Who's More British...

[Aliantha]

The same can be said regarding misconceptions about the US.

I am proud of our (and my) British heritage, its whats started us on the journey to the Country we are today.

Ali, you know I love you, but comments like those, with that tone...are what gets *the Yanks* backs up.

I'm not in favour of us becoming a republic...doesnt seem to have worked out for the majority of countries who have been down that track.

Besides, then we wont be able to totally kick arse in the Commonwealth games.

I don't really care if they get their backs up mate. Obviously they make their own decisions based on what they think is true. Besides, being called a Yank is an affectionate term. Ask any Aussie (Australian for those who want to be politically correct or not use affectionate terms), and as far as independance from England goes, they did do it violently (with the help of the French whom are so much maligned these days), so that was a statement of fact.

As far as I can see, it doesn't matter either way if we're a republic or not. The only difference either way is the commonwealth games, and there's still the Olympics anyway (which we kick arse at too if you look at our medals per capita).

Australia is the way it is BECAUSE we were settled by convicts and free settlers. That's what makes us great. We began from the downtrodden underclass and a collective vow has been unconsiously taken by all of us to never be treated like second class citizens by the world at large. We are a young nation and we're proud and free. We have achieved marvels of science and technology. We have a lifestyle most countries envy. We are a nation of people of all colours, creeds, religions. We are truly multicultural and that's as it should be. Australians are citizens of the world and we are all equal.

There's nothing wrong with England. I don't resent my heritage from there, but I'm an Australian. I'm not British. I, like all other Australians have my own unique Australian identity which is far removed from that which most Brits would identify with.

So to answer the original question of this thread, I don't think there's any difference. Where you start from is rarely the same place you end up. It's very hard to look forward if your head is turned in the opposite direction.