NB: Initially I was asking imperial core comrades due to some potential common experiences that I was looking for but it was suggested that I widen the scope and I agree.
Coming from England where 90% of our culture is consumerism or lifted from America (so more consumerism) I have no affinity for what “makes me english”.
The only real culture or tradition in the England is bourgeois propaganda/bread and circuses nonsense like the opening of parliament or the queen’s platty joobs or bank holidays (lol).
As the proletariat/lumpen there is no culture outside of football and consumerism.
So to that end, what exactly makes one English? Chauvinism and imperialism? Two things that only really benefit the aristocracy.
We aren’t even “english”. We are mostly Anglo saxon but most of us have parts gaelic, celtic, norse, germanic etc history. We aren’t Anglo saxons really, we are just mongrels with white skin and no culture so I don’t get what the fucking nationalists are so proud of. Lol our fucking royal family is less Anglo than we are!!
I have no cultural ties to England, this country has only hurt me and millions of others. We have no beautiful cultural events, music, art etc. Its just homogenised capitalist culture shared with most of the imperial core. The same can be found in every country apart from Brit pop. Get in what a claim to fame.
I speak from an English perspective as scotland, Ireland and Wales DO have culture. But in England we’ve lost any we might have had. I even have Irish mostly and some Welsh and Scottish in me but I’ve never gotten to embrace or experience those cultures, it’s stomped out of you and erased through engloid chauvinism growing up.
As a country we’ve became a shell, white people existing to exist, no love or respect for our history because we have none. Its just rich people fighting other rich.
People might say knights and Kings etc but how is that my history? It’s the history of the aristocracy battling for their wants. As a “serf” we’ve just existed. They try to teach us English history in school and its just slaughter and exploitation. There’s nothing good. It’s all just murder and death and it’s not “we need to be better than our history”, it’s “this history allowed us to be better than everyone else” and that makes me sick.
So with this in mind, why would I care if another country took over? Say china came and ripped England from the royals grip, why would I worry provided I trusted them to look after the citizens better than our own government?
My allegiance isn’t to my country or some nostalgic memory of history, its to human beings. To the workers of this world and to that end what do I care of national identity and my non existent culture?
It’s struck me as a thought, does this exemplify why leftist or more accurately communist thought is such a threat to governments. Its not constrained by national pride or identity so those mechanisms and means of control fail right?
The only reason I see anyone for having any loyalty to England is because we are trapped here, and as traumatised workers without an escape we are doomed to just scrape some existence out of this wretched nation, living in fear that if we don’t swear loyalty to our flag we will die in hunger and pain.
I dunno I’m just sundowning I guess. Depressed and chatting shit.
Edit: I think I just need a hug lol 🤣
I’ve never felt that much connected to my birthcountry, The Netherlands. I do feel a connection with the town I grew up in, a rougher working class town. But not so much the country. I don’t have special feelings for places like Amsterdam or Groningen or whatever. But I don’t dislike them or their people either.
This became even more clear when I migrated to another country. People sometimes ask me what I miss and I can’t think of anything other than maybe family and friends. But not a cultural thing. I do sometimes struggle with a lack of Dutch directness but I don’t really miss it.
At the same time I don’t feel ‘Belgian’ or something right now either. I like the place where I live and I like my friends over here, but I don’t feel culturally connected or something.
I’ve always felt like me I guess. I’m sure my country of birth had some influences on my character but I don’t really feel the need to do things ‘the Dutch way’, whatever that is.
I’d also like to add that a lot of Dutch pride comes from us being a rich country with a high standard of living. Becoming a communist and reading Marx let me to understand where that comes from. Exploiting others.
I can’t be proud of my country because I can’t be proud of its history.
This is essentially where I’m at and tried to articulate but you’ve said it way more succinctly.
I liked your part about history lessons because Western history, especially Dutch and English, is just either killing non-white people or other white people because they want control of our non-white people.
‘In this century we set sail to Indonesia, where we killed, exploited and erased their culture and people. The next century we somehow ended up in Africa where we did the same. The next century, though, the Bri’ish set sail to our land to kill us. Anyway, all this killing and plundering and abuse did make some people in this country rich though. Be proud we killed half the globe because without that your life would be much more miserable!’
Thank you 😊
It’s exactly how you described there though, through murder we placed ourselves above the rest. That’s not history, that’s a list of crimes against humanity.
When countries go around the world killing, raping and looting everything they come across they get called ‘beacons of democracy’ and ‘civilized’ but when I do the same in my city I get solitary confinement smh
Hahaha imagine using that as a defence for looting. “I was just following my countries example!!”
I’ve found something I’m proud of. Mom, get the camera.
Riding bicycles. I’ve never truly appreciated Dutch bicycle culture until I moved away and I now have to sometimes fear for my life because the bikepath stops and I need to get on the road.
I’ve read a comment once on some YouTube video about worldclass bike infrastructure that said something like: ‘Dutch bike infrastructure isn’t world class. It’s Dutch class, which is way better.’ and I agree with that.
Yes the bikes! That’s one of my favorite parts about living in NL. It’s so easy to just bike everywhere. Also helps keep bills down without paying for cars and insurance.
I’d have a heart attack, drivers are scary when you bike.
Yeah that’s fair I totally get what you mean 😊