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 🤣
Moving anywhere is traumatic in its own way isn’t it? At least it always has been for me. But when I look back I know it was a good choice. I hope you’ve felt like moving was worth it for you too.
I think the propaganda is worse outside the U.S. because it’s a big world to propagandize and so it takes more effort than keeping their own (U.S.) population deluded in their super slim Overton window. That being said, it’s been comparatively “easier” in my experience to reason with people in the EU about anti-U.S./anti-neoliberal ideas but you really have to walk them through it because they are constantly hearing the pro-U.S. lines in their own state media. Where as in the states if you tried to do this with an average person you’d be called names so quickly you’d never get a chance to explain anything.
Absolutely! If I’d stayed at home I’d never have being able to be myself or be happy so despite the massive anxiety it was definitely worth it!
Yeah fair, you do have to walk them through it. I can’t speak for others outside of the UK but here it feels very US adjacent.