Why are the British proud of their nation?

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The wise investor

You are such an idiot, if you really believe America is the land of the free

it's as corrupt as they come !

We don't even have Kmart, or Wal Mart here (though they do own Asda, a tiny pikie supermarket)

we have international companies too - BP, Shell, Vodafone, GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC, Astra Zeneca, Unilever

considering we're such a small island geographically, we haven't half done badly for ourselves

America is a backwards country .... the people are STUPID, ignorant, largely fat, uneducated ... honestly, that's how the world sees you - do you really think it's the land of the free? How stupid are you - yes you can vote, but that's the only freedom you have, the government, secret services and corporations have ALL the power, not you civilians

You're hanging on to your wealthy super power tag by a thread, USA is all but bankrupt, they're owned by Saudi Arabia and China anyway, I think Saudi Arabia own about 10% of your GDP now ... you will have to get used to being second place in a few years, then lower - China and India will rapidly over take you as the super powers

No one likes America mate, so do one

What makes me laugh most is the propoganda going on in America... you idiots believe all this, from the outside looking in, we think you're absolute morons! ... guns at 16, an outdated constitution, and yet no sex or drinking before 21!? You can drive at 13 can't you? In some Southern states you can marry your 5th wife by 12!! .... and then there's the religion, you're all a bunch of god worshipping hicks .... and the "we saved your *** in WW2" spiel ... that's not even true either. We single handedly held off complete Nazi occupation for years, while those around us (hello French) caved in ... you joined in 1943, not through choice, not to help us, economically you signed deals to get hold of parts of the Arab lands we occupied, like Iraq, and to get business in the re-building of Europe, which is why after ww2 you prospered economically ..... it's all propoganda.

We're not as proud as we once were - we don't have the same characters we used to, Britain has changed for the worst over the decades, largely because of mass immigration ... there's little identity, and I couldn't imagine a war cry of fighting on the beaches working today, sadly - but we're still an historical and proud little nation!

Misty M

Although I'm not British and am not trying to offend you. But you need to do some research befor you post statements like these. And I do beleive you are trying to offend people.

The automobile
Karl Benz was the German mechanical engineer who designed and in 1885 built the world's first practical automobile to be powered by an internal-combustion engine.

Television
The origins of what would become today's television system can be traced back to the discovery of the photoconductivity of the element selenium by Willoughby Smith in 1873, the invention of a scanning disk by Paul Gottlieb Nipkow in 1884, and Philo Farnsworth's Image dissector in 1927.

The 20-year old German university student Nipkow proposed and patented the first electromechanical television system in 1884.[1] Nipkow's spinning disk design is credited with being the first television image rasterizer. Constantin Perskyi had coined the word television in a paper read to the International Electricity Congress at the International World Fair in Paris on August 25, 1900. Perskyi's paper reviewed the existing electromechanical technologies, mentioning the work of Nipkow and others. The photoconductivity of selenium and Nipkow's scanning disk were first joined for practical use in the electronic transmission of still pictures and photographs, and by the first decade of the 20th century halftone photographs were being transmitted by facsimile over telegraph and telephone lines as a newspaper service.

However, it wasn't until 1907 that developments in amplification tube technology made the design practical.[2] The first demonstration of the instantaneous transmission of still duotone images was by Georges Rignoux and A. Fournier in Paris in 1909, using a rotating mirror-drum as the scanner, and a matrix of 64 selenium cells as the receiver.[3]

In 1911, Boris Rosing and his student Vladimir Kosma Zworykin created a television system that used a mechanical mirror-drum scanner to transmit, in Zworykin's words, "very crude images" over wires to the electronic Braun tube (cathode ray tube) in the receiver. Moving images were not possible because, in the scanner, "the sensitivity was not enough and the selenium cell was very laggy".

On March 25, 1925, Scottish inventor John Logie Baird gave a demonstration of televised silhouette images in motion at Selfridge's Department Store in London. But if television is defined as the transmission of live, moving, half-tone (grayscale) images, and not silhouette, duotone, or still images, Baird first achieved this privately on October 2, 1925.[4] Then he gave the world's first public demonstration of a working television system to members of the Royal Institution and a newspaper reporter on January 26, 1926 at his laboratory in London. Unlike later electronic systems with several hundred lines of resolution, Baird's vertically scanned image, using a scanning disk embedded with a double spiral of lenses, had only 30 lines, just enough to reproduce a recognizable human face.

Radio
Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor, proved the feasibility of radio communication. He sent and received his first radio signal in Italy in 1895. By 1899 he flashed the first wireless signal across the English Channel and two years later received the letter "S", telegraphed from England to Newfoundland. This was the first successful transatlantic radiotelegraph message in 1902.

Computer
Konrad Zuse (1910-1995) was a construction engineer for the Henschel Aircraft Company in Berlin, Germany at the beginning of WWII. Konrad Zuse earned the semiofficial title of "inventor of the modern computer" for his series of automatic calculators, which he invented to help him with his lengthy engineering calculations. Zuse has modestly dismissed the title while praising many of the inventions of his contemporaries and successors as being equally if not more important than his own.

I could have researched more, but this was enough.

And by the way it's called patriotism.

dvc214

Do your research into who invented what.

mike UK

First mechanical computer British ---Charles Babbage and His Engines
The first device that might be considered to be a computer in the modern sense of the word was conceived by the eccentric British mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage (1791-1871). (Mecanical yes but the mathematics involved were far in excess of maths needed in a modern electrical PC)

The first programmable computer British was invented in Manchester university, This computer still works and is actually faster than the PC/laptop you are now using

Geostationary satellite feasibility was another British first, A C Clarke who died recently

Jet Engine British (Whittle)

Evolution theory Darwin British

Body scanner British

Internet BRITISH,(Tim Berners -Lee)

Radar British ww2

Train first train self propelled British (Stephenson)

Steam Engine British 3 British
Inventors: Thomas Savery, Thomas Newcomen, James Watt

Scramjet semi orbital jet engine British

Cat Eyes British Percy Shaw

1876 - The first successful two-stroke engine was invented by Sir Dougald Clerk.British

Periodic Table British
British chemist, John Newlands

The "Seismometer"British James Forbes

Englishmen, Sir Henry Bessemer (1813-1898) invented the first process for mass-producing steel

Spinning Jenny - James Hargreaves

Modern Seismograph
John Milne was the English seismologist and geologist who invented the first modern seismograph and promoted the building of seismological stations. In 1880, Sir James Alfred Ewing, Thomas Gray and John Milne, all British scientists working in Japan, began to study earthquakes. They founded the Seismological Society of Japan and the society funded the invention of seismographs. Milne invented the horizontal pendulum seismograph in 1880.

Sir Isaac Newton ( British ) was the inventor of the Universal Law of Gravity

Michael Faraday (British 1791 - 1867) invented both the electrical generator and the electric motor,

John Logie Baird (1888 - 1946) is immortalised for his invention of Television (1926) but also worked on early developments in radar and fibre optics (1924/5).

Hovercraft British Sir Christopher Cockerell (1910 - 1999) - 1959

Linear induction motor - Eric Laithwite (British 1921-1997) - early 1960s

Pedal cycle ....Kirkpatrick MacMillan- British -invented the pedal cycle 1839

Penicillin--Alexander Fleming - 1928

Holography 1947...Dennis Gabon -- British -

Colin Mac

Yanks are also thick as pea soup.

CLIVE H

Here's one. The right to trial by jury. This is an English legal requirement and one which is written in Magna Carta. As an American you enjoy this right because in 1607 the very first English colony was established in North America at Jamestown VA.

JAMESTOWN VA

Jamestown 2007 - America's 400th Anniversary
The official website for Jamestown 2007 - America's 400th Anniversary. ...
Va African American Forum Preview Gala. Va African American Forum Preview Gala ...
http://www.jamestown2007.org/

What did the newly arrived English settlers do first?

They elected a town council and then elected their first president.

HABEAS CORPUS

Here's one more. The Bill of Habeas Corpus - this 'right' still exists here in UK. However, your president, George W Bush decided in c2006 to withdraw this legal right you used to enjoy.

Your president has taken away your freedom from illegal and wrongful arrest. The law of Habeas Corpus [Where is the body?], is an English Law of the 17thC which was kept as part of American Law following the War of Independence.

The death of habeas corpus - Countdown with Keith Olbermann- msnbc.com
Oct 11, 2006 ... Heâ€™s managed to kill the writ of habeas corpus. Tonight, a special investigation,
how that, in turn, kills nothing less than your Bill of ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15220450/

Always remember that "Pride goes before a fall".

There never has been any such thing as pride in one's nation here in UK. The British people do not swear an oath of allegiance to a red white and blue rag. This apparently is something that only Americans do.

BRITISH SURRENDER AT YORKTOWN

Americans began losing their liberties, which we British invented, soon after General Cornwallis surrendered his sword to George Washington at Georgetown. There were still 10,000 Lobsters [British Redcoats] in the Loyal city of New York at that point.

The British Army fought a total of 10 battles against the Continental Army, of which the British won 8. If this were a basketball game score, then you lose.

Meanwhile, back here in the UK in c1776 - 50% of the population openly supported the Revolution in the American Colonies and raised funds to help finance the Continental Army.

JOSIAH WEDGEWOOD ESQ

Indeed, one of our most famous Artisans, Josiah Wedgewood Esq., sold cameo broaches depicting the heads of the American Revolutionaries and people wore these in the streets of London to proclaim their support.

BBC - History - Josiah Wedgwood (1730 - 1795)
Wedgwood was an innovative designer and manufacturer of pottery and a campaigner
for social reform.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/wedgwood_josiah.shtml

DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FRS

Doctor Benjamin Franklin F.R.S. spend sixteen years here in London campaigning on behalf of the American Colonies. He had much support here in London where he is still held in the highest esteem for all of his hard work and diligence on behalf of the Colonies.

The only surviving house belonging to Dr Benjamin Franklin F.R.S. is right here in London : -

Welcome to Benjamin Franklin House
n the heart of London, just steps from famed Trafalgar Square, is Benjamin Franklin
House, the world's only remaining Franklin home. ...
http://www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org/ - Cached

Benjamin Franklin House - News
'Two weeks ago, I happened to be in London and visited the Franklin House - as
I understand it, the only standing structure where Ben Franklin actually ...
http://www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org/site/sections/news/default.htm

If you are wondering what the letters F.R.S. mean after Doctor Benjamin Franklin's name mean, they are, Fellow of the Royal Society.

The Royal Society - the UK's national academy of science
The Royal Society is the independent academy of science in the UK.
http://royalsociety.org/

Finally, Dr. Benjamin Franklin FRS once said, "The best form of taxation is a lottery, since only the willing will pay."

What happened to that 'Revolutionary Idea'?

Finally, if we gave the world nothing else, at least we gave it Charlie Chaplin : -

YouTube - Charlie Chaplin- Table Ballet
lol i had a preoject for my American History Class on the Harlem Renaissance and
i had to do it on Charlie Chaplin and so i made a silent film where i ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoKbDNY0Zwg

++STOP PRESS+++

What did the British do at 9/11?

First thing that happened was that HM Queen Elizabeth ordered the band of the Grenadier Guards to play the American National Anthem all the way from St.James Palace along the Mall and to Buckingham Palace court yard.

Here is some British Pride. First the Footguards on Horseguards Parade for HM Queen's birthday 2006 : -

YouTube - Trooping the Colour 2006
The Massed Bands on Horseguards for Trooping the Colour 2006. The close up of
the Side Drummer stick lifting is me! The Massed Bands are playing "Les ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zofhv9KWoec

Now HMS Victory [which had Americans in her crew at the Battle of Trafalgar] firing a full broadside in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the victory at the Battle of Trafalgar : -

YouTube - HMS Victory Fires Full Broadside
HMS Victory, a 104 gun first-rate ship of the line, belonging to the Royal Navy
fires a 52 gun broadside to celebrate the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805, ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiRbJRNKyv8

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

Baz G

Im English not British and you sir are a penis.

Dave

I'm guessing you're about 12 so I'm going to try and be as nice as possible... You are deluded.
You truly believe America is the beacon of freedom?
oh dear i just wet myself... don't mind me

OK here's a few British inventions for you;
penicillin
the umbrella
toilet paper
steam engine
radar
the light bulb
tin cans
and the gas mask
btw the radio was invented by James Clerk Maxwell (British)

I'm not a particularly patriotic Brit, but that said America is still in a worse state than us.

David S

America didn't invent the aeroplane,car,TV,radio or computer; all these facets of daily life plus the train opriginally eminated from Britain or France. Many international companies are American, but many are European such as Airbus, Siemens, Mercedes Benz etc. Much of the American long distance bus system is owned by British transport companies such as First Group and Stagecoach; British companies such as ICI and British Aerospace export throughout the world including to America;
the London based financial dealing industry is one of the biggest in the world. As for America being the beacon of freedom - I have never encountered so many petty rules and bureaucracy governing every aspect of life as I encountered on visits to America. More importantly, and here America and Britain have a great deal in common, the broad mass of the population are kept largely uneducated and conditioned by a powerful dumbed down media to
see only material and monetary gain as having any real value. In playing the role of 'superpower' America is as hated around the world as it is admired; the cost of the continual wars and invasions has created an enormous national debt
which no President has properly dealt with, and even threatens the minority of Americans who are still wealthy and live an affluent lifestyle.

Alfred E. Newman

get your facts right then we may listen to you.

Well, said Alberto

What have we contributed apart from soccer, which no one seems to care about ? No one apart from the whole world, anyway (apart from some of the USA !) ! Perhaps that is your problem ? You only see an "Americanised" version of the globe ?

National pride is a funny thing: several of those inverntions are not American yet you claim them as such because it helps you to be proud. And what about America's faults ? Its a great country but it has its faults...

Happy Murcia

Your arrogance and limited world knowledge speaks volumes,,that is why the world generally laughs at the US,,and by the way if China called in it`s debts the US would be broke within 1 hour,,

Maurice B

Firstly, Britain is not a nation, it is a collection of nations.

I am proud of Britain because it was the home of the Industrial Revolution. Britain gave rise to very great inventors, engineers, industrialists, chemists and scientists whose work had a major inpact for good all over the world.

Britain gave rise to many major philanthropists, such as Titus Salt, Cadbury etc. Unlike the millionnaires of today, they had a social conscience and a geniune desire to improve the living conditions of 'ordinary' people.

Down though the centuries Britain has given refuge to people fleeing persecution and tyranny, and has assimilated them no matter what their race or religion.

We British are now discouraged from expressing pride in Britain's colonial past, being urged instead to have a sense of national guilt for our imperialism and the oppressive effect it was supposed to have had on the people of other countries. The massive benefits Britain brought to help the development of those countries is overlooked for politically correct reasons.

The English in particular are discouraged from showing pride in our flag, open display of which is banned by some authorities "in case it offends minorities" - something that would not be tolerated by any other nation with a proud history and heritage.

I should be doing something else

I really don't mean to go into an Anti-American rant, but YOU are the epitome of what the World dislikes (maybe even hates) about the American people. Most American people are lovely. People like you are the exceptions to the rule. You think you are the be all and end all.
The UK is a huge world player for a nation so small. Remember that. Idiot.

There will always be an England

We have won every war we have gone to.
We have some of the most brilliant scientists and inventors the world has ever known.
We always deal with adversity with a sense of togetherness and a get on with it attitude instead of whinging and moaning
We have the best Military in the world bar none. don't let anyone tell you otherwise
We are a relatively rich nation with more power than you think, if we had not helped you in Iraq who would have???

Thanks for the gratitude

Guy

Your facts about who invented what are wrong!!! You should do some research. American is a slave to capitalism mate & I would put it as one of the most corrupt nations on earth.

summerhead

ah....
I don't know what to say....
you need to go to see the world!

walmart?
do you know what do they do?!

pinkribbon

Ah, yes, you pulled this stunt the other day, under another name.
Weak military? OK, we'll have out troops back from Iraq then.What's left of them.
And you can send my father in law's cousin back from MA.He is Welsh and works on cancer research in the USA.You won't be needing him either.
EDIT:Why am I proud to be British? Simple, just look at all these well thought out replies you've had here.From articulate people that have given you a really good reason, indeed, many reasons why we are proud of our people.

HAPA CHIC

Hmmm why are americans so boastful about their country when their dollar value in reality is bad and their going through a recession.
Most technological nation lol...you need to get better facts!
Beacon of freedom?? okay your no different from many other countries with rights? Canadians brits ,austrailans etc etc share the same freedom oh sorry I forgot you count the right that any luny in your society can carry a gun !!!
Check your dollar on xe.com America beacon of freedom with all your social issues like racisms ..yes it can be found everywhere but America seems to manopolize how wide spread it is as everything comes down to race even with your elections
I doubt your british...anyways try living in America first and see if it is your meca you think it is
You have just proven how horribel your education system is as you boast nonsence with out ever researching the truth

Jenn T

i see your a yank that explains allot like why your so argent is the rest of your body as fat as you moth ,
you forgot to say about how good you ar at killing your own troops at war & british troops at war just incase you dont know this were the one`s that proudly fly the britsh flag

16 seconds in

Americans....Americans....Americans
play another record please!!!
Even Zarkozy wished he was a Brit.

Mark J

Why does everyone in the world hate the yanks so much more than anyone else and why is it that Arabs cut off the heads of Americans might it be the bragging about being all that when you couldn't even finish off Vietnam in fact you haven't
won a war since WW2 and in every war you do fight you kill more of your own than the enemy

x zubey x

you really are a dillweed. a proud brit,and you know nothing of our country.

Just me again â˜º

I'm an American and you sir make me ashamed that you are a citizen too. It is because of your way of thinking that the world has such low respect for us.

Blazing Pen Avenger.

"What have the British contributed to the world?" I think you are being offensive, as well as ignorant. Come back (if you must) when you mature.

I think they have a rich history and beautiful scenery there.

The Ghost

suggest you have a look at the list of invetitions and see who really invented them.

by the way some of us Brits are not proud of our "nation". Only the English would say something like that. I'm a Scot and proud of Scotland!

Claire H

Magnifying glass Roger Bacon
1668 Reflecting telescope Isaac Newton
1698 Steam pump Thomas Savery
1701 Seed drill Jethro Tull
1712 Steam engine Thomas Newcomen
1717 Diving bell Edmund Halley
1725 Stereotyping William Ged
1758 Achromatic lens John Dollond
1759 Marine chronometer John Harrison
1764 Spinning jenny James Hargreaves
1769 Spinning frame R. Arkwright
1769 Steam engine (with separate condenser) James Watt
1780 Steel pen Samuel Harrison
1784 Threshing machine Andrew Meikle
1785 Power loom Edmund Cartwright
1788 Flyball governor James Watt
1791 Gas turbine John Barber
1792 Illuminating gas William Murdock
1795 Hydraulic press Joseph Bramah
1796 Smallpox vaccination Edward Jenner
1804 Solid-fuel rocket William Congreve
1804 Steam locomotive Richard Trevithick
1814 Railroad locomotive George Stephenson
1815 Safety lamp Sir Humphry Davy
1820's Difference Engine (Computer) Charles Babbage
1820 Hygrometer J.F. Daniell
1821 Electric motor Michael Faraday
1823 Electromagnet William Sturgeon
1824 Portland cement Joseph Aspdin
1827 Friction match John Walker
1831 Dynamo Michael Faraday
1837 Telegraph Sir Charles Wheatstone
1839 Photography William Henry Fox Talbot
1839 Steam hammer James Nasmyth
1839 Bicycle (with pedals) Kirkpatrick MacMillan
1850 Mercerized cotton John Mercer
1855 Hypodermic syringe Alexander Wood
1856 Bessemer converter (steel) Sir Henry Bessemer
1861 Electric furnace Wilhelm Siemens
1865 Antiseptic surgery Joseph Lister
1876 Telephone Alexander Graham Bell
1878 Cathode ray tube Sir William Crookes
1879 Incandescent filament lamp Sir Joseph Wilson Swan
1884 Steam turbine Sir Charles Algernon Parsons
1884 Multiple-wheel steam turbine Sir Charles Algernon Parsons
1887 Air-inflated rubber tire J.B. Dunlop
1891 Motion picture camera (kinetograph) William K. L. Dickson
1891 Motion picture viewer (kinetoscope) William K. L. Dickson
1891 Synthetic rubber Sir William Augustus Tilden
1892 Rayon (viscose) Charles Frederick Cross
1892 Vacuum bottle (Dewar flask) Sir James Dewar
1895 Rayon (acetate) Charles Frederick Cross
1905 Diode rectifier tube (radio) Sir John Ambrose Fleming
1908 Two-color motion picture camera C. Albert Smith
1919 Mass spectrograph Sir Francis William Aston
1926 Television John Logie Baird
1928 Penicillin Sir Alexander Fleming
1930 Modern gas-turbine engine Sir Frank Whittle
1935 Radiolocator (radar) Sir Robert Watson-Watt
1941 Turbojet aircraft engine Sir Frank Whittle
1947 Holography Dennis Gabon
1956 Hovercraft Christopher Cockerell
1975 CAT (computerized axial tomography) scanner Godfrey N. Hounsfield
1996 Clockwork Radio Trevor Baylis
Ejector Seat Sir James Martin
Not to forget the computer. Beat that America. America has no culture it has NOTHING! What language are u speaking? hmmm

gaelic.linzi

America is NOT what yout think it is. It is to blame for most Global Warming, and yet you couldn't careless.

Britain, (especially Scotland) has to be the best country around. We are a tiny island and look how good we have done for ourselves!!!
And we invented the telephone so HA!
We are also the Nicest country aswell, and couldn't be anymore welcoming to others.

Why wouldn't we be proud, we have more to be proud of than you for sure!!!!!
Elvis is the only good thing that has come out of that place.

IDIOT!!!

Moscow

You are far too stupid to offend anyone but I'll humour you with an answer anyway. Great Britain is a country the world should be proud of, not just it's citizens.
The inventions you wrongly attribute to Americans were only possible thanks to the industrial revolution.........A phenomenon that began in England.
Our history is thousands of years old and our culture has slowly but surely developed into a modern, prosperous, peaceful, democratic pluralistic society with decent, reasonable values and a fair, independant legal and judiciary system. Our parliament is democratic and representative. Our people are decent, law-abiding and industrious.

Britain is the birthplace of Football, Rugby, Cricket and Golf. The four most popular sports worldwide.

Our history is one of conquest, victory and valour in adversity.
Our legacy is felt on every continent of the globe. Nations such as the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia owe their very existence, language and a large proportion of its ethnic heritage to these islands.
English is the international language of the skies, of shipping and of business.

Economically we are far from weak, in fact our economy, though not as large as the USA is certainly more robust. It is in fact the 5th largest economy in the world. Not bad for only the 22nd most populous nation!

I think what we have contributed to the world the most is to be a Blueprint to show nations what they could aspire to.........Fair, decent, democratic,innovative, industrious, peaceful, prosperous and engaged with the rest of the world

Blue Xull

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to offend anyone here but I'm just curious"

I would have had more respect for you if you were actually trying to offend others. knowing that you're actually serious about this crap makes me sympathize with you.
Bless.....

I'm not even British btw.

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