Nationalism V Patriotism.

[UNCLE-JO]

And - Hip Hip Hooray for the Queen Mother, even though she often involuntarily 'trumps' AND pees the bed

[Lina]

Well, that's getting interesting now, we are getting into "who is more Ukrainian argument"...Cool! Love that! Rrraur!!!

Grandma, with all respect...I think Irena is right to a point. Ukrainian-Americanns, Ukrainian-British, we all have a definite big spot for Ukraine in our harts, but we are not 100% Ukrainians, no matter how pure our blood is, and how much we have "to work" to mantain Ukrainian traditions while livng in Another country. That's just obvious!Particularly, if we talk about children, who were born and raised here, abroad!

I'd say we (Ukrainian immigrants) are hybrids or something (love that word) ,who got both cultures combined. and it does bother me, as well as Irena, when some trully American looking dude, comes around and trys to tell me that he is Really Ukrainian, because both of his parnets were... and because he knows some Ukrainian words as well as the recepie for borsch! That really nocks me down!

Nevertheless, we do worry about everything that is going on in Ukraine(at least the first generation). I really can not immagine my life without Internet, sadly that's the only way to learn about what's going on that part of the world...even if not through your own eyes, at least through the eyes of a news reporter or the above Irena.

Nationalism or patriotism? Hell! I do not know!

[steve_vlasenko]

Hi Irena,

I am English, I was born in Manchester, however, my parents are Ukrainian. They were born in Ukraine. This makes me ethnically Ukrainian. For which I▓m very proud, but not more than I am to be English.

I did look at getting dual nationality (two passports) in 1994, but the Ukrainian government would not permit it. The only option was to surrender my British passport, which I was on two accounts unwilling to do.

1/ I am English and I equally as proud of that.
2/ It would have been impossible to do my job with a Ukrainian passport.

I▓m in Kyiv as I write and I too was delighted with the actions of ordinary Ukrainians. Ref 9th March.

I don▓t think it was cool that my grandparents left Ukraine; they had no option at the time. My Grandfather never thought it was cool either. He died before he could return to his homeland and although he loved living in England and was until his dying day in the dept of this country, he always had sadness in his heart that he was unable to walk in his homeland.

What do I do for Ukraine? I do what I can. I▓m one person from Diaspora community. I work in Eastern Europe, I have my company▓s head office in Kyiv, my choice and it was taken because I wanted to spend as much time in Kyiv as I could.

The jobs we bring, the money we spend and the profile raising we generate are in the big picture chicken feed, but as I said before:- I▓m one man, in one company, in a very big global economy.

You are right about how easy it is to be a patriot in my house in London with all the benefits of living in the UK. But being a Billionare (which I'm not ) wouldn't make a differnece to my feelings about Ukraine.

Take care,

Vlas.

Ukie patriot, proud to be English.

[LippyChick]

How touching Vlas.

I too am proud to be of Ukrainian heritage and pretty pleased to be British.

I guess I do nothing for Ukraine, because I▓m not in the position to do anything. I go back once a year, that▓s all the time I have.

Being a patriot doesn▓t entail having to wish the worst on to some other group. Old Bailey mates from Kilts.com seem to be quite representative of the Scottish nationalist I▓ve met and that is they can only build their own nation up by attacking England.

We witness this in the Diaspora also, especially in Canada. So none of us are guilt free.

Pride in your own achievements = Patriot.
Pride from bashing others = Nationalist.

LippyChick

Bails, what did you think of Ann Robinson▓s comments on the Welsh?

[UNCLE-JO]

Oh, Missed you.

I'm so old that I can remember a 'sketch' Ronnie Barker did, back in 1978.
He 'was' a man from the Electoral Reform Society, displaying a new electronic box that enabled people to vote through their tv, without leaving home.
he picked up a 2nd example of this 'box'.
"This is the Welsh model. As you see, it hasn't got any buttons, but who cares what THEY think."

I don't know what Ann Robinson said about the Welsh. All I know is that Welsh-Americans are campaigning to have her forthcoming U.S. visa revoked !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And - I think she's got a fu*king nerve to call ANYONE else "the weakest link".
She should put HERSELF in "Room 101".

So, young 'Chick. What DID she say ??????

( You've mised an interesting week. We've had a psychopathic Nazi, a Scottish Fatwah ON ME and a mass-expulsion. Ooh-err. )