Do you approve of the United Kingdom?

[Valaran]

If a nation doesn't have a moderator's approval, it may be DEATed. Thankfully the United Kingdom's flag, motto, currency and national animal are all neither obscene nor offensive.

Wait, you mean I can moderate real life now?

What have done?

Actually, this could work out quite well *shuffles evil nationalist agenda forwards*

[The Nihilistic view]

Ah well, the perils of having two large groups of people in the same country. Also kind of our fault considering we helped draw the map that lead to the Creation of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and therefore stored up some of the problems that caused the Belgian Revolution.

Drawing bad maps of other nations is am awful habit of ours. Hopefully we've kicked that by now.

Well they were always drawn for our own benefit at the time.

[The Nihilistic view]

While by no means legitimizing their views, Patria Magna said Catholics.

I actually hold wars in the Middle East, the whole Charlie Hebdo hysteria and many more as indeed Islamophobic, myself. In the sense of Orientalist racism, and not just religious prejudice.

The Iraq War is more a symptomatic failure of Cold War fallout, the misapplied realpolitik of the United States thereof, and possibly globalisation.
The Gulf War that proceeded it could be further argued as a failure (or natural consequence) of globalisation - the west mobilised to defend its supply of oil.

Silly you. The Cult of Oil is a Religion!

[Valaran]

Drawing bad maps of other nations is am awful habit of ours. Hopefully we've kicked that by now.

Well they were always drawn for our own benefit at the time.

Evidently we could even get that right

*glances at Kashmir, Iraq, the Levant*

[Lerodan Chinamerica]

It's alright. Has a decent level of economic freedom and better-than-average drug policies. But draconian gun laws, no conception of freedom of speech and a public trend towards xenophobia aren't good. Aesthetically, most of the country outside London looks like shite.

[Pesda]

I don't think you understand. I don't oppose a British identity for those who want it; I oppose the political entity that tries to make me adopt an identity which is not mine. You call yourself whatever you want.

In what way is this 'entity' forcing you to be British? Secondly what even is a British identity?

A recent example is a proposal to put a union jack on driving licenses "to strengthen our sense of national identity"
If you want to know what a British identity is, I suggest you ask those who have it.

[Imperializt Russia]

In what way is this 'entity' forcing you to be British? Secondly what even is a British identity?

A recent example is a proposal to put a union jack on driving licenses "to strengthen our sense of national identity"
If you want to know what a British identity is, I suggest you ask those who have it.

The DVLA, the driving licensing body, is a British institution of the British (read: united English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish) state.
Featuring the flag of the United Kingdom is wholly appropriate.

[Valaran]

In what way is this 'entity' forcing you to be British? Secondly what even is a British identity?

A recent example is a proposal to put a union jack on driving licenses "to strengthen our sense of national identity"
If you want to know what a British identity is, I suggest you ask those who have it.

No offence, but that's hardly a major source of cultural oppression or whatever. Its just funny

I consider myself British. But if you asked me for a concise and universal definition of what that is, I'd have no clue; there is no one recognised definition. Hence people create one depending on their viewpoint.

[The Nihilistic view]

A recent example is a proposal to put a union jack on driving licenses "to strengthen our sense of national identity"
If you want to know what a British identity is, I suggest you ask those who have it.

The DVLA, the driving licensing body, is a British institution of the British (read: united English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish) state.
Featuring the flag of the United Kingdom is wholly appropriate.

Especially considering there is already an EU flag on it.

[Valaran]

A recent example is a proposal to put a union jack on driving licenses "to strengthen our sense of national identity"
If you want to know what a British identity is, I suggest you ask those who have it.

No offence, but that's hardly a major source of cultural oppression or whatever. Its just funny

I consider myself British. But if you asked me for a concise and universal definition of what that is, I'd have no clue; there is no one recognised definition. Hence people create one depending on their viewpoint.

On the first point, this isn't meant to be mocking . I just honestly can't see things like that as actually leading to enforcement of a culture.

[Pesda]

A recent example is a proposal to put a union jack on driving licenses "to strengthen our sense of national identity"
If you want to know what a British identity is, I suggest you ask those who have it.

No offence, but that's hardly a major source of cultural oppression or whatever. Its just funny

True, it's not a big deal. The government's reasoning behind it is just annoying.

I consider myself British. But if you asked me for a concise and universal definition of what that is, I'd have no clue; there is no one recognised definition. Hence people create one depending on their viewpoint.

Well it's your identity, you decide what it is.

[Valaran]

No offence, but that's hardly a major source of cultural oppression or whatever. Its just funny

True, it's not a big deal. The government's reasoning behind it is just annoying.

I consider myself British. But if you asked me for a concise and universal definition of what that is, I'd have no clue; there is no one recognised definition. Hence people create one depending on their viewpoint.

Well it's your identity, you decide what it is.

Yeah, I completely agree with that. Its a very silly reason.

But practically no one agrees on what it is, so I don't how it can be enforced to any significant degree. (Englishness is a different matter)

[Pesda]

A recent example is a proposal to put a union jack on driving licenses "to strengthen our sense of national identity"
If you want to know what a British identity is, I suggest you ask those who have it.

The DVLA, the driving licensing body, is a British institution of the British (read: united English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish) state.
Featuring the flag of the United Kingdom is wholly appropriate.

Regardless the government's attitude is disappointing.

[Katganistan]

Wait, you mean I can moderate real life now?

*DEATs Belgium*

Oops.

Never. Where would I get delicious chocolate?

[Pesda]

No offence, but that's hardly a major source of cultural oppression or whatever. Its just funny

I consider myself British. But if you asked me for a concise and universal definition of what that is, I'd have no clue; there is no one recognised definition. Hence people create one depending on their viewpoint.

On the first point, this isn't meant to be mocking . I just honestly can't see things like that as actually leading to enforcement of a culture.

Don't worry, I'm not offended.

[The Blaatschapen]

*DEATs Belgium*

Oops.

Never. Where would I get delicious chocolate?

Switzerland.

Edit: And for you, I'd bring them myself

[Pesda]

True, it's not a big deal. The government's reasoning behind it is just annoying.
Well it's your identity, you decide what it is.

Yeah, I completely agree with that. Its a very silly reason.

But practically no one agrees on what it is, so I don't how it can be enforced to any significant degree. (Englishness is a different matter)

You're telling me that the British can't agree on what Britishness is? Why?

[Frazers]

A recent example is a proposal to put a union jack on driving licenses "to strengthen our sense of national identity"
If you want to know what a British identity is, I suggest you ask those who have it.

The DVLA, the driving licensing body, is a British institution of the British (read: united English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish) state.
Featuring the flag of the United Kingdom is wholly appropriate.

Northern Ireland licenses don't feature the flag of the UK irritatingly. It riles up the nationalists because its apparently an attack on them somehow.

[Valaran]

On the first point, this isn't meant to be mocking . I just honestly can't see things like that as actually leading to enforcement of a culture.

Don't worry, I'm not offended.

Thanks

Its just hard to gauge how things might be taken on the internet, and my comments weren't the nicest I could have written

[The Forsworn Knights]

I'm a bit of an Anglophile. Scratch that, I'm a Tory who had the misfortune of being born in the U.S, so yeah, I approve of the UK

What didja say about being born with us in the US? (this comment was written by an american as a joke, and yes the us US pun was intended.)

[Valaran]

Yeah, I completely agree with that. Its a very silly reason.

But practically no one agrees on what it is, so I don't how it can be enforced to any significant degree. (Englishness is a different matter)

You're telling me that the British can't agree on what Britishness is? Why?

Absolutely.

Even wikipedia is pretty vague on the whole thing (it tries to deal with how britishness might not be in accordance with part so the UK than actually come up with a list of universal British characteristics).

Arguably, its a strength as it means it doesn't automatically alienate everyone

This sums it up neatly:

In November 2007 The Times newspaper's Comment Central asked readers to define Britishness in five little words. The winning suggestion was "No motto please, we're British."

[Settrah]

I think national identities are pretty lame things objectively anyway. A person must be as boring as a sack of dirt, if the only interesting thing about them is being part of the same country everyone around them is already part of.

So thus, someone proud of their 'Britishness' must be unbelievably boring and vanilla outside of their patriotic mask.

It's alright. Has a decent level of economic freedom and better-than-average drug policies. But draconian gun laws, no conception of freedom of speech and a public trend towards xenophobia aren't good. Aesthetically, most of the country outside London looks like shite.

It's not that there are draconian gun laws, it's that the United Kingdom's citizens realize that that they do not need guns, and that they are non essential. Thus, lack of attachment and commodity.

Also I'd argue that within London looks pretty shite too. In benefit to us, we do have nice countryside, but it's sort of determined by the weather a lot, which is unpredictable.

[The Nihilistic view]

You're telling me that the British can't agree on what Britishness is? Why?

Absolutely.

Even wikipedia is pretty vague on the whole thing (it tries to deal with how britishness might not be in accordance with part so the UK than actually come up with a list of universal British characteristics).

Arguably, its a strength as it means it doesn't automatically alienate everyone

This sums it up neatly:

In November 2007 The Times newspaper's Comment Central asked readers to define Britishness in five little words. The winning suggestion was "No motto please, we're British."

In November 2007 The Times newspaper's Comment Central asked readers to define Britishness in five little words. The winning suggestion was "No motto please, we're British."

So good I had to quote it again

[Normandy and Picardy]

Yeah, I completely agree with that. Its a very silly reason.

But practically no one agrees on what it is, so I don't how it can be enforced to any significant degree. (Englishness is a different matter)

You're telling me that the British can't agree on what Britishness is? Why?

At the end of the day, Britain is incredibly divided culturally and historically, and Britishness is relatively new thing. Of course you have the Scots, the Welsh, the Irish and the English but even in England you have the Yorkshire independence movement (seriously,Yorkshire could survive as it's own country with a fairly decent economy), the Cornish and many others. We are just so divided yet somehow, due to history, we are in one nation. Most of us at least come together under the Union Jack and we share a common patriotism (even if quite a lot of Scots, some of the welsh, Sinn Fein and several small English groups disagree) and in a way that's what makes us British.

[Valaran]

Absolutely.

Even wikipedia is pretty vague on the whole thing (it tries to deal with how britishness might not be in accordance with part so the UK than actually come up with a list of universal British characteristics).

Arguably, its a strength as it means it doesn't automatically alienate everyone

This sums it up neatly:

In November 2007 The Times newspaper's Comment Central asked readers to define Britishness in five little words. The winning suggestion was "No motto please, we're British."

So good I had to quote it again

Ironically, this sort of quintessential Britishness is exactly what make my patriotism rise.