Keep The Isle Of Man White & Free From Foreigners

[Monkey boy]

Fair enough most of that and I wasn't using nationalist as a pejorative term. We'll have to agree to differ on the reasons for Manx pride in being British but that pride is evident and I think you do them a disservice by saying the reason for it is a lack of the capacity to think for themselves. There are a great many Manx people who have enriched and been enriched by playing their full part as Britons in British society. I don't believe they consider themselves foreigners in a foreign land.

Fair enough, I agree - although the "lack of capacity to think for themselves" was more directed towards the perception of people who would have "Britishness" forced upon us rather than the Manx themselves (poorly worded in my last post admittedly).

I would also dispute the enrichment a Manx person would receive by playing a full part of a "British society". Perhaps in terms of freedom to travel & work - but any other enrichment eludes me.

You are undoubtedly right that there are Manx people who are proud to be British, but I think there are many more who are simply proud to be Manx and fairly indifferent about being British or don't consider themselves British at all. One thing's for sure though. To overestimate the importance of your own nationality on the people of another country is very British and probably not the most effective way to inspire any potential pride in the same.

[Blade Runner]

When I travel abroad and hear people speaking English without a North American, Australasian, or Southern African twang I usually ask them if they are British - they will usually then narrow down this broader description - yep, I'm Welsh; I'm Scottish; I'm from London ... or whatever.

 

Surprise surprise people have multiple signifiers, some are more important than others, some are recognized by the UN.

 

Looking at a geographical rather than a political map the British Isles are reasonably easy to identify - but when you add in the overlays of politics and nationalism it gets a lot more complicated. I've known a few people who's only identification they'd accept was Yorkshire - they'd argue as voraciously as Monkey Boy that that was that and no point complicating it any further thank you. Each to their own.

 

I'm British, and Manx with ancestry all over the place - my Kids even more so.

 

That is very true about Yorkshireman China, most people when asked where they are from will offer, as you say, England, Ireland Scotland and the Isle of Man and then immediately follow that up, with the town nearest where they were born/live.

 

When asked the same question a Yorkshireman will always say "Yorkshire" and no more, unless pressed for a location, Its Gods own County you know..........

[woolley]

I know a Yorkshireman who lives here and if anyone rubs him up the wrong way or is perceived to be impolite to him or even beats him to a parking space he will berate them invariably finishing with ".......and I bet you're Manx!" He says they have a chip on their shoulder without the slightest hint of irony. Leading light in the Isle of Man Pensioners Association I believe.

 

ETA. It is quite amazing the number of people who live here who don't have a good word to say about the place or the people. Life is too short and if I felt like that I would just clear off.