NationStates Jolt Archive

I get mixed response to this question, so here we go.

Do you consider yourself to be a part of Europe?

If not, why not?

edit: how do I make this into a poll? :/

Notreally, as we are not connected and we do not use the euro.

I don't percieve myself as being European... I don't feel we have that much in common with them, aside from being in the same continent. And we aren't even connected to it.

Notreally, as we are not connected and we do not use the euro.
that may make you feel like you're not part of the eu, but not europe.

I generally do not feel much part of a greater europe but I am not opposed to the EU.

Yes I do consider myself to be part of Europe, and I think it's a shame that most Brits do not.

Not really, I tend to think of Britain as the island it is. It was more a part of Europe in the past, particularly when the concept of Christendom reigned.

I'm not opposed to our involvement with the EU, by the way, I just don't think of myself as European. I tend to think of Europe as the mainland.

that may make you feel like you're not part of the eu, but not europe.

I mean it in the same way

meh...not particularly

absolutely we are European, but we could be more so

Yes Britain is as big a part of europe as france or germany, the only real differnce is the channel, its not like weve ever been isolotionist, or hidden behind our channel, its really only a defensive thingly.

Long live the E.u fatherland

"Fog Over the Channel. Continent Cut Off."

Nah, I don't feel European.

We're still European, just not part of continental Europe... i can't say id rather be part of any other continent anyway...

Not really.

Feel connected to Europe, but not overly 'European'

I consider myself (and therefore the whole of britain) as part of the European continent, but not the EU (especially).

I consider Britain part of Europe and myself European. Maybe things are slightly different for me, compared to some Brits, because I was brought up living in a few different places in europe as a child and I've regularly gone back and explored more.

The channel is just that, it's a channel and it isn't all that deep. You can be in pretty much any country in europe in the same amount of time as it takes me to get the train from Manchester to London too.

By my own experience I'd say that for all the differences between the european cultures, there's actually not many truly significant ones compared to when you get outside of europe. We're more similar than dissimilar.

Don't feel especially European (even though my family is from there), for a start I'd be able to get better food :p

Though I know that Britain is part of Europe. I am opposed to the EU, though not for the bullshit nationalist reasons the moderate to far right are giving.

We're not geographically connected to them -- no land connections. We're not culturally connected to them. We're not connected to them ideologically. We're certainly historically disconnected from them. Why would I consider myself to be part of Europe simply because of proximity?

Ireland didn't seem to like the idea of being incorporated into the British Empire because they were 'just next door', so why should we be happy to be incorporated into the European Empire of Bureaucrats just because we're 'just next door'? So far as the EU goes, it's not good for our people, it's not good for our government, and it's not good for our economy. The second we sign away our sovereignty, and prosperity -- and sanity -- for good I'm moving somewhere like Canada or Australia.

We're not geographically connected to them -- no land connections. We're not culturally connected to them. We're not connected to them ideologically. We're certainly historically disconnected from them. Why would I consider myself to be part of Europe simply because of proximity?



We're not connected culturally, idealogically or historically? Name a country we are connected to in all those senses more than any European countries.

there was a whole load of stuff i read which is stupid...like if the constitution is accepted then protests against it are banned.

other things like that, under the constitution civil rights can be suspended if theres a security threat...

dont know how much truth there is in all that, but if its even a bit, then the constitution is very bad

We're not geographically connected to them -- no land connections. We're not culturally connected to them.

A fact only really apparent to an insider looking around, rather then an outsider looking in.

We're not connected to them ideologically. We're certainly historically disconnected from them.

How do you mean that. Hardly a year has gone by without somesort of conflict without at least one European nation.

Why would I consider myself to be part of Europe simply because of proximity?
[quote] So far as the EU goes, it's not good for our people, it's not good for our government, and it's not good for our economy. The second we sign away our sovereignty, and prosperity -- and sanity -- for good I'm moving somewhere like Canada or Australia.
Bullshit imo, but like I said, I'm still not pro-EU.

there was a whole load of stuff i read which is stupid...like if the constitution is accepted then protests against it are banned.

Really, I never realised that. I might start protesting out of principle :p

other things like that, under the constitution civil rights can be suspended if theres a security threat...

This seems like politician-speak for "suckas don't realise that there is always a security threat of some sort."

dont know how much truth there is in all that, but if its even a bit, then the constitution is very bad

Well it isn't as if you can read it.

The American constitution may be ambiguous and vague, but at least you can read the sodding thing easily enough.

The EU constitution on the other hand could easily be used to kill a large dog.

The EU constitution on the other hand could easily be used to kill a large dog.

that's a good point...


hmmm, maybe we should put a word in to the government for the next in those useless "What to do in case of terrorist attacks" handouts. The answer being:










Beat them over the head with the EU constitution until they decide to leave us alone!

The EU constitution has one big plus point for me. You get all the right-wing press railing against a yes vote for it as they claim we'll all become slaves to Brussels and that we'd be better off leaving the EU. They never mention that right now there's no way to leave the EU, once you're in you're in, but there will be a way if the constitution gets ratified. Beautiful irony!

To be honest I see myself more as a universalian -part of the universe - the worlds fucked and patriotism is a big bad part of that we are in the universal community embrace your brothers and sisters - we should all be one with no boundarys
so there

The EU constitution has one big plus point for me. You get all the right-wing press railing against a yes vote for it as they claim we'll all become slaves to Brussels and that we'd be better off leaving the EU. They never mention that right now there's no way to leave the EU, once you're in you're in, but there will be a way if the constitution gets ratified. Beautiful irony!
Well there is a way to get out. But it isn't a case of going "We don't want in no more" probably take loads of consequtive governments desperate to carry out the task.

Not really. We're a separate island, so we're separate from Europe. I'm highly patriotic, and I guess I'm sort of wishing for the past, when Britain was the world power. (But I don't want the oppression and other junk that happened then)

*Sings 'Rule Britannia'

I certainly identify myself as a European, and feel very much a part of europe, and furthermore, find the majority of reasons british people have against integration with europe to be rather petty. In fact, it seems to me that Britain has trouble even integrating with itself. It's all 'devolution' this, and 'welsh assembly' that.

Forget the channel tunnel, lets build the channel bridge! In fact, forget that, let's fill the channel with concrete, and build the new capital city of europe on it, which will be called Europebergvilleholmstadthamptonskibrod, and will be the finest, most decadent city in all the west!

Seriously, though, I really do feel a kind of affinity for our dutch and norse cousins, and to a lesser extent, even the french. It's just a pity everyone else is so stubborn.

I certainly identify myself as a European, and feel very much a part of europe, and furthermore, find the majority of reasons british people have against integration with europe to be rather petty. In fact, it seems to me that Britain has trouble even integrating with itself. It's all 'devolution' this, and 'welsh assembly' that.

Forget the channel tunnel, lets build the channel bridge! In fact, forget that, let's fill the channel with concrete, and build the new capital city of europe on it, which will be called Europebergvilleholmstadthamptonskibrod, and will be the finest, most decadent city in all the west!

Seriously, though, I really do feel a kind of affinity for our dutch and norse cousins, and to a lesser extent, even the french. It's just a pity everyone else is so stubborn.

I've heard a few people propose the idea that these devolutions were proposed and made so willingly just to keep us weaker. Together we stand, divided we fall and all that... or give them something they think they want right now, to divert them from all the other cr@p you're up to and taking away from them.

As to your filling the channel with concrete idea, well that's just pure genius! The southern housing and space problems all sorted in one fell swoop, along with a neutral European capital city space.

I do. I definitely feel greater kinsmanship with Europeans than Americans despite the language barrier.

But I am speaking from personal experience which mostly involves Germans who ahve very similar attitudes to Brits.

I feel myself to be human first, Scottish second and European third. I don't feel British at all.
Mind you, I'm not for "Independence in Europe". As long as the English feel like paying us money, that's fine by me.

I certainly identify myself as a European, and feel very much a part of europe, and furthermore, find the majority of reasons british people have against integration with europe to be rather petty. In fact, it seems to me that Britain has trouble even integrating with itself. It's all 'devolution' this, and 'welsh assembly' that.

Forget the channel tunnel, lets build the channel bridge! In fact, forget that, let's fill the channel with concrete, and build the new capital city of europe on it, which will be called Europebergvilleholmstadthamptonskibrod, and will be the finest, most decadent city in all the west!

Seriously, though, I really do feel a kind of affinity for our dutch and norse cousins, and to a lesser extent, even the french. It's just a pity everyone else is so stubborn.

YES!!! SOMEONE VISIONARY

Not really. We're a separate island, so we're separate from Europe. I'm highly patriotic, and I guess I'm sort of wishing for the past, when Britain was the world power. (But I don't want the oppression and other junk that happened then)

*Sings 'Rule Britannia'

Well if you want to be part of a powerful country, why not be part of a powerful Europe. For patriots, Europe is actually the only chance of greatness for Britain, as we could be part of something powerful.

Until the air periodically smells of rotten eggs and drinking water gives me diarrhoea, Britain is not part of Europe.

Forget the channel tunnel, lets build the channel bridge! In fact, forget that, let's fill the channel with concrete, and build the new capital city of europe on it, which will be called Europebergvilleholmstadthamptonskibrod, and will be the finest, most decadent city in all the west!


Think of the fish! For God's sake, will no one think of the fish?!

I consider myself as human first then Scottish then European and I don't consider myself to be at all British. I would to see an independent socialist Scotland which maintains close relations with other European countries. I don't however support the EU in its present form which exists mainly in order to enforce free market policies on the people of Europe and if they aren't prepared to accept socialism in Scotland we must leave them immediately.

I feel we are being dragged away from europe. I would love to feel more european but we are being quickly and painfully americanised. I say we should be more pro european and stop the horrendously rascist and sickening organisations of UKIP and BNP - not by force but by chosing the only sane option (edit-the sane option is Europe (in case this wasn't evident).)
--a Bristolian

I get mixed response to this question, so here we go.

Do you consider yourself to be a part of Europe?

If not, why not?

edit: how do I make this into a poll? :/

yes, absolutely, and the more the better. i wish we had euros.

Never European. Always British.

The Empire will rise again!

I'm not sure I should even be answering this thread, as I barely consider myself English, let alone British, and certainly not European.