Off-topic post removed.  

3 hours ago, Scotwight said:

Where did they poop?

 

In the outside lav which was a cesspit with a seat over it, very sanitary. But no doubt you already know this....

 

They're talking about a theme restaurant fcs!  Not re-colonisation of Australia, <deleted> is all the fuss about??

19 hours 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".

 

 

 

Ireland suffered from Potato Blight, a disease that also killed poor British and Belgian people at the same time. But it's not fashionable nor politically correct to mention this in some quarters.

 

The British government under William Wilberforce outlawed slavery. It was the only nation that did so at the time and the Royal Navy enforced it. But these days it's not acceptable to mention that either.

Edited September 21, 20169 yr by yogi100

19 hours 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.

Give examples. .Stealing resources and abusing human beings by enslaving them and displacing millions.Tell me which country from that Empire is now amongsr the top 10 world economy?

Who fueled ths industrial revolution? 

Who bombed Egypt because of the Canal? What about India? Look at HK, and yhrough very close friends who occupied high offices in HK "we introduced that absurd idea of democracy just before we left" to create trouble for China in the coming years?????enough said .have a lovely day looking back.

18 hours 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....

 

 

Too True. I can't understand why they haven't introduced their own language by now. Those who do not like their Pommy heritage and background are not forced to speak English. They can always adopt Lebanese or Arabic as their national tongue.

 

There would not be an Australia as it is today were it not for England. That's why they call it the 'Mother Country' and speak our language.

2 hours ago, jaidam said:

 You are attempting to drag me into a debate as to whether it is better to sit comfortably on Armitige Shanks fine porcelain while reading the broadsheets, to taking a very hurried dump behind the nearest tree - presumably in mortal fear of attack by sabre toothed beasts. I will not be drawn into such a ridiculous argument. Clearly the colonists deserve gratitude for bringing civilization to the wild and savage lands, even if some modernists just refuse to accept the fact.

 

Unless you were Queen Victoria or one of her colonial Governors, then it would have been highly unlikely that your delicate arse would have got anywhere near any type of porcelain potty. In any case, it was the Americans who popularized indoor sanitary bathrooms after World War II at a time when most British households were taking dumps on splintered wooden seats over a deep hole in the backyard.

 

You may wish to study the history of the toilet for some perspective. http://porch.com/advice/brief-history-bathroom/

 

However, if you wish to claim that the height of British benevolence to their enslaved minions was the toilet, then you must also own the responsibility for increasing the rate of hemorrhoids. http://www.squattypotty.com/5-problems-with-sitting-on-your-toilet/

 

We will not even begin the subject of the quality of the people that Britain 'exported' to its colonies. Dickens certainly was spot on.

OMG! Yet another example of political correctness gone mad.

18 minutes ago, Mickmouse1 said:

Give examples. .Stealing resources and abusing human beings by enslaving them and displacing millions.Tell me which country from that Empire is now amongsr the top 10 world economy?

Who fueled ths industrial revolution? 

Who bombed Egypt because of the Canal? What about India? Look at HK, and yhrough very close friends who occupied high offices in HK "we introduced that absurd idea of democracy just before we left" to create trouble for China in the coming years?????enough said .have a lovely day looking back.

 

Top 20 economies that had British colonial past

 

USA

Canada

India

Australia

Nigeria (soon)

 

15 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Here's another - 45 years ago i worked in the Melbourne very big office of a very big very famous Brit company.

 

Ninety nine % of the management in Melbourne were pompous overbearing Brit expats who talked down to everybody.

 

Worst case was the wife of the Brit CEO - when she wanted to play tennis (alone or with her Brit lady expat wives) her driver brought her to the office. first up she went to the transport office and ordered 2 buckboards (today pick up trucks) to be used immediately, then she went into the main office, and first 10 or so staff she encountered, male and female regardless of their duties, rank or whatever she ordered then outside into the buckboards. No attempt to tell their managers whats' happening, where they are going, when they will be back.

 

Then they went to her house and she personally supervised them to clear the leaves off the tennis court attached to the CEOs house and then sweep it squeaky clean. Four of five of the younger staff were ordered to stay to be ball boys. 

 

 

It was better than sitting in some boring office wasn't it, I'll bet they all looked forward to her next visit.

 

I wish some of my old bosses had been like that

19 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

 

 

Too True. I can't understand why they haven't introduced their own language by now. Those who do not like their Pommy heritage and background are not forced to speak English. They can always adopt Lebanese or Arabic as their national tongue.

 

There would not be an Australia as it is today were it not for England. That's why they call it the 'Mother Country' and speak our language.

 

It's obvious a number of people posting in this topic have no idea about today's Australia and current cultural attitudes (Mother Country - LOL). BTW as of 2015 UK & NZ foreign born residents are the largest group followed by the Chinese, then Indians.

5 hours ago, eliotness said:

This thread reminds me of the sketch in Monty Pythons "life of Brian"  -  "what have the Romans ever done for us".  

 

So everyone moans about what the British did to the poor natives in the colonies, but forgets the plight of the workers in Britain during that period.  The expected life span in working class cities was only late 30s in 1900.  The infant death rate was horrendous, my Grandmother lost half her siblings before they reached 16 due to TB.   In fact up to 1945 most working class homes didn't even have their own flushing toilet or even bathrooms.  As for the Boers, don't forget they still wanted slavery even when the British made it illegal.  Bit of a rant, for which I apologise, sorry !

 

As a child in London our home had no bathroom, just the traditional tin bath kept on a nail in the yard and an outside privy, albeit a flushing one. Some families shared toilets. We all washed at the kitchen sink.

 

Many was the freezing cold hour I spent in that outside toilet with a paraffin heater, a coat around my shoulders, a candle, a jam sandwich, a thermos of tea if the thermos lining wasn't broke, the Beano or Dandy to read and an old newspaper to wipe your arse on.

 

I still can't shit today unless I've a Sudoko puzzle to do or a book to read at the same time. They say old habits die hard.

 

But they were good old times even though we never qualified for a council house or a much coveted prefab (a small prefabricated bungalow intended to be a temporary home for bombed out Londoners but with a bathroom and indoor toilet, some of which are still in use today 75 years on) I even knew one or two old folk who'd been inmates of the workhouse (they'd call 'em clients today) who swore they were some of the best days of their lives.

 

We had rationing into the 1950s, coppers that we feared, strict discipline in the schools enforced by the cane, the rope and the birch, very few benefits nor immigrants. If you turned down a job they stopped your dole money.

 

But we were happy and never complained.

 

Where did it all go wrong!

Edited September 21, 20169 yr by yogi100

37 minutes ago, simple1 said:

 

It's obvious a number of people posting in this topic have no idea about today's Australia and current cultural attitudes (Mother Country - LOL). BTW as of 2015 UK & NZ foreign born residents are the largest group followed by the Chinese, then Indians.

 

It's no point bitching about it, you let 'em in!

 

You should have taken note of what's become of your Mother Country having let everyone in.

1 hour ago, yogi100 said:

 

Ireland suffered from Potato Blight, a disease that also killed poor British and Belgian people at the same time. But it's not fashionable nor politically correct to mention this in some quarters.

 

The British government under William Wilberforce outlawed slavery. It was the only nation that did so at the time and the Royal Navy enforced it. But these days it's not acceptable to mention that either.

 

 

The plantation owners did not really wish to give up their slaves- so the Government devised a compension scheme- it cost £billions in today's money.

The amount handed out was very generous. 

 

The amounts handed out to individuals was recently put on line - and makes interesting reading.

 

My family owned plantations in Barbados from about 1640 - 1800 and they feature in the compension board information.

 

They received nearly £500000 in today's money. 

 

Do I feel guilty about my direct ancestors owning slaves- not really .

 

 

people in the west have gone soft and get upset over everything. all the fun has been sucked out of life there so we moved to thailand where some of us still whine about everything here.

55 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

 

It's no point bitching about it, you let 'em in!

 

You should have taken note of what's become of your Mother Country having let everyone in.

 

 

You're delusion, did not utter a complaint. BTW I have three citizenship's including UK, plus Oz has not "let everyone in" - get your facts straight.

1 hour ago, yogi100 said:

 

As a child in London our home had no bathroom, just the traditional tin bath kept on a nail in the yard and an outside privy, albeit a flushing one. Some families shared toilets. We all washed at the kitchen sink.

 

Many was the freezing cold hour I spent in that outside toilet with a paraffin heater, a coat around my shoulders, a candle, a jam sandwich, a thermos of tea if the thermos lining wasn't broke, the Beano or Dandy to read and an old newspaper to wipe your arse on.

 

I still can't shit today unless I've a Sudoko puzzle to do or a book to read at the same time. They say old habits die hard.

 

But they were good old times even though we never qualified for a council house or a much coveted prefab (a small prefabricated bungalow intended to be a temporary home for bombed out Londoners but with a bathroom and indoor toilet, some of which are still in use today 75 years on) I even knew one or two old folk who'd been inmates of the workhouse (they'd call 'em clients today) who swore they were some of the best days of their lives.

 

We had rationing into the 1950s, coppers that we feared, strict discipline in the schools enforced by the cane, the rope and the birch, very few benefits nor immigrants. If you turned down a job they stopped your dole money.

 

But we were happy and never complained.

 

Where did it all go wrong!

 

Find me one woman who would like to return to the days without washing machines, vacuum cleaners and Andy Capp.

 

8 minutes ago, simple1 said:

 

 

You're delusion, did not utter a complaint. BTW I have three citizenship's including UK, plus Oz has not "let everyone in" - get your facts straight.

 

How can anyone be delusion?

 

It's no great achievement getting UK citizenship, they're more or less giving them away in packets of cornflakes these days. That's no big deal.

20 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

 

Find me one woman who would like to return to the days without washing machines, vacuum cleaners and Andy Capp.

 

 

I don't look at things from the point of view of a woman. I've never had much luck finding women at all, that's why I go to Thailand! You'll have to find your own woman I'm afraid.

 

In those days no one could see this far into the future just as few women will be reading this forum who knew what life was was like in the past especially all that long ago.

 

And incidentally there were washing machines and vacuum cleaners back then and Andy Capp was a popular well known character in the Daily Mirror.

 

 

Edited September 21, 20169 yr by yogi100

21 hours ago, worgeordie said:

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

rail system today,if they had maintained it.

regards Worgeordie

They had a decent rail system 40 years ago, and did not maintain it.

Apart from the unfortunate statement, I suspect that most of the outrage was from those looking to be outraged. It is just a theme bar.

Many years ago,i read "The decline and fall of the British Empire" It took me almost a year to get through it.I am British,but what i read,made me realise that we were a brutal,arrogant,greedy,and violent race.We murdered our own foreign forces and swept through the countries that we wanted like the plague.We attempted to starve the irish and we dominated the known world.Of this there is no question.It was only after i read this book and visited the far East and with spoke to people from all parts of the world,that i realised how hated the British are.From running hoards of prostitutes in India,to the Opium trade in Hong kong.

It was a long time ago now,And some of our brothers in arms have stood shoulder with us in wars of later times.

No is no way history can be changed,and to keep making arguememnts about who wqs righta nd who was wrong,and who did what to who,is pointless.Iwas shocked to find out that Lord Baden Powell,a man i admired in my youth,was a complete shit.

As i gotlder and visited countires all over the world,i was grateful hear the English language spoken and i didnt care in what accent.And now in the far East,the second language here is English,of which i am truly grateful.I dont know many other countries that speak Russian or Turkish or pharsie,Greek,italian.English is a language that has spread all over the world(some may say like the pox)and i am glad of that.

3 hours ago, yogi100 said:

 

Ireland suffered from Potato Blight, a disease that also killed poor British and Belgian people at the same time. But it's not fashionable nor politically correct to mention this in some quarters.

 

The British government under William Wilberforce outlawed slavery. It was the only nation that did so at the time and the Royal Navy enforced it. But these days it's not acceptable to mention that either.

Prior to abolishing slavery Britain was at the heart of Triangular Trade and responsible for transporting hundreds of thousands of Africans to the Caribbean. But the History books in UK concentrate on Wilburforce. The same with every other atrocity caused by Empire. The Bengal Famines, Irish famine, Boer Concentration Camps, Armistrar massacre, Mau Mau massacre, Malay Concentration camps in the 1950's etc etc etc... Just face it. The British empire was responsible for millions of deaths around the world. Do the benefits of the industrial revolution outweigh millions of innocent lives?????

2 hours ago, yogi100 said:

 

As a child in London our home had no bathroom, just the traditional tin bath kept on a nail in the yard and an outside privy, albeit a flushing one. Some families shared toilets. We all washed at the kitchen sink.

 

Many was the freezing cold hour I spent in that outside toilet with a paraffin heater, a coat around my shoulders, a candle, a jam sandwich, a thermos of tea if the thermos lining wasn't broke, the Beano or Dandy to read and an old newspaper to wipe your arse on.

 

I still can't shit today unless I've a Sudoko puzzle to do or a book to read at the same time. They say old habits die hard.

 

But they were good old times even though we never qualified for a council house or a much coveted prefab (a small prefabricated bungalow intended to be a temporary home for bombed out Londoners but with a bathroom and indoor toilet, some of which are still in use today 75 years on) I even knew one or two old folk who'd been inmates of the workhouse (they'd call 'em clients today) who swore they were some of the best days of their lives.

 

We had rationing into the 1950s, coppers that we feared, strict discipline in the schools enforced by the cane, the rope and the birch, very few benefits nor immigrants. If you turned down a job they stopped your dole money.

 

But we were happy and never complained.

 

Where did it all go wrong!

 

You were lucky!

 

We lived in a box, in middle of motorway .......

Just now, Grouse said:

 

You were lucky!

 

We lived in a box, in middle of motorway .......

 

We had an indoor toilet, a big TV, two cars and boy we were as miserable as hell.

This prissy, complete over-reaction is actually due to Australia's worst kept secret.

 

It is the world's foremost Granny state with the most PC youth that I've ever encountered anywhere.

 

A very strange situation when you consider the image that Aussies like to project of their country and way of life....

21 hours ago, JaseTheBass said:

 

It would have decent most things, like Malaysia does.

 

But then you wouldn't be able to afford to live here.

2 minutes ago, claffey said:

Prior to abolishing slavery Britain was at the heart of Triangular Trade and responsible for transporting hundreds of thousands of Africans to the Caribbean. But the History books in UK concentrate on Wilburforce. The same with every other atrocity caused by Empire. The Bengal Famines, Irish famine, Boer Concentration Camps, Armistrar massacre, Mau Mau massacre, Malay Concentration camps in the 1950's etc etc etc... Just face it. The British empire was responsible for millions of deaths around the world. Do the benefits of the industrial revolution outweigh millions of innocent lives?????

 

Famines are just that, famines. Potato Blight was a disease that affected Europe at the time. We did not cause famines, they are the result of weather conditions, plagues, drought, agricultural diseases, animal infectious afflictions, pests like locusts and various other predatory insects and/or inability or laziness on the behalf of the local people. And where on earth did you get all these millions from!

 

Barbary pirates were raiding settlements in the South of England and Ireland as well as the rest of Europe for centuries for plunder and slaves. The inhabitants of one entire Cornish village disappeared one night and were never heard from again. But to mention such events is not acceptable as it is considered 'racist' to do so.

 

African slaves were sold into slavery by other Africans and Arabians.

 

7 hours ago, Scotwight said:

Where did they poop?

In the mid 1970's I lived in a small mining village called Catherine Hill Bay. All the original cottages (built by the mine) were 4 rooms with a straight through hallway, no bathroom. Outside toilets were long drops, no plumbing involved. After the day shift, wives and children used the mine's bathroom facilities.

After the mine closed, they were left with no job and unsellable homes without bathrooms or plumbed toilets.

BTW haven't been back for many years, but now probably prime real estate on a narrow strip between ocean and lake Macquarie, with a 4 lane h'way to Newcastle or Sydney.

Wow, some polite defenders of the British on here, but the British knockers take the biscuit for vitriol, I think, clearly trying to teach the alleged Thai bashers how to do it properly and with venom.

Edited September 21, 20169 yr by Retiredandhappyhere
Changed English to British