British Colonial Co: Outrage in Australia over theme restaurant

[webfact]

British Colonial Co: Outrage in Australia over theme restaurant

 

BRISBANE: -- A British Empire theme restaurant in Australia has been accused of racism and romanticising the colonial era.

 

British Colonial Co, which opened in July in Brisbane, said it was celebrating the "stylish days" of the British Empire.

 

It has withdrawn marketing material which said the restaurant had been "inspired by the empirical push into the developing cultures of the world".

 

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-37415401

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2016-09-20

[ClutchClark]

"Nothing wrong with being proud of the Empire. Britain did more to elevate the standard of living in more places around the world than any of the natives ever did," said one Facebook user.

 

Hard to argue with any of that statement.

[Enoon]

41 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

"Nothing wrong with being proud of the Empire. Britain did more to elevate the standard of living in more places around the world than any of the natives ever did," said one Facebook user.

 

Hard to argue with any of that statement.

 

But it did much more to exploit and suppress those "natives" in order to enrich the centre of empire.

 

The Industrial Revolution was funded by profits from the British expansion of the Atlantic slave trade, to supply the Carribbean and North American slave plantations, which themselves provided even greater wealth to the centre.

 

The Irish population of the US are there because the Empire sat back and watched Ireland starve under it's "benevloent" gaze.  Britain gained control of Ireland only to suppress what it saw as a Catholic threat, it contributed little wealth to the centre so the suffering could be ignored.

 

Exploitation and suppression and are what empires are for.  There's no purpose in having one unless you do that.  Taking more than giving.

 

You're an American , you should know that and, I'm sure, would not "argue".

 

 

Edited September 20, 2016 by Enoon

[Alive]

This story after the Thai students dressed as nazis story. There is a connection. Certainly many died and suffered under the Brits. These people feel as much pain as any who were murdered and abused anywhere by anyone.

[SaintLouisBlues]

Don't forget that the "concentration camp" was invented by the Brits for dealing with the Dutch settlers in South Africa (see Wikipedia and other sources)

[thaihome]

9 minutes ago, Alive said:

This story after the Thai students dressed as nazis story. There is a connection. Certainly many died and suffered under the Brits. These people feel as much pain as any who were murdered and abused anywhere by anyone.

Luckily,  this is the World News forum and ots not  allowed to bring up some 10 year old incident in your relentless thai bashing. Please go back to Thai News.

TH

[ourmanflint]

oooh British people did lots of bad things, back 200 years ago. So only British people did bad things, and the rest of the world were all holding hands and being nice to each other. What a load of s-h-i-t-e!

[Pdaz]

Wish we could take back Modern medicine, Schools, Trains, Roads, Electricity, Aircraft, Cars, Phones, The internet etc, etc , etc and return all the ungrateful Ba54ard5 back to their original state of primitive paradise. 2000 years and yet to invent the wheel.. 

[JetsetBkk]

25 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

"Nothing wrong with being proud of the Empire. Britain did more to elevate the standard of living in more places around the world than any of the natives ever did," said one Facebook user.

 

Hard to argue with any of that statement.

 

Very true. We left a lot of places because the natives wanted self-rule and kicked or voted us out. We left behind good roads, railways, schools and the English language.

 

Pity the natives often screwed up what we had left them because of the usual inter-tribal greed.

 

 

[SaintLouisBlues]

2 minutes ago, Pdaz said:

Wish we could take back Modern medicine, Schools, Trains, Roads, Electricity, Aircraft, Cars, Phones, The internet etc, etc , etc and return all the ungrateful Ba54ard5 back to their original state of primitive paradise. 2000 years and yet to invent the wheel.. 

I learn something new every day. The wheel was invented by the British less than 2,000 years ago. Well I never

[Alive]

5 minutes ago, thaihome said:

Luckily,  this is the World News forum and ots not  allowed to bring up some 10 year old incident in your relentless thai bashing. Please go back to Thai News.

TH

You really should read what I wrote instead of attacking. You obviously didn't read about Thais having to say they are sorry to Israel for dressing as nazis. You seem to be the one "bashing" Thais this time. Read before you make comments.

[Pdaz]

Just now, SaintLouisBlues said:

I learn something new every day. The wheel was invented by the British less than 2,000 years ago. Well I never

 

Guessing comprehension wasn't your chosen subject ?

[SaintLouisBlues]

1 minute ago, Pdaz said:

 

Guessing comprehension wasn't your chosen subject ?

I excelled at Guessing Comprehension 101

[worgeordie]

If Thailand had been colonised,it would have had a decent

rail system today,if they had maintained it.

regards Worgeordie

[jaidam]

 Historically the equatorial zone was heavy in brawn and light on ideas. The British were educated and ambitious, way too busy to faff around with hammers and hoes. It was a win win. Ex colonies are thankful to their old masters for giving them proper city planning, straight roads, water management and a sense of pride that is still often lacking in non-commonwealth countries. Look at Australia - we dragged it from the stone age to a fairly modern society. The restaurant is right to be proud of the Commonwealth and all that it stands for.

[thaihome]

11 minutes ago, Alive said:

You really should read what I wrote instead of attacking. You obviously didn't read about Thais having to say they are sorry to Israel for dressing as nazis. You seem to be the one "bashing" Thais this time. Read before you make comments.

 

I was mostly commenting on your selective use of the Thai students 5 years ago (I mistakenly said 10).

 

Nazi chic is a world wide phenomenon not confined to Thailand and at one point included Prince Harry. Why didn't you use him as an example. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_chic

 

I stand by what I said.

TH 

 

[JaseTheBass]

11 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

If Thailand had been colonised,it would have had a decent

rail system today,if they had maintained it.

regards Worgeordie

 

It would have decent most things, like Malaysia does.

[thaihome]

The western world was highly successful in exploiting the undeveloped parts of the world, such as South America, Asia, and particularly Africa. They did this for their gain with no thought that it would ever end or the long term impact on the native people.

 

That, to me, is i material to the fact of a restaurant in Brisbane using the British Empire erase as a theme.  Go for it. Raffles in Singapore has been doing for years.

TH

[Alive]

7 minutes ago, thaihome said:

 

I was mostly commenting on your selective use of the Thai students 5 years ago (I mistakenly said 10).

 

Nazi chic is a world wide phenomenon not confined to Thailand and at one point included Prince Harry. Why didn't you use him as an example. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_chic

 

I stand by what I said.

TH 

 

Thaihome, there is a new story today about uni students doing it again. This what I was referring to. The Thais made an apology for this new incident.

Edited September 20, 2016 by Alive

[Merylhighground]

These Aussies claim to be tough and to dislike 'whining' poms but by heck they don't half cry like babies when reminded of their heritage....

[PTC]

33 minutes ago, jaidam said:

 Historically the equatorial zone was heavy in brawn and light on ideas. The British were educated and ambitious, way too busy to faff around with hammers and hoes. It was a win win. Ex colonies are thankful to their old masters for giving them proper city planning, straight roads, water management and a sense of pride that is still often lacking in non-commonwealth countries. Look at Australia - we dragged it from the stone age to a fairly modern society. The restaurant is right to be proud of the Commonwealth and all that it stands for.

 

Gross over-generalizations based on a typically English notion of race and class.

 

I wonder if the indigenous population of Tasmania would be proud of taking a crap in their flushing loos made possible by the superior 'water management' skills of the Colonial Masters. Unfortunately we will never know. The indigenous population of that island were slaughtered by the English in the space of 80 years since the invasion of their territory.

 

"In that strange, sorry island so far away, the antipode of the antipodes, it was said that a race of indigenous people had, within 80 years of the English invasion, disappeared from the face of the earth as surely as the dodo. Glosses on their fate varied, but no doubt was had as to the fate itself. With the death of Trugannini in 1876, the last of the Tasmanians was gone."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/oct/14/australia.features11

 

You can place your city planners and road and water engineers, who were primarily Scottish, and shove them in the same place you keep your awful and disgusting observations about the differences between 'equatorial people' and their brawniness and lack of brain power and the 'English'.

 

Perhaps you can tell us what the Commonwealth 'stands' for. Nobody else can.

[ClutchClark]

1 hour ago, Enoon said:

 

But it did much more to exploit and suppress those "natives" in order to enrich the centre of empire.

 

The Industrial Revolution was funded by profits from the British expansion of the Atlantic slave trade, to supply the Carribbean and North American slave plantations, which themselves provided even greater wealth to the centre.

 

The Irish population of the US are there because the Empire sat back and watched Ireland starve under it's "benevloent" gaze.  Britain gained control of Ireland only to suppress what it saw as a Catholic threat, it contributed little wealth to the centre so the suffering could be ignored.

 

Exploitation and suppression and are what empires are for.  There's no purpose in having one unless you do that.  Taking more than giving.

 

You're an American , you should know that and, I'm sure, would not "argue".

 

 

 

Show me even one smal part of human existance and history that did not rely on exploitation.

 

Exploitation, Bloodshed, Slavery...these are all integral to human expansion.

 

I have no guilt over it. 

 

It happened everywhere for every part of human history. My ancestors happened to be the Alphas. I do not participate in your mindset that I should feel guilt or we as a society should feel guilt. 

 

Slavery has been around much longer than the British Empire and take a look at Africa today. How many African descended Americans really want to go back to their old countries? 

 

The Colonial Era was a fascinating time of Exploration, Discovery, Technology, the list is so long and I am proud that these were my ancestors in the same way that Native Americans take pride in their ancestors. 

[Fookhaht]

Ah, like watching a slow train-wreck.....keep posting gents. 

[PTC]

12 minutes ago, Merylhighground said:

These Aussies claim to be tough and to dislike 'whining' poms but by heck they don't half cry like babies when reminded of their heritage....

 

Here is a list of a few of the people who are contributing to the Australian heritage.

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/monicatan/young-asian-australians-that-are-totally-blowing-up-right?utm_term=.tf7JjQO3Y#.lpNDwe4Pp

 

The heritage to which you refer belonged to prior generations. The Whitlam Government legally terminated the White Australia policy that had been introduced to keep the Australian heritage 'pure'.

 

Puffed up English and their claims to superiority because of the illegal, immoral and indefensible actions of their forebears. I think you will find the phrase is 'whinging' Poms.

[tifino]

 

Melbourne has it's own Titanic restaurant

 

- it initially got an icy reception , but it's still afloat to this day

 

 

and the 'bergers are good

 

 

[rijb]

Every country has history they would like to remember and history they would like to forget.

 

The bad things don't have to cancel out the good things from our history.

 

What's important is to celebrate the good and learn from the bad.

[futsukayoi]

1 hour ago, Enoon said:

 

But it did much more to exploit and suppress those "natives" in order to enrich the centre of empire.

 

The Industrial Revolution was funded by profits from the British expansion of the Atlantic slave trade, to supply the Carribbean and North American slave plantations, which themselves provided even greater wealth to the centre.

 

The Irish population of the US are there because the Empire sat back and watched Ireland starve under it's "benevloent" gaze.  Britain gained control of Ireland only to suppress what it saw as a Catholic threat, it contributed little wealth to the centre so the suffering could be ignored.

 

Exploitation and suppression and are what empires are for.  There's no purpose in having one unless you do that.  Taking more than giving.

 

You're an American , you should know that and, I'm sure, would not "argue".

 

 

 

Britain has every right to be proud of it's Imperial past.  Of course it's intention was to benefit Britain but it certainly gave more and took less than it's European competitors or most of the brutal local regimes it helped develop.  In almost every case ex-British colonies are today better off than surrounding countries.

 

Slavery is where Britain should be most proud.  There was indeed a time when slavery was universal and also a period when Britain managed to dominate the Atlantic portion of the trade with the great majority of victims going to non-British controlled areas.  However Britain did far more than any other country to stamp out the trade and slavery itself at great cost to itself in both blood and treasure.  While not defending the horrors slaves in the new world went through I don't hear of too many of their descendants trying to get back to Africa for better living standards, education, less corruption, greater freedom or anything else.

 

Britain could definitely have done more to help the Irish but it did not cause the potato blight and even in our own times people are selfish and almost allow similar disasters without any real assistance.

 

You should know all this and I'm sure would not argue.

 

[simple1]

I live in Queensland and barely a ripple in either local or national media. Same concept is utilised for an excellent Indian restaurant in Sydney with zero fuss.

 

It's fair to say the indigenous population suffered greatly from the European takeover & still battle for Constitutional recognition. Aborigines have major problems within their society with very high rates of domestic violence, youth suicide, healthcare etc etc.

[halloween]

29 minutes ago, PTC said:

 

Gross over-generalizations based on a typically English notion of race and class.

 

I wonder if the indigenous population of Tasmania would be proud of taking a crap in their flushing loos made possible by the superior 'water management' skills of the Colonial Masters. Unfortunately we will never know. The indigenous population of that island were slaughtered by the English in the space of 80 years since the invasion of their territory.

 

"In that strange, sorry island so far away, the antipode of the antipodes, it was said that a race of indigenous people had, within 80 years of the English invasion, disappeared from the face of the earth as surely as the dodo. Glosses on their fate varied, but no doubt was had as to the fate itself. With the death of Trugannini in 1876, the last of the Tasmanians was gone."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/oct/14/australia.features11

 

You can place your city planners and road and water engineers, who were primarily Scottish, and shove them in the same place you keep your awful and disgusting observations about the differences between 'equatorial people' and their brawniness and lack of brain power and the 'English'.

 

Perhaps you can tell us what the Commonwealth 'stands' for. Nobody else can.

 

'it was said' like so much other tripe. You've never been to Tasmania have you? Over 68,000sq km of some of the roughest country anywhere, but urban myth has it that the white settlers formed a line and cleared it of natives.

"The Aboriginal Tasmanians (Tasmanian: Palawa) are the indigenous people of the Australian state of Tasmania, located south of the mainland. In the 20th century the Tasmanian Aboriginal people were erroneously thought of as being an extinct cultural and ethnic group[1] but, today, almost 26 000 people identify as Palawa. This makes Tasmania the state with the second biggest proportion of indigenous to non-indigenous people in Australia."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aboriginal_Tasmanians

[Ace of Pop]

Viet Nam has French Restaurants there even now, and they caused a War that killed millions. Cant see much wrong Brits did in Ozz by comparison.