I know someone that at the minute that is being told off for being racist for saying to a person of ethnic minority "In this country blah blah".
Surely this is wrong, if u went to another country you would expect to abide by there rules.

And if you did and someone said something to you that you had not realised (like wearing shorts/not covering up appropriatly) about you would sort it out straight away and alopogise not wanting to offend and that.

The arguement is about the - in this counrty comment - but is not someone of british race not in the right here?

you have no idea what you've just started! Here we go again.
To give you the highlights of the next few replies
blah blah blah terrorists, blah blah blah, english, blah blah blah muslims, blah blah blah pc brigade, blah blah blah, keep england english blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
hopefully I've nipped it in the bud and covered everyones arguments already.

Sweet dreams

:D That's about right Andy...

Well doesn't it depend on what you say, who you say it to and how you say it? Any more specific detail Fuzzy?

The can is on the kitchen counter...the label reads: "worms"...in the background, the looming vision of a tin-opener.

Originally posted by fuzzy
I know someone that at the minute that is being told off for being racist for saying to a person of ethnic minority "In this country blah blah".
Surely this is wrong, if u went to another country you would expect to abide by there rules.

And if you did and someone said something to you that you had not realised (like wearing shorts/not covering up appropriatly) about you would sort it out straight away and alopogise not wanting to offend and that.

The arguement is about the - in this counrty comment - but is not someone of british race not in the right here?

Grabbing the can opener with alacrity -

Is it wrong to say the equivalent of “when in Rome do as the romans”?

Or rather “When in Britain do as the British”?

No – I don’t believe it is.

But I think the important thing to recognise is the wide scope of what constitutes Britishness.

And that Britishness itself (if it can be said to exist) is an amalgam of many different incoming cultures and traditions – some forcibly imported, some invited, others uninvited, many unconscious and osmotic – that have come to rest in the British Isles.

Anyone in any doubt as to the multifacetedness of Britain and British culture need only look to the language to see what influences have come to bear over the years.

So by starting a sentence with “In this country” – you can then continue with:

“we plonk our mats down where they are and don’t use prayer rooms”
“we like to go abroad, drink gallons of continental lager and fight the police”
“we like to go abroad, gobble fistfuls of pills and chunter in people’s front doorways”
“we eat cucumber sandwiches and drink earl grey tea at four”
“we dance around the maypole (or sun staff) every midsummer”
“we dance around the maypole on May Day”
“we celebrate international workers day on May Day”
“we drink gallons of stout on StPatricks Day”
“we have arguments about nationalism on StGeorges Day”
“we enjoy cockfighting”
“we abhor animal cruelty”
“we love angling”
“we speak gaelic and wear thick woolly sweaters in june”
“we play cricket”


All of which would be true depending on who you are and where in Britain you are, even though you are British.

I think the tendency worth resisting is the one where you believe that your Britishness is the same as everyone elses.

So "when in Britain, do as the British" is a fair enough maxim IMO

Phanerothyme...that has to be one of the best and most reasonable posts I've seen here on this topic.

Thank you.

Yes Phan, a very British approach.:thumbsup:

Here here!

What most people mean when they come out with the "In this country..." diatribe is actually more along the lines of "You're obvious differences in character and background to myself scare me, so now I must attempt to force you into a role that satisfies my own preconceptions of what you should be."

We're a diverse nation and that's always been the case, here's hoping it always will be.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme

“we plonk our mats down where they are and don’t use prayer rooms”
“we like to go abroad, drink gallons of continental lager and fight the police”
“we like to go abroad, gobble fistfuls of pills and chunter in people’s front doorways”
“we eat cucumber sandwiches and drink earl grey tea at four”
“we dance around the maypole (or sun staff) every midsummer”
“we dance around the maypole on May Day”
“we celebrate international workers day on May Day”
“we drink gallons of stout on StPatricks Day”
“we have arguments about nationalism on StGeorges Day”
“we enjoy cockfighting”
“we abhor animal cruelty”
“we love angling”
“we speak gaelic and wear thick woolly sweaters in june”
“we play cricket”


All of which would be true depending on who you are and where in Britain you are, even though you are British.

I think the tendency worth resisting is the one where you believe that your Britishness is the same as everyone elses.

So "when in Britain, do as the British" is a fair enough maxim IMO

I see where you're going with this argument, but cockfighting?

It's not only illegal, but it's not an especially British pursuit either.
Why not substitute paedophilia instead?

It's probably much more widespread than cockfighting these days (thanks to the internet). It's not unique to Britain, true, but both are illegal and both are extremely distasteful

Nice post Phan - I would like to add an old but well loved favourite of mine which I feel whole heartedly applies to many situations at the moment

Death of Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of an old friend, by the name of Common Sense.

Common Sense lived a long life but died from heart failure early in the new millennium. No one really knows how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools, hospitals, homes, factories and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness.

For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in out of the rain, the early bird gets the worm, and life isn’t always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it’s okay to come in second (or even last, as long as your best efforts were given).

A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including body piercing, whole language and “new math.” But his health declined when he became infected with the “If-it-only-helps-one-person-it’s-worth-it” virus.

In recent decades his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of overbearing regulations. He watched in pain as self-seeking lawyers ruled good people.

His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero tolerance policies, reports of six-year-old boys charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, a teen suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but cannot inform the parent when the female student is pregnant or wants an abortion.

Eventually, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional sports.

Finally, a woman who was not smart enough to realize that coffee is hot, and was awarded a huge payout for her stupidity, caused Common Sense to finally throw in the towel.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers: My Rights and Ima Whiner.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.


OBITUARY (The Times, 8/24/01)