I have had the fortune to have travelled extensively throughout my adult life and indeed still do.
Over the years I have crystallised an opinion, based on passive observations, that we Anglo saxons and our cousins across the big pond are still empire builders at heart. We have certain traits as nations that are really quite distasteful and are not really anything to be proud of:
1) We have an inability to live and let live and have an overwhelming urge to have to categorise others according to opinion and not facts.
2) As a result of the above other nations and groups feel ostracised by the Anglo Saxons.
3) Also as a result of the above we have had our armed forces serve in armed conflicts somewhere in the world virtually every year since the end of WW2.
Why do we have to label others? Why do we have to pigeonhole them? Why do we have to take such offence at other nations who chose to live their lives differently to us - and why should it be so wrong to have different standards and expectations than we Englanders?
DISCLAIMER - I am talking very broadly here and of course there are many hundreds of thousands of individuals who are not little Englanders - but as a nation - personally - I think we could do much better by losing our historical baggage and viewing the world with a much more liberal and tolerant attitude.
I actually think this this underlying racial trait is one of the reasons that we are so violent as a nation, why we have to be trying to constantly prove ourselves (and failing) and why we are the road rage capitol of the world. We simply can't allow others to appear to have a different opinion to our own and then when they show a failing (eg - bad driving) we have to ram our opinion down their throat resulting in violent vehicular stand offs - as an example.
Again, a very broad generalisation but I am sure there is something in this.
Interesting points.
I have often thought the UK carried a legacy of its old empire to explain our national megalomania.
But that wouldn't explain the yanks would it.
Perhaps there is a conquistador gene specific to European peoples. It would explain the facts. The problem is finding somebody interested enough to pay for the research. I cant see any profit in it.
Another explanation could be cultural. Perhaps those who migrated from the cradles of civilisation to the cold north were the most warlike.
As it stands I think the warlike intentions of the rich westerner are currently prompted by the greed for oil. In evidence I would cite the enormous amount of war being conducted in oil producing areas compared to the tiny amount conducted in areas not rich in such resources.
No more blood for oil say I.
Frankly I find it offensive that you are pigeon holing me.
Our " historical baggage " is not what I would call it. It is our history for which we should be proud of. Yes not all of it but what country anywhere can say all their history is something to be proud of?
I think this country is one of, maybe even the most , tolerant country in the world.
Our cultures and our way of life I would never change. I am proud to be English, am proud of our heritage, I am proud of our history. Anyone who is not is not living in the right country.
Plane ticket to Afganistan anyone?
Ones nationality is determined mainly by ones accident is not how I would view it.
It is not just about nationalities but culture.
Yes there is a lot wrong with this country, I have said it many times but...every country have their problems.
We have great history and some not so great. Why is it that people born and bred here, always focus on our past negativities?
There have been some great positives and we were once the greatest nation on the planet. Without us many things may not have been invented for many years after, if at all.
Hence the name Great Britain. For we once was the greatest and that is part of our positive history.
If my nationality was an " accident at birth ", then I thank my lucky stars and my parents.
Love the topic!
As an insular island nation that has been invaded and conquered many times I think that has given us a cosmopolitan personality with a unique amalgamation of skills and attitudes. Maybe as a consequence we believed we were superior to other nations because of our turgid history. We are all a product of our parents and their cultures and therefore we are not accidents of birth but conditioned by the kalaiedescope of colours that is our history.
Whilst not in agreement with many things our nation did in the past I do acknowledge that there are many countries that have taken certain British principles and have adopted them as there countries political model even to this is no doubt also that we are, as a nation, more tolerant than most of other cultures and beliefs.
At the time we were building our Empire, other non Anglo Saxon European nations, France, Spain Portugal and even Holland were doing the same thing. Japan was Imperialist.
It was a time when mankind was discovering the planet and thought processes were very different to now. Our forefathers may well have done things that we would be/are ashamed of now but so did the forefathers of the other nations. I don't think we were any different as a nation, it was the way the world was then and to be honest, is the way the world had always been. We are now several hundred years on and think much differently.
As far as the USA is concerned, I don't think they were Imperialist until after WW2 and that was down to their paranioa over the perceived spread of communism. I also don't think that USA can actually be described as Anglo Saxon?
Unfortunately since WW2, we have hung on to the USA's coat tails due to our "special relationship" which has got us embroiled in their "war against terror" amd more spcifically, Iraq. It was our politicians, notably Tony Blair that took us into the Iraq war, as a nation I think the vast majority were against it.
Our politicians have made some bloody awful mistakes which have created some of the problems that exist today, specifically the problems in the middle east. Can that be blamed on us as a nation? How long is it since the politicians stopped listening to us, if in fact they ever did?
So are we a more violent nation than most others? I don't think we are, we probably just know more about our history than we do of that of other nations. There are many more violent and indeed barbaric nations out there, just think of the genocide in Africa and the Balkans. Our society is amongst the most tolerant the world, our worst problem is our politician's ongoing belief that we can can still punch above our weight.
Nobody is saying there is nothing wrong with this country, as Witchy highlighted, you are inconsistent in your views, if anyone says anything negative your standard reply, regardless of how subtle you think you are, is "fuck off to another country then."
And then having shown that intolerance to someone elses viewpoint, which they are entitled to, as you are to yours, you then turn round in praise of this country, and how tolerant we are.
I do not think, or claim to be funny, but it is my opinion that you are fast becoming a figure of ridicule, and your inconsistency, your baiting of people and your blinkered viewpoints will only enhance this.
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;) Everything follows from that point on Ben. It's all about the Empire, and they took that empire building mentality with them, till they chucked us out in bloody revolution cos of the price of teabags, and started to build an empire themselves, obviously? 
:? We've had that attitude for a few hundred years, and yer 21st century ain't no better so far? :? ;)
*likes the weather*
