Home› Politics & Debate
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨
Options

"What did the British ever do for us?"

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Politics & Debate
Rather than an opportunity to complain about our failings, I was wondering what everyone's perception was of what Britain has achieved best in giving the world. For instance, when I was in India last year, a number of people I met (especially the older one's) spoke very highly of the British legacy of building a railroad infrastructure in the country and democracy etc.

I could think think of one thing which almost every country has to be thankful for : FOOTBALL! :)

Comments

  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We may have been complete bastards to our Empire, but we gave them one important thing, English.

    And of course we started the Industrial Revolution, possibly the most important phase in History.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Football.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Capitalism.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think the Dutch might be credited with that in fact.

    Seeing as Marx did most of his major work in Britain some might say communism.......
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Werent we the first country to mess around with paper money too?
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Not sure, I didn't think so though.....
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The stiff upper lip
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was in India a few years ago and they were cricket mad.

    Also Parliamentary Democracy (India remains the largest democracy in the world), an independent judiciary and the concept that public servants shouldn't be open to bribery. Now not all the ex-Empire fully upholds these standards (and its arguable that often we fail to meet them ourselves), but much of the Empire at least tries to hold to them.

    Much of the old Empire remains in the Commonwealth and we have better relations with most of them than most imperial powers have with their ex-territories.

    Add to that is the abolition of slavery.

    Depending on how you measure it the British Empire lasted around 400 years - in that time it managed to be both incredibly brutal, violent and rapacious and also kind, law-abiding and civilising. It was neither an absolute evil or an absolute good...
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    everwonderwhy wrote:
    They saved us from the Germans

    I think you'll find the Russians did this, but Britian had some involvement in the process yes.

    They gave us the Parliamentary system.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Werent we the first country to mess around with paper money too?

    Nah it's a really really old con. It's probably the german's though - bankrupt.

    Everything I look at - from the idea of nation state to the industrial revolution seems to have good and bad points.

    I'll go with football. :)
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Don't forget the science or the literature... Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens... the list is endless.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    John Peel.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The suit and tie. Lots of sports, football, tennis, cricket and rugby to name a few.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And of course...

    THE BBC

    :D
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Teagan wrote:
    Rather than an opportunity to complain about our failings, I was wondering what everyone's perception was of what Britain has achieved best in giving the world. For instance, when I was in India last year, a number of people I met (especially the older one's) spoke very highly of the British legacy of building a railroad infrastructure in the country and democracy etc.
    When I was in Uganda, I was called a brother on numerous occasions and people referred to our common history - that is, the colonial period in Uganda's own history. I think the fact that the Commonwealth of nations is still a strong bind between disparate countries and cultures is quite impressive.

    Trivia - The UK is the only country whose stamps don't show the name of the country. We retain that privilege from being the inventors of the postage stamp. :yes:
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    George Orwell
  • Options
    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    The British Attitude towards things. And Brithish Humour, culminating in... MONTY PYTHON!

    Got to love the British attitude though... SHIT! We're at war... we need Aircraft carriers... can we put some decks on those Cargo Ships, you think? Couple of Ro-Ro's with decks? Yeah, that'll do. :lol:

    Ahh.. Britian gave the world alot though. Sad to think this once leading Nation is now so bad...
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    junglist_tee.gif
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    40% of the world's inventions in the last 50 years, according to Japanese research (and if anyone didn't need rivals in inventing it's Japan).
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    both the term and the music "Oi"
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    -[MoonRat]- wrote:
    George Orwell
    nice call :thumb:
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Although the Brits have done a lot for humanity, I must admit they've done nothing but bring misery and hate to my people
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    Although the Brits have done a lot for humanity, I must admit they've done nothing but bring misery and hate to my people
    who are your people?
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    AllAmericanRageJunky wrote:
    who are your people?

    Irish people in general...then it gets religious but I don't want to talk about religon at this moment.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    klintock wrote:
    Nah it's a really really old con. It's probably the german's though - bankrupt.

    That was China actually.

    Here in America, I have the fortune to have a friend who was born in the UK, and he was nice enough to introdue me to the TV show Red Dwarf. I also think the Parliamentary system is pretty rockin, atleast its a hell of a lot better than the bipartisan set up have here in the states.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Red Dwarf is really funny.

    Actually British comedy walks all over American comedy

    Friends= :no:
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    Friends= :no:
    no fucking kidding!
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Penicillin, Lightbulbs,the jet engine, the electric motor, and most importantly, the tin can:)
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Scruffy wrote:
    That was China actually.

    Here in America, I have the fortune to have a friend who was born in the UK, and he was nice enough to introdue me to the TV show Red Dwarf. I also think the Parliamentary system is pretty rockin, atleast its a hell of a lot better than the bipartisan set up have here in the states.


    best part of british tv :D
Sign In or Register to comment.