How we are perceived

Let's face it, in the eyes of everyone from outside the UK, Brexit was viewed as exactly what it was, an expression of little Englander jingoism beyond sensible understanding. It took us down even further in their eyes and continued racism and neanderthalism just reinforces their view.

 

It did seem a bit wild from the other side of the world.
Whats done is done now though and its time to move forwards and not look backwards.

 

As i think about it, I'd suspect we've fallen off a cliff the last couple of years, not just had a decline of our perception.

I don't know how we're consistently shown outside of the UK, but I'd suspect from other coverage I've seen in years gone by, it's more factual than spun to create a facade. And if it's factual, we'll not look good.

 

I think the problem is the events on the field merging with those off it. The England football team should be perceived through the level of attainment they achieve on the pitch. Not what goes off in the streets or the political wilderness and media circus.

How England is perceived is something completely different.

 

The funny thing is at the last election there was only one leader being portrayed as a racist, the peace prize winning allotment tending guy, and that, in a nutshell is why we are here now.

 

All depends on the individual, I don't think there is a sweeping generalization of how England is perceived. You might be surprised at how many anglophiles I've met, even in the nicest parts of California I've had people tell me they'd rather be in England. Reasons vary I guess, I've spoken to some people who are into literature and they think about Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde (Who even though he was Irish he got famous in the West End) one of my bestfriends loves the Britpop era and also The Smiths and The Cure and things like that. I know a football fan who traveled all the way to Manchester to go watch Man United play. Others are just connected by heritage, most American white people have British and/or Irish somewhere down the line.

Fellow Americans I met in the United Kingdom all love the amount of annual leave/sick days you could have, like that was constantly mentioned all the time.

I think negative things gets amplified more but that doesn't mean it isn't true, stereotypes often come from some kind of reality at least and the English ones of being snobs or football hooligans is an accurate one. I think haters go overboard when they act like England is the only bad country for this though and everywhere else is a land of milk and honey. Doesn't seem long ago that minority English fans were being warned to not even attend games in Ukraine/Poland, when English under 21 players were subjected to racist abuse at a game in Serbia, when Bulgaria fans were kicked out of their own stadium due to racism aimed at England.

If you talk to regular people in the street there seems to be more common ground and understanding than hate. I'm quite privileged to have an extremely diverse family of different colors, backgrounds and nationalities.

 

Saddens me to say it but we are basically the Millwall of international football.

 

Remember that the Olympics were in the middle of the "Hostile Environment" and austerity policies designed to target the disabled and unemployed, while those responsible for the banking crash - Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak in particular - were using it as an excuse to gain power and privilege in other ways.

 

A couple of things about this. We can judge "England" through a prism of any bygone era. From centuries ago or a decade or two. There are things to be fond of. But that just highlights the point of what is happening now. That moments of the past are being used to glorify england and use that notion for supremacy.

As for other countries, I've travelled a lot, and I've had so many positive experiences in doing so. Particularly in countries that are often run down by Brits and seen as second class citizens of Europe. The Baltics and Eastern Europe have some incredible culture and people. But all places have problems. There is no utopia anywhere. What sets england apart though is the glossing over of our issues and the exceptionalism to then try and make us appear better than others.

 

The biggest single country of origin of American citizens is Germany, followed by Ireland then the UK.

BTW do your mates know about Morrissey and his political leanings?

 

More West Ham. Occasional good season then we spoil it all by smashing up our stadium to celebrate.

 

They were, and you're right, they did. And they weren't alone in looking to profiteer from disaster. But crikey, compared to the last 2 years, they almost seem decent! The power of contrast. Take something grim and selfish. Compare it to something even worse, and it starts to look more acceptable.

 

I hope you put them straight. It was one idiot who ran on the pitch. One idiot with a laser pen. The usual small percent of drunken numbskulls who try to spoil the day. To tar a whole nation of 60,000,000 based on that is ludicrous and like tarring all Amerixans based on what happened in the Caputol or all Russians based on what they did in Marselles.
The only trouble inside the ground was England fans trying to stop gatecrashers getting in. The stewards had already legged it. These are probably what some people are calling fans fighting amongst themselves. The atmosphere inside the ground was brilliant with families all enjoying themselves but no-one seems to mention that.

 

People enjoying themselves and having a good time - meh - you will never sell a paper with that headline

 

I used to think we were one of the least racist countries in the world. The social media era and Brexit have shown me how wrong I was though.

 

Yeah we did of course have the wider discussion and i believed that they were intelligent enough to know its not a nation. But the very fact it was a talking point and That UEFA charged us and probably will again after todays investigation highlighted an issue. Maybe our minority is bigger than other minorities but whatever the population of the country we cant argue there were a lot more people intent on spoiling the party whether in person or online than we would like to see.

 

what, that this was their was perception as heard from them? Yes of course i know my own view already.

 

I occasionally check out foreign news articles / broadcasts as it interests me anyway, particularly in the current climate.

whilst I’m sure the media in whichever country doesn’t necessarily reflect the people as such, it rarely makes good reading. Particularly with regards to our Government, who’s incompetence makes us a complete laughing stock.

 

This has been the general perception of the English for many many years. All we ever seem to do is reinforce it. We now have a grubby ultra right-wing government who are quite happy to stoke it up and then condemn the perpetrators whilst refusing to accept any responsibility for it.

 

Back in the 1990's I was in s bar in Ayr, Scotland. A woman approached me and stated that we English should **** off back home and stop pinching r water. . I said "who are you calling English, I'm from Yorkshire. The English come from darn sarth". Home rule for Yorkshire was my parting shot.