The Empire Strikes Back! ...against their former colonial overlords

[HoreTore]

It happened with the US after WW2, now it's happening again.

A PM, half a government and around 80 people from Britains business elite has landed in India, the biggest official delegation since Harold Macmillan was the first British PM in an independent India. Back then, India needed Britains help to create its state. Now the tables are turned, India no longer has any real need for Britain, while Britain desperatly needs India to help them out of recession. At the same time, nationalism is on the rise back in Britain, fuelled by hate against scary brown people....including Indians.

I, for one, find all this highly amusing. At least Cameron understands that Britains new role in the world is to bow down and lick boot. When will the rest of the population follow him?

[Furunculus]

We want business - who knew.....?

What hate against scary brown people?

[tibilicus]

It's no different from every other European nation and the US wooing China and the other rising Asian economies. The only difference is that India was once governed by the British. For quite a few years now actually, India has been the first choice business partner of many British companies.

Also nationalism isn't on the rise. There's a very vocal minority and in general British society is more tolerable than its ever been. Your comment about licking boot is also unfounded as you suggest that relationship between Britain and India has always been one of ambivalence and disrespect. This hasn't really ever been the case post India independence and wasn't really the case pre-independence. India and the Asian sub-continent effectively served as the British Empires military machine for almost a century and after the Great Mutiny the people of India (at least by 19th and early 20th century European standards) were treated with a level of tolerance and even respect. How do you think an administration numbering in the thousands managed to govern a domain of about 250 million people? It wasn't through direct subjugation and suppression as you suggest.

Point being Britain wants to expand its business opportunities and India is one such business opportunity. Just before I end this, back to the suggested racism in the UK towards Indians, not the case. Many people actually welcome Indians as a migrant group due to the fact they have a reputation for carrying a strong work ethic and accepting views of the British culture.

[Furunculus]

Just before I end this, back to the suggested racism in the UK towards Indians, not the case. Many people actually welcome Indians as a migrant group due to the fact they have a reputation for carrying a strong work ethic and accepting views of the British culture.

^ word ^

as contributors to british society in skills and taxes crime and benefits they are pretty much unparalleled as an immigrant group per-capita.

[InsaneApache]

We're that racist we have chicken tikka masala as our national dish.

[Skullheadhq]

We're that racist we have chicken tikka masala as our national dish.

It says more about the fact that English can't cook than that you're a tolerant nation

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[al Roumi]

^ word ^

as contributors to british society in skills and taxes crime and benefits they are pretty much unparalleled as an immigrant group per-capita.

Indeed. Now if HoreTore has said "Muslims" and not Indians, he might have been right to say the UK public was hostile to them, as it seems there is growing intolerance towards them. But that's another topic.

By the way, I'm not aware of any Dutch cuisine of note. Does it perchance involve pickled-cabage? That would be original.

[rvg]

I, for one, find all this highly amusing. At least Cameron understands that Britains new role in the world is to bow down and lick boot. When will the rest of the population follow him?

Why such hostility towards the Brits? You do realize that on the global scene Britain is far more important and far more respected than Norway has ever been. Before belittling Brits, look at yourself instead.

[al Roumi]

Why such hostility towards the Brits? You do realize that on the global scene Britain is far more important and far more respected than Norway has ever been. Before belittling Brits, look at yourself instead.

Ouch! There's no need to say that so bluntly! Can't you see from his post that he already hqs a massive chip on his shoulder?

[Tellos Athenaios]

By the way, I'm not aware of any Dutch cuisine of note. Does it perchance involve pickled-cabage? That would be original.

No it wouldn't be original (Acar, much?). Nor is it actually part of Dutch cuisine. Dutch cuisine (if there is such a thing) is by an large the same as the British one: raise the meat and import the rest of your food from abroad, because the home grown stuff (except rhubarb) isn't worth bothering with (too expensive or not as tasty).

[Skullheadhq]

No it wouldn't be original (Acar, much?). Nor is it actually part of Dutch cuisine. Dutch cuisine (if there is such a thing) is by an large the same as the British one: raise the meat and import the rest of your food from abroad, because the home grown stuff (except rhubarb) isn't worth bothering with (too expensive or not as tasty).

Don't listen to the Belgian, he's still mad about 1815.
Here are some of the best food in the world (and Dutch)

-Hutspot
-Zuurkool
-Boerenkool
-Nederwiet
-Patatje Oorlog
-Frikandel
-Kroket
-HEMA worst
-Oranjevla
-Drop
-Broodje Aap
-Vlaflip
-Broodje Belg ;)
-Squid Paul
- the Spanish
and the list goes on and on

[Vladimir]

Don't listen to the Belgian, he's still mad about 1815.
Here are some of the best food in the world (and Dutch)

-Hutspot
-Zuurkool
-Boerenkool
-Nederwiet
-Patatje Oorlog
-Frikandel
-Kroket
-HEMA worst
-Oranjevla
-Drop
-Broodje Aap
-Vlaflip
-Broodje Belg
-...

and the list goes on and on

I'm sorry, could you please translate those? I'm all about tasty food but have no idea what you're talking about.

[Skullheadhq]

I'm all about tasty food but have no idea what you're talking about.

Maybe it has no English name, huh?

[HoreTore]

We want business - who knew.....??

Yes, the fun part being that the power has shifted - India is now the big brother and Britain is the one who needs India, not the other way around. What happened last century in the US is happening again, this time in India.

What hate against scary brown people?

Ah, yes, I forgot that Britain is the only country in the world where nobody hates foreigners... And people vote BNP because of their enviromental stance.

@tibilicus: At what planet did I suggest that India was ruled by direct suppression....? I'm baffled at how you managed to draw that conclusion, quite frankly. Lay off the pot...

[tibilicus]

Yes, the fun part being that the power has shifted - India is now the big brother and Britain is the one who needs India, not the other way around. What happened last century in the US is happening again, this time in India.



Ah, yes, I forgot that Britain is the only country in the world where nobody hates foreigners... And people vote BNP because of their enviromental stance.

@tibilicus: At what planet did I suggest that India was ruled by direct suppression....? I'm baffled at how you managed to draw that conclusion, quite frankly. Lay off the pot...

The BNP are a marginal political party who currently hold no seats in Westminster and probably never will. They only have seats in the European Parliament as people voted for them for a protest vote and due to the fact the turnout for the European elections are pitifully low and the European Parliament effectively does nothing, it doesn't mean anything.

Also I responded to your original point on the trail of thought that you were some how going to dig at Britain's colonial past, perhaps I was wrong about that. Seeming that isn't the case, I'm not quite sure what you are trying to propose with the topic. Are we meant to be surprised that India is a rising economy? Or am I meant to feel some humility that Britain's position has lessened in comparison to India? If that's the case then I feel no such humility as what's happening with India is the same as what's happening all over the east. The Asian economies are growing rapidly and in the near future China will be the world power, not the USA. We're seeing the shift from West to East and in the next couple of decades the world may look very different. This doesn't really bother me though, it's an inevitable fact.

[HoreTore]

The BNP are a marginal political party who currently hold no seats in Westminster and probably never will. They only have seats in the European Parliament as people voted for them for a protest vote and due to the fact the turnout for the European elections are pitifully low and the European Parliament effectively does nothing, it doesn't mean anything.

Also I responded to your original point on the trail of thought that you were some how going to dig at Britain's colonial past, perhaps I was wrong about that. Seeming that isn't the case, I'm not quite sure what you are trying to propose with the topic. Are we meant to be surprised that India is a rising economy? Or am I meant to feel some humility that Britain's position has lessened in comparison to India? If that's the case then I feel no such humility as what's happening with India is the same as what's happening all over the east. The Asian economies are growing rapidly and in the near future China will be the world power, not the USA. We're seeing the shift from West to East and in the next couple of decades the world may look very different. This doesn't really bother me though, it's an inevitable fact.

I posted this as a "Hmmm.... Look, another sign that the balance of power in the world is shifting".

I'm usually not very aggressive

[johnhughthom]

And people vote BNP because of their enviromental stance.

And BNP had a stupendous General Election.

[HoreTore]

And BNP had a stupendous General Election.

Still better than 10 years ago, like most other facist groups in Europe.

And who here believes that the average BNP hater can tell the difference between an Indian hindu from Punjab and a Pakistani muslim from Punjab when he sees one walking down the street....? I find that highly unlikely.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

And BNP had a stupendous General Election.

They did?

[johnhughthom]

They did?

No, that's the point.

[InsaneApache]

Still better than 10 years ago, like most other facist groups in Europe.

And who here believes that the average BNP hater can tell the difference between an Indian hindu from Punjab and a Pakistani muslim from Punjab when he sees one walking down the street....? I find that highly unlikely.

Ironic isn't it that the NF and the BNP were off the radar, getting a dozen or so votes, before New Labour got in.

New Labour. New Britain.

[HoreTore]

Ironic isn't it that the NF and the BNP were off the radar, getting a dozen or so votes, before New Labour got in.

New Labour. New Britain.

Are you asking me to not blame every trouble in the world on Tony Blair? If so, you're asking too much, my friend!!

[Wishazu]

Do you have a problem with the British hortore? I don't tend to post much in the backroom but I do pass alot of time here following the discussions of others wiser than me and it seems that a day cannot go by without you having a dig at my people and my country. I find it for the most part irritating but occasionally offensive. Do you have issues?

[HoreTore]

Do you have a problem with the British hortore? I don't tend to post much in the backroom but I do pass alot of time here following the discussions of others wiser than me and it seems that a day cannot go by without you having a dig at my people and my country. I find it for the most part irritating but occasionally offensive. Do you have issues?

....just how is any of this "a dig" at "your people"*....?

And no, except for New Labour, Tony Blair, the monarchists and the nationalists, I don't really care.... And the last two are universal, mind you.

*I'm currently under the assumption that you are, like all others here, just one person

[InsaneApache]

Are you asking me to not blame every trouble in the world on Tony Blair? If so, you're asking too much, my friend!!

With the inherent racism of the left, what do you expect?

[HoreTore]

With the inherent racism of the left, what do you expect?

Now you lost me...

[rory_20_uk]

We're that racist we have chicken tikka masala as our national dish.

It was invented in Glasgow.

Is this Small Man Syndrome? Norway hasn't been important since... forever. Perhaps there is the need to see other diminished to closer to their level.

[Furunculus]

Yes, the fun part being that the power has shifted - India is now the big brother and Britain is the one who needs India, not the other way around. What happened last century in the US is happening again, this time in India.

Ah, yes, I forgot that Britain is the only country in the world where nobody hates foreigners... And people vote BNP because of their enviromental stance.

funny, that's not the way it came across. if you want to say india is a rising power, fine, if you want me to be desolate about the fact you after the wrong person, i'm delighted.

the BNP got nowhere, as usual, and they will continue to get nowhere as long as immigration is 'controlled' and PR gets shafted.

[Beskar]

STV and AV are the step in the right direction.

[HoreTore]

It was invented in Glasgow.

Is this Small Man Syndrome? Norway hasn't been important since... forever. Perhaps there is the need to see other diminished to closer to their level.

Yup, Britain, Norway and every other European country will soon be at the same, irrelevant level. The only way for any of us to influence anything in the future, will be through the EU.... Fortunately, since I don't give a rat's behind about influence or power, I can still happily be against membership in the EU

But it is my understanding that most nationalists do care about such things... It'll be hilarious, they want none of the EU, but they want power and influence over the world, which they can't get any of without membership in the EU....

funny, that's not the way it came across. if you want to say india is a rising power, fine, if you want me to be desolate about the fact you after the wrong person, i'm delighted.

Why on earth would I want you to be desolate about it...? Was it the shoe-licking comment that got you? That one actually wasn't directed at any Brit; I could've happily swapped "Britain" with any other European country and the comment would stand. It just so happened that it is the British PM who's visiting India today, so that's why I said "David Cameron". The fact that India is a former underling does, of course, add a little extra spice to the story.