Thursday, April 24, 2008

Are we there yet?


Our masters have plans for us, I see.


A copy of the map, which makes no reference to England or Britain, has even renamed the English Channel the "Channel Sea".

Each zone will have a "transnational regional assembly", although they will not have extensive powers. However, the zones are regarded as symbolically important by other countries.

German ministers claimed that the plan was about "underlying the goal of a united Europe" to "permanently overcome old borders"...



Englandism.com

News on St. George's day:
Try as hard as I might - and I don't try very hard - I have never been able to see the slightest problem with being English.

For Leftists, however, there is a problem. Traditionally, it was that England was the oppressor.
...
The rise of English national consciousness in recent years poses a serious threat to these unjust and undemocratic arrangements. For years, the English were slow to appreciate how disadvantaged they were by devolution.



English Heritage has launched a campaign to dispel the apathy surrounding St George's Day and encourage more people to celebrate the country's patron saint.

England football shirts serve as St George's Day bunting on a shopping street in central London.

A survey by the government agency revealed that fewer than one in five people mark St George's Day on April 23rd, suggesting that the English feel less national pride than the Welsh, Irish and Scottish.


The other day, my uncle told me that he had seen the papers that chicken tikka masala was the new English national dish. I told him that was absurd. Everyone knows that fish and chips are the English national dish.

Fish and chips.
41% of Londoners chose fish and chips as their favourite English dish while only 31% in Newcastle believe that they are a truly English meal. Other fish fanatic cities include Manchester with 40%, and Birmingham with 39% of respondents opting for a fish supper. For once the North/South divide was not in evidence with 70% of Northerners opting for fish and chips and 72% of Southerners.

Curry, once hailed as the nation’s favourite dish seems to have fallen out of favour as only 4% of Londoners chose curry as a great English dish, while no one in the Newcastle would even think of having a curry on St George’s Day!


The York Express Why aren't we more proud to be English?TODAY is St George's Day, the national day of England. But how many of you will be celebrating tonight? The chances are, not many.

So why don't we make more of our national day, like the Scots, the Irish and the Welsh?

The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu certainly thinks we should. Shortly before being enthroned as Archbishop in 2005 he gave a powerful speech calling on English people to be proud of who they were.

"The English are somehow embarrassed about some of the good things they have done," he said. "They have done some terrible things, but not all the Empire was a bad idea.

"When you ask a lot of people in this country what is English culture?', they are very vague.


As the Englandism people put it, "English nationalism is a (very) broad church. Even Gordon Brown is flying the flag today."
For the first time in recent memory the flag of St George will be flown over 10 Downing Street to mark the day of England's patron saint.

The red-and-white banner will be raised following a review of flag-flying practices ordered by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.


Even the Grauniad chimes in, in its own twisted and sorry way.
Multiculturalism isn't about celebrating everybody's culture but our own. We have to be present, not least because as hosts we provide the framework for our diversity to flourish. If you accept the idea that national identity is personal, then it is down to each of us to find something to celebrate on April 23. Let those people who feel strongly about the traditional ideas, celebrate them in their traditional way. Let others find aspects of Englishness they feel comfortable with.



OK, now go watch Mrs. Miniver:


When you've done that, go out to the nearest second hand bookshop and buy a copy of In Search of England by H.V. Morton.

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