Do Irish people like to be called Paddies???

Damian in Edinburgh   Mon May 14, 2007 10:44 am GMT
***Yes us americans have made some mistakes but the worst mistakes involved teaming up with you guys***

Let's bring in a little bit of a Language theme to this seemingly hateful Transatlantic shit slinging......just be grateful, Brad, that you guys over there (on the assumption that you really are American) "teamed up" with us Brits sufficiently enough to adopt ENGLISH (your own version of it) as your main means of communication in the USA, even though, strange as it seems, English is not the official Language of America. Correct me if I'm off beam here.

Even though I am a Scot I have to dismiss your assertion that "all Scots hate the English". You are totally wrong there - it's not the case at all, in spite of what you may read or hear to the contrary. Sure, we slag each other off big time (I've done my share of Sassenach bashing in this forum and that's for certain but no way has any of it been hateful) but if you are not British then you don't understand the British mentality and our way of dealing with things. You really, really ought to do a bit of research on the issue of British banter linked with a type of humour, and then you will realise that you just don't know what makes us tick, or, more likely, choose not to. You people are constantly misunderstanding us in so many ways.........ok we have a sort of common Language but the cultural divide is as wide as the ocean that separates us.

I live in a city which sees so many American tourists all the year round that sometimes we "natives" think that Americans must be pretty thin on the ground "back home". I know that this isn't England, but you'd be gobsmacked if you were to hear so many Americans who actually believe that Scotland is part of England! Honestly it happens!

Go to London or Stratford-upon-Avon or any high profile tourist spot anywhere in England and you will see half of America there. If England is a country populated by obnoxious denizens (as you maintain) then why do you guys come over here in such numbers. That goes for people from the rest of Europe or anywhere else in the world. Something must attract them to the UK - maybe it's the wonderful climate!!! :-) Right now we have half of Eastern Europe flooding in to the UK en masse, liking what they see and what they can earn and then staying put, while regularly sending dosh back to their own half empty countries.

There are obnoxious Brits, of course, and we do have social problems, but the difference between us and many other countries (including your own) is that we freely and openly (perhaps too openly) admit it and highlight the issues in our media, while elsewhere the facts are suppressed and given little publicity compared with here.

History is now history. You dwell on the past and seem to be far more wound up by the historical and undeniable facts shown in "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" than the vast majority of the people of Ireland itself. There are loads of Irish people resident in the UK. It was all so long, long ago, and slagging off the Brits for past history is pointless. Would you dare to throw history into the faces of the Germans? Or much more recently certain elements in the Balkan states?

You're entitled to your opinions, but I just respectfully request that you never, ever include England (or indeed the UK itself) on any future trip out of your homeland or set foot on its green and pleasant land - ever.

The same applies to any other Anglophobe or Britannophobe, of course. Most of us Brits don't give a toss either way - as I say, everyone is entitled to their attitudes and viewpoints and if you don't like us then that's cool - it's water and ducks' backs. But judging by all the foreigners coming to these islands there can't be many such phobics or they wouldn't come here in such numbers. Those that aren't blinded by prejudice or simply don't dislike the English (or Brits in general) then the welcome mat is very prominent at all points of entry.

I'm off down to England - Milton Keynes ;-) - for the next Bank Holiday weekend at the end of this month - I can hardly wait.

Cheers!
Brad   Mon May 14, 2007 11:24 am GMT
I Will not suck your cock Franco but i could bite it off! you would love that would'nt you.

Damien is a a silly dude too, thats clear.
I know who my supporters are!
Brad   Mon May 14, 2007 11:49 am GMT
At least that will be one less english dick to deal with! !
Guest   Mon May 14, 2007 1:40 pm GMT
attention seeker its time to go back to your hole. you have nothing good to say except swear words. from now onwards no one is gonna reply you back.
Pub Lunch   Mon May 14, 2007 3:39 pm GMT
Excellent posts Travis. As I said in my post last night, I am not an historian and I knew only too well that my post left me wide open to someone with more knowledge on the subject. I do not have an actual opinion as such on the Irish war of independence due to my sketchy knowledge. What I was trying to get at with the post was that this bloke Brad is shouting his mouth of about how horrid the 'English' are based on a film made by a man with his own political agender (not that this means the film is incorrect), and from a conversation with a couple of Irish lads. Its just there are two sides to an arguement and I was showing to Brad, that all countries have blood on there hands. So why dislike a race because of things that have happened in days gone by.

It is subjective regarding the way the borders where engineered (to get the majority in the North to vote British). It can be argued for and against. But the fact is, Northern Ireland are voting to stay British. I have some mates in Belfast, when I met them I remember being shocked when they said they want to stay British. Up until that point I had assumed all the Northern Irish wished to be part of Ireland. But as I have said my knowledge is limited. Perhaps you are right, regardless I would love to see the conflict properly solved, and so everything is rice and beans for all. The whole of Ireland is a fantastic place.

I realise, the conflict is much more than IRA VS. Britain, I just could not go into the whole thing (probably because I couldn't).

I hope my post did not come across as anti-American, nothing could be further from the truth. I'm glad their on our side, trust me.

With regards to my comments on the Iraqi war, I am behind all our lads 100% - I hope I did not come across otherwise. I do not think ill of any of our boys out there. War is war, evil happens. Who I am to judge the actions of anyone out there, I do not see the suffering they see, and do not go through the horrors they go through.

Apologies for any offence caused (none was intended - apart from at Brad).

Brad - sort it out geezer.
Travis   Mon May 14, 2007 6:23 pm GMT
>>It is subjective regarding the way the borders where engineered (to get the majority in the North to vote British). It can be argued for and against. But the fact is, Northern Ireland are voting to stay British. I have some mates in Belfast, when I met them I remember being shocked when they said they want to stay British. Up until that point I had assumed all the Northern Irish wished to be part of Ireland. But as I have said my knowledge is limited. Perhaps you are right, regardless I would love to see the conflict properly solved, and so everything is rice and beans for all. The whole of Ireland is a fantastic place.<<

The matter is that had they done a vote on a local basis so that each individual district can decide to either join Ireland or remain part of the UK rather than doing a vote for the whole of Northern Ireland, then one would have gotten a result that areas that actually did want to remain part of the UK would remain as such while areas with Nationalist majorities would be able to join Ireland. Such would have better satisfied the goals of both the Nationalists and Unionists together, at least in my opinion.

>>I realise, the conflict is much more than IRA VS. Britain, I just could not go into the whole thing (probably because I couldn't).<<

Of course it is. The only thing in my opinion is that the British government could have been far more impartial rather than having sided in practice with the Unionists in many cases (despite officially outlawing the Loyalist paramilitary groups). I would have far less of a problem with its conduct during the Troubles had they simply tried to suppress the violence by the paramilitaries on both sides rather than focusing on the IRA alone as a enemy.
Guest   Tue May 15, 2007 12:37 pm GMT
Do English people like to be called Gay???
Damian in Edinburgh   Tue May 15, 2007 1:51 pm GMT
***Do English people like to be called Gay??? ***

Only when they're dancing round the maypole.

What a juvenile question.

Regarding Northern Ireland.......the ovewhelming majority of British people would love to see the Province opt out of the United Kingdom for good and all and merge with the Republic of Ireland. It would be like a having a massive load lifted off British backs, and a completely unified Island of Ireland, totally separate from Britain and becoming, theoretically, as "foreign" as any other fellow EU nation state, would look neat and tidy on the European map.

The problem is the majority of Ulster people......they simply don't want to relinquish the benefits of the status quo, and whatever else we Brits may be, we regard democracy as paramount.

The dark days of history are dead and gone but negatively harmful memories and sentiments can still linger on unfortunately in the minds of some people, as demonstrated in this forum.

I for one would love to see the end of those loyalist marches, especially on Orangeman's Day (or whatever it's called) each July, and those men marching in bowler hats and orange sashes/tabards etc just look to be deliberately provocative and divisive. I'm all for a United Ireland - entirely emerald green on the map - with no wee pink bit at the top right corner.
Sarcastic Californian   Tue May 15, 2007 4:27 pm GMT
>>>>>The bottom line is you British will never admit how horrible you guys are!<<<<<

....says the American who's been ranting on about how the world just LOOOVES the U.S.

Lemme tell ya, pal--It'll be a rude awakening if you ever visit Europe. That is, if you're ever able to step away from your BigMac and Superbowl half-time.
s.jack   Tue May 15, 2007 5:58 pm GMT
Damian in Edinburgh
I'm just curious. What are your feelings about separate Scotland (regarding recent elections and referendum to be)?
Brad   Tue May 15, 2007 6:03 pm GMT
You guys just can't stop discussing me! I have visited Europe and they loove me ! the chicks just can''t stay away from my northern blue eyes!

stay separate scotland..you guys rock my world huh huh huh huh!
Sarcastic Californian   Tue May 15, 2007 6:09 pm GMT
>>>>>You guys just can't stop discussing me! I have visited Europe and they loove me ! the chicks just can''t stay away from my northern blue eyes!<<<<<

Tch, that's a lie if I've ever heard one.
s.jack   Tue May 15, 2007 6:12 pm GMT
Brad, by the quality of youe English I would say that you're really Indian or Pakistani?
hctib   Wed May 16, 2007 2:14 am GMT
I like to be called a "bitch", I do not why
Guest   Wed May 16, 2007 2:47 am GMT
s.jack, you are a racist. Why choose Indian or Pakistani in particular. Brad could come from any other non-speaking country like Italy, Mexico, Korea, Japan....etc