Are you a 'good citizen' ?

[Newt]

Politicians are much more likely to favour voters who know very little about anything. Just ask Obama.

 

"Hi. Vote for me because I'm gonna change all the bad stuff and make it good."

 

"Gee, I think I will because even though I don't have a clue about what you plan to change or what you will change it into, bad stuff is not good so it ought to be changed."

[barry luxton]

Politicians are much more likely to favour voters who know very little about anything. Just ask Obama.

 

"Hi. Vote for me because I'm gonna change all the bad stuff and make it good."

 

"Gee, I think I will because even though I don't have a clue about what you plan to change or what you will change it into, bad stuff is not good so it ought to be changed."

 

Dunno about that over here Newt. Our present government targeted a huge majority of people who were easily duped, mind you that may well be the same thing.

 

Still remember the catch words used, 'things can only get better'. Yer right, the rest is history.

[Chris Goddard]

So OK I couldn't NOT do it could I?? I passed with 22 out of 24. Shame really as the question setters were WRONG!!! I apparently got question 8 & 19 wrong! (No actually I got 24 from 24!!)

 

Question 8 of 24

In which TWO of the following places does the European Parliament meet?

 

A London

 

B Strasbourg

 

C Paris

 

THEY reckon it is Strasbourg (OK) and D Brussels?? As BRUSSELS was NOT an answer how on this gods earth could I answer bloody D???

 

And then question 19.

 

From which TWO places can you obtain advice if you have a problem at work and need to take further action? I of course said the CAB and best guess was Your Employer??

 

A The Citizens Advice Bureau

 

B Your local MP

 

C Your Employer

 

Apparently the answer also includes D (Again) but as before answer D does NOT exist!! But I did of course guess

 

well at least one thing is right about it all! it is bloody rubbish!!

[Alan Stubbs]

Who is to decide and upon what criteria makes a 'good citizen' anyway? And upon what mandate?

 

This sort of rubbish is like a red rag to me.

 

To me, a good citizen is one who gladly welcomes visitors to the country, has a sense of community and in general wants to portray a positive impression of the country.

 

A knowledge of constitution, local and national history from a British perspective is irrelevant. If it was we'd have very few 'good citizens' amongst the indigenous population.

[corydoras]

A knowledge of constitution, local and national history from a British perspective is irrelevant. If it was we'd have very few 'good citizens' amongst the indigenous population.

Hmmm. You might be on to something there Alan

[Alan Stubbs]

Hmmm. You might be on to something there Alan

 

 

John, I was trying to make an observation without being provocative - there are a few posters on here who proudly proclaim their 'Britishness' and in most instances their 'Englishness', but in the same paragraph display an ignorance of their heritage.

 

I don't doubt that they have a pride in their background, but this means that knowledge of the British Constitution (Bagehot, Erskine May et al), and history - both local and national need not be a prerequisite for 'good citizenship'.

 

A good example: Rochester in Kent, is best known for it connections with Charles Dickens. Some years ago, people were stopped and asked where the museum, the Dickens Centre and Charles Dickens's chalet were. The lack of local knowledge - and by extension, pride in the area, was embarrassing. The point is I have a suspicion that this is reflected around other parts of the country too. An exception is Liverpool. One reason I truly love it up here is the pride in the area, and a willingness of people to educate visitors in the local history of the area.

 

It's a purely personal observation, of course, but I've noticed that those with an interest in their local area extend that interest to both a national and international perspective and tend to be more open-minded about life in general.

[chesters1]

John, I was trying to make an observation without being provocative - there are a few posters on here who proudly proclaim their 'Britishness' and in most instances their 'Englishness', but in the same paragraph display an ignorance of their heritage.

 

I don't doubt that they have a pride in their background, but this means that knowledge of the British Constitution (Bagehot, Erskine May et al), and history - both local and national need not be a prerequisite for 'good citizenship'.

 

A good example: Rochester in Kent, is best known for it connections with Charles Dickens. Some years ago, people were stopped and asked where the museum, the Dickens Centre and Charles Dickens's chalet were. The lack of local knowledge - and by extension, pride in the area, was embarrassing. The point is I have a suspicion that this is reflected around other parts of the country too. An exception is Liverpool. One reason I truly love it up here is the pride in the area, and a willingness of people to educate visitors in the local history of the area.

 

It's a purely personal observation, of course, but I've noticed that those with an interest in their local area extend that interest to both a national and international perspective and tend to be more open-minded about life in general.

that is being british dont you see we have the long long history ,the thousands of famous people ,the millions of inventions why do we need to proclaim it

america has little or nothing and proclaim their country with flags everywhere ,why not they have nothing else to be proud of.

being british isnt knowing stuff or proudly waving flags or anything else thats judged to be patriotic its the simple personal knowledge that everyone else is inferior ,their countries are and everyone in them are

even when they may not be.

mistrust anyone that may pass the test they certainly are up to something that isnt "british"!! liverpool (and their knowledge) is nearly bloody irish which proves my point

lots of brits know their heritage and most probably the local history of their area ,not passing it onto others is as british as you can get

we conquered the civilised earth without knowing their history let outsiders learn ours for themselves.

being british isnt not knowing something its not telling anyone you know something,being english is not being british and not letting them forget it ,britain only exists on a map nowhere else.

"british" is attitude not a birthplace! foreigners with the right attitude meld in quite nicely

Edited August 25, 2009 by chesters1

[Alan Stubbs]

that is being british dont you see we have the long long history ,the thousands of famous people ,the millions of inventions why do we need to proclaim it

america has little or nothing and proclaim their country with flags everywhere ,why not they have nothing else to be proud of.

being british isnt knowing stuff or proudly waving flags or anything else thats judged to be patriotic its the simple personal knowledge that everyone else is inferior ,their countries are and everyone in them are

even when they may not be.

mistrust anyone that may pass the test they certainly are up to something that isnt "british"!! liverpool (and their knowledge) is nearly bloody irish which proves my point

 

 

A typically Chesters1 response!

 

You call yourself Chesters1 - Chester, close to Liverpool is also dagerously close to being in Wales and you claim part Scottish ancestry. Not a million miles from here is a huge Heinz factory - are you a result of an amalgamation of their 57 varieties?

 

Some wag reckoned that if you took all the Irish out of Liverpool, the water level in the Mersey would drop a foot or two.

 

I can't - and if I could, I wouldn't speak up for Americans. I have several American friends and whilst they're proudly America, they have such a parochial mentality, they seem to look at export to mean lager.

 

A case in example is a friend of mine from Minnesota, who lives in Speke and is married to a Liverpool lady. Dustin seriously thought that Britain had a solid land connection to mainland Europe. The look of embarrassment on his face when I showed him an atlas left me feeling really awkward. I asked him to name any USA government ministers, he stumbled over George Dubya, and having only left Minnesota 4 months previously, couldn't even name the state governor of his own state.

 

He thought that 'that woman Margaret What'shername' was the queen of England. I thought that was Lord Mandelson.

Edited August 25, 2009 by Alan Stubbs

[barry luxton]

John, I was trying to make an observation without being provocative - there are a few posters on here who proudly proclaim their 'Britishness' and in most instances their 'Englishness', but in the same paragraph display an ignorance of their heritage.

 

A good example: Rochester in Kent, is best known for it connections with Charles Dickens. Some years ago, people were stopped and asked where the museum, the Dickens Centre and Charles Dickens's chalet were. The lack of local knowledge - and by extension, pride in the area, was embarrassing. The point is I have a suspicion that this is reflected around other parts of the country too. An exception is Liverpool. One reason I truly love it up here is the pride in the area, and a willingness of people to educate visitors in the local history of the area.

 

It's a purely personal observation, of course, but I've noticed that those with an interest in their local area extend that interest to both a national and international perspective and tend to be more open-minded about life in general.

 

Ahh yes, take rochester as an example. To visit, beware, ok if you manage to find a place to park somewhere after the local authority have made most of the roads car user unfriendly, they own them along with every other lampost fitted with a driver lookout sign for something or other, The best that the authority offer in particular for the dickens tourist are highly experienced parking attendants, they are not helpful, just want to write you out a ticket, so don't turn your back on them. Mostly they skulk around in two's or three's in the back streets, not to help the traffic moving, no, it's to issue money tickets. Now the camera cars patrol the main roads, nothing to report on that at the mo, as the adudicator is hearing my case this week sometime, as soon as i will write to the local paper, watch this space on that one. Rochester, it's no longer a city, why would anyone want to come. It even stars on some reality police programmes. Sgt Swann and his merry men. At night, the high street resembles war torn afghanistan with the drunken louts making it a no go zone. The shopkeeprs charge more than a quid for a can of coke. Bottle of water, don't ask. Then there are the citizens, as dickens week appears to last all year around, all we want to do is get out to get a bit of peace and quiet. As during the normal working week the traffic ques up and down the road during the rush hour that can last upto seven at night. Again all the local authority can offer is to grant planning to cram a few more in. So no disrespects mr visitor, we are full, bu@@er off is now the advice given, no disrespects, hopeing you understand.

[chesters1]

A typically Chesters1 response!

 

You call yourself Chesters1 - Chester, close to Liverpool is also dagerously close to being in Wales and you claim part Scottish ancestry. Not a million miles from here is a huge Heinz factory - are you a result of an amalgamation of their 57 varieties?

 

Some wag reckoned that if you took all the Irish out of Liverpool, the water level in the Mersey would drop a foot or two.

 

I can't - and if I could, I wouldn't speak up for Americans. I have several American friends and whilst they're proudly America, they have such a parochial mentality, they seem to look at export to mean lager.

 

A case in example is a friend of mine from Minnesota, who lives in Speke and is married to a Liverpool lady. Dustin seriously thought that Britain had a solid land connection to mainland Europe. The look of embarrassment on his face when I showed him an atlas left me feeling really awkward. I asked him to name any USA government ministers, he stumbled over George Dubya, and having only left Minnesota 4 months previously, couldn't even name the state governor of his own state.

 

He thought that 'that woman Margaret What'shername' was the queen of England. I thought that was Lord Mandelson.

 

a different chester! mine is on the roman wall and its chesters ,probably wales is more english than england if you think about it we (the english) had to flee somewhere when the romans came ,the rest romanised then went back to the old ways after the romans left

theres no difference in either the scots or irish their roots went back and forth ,the irish got smaller and richer and got green hair the scots taller and poorer with ginger hair the english well they just became unorganised but basically kept being english.

my genes are quite common i get to be poor (luckily not ginger) from my mum and her mum,wily from my irish grannie and stubborn from my english dad so i am a brit that was born in england ,greenwhich if you wish so i dont get seasick either

probably the most english english are those from norman stock or rather their roots are far easier to trace.

my scottish roots go back to 1768 ( cannot go further back without consulting kirk records) most were farm labourers (no money for me to find then) as for my old man above his dad i cannot find a thing which is strange my old man was one of 14 kids

Edited August 25, 2009 by chesters1