Would these be the select few chosen to do their overlords dirty deeds or the fun-loving slaves during Empire?

And why do you compare to the post-Empire African masters (created by Empire itseld) and not the pre-Empire masters. Please make valid comparisons.

• 	Quote:	HashBrown
  	First, you lack a complete appreciation of sarcasm.

• The ./sarc button is a useful tool.
• I don't get that. What the Belgians did in the Congo could legitimately and should be described as revolting. The French empire deliberately kept it's subjects down, and even post-independance, made sure that only ELF got oil licences and the BRGM got mining licences in their 'former' African colonies, right into the 1990's. Needless to say they never bothered exploring these licences, just kept them to prevent others providing wealth to the budding post colonial governments, and therefore pull them away from France. The British empire was a shining beacon by comparison.
• I proivde one anecdote so as not to bore everyone. I stick to Africa as that is somewhere I know something about.
• Yep, that is a pervasive myth.
• I was quoting Monty Python.

Moving on to your next post:

• Fair point, but it would be a real statistical freak to assume that all the old people I chatted to in pubs etc. were in that category.
• Again fair enough. Let's talk about the Peul tribe, who used to rule with an iron hand, much of what is now Mali, Senegal, Guinea, Mauritania etc. in a vast empire. They are a tall, graceful, nomadic people, with yellow-brownish complexions. They converted to Islam in about 800 AD and can still be seen herding huge cattle herds across the bush. The members of other tribes (darker, animist, agriculturalists and hunters) that used to be ruled by the Peul still fear and loath them as much as they did 1000 years ago, because the Peul were, and still are, terrible slavers, and in fact provided many of the slaves to the Europeans that were eventually shipped out. In the CAR, the Peul only venture into villages with special permission, in large groups, and they get the hell out as soon as they can before they get shot at. Most of the little kids seen herding their cattle are not Peul.
• Another example of pre-empire rulers might be India, maybe someone could enlighten me on the treatment of non-Persian Indians by the Persian rulers of northern India.

Cheers

Jim

yeah.. colonisation was uncontrolled too...

Again you are being selective in your history of the Empire. Aboriginals in Canada and Australian would strongly disagree with you.

And again, you use comparative labelling. Compared to Stalin, Hitler was a nice guy, but nobody believes that. And again, in Canada, The British were bad whereas the French were "better".

As for North India, pre-Empire, they were Mongol (hence Mughal)/Turkic peoples who spoke Persian. So again, please read you history books before telling us.

But as for all the above, you completely missed the point of my original, but the post before this explicitly states it.

And yes I know it was Python.

No more point to all this. Unsubscribing from a previously interesting thread. But we know a lot more about certain members.

Jesus....I mean how far back are we going then ? Colonization ? Roman Times ? what about put the boot into British Dinosaurs because im sure they just marched right onto into the French Diplodocus hangout and nicked all the eggs ? Maybe Global plate movement that formed countries CLEARLY SHOWING the British plate moving away to create an island with a astonishing arrogance rather staying with its European counterpart.

The guy started the thread with "i remember a Britain of 20 years ago" and we're going back hundreds of years all of a sudden just to pick out more things to get a dig in.

Britain is still a Financial Heavyweight I am afraid, sorry. The service industry which suffers like the rest of the recession will probably - im terribly sorry - recover and might even be a bit of a success (grovelling apologies). We might - just might - beat Holland tonight. Christ we might even win the world cup. But if we do, I doubt it would be as celebrated with nearly as much vigour as the oppurtunity to talk Britain down which is something people, suprisingly many of whom are not living in Britain, seem very happy to do.

And the shops are open at lunchtime.

so there.

yeah! and we have great crisps too

Nice post Mike.

Colonisation was very much controlled, only a very small number of the most adventurous had the courage to try it, or they were ordered / shipped out. Death from disease, dangerous animals, crappy little boats that sank, restive natives and a crippling shortage of women were great controls.

I'm with you on the shopping in the UK too. Aparently there is a Clarks shoe shop in Zürich, so that's the end of buying overpriced sh!te in Navy Boot etc. The fact that I am a size medium in M&S pleases me no end, considering that I cannot find anything to fit me in Switzerland.

Cheers

Jim

I love being a Brit too but I am not ashamed to say I tire of the UK mostly for these type of reasons:

1. Baby P and other similar atrocities - UK social services which have no accountability!!!
2. Jordan aka Katie Price and the UK obsession with this type of Chavvy Cr*p!
3. The Daily Sport newspaper (See point 2)
4. Gordon Brown (...and the others come to think of it)
5. MPs expenses
6. Hoodies
7. Knife Crime
8. Nanny state
9. I could go on....

I know (before I am of course reminded) that Switzerland is far from perfect and it is not an Alpine Paradise.....but for now....I like it and I prefer it to the UK.....I only wish the Heinz Beans were cheaper!

No way!!

stupid British dinosaurs!!

Even then they were bloody annoying thieves!!



(I can say that they nicked all the eggs!! poor babies!)

If you read up on the history what tended to happen was the exploring British dinosaurs were just going for an afternoon stroll, would mistakenly run into a French dinosaur colony, who would promptly surrender before a word had been spoken. Consequently the British Dinosaurs left with a couple of eggs to take back as presents for their mum's while the Frenchies would complain bitterly to their head Tyrannasaurus Rex and demand substantial welfare grants to cover their loss.

* except that the British Dinosaurs stopped with the eggs in the pub and made themselves some breakfast!

According to my Mum, the "good times" were never as "good" as people like to think and with the exception of the '60s, life was never exactly a party. In the '50s poverty was still commonplace and on a level you just don't see now. Even the more comfortable made do without a lot of what we take for granted today. Most ordinary folks could only dream of owning a house, a car or a phone. Air pollution was terrible because of all the coal being burnt. The '60s brought more prosperity and freedom for the man in the street but things went south in the '70s with labour disputes, runaway inflation and the rise of terrorism Northern Ireland. Then the '80s brought recession coupled with a steep decline and unemployment in traditional industries like coal, steel and heavy industry. Even the '90s brought boom and bust. She reckons in general, people in Britain are less content now than they were 40 years ago despite being better off but that's because they have have higher expectations than her generation ever had, which only leads to bigger disappointment. Plus, in the '50s, '60s and '70s people were a lot less mobile...there was no freedom of movement like we have in today's EU. Moving abroad wasn't an option so they just put their heads down, got on with life and made the best of it. Maybe that's what made Britain great.

I can assure you that the Credit Crunch is biting hard.
The thing I find is that a lot of people are kidding themselves or deceiving neighbours, friends and relatives of the financial dilemma they are in.
I have a small accountancy practice in the UK and I see the true picture.

As an example, four years ago, I would have clients who would turn up in a Ford Mondeo worth £3,000 but paid for. The last three years they have been turning up in an E Class Mercedes, leased at £400 a month with a £10k baloon payment at the end that they will not be able to pay.

Because that is another issue with the English (especially southern), they are worried what people think.

Because that is another issue with the English (especially southern), they are worried what people think.

Not just the English Cashboy. So many people live their lives according to what others think. It has no Geographical boundaries.

Switzerland is behind by about three years in attitude and behaviour to the UK.
You can actually see quite a difference in attitude between the generation (more in Switzerland than England).

Things like children expecting things and taking things for granted. the "I want" attitude, where I would have got a slap accross the head from my parents.
Saying that, I see the biggest culture difference between parents and children with the Pakistani families in the UK. Where the parents try to be strict due to culture and religion but the kids don't give a and are quite rebelious. In fact I see the parents thinking that buying their son a BMW M3 might to pose in help to convince him to marry a 1st cousin in Pakistan knowing that he can get divorced later anyway.
Just some trash going through my head tonight

I love London not enough is said abut the architecture and I love youth hosteling around the countryside, but I hate the rain.

Alf Garnetts there's a few of 'em on the English Forum!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOhXp...eature=related

Go on blame it on God!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

And that's the thruth. I once "knew" a single mother who had an 18-year old daughter who was like a rabbit. She had two children (or sprogs as she used to call them) and no father in sight. Well, the last one was institutionally out of sight as he had been locked up for robbery two days after inseminating her....The daughter was great at getting council-this and council-that. Her mum never wanted to go anywhere because her daughter might need her. I used to say the only people her daughter needed were the council...