Truthy…We have much to answer for…;-)
Yes I would.
You did give us The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Then again you bastards gave us Adam Ant and The Dave Clark Five. A half finger to you!
Actually, over there they use two fingers for that gesture, so a half finger would only count for a quarter…..
We are quite happy to have a sensible relationship with Europe — ie, a relationship that doesn’t entail bombing anyone — but, on the whole, we feel far more akin to you — America.
This is interesting. I had the impression that anti-Americanism in Britain was quite strong — at least, it doesn’t seem to be unusual for Americans visiting the country to run into hostility. Do you think that has become less true recently?
I think I know that girl! Dinners, the chastisement did not come necessarily from your suggestion that we ignore the people. It came from the fact that you appeared to diminish the tragedy. Secondly, I have several guns by the way, all of them big, and all but one of them fire regularly 🙂