Notes on a small island: The things that really make Britain great
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Independent Minds
Alcopops: an integral part of the British way of life?
Click here for the things that really make Britain great
From rolling hills to rolling cheeses, morris dancing to readers' wives, our nation has a host of endearing pecularities to celebrate. In an extract from his new book, Iain Aitch takes stock of the sights and sounds that truly make us who we are
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Comments
Ah, I see, it wasn't actually written by the Independent...it's just an extract from a book somebody else has written. All the Independent did was give it a title and form the collection...which seem to be the worst things about it!
Seriously, The Independent is becoming a joke. It's always been a brilliant newspaper, but ridiculous and hastily knocked up articles like this designed to attract casual surfers and hence advertising revenue are really giving it a bad name.
It's a shame, because with a little more thought, this could have been a good article.
Most other countries actually have valuable, profound, worthwhile things which contribute to their greatness. Britain's finest cultural icons are morris dancing and the thermos flask.
Let's face it, this is actually a list of the lame, pointless things which are considered stereotypically British, usually with a negative connotation.
So if you're a morris dancer who sits wrapped in a tartan blanket planning his allotment on a caravan site, while drinking weak milky tea out of a thermos flask to relieve his hangover from too many alcopops the night before, then you can truly be proud to call yourself British. And, by the way, you're also boring and stupid.
Leave the Poms alone and let them lead again, then the WORLD WILL BE A BETTER PLACE!!!!!
On a more serious note, I can't help thinking that the Brits have, over the centuries, used this 'small island' myth to their own advantage - 'plucky little Britain stands alone against ther Nazis', 'this tiny little island built an empire that ran the globe', that kind of thing, to show how extraordinary the British are when in fact we were never a small island or a small country in the first place. Sure, Britain punched above its weight due to technological and industrial developments, etc, but it's time the 'plucky little Britain' and 'small island' myth was challenged and debunked instead of just swallowed unthinkingly.
Sadly, nearly every Brit has forgotten this and just assumes it means 'wow, we are soooo great'. In terms of creating national arrogance, it was the worst-possible name that could have been chosen.
If you want conclusive proof it doesn't mean wonderful, try visiting Great Yarmouth. 'Nuff said.
I thank you
Firozali A.Mulla