MP Heather Wheeler sparks Twitter backlash with British Empire post

[jimboa24]

Except the press ganging that the Americans were complaining about was a direct consequence of the Napoleonic Wars and was in fact repealed upon the ending of those wars, independently of the War of 1812.

Your claims are lacking historical context.

The Napoleonic Wars didn't start until 1803, dude. Press Ganging was a regular and constant tactic long, long before 1803. Again, you are full of shit. Britain didn't just wake up one day, shit their pants because of Napoleon, and go, "By jove! We had better start enslaving merchant ships or we shall never defeat this French chap!" They had been doing it for a long fucking time, and with regularity. They did it to us the entire time we were a colony, and they did it to us after we declared independence, and by the time 1812 rolled around, we finally had had enough of Britain's shit and threw down the gauntlet over it. By the time we sat down for a treaty, Britain had gotten the message that we were sick of the press gangs, that it was enough of a factor to bring us to war, and stopped doing it. Think it's a coincidence that they never resumed impressment after the Treaty of Ghent? Even though Napoleon escaped shortly after and went to war again?

Also, America HAD successfully captured Canadian land, including what is now Ontario. The return of this territory was central to the Treaty. So no, it's not like we were "driven" out of Canada. Britain captured some American territory, America captured some British territory. We signed a treaty, gave each other each other's land back, and then immediately after the treaty was signed, we had a major victory in New Orleans. So no, at worst, the war of 1812 was a stalemate. But it sure as shit wasn't an American loss.

[Theodarzna]

No. It isn't.

It's dead, buried and gone.

And for much of the world...they see that as a good thing.

Such a spoil sport.

[caervek]

"Deeply offensive to so many people and their ancestors"?

Are these whiners fucking serious? Jesus Christ.

Perhaps those ancestors were slavers and so still mad at the empire for bringing about the end of the slave trade :P

[Raynre Valence]

So is America part of that count? Can't tell if I should be offended or not.

[Theodarzna]

But... but brexit the movie said 'prosperity on an unimaginable level'
- Did they mean an unimaginably bad level?

Yeah, that is the definition of victory to the defender.
The enemy repelled.
It picked a fight with a guy that was already engaged, got its capital burnt down, and by sheer luck did not lose new England - No, it was a loss.

Are remainers still this triggered?

[Kalis]

The Napoleonic Wars didn't start until 1803, dude. Press Ganging was a regular and constant tactic long, long before 1803. Again, you are full of shit. Britain didn't just wake up one day, shit their pants because of Napoleon, and go, "By jove! We had better start enslaving merchant ships or we shall never defeat this French chap!" They had been doing it for a long fucking time, and with regularity. They did it to us the entire time we were a colony, and they did it to us after we declared independence, and by the time 1812 rolled around, we finally had had enough of Britain's shit and threw down the gauntlet over it. By the time we sat down for a treaty, Britain had gotten the message that we were sick of the press gangs, that it was enough of a factor to bring us to war, and stopped doing it. Think it's a coincidence that they never resumed impressment after the Treaty of Ghent? Even though Napoleon escaped shortly after and went to war again?

Again you are ignoring historical context. The wars with France started in 1792 (the Napoleonic Wars were effectively a continuation of those), and required the massive expansion of the Royal Navy - it quadrupled the number of ships and trebled its manpower over the period from 1793 to 1812 - which meant press ganging was required to meet the demands, as nobody really wanted to join the Royal Navy due to the terrible conditions.

When those wars ostensibly ended in 1814 the urgent need for manpower decreased and press ganging ceased, this happened prior to the Treaty of Ghent and was directly connected to victory over Napoleon. If Britain had a need to continue press ganging, then they would have continued to do so, as there were no naval powers around capable of stopping them.

In 1815, after his escape from Elba, Napoleon was not a naval threat, so the need to restart the practice was not present.

Your statement that "They had been doing it for a long fucking time, and with regularity" shows that you do not realise the extent it had increased in the era we are discussing. It is evidence of your lack of understanding for historical context, as they had not been doing it on that scale at all prior to the expansion of the Royal Navy for the Revolutionary Wars/Napoleonic Wars.

When you look at history, you need to look at it from more than one angle, you are purely looking at it from what happened to America, without taking into account what Britain was doing and their needs.

Yours is an awful view of history, it is not even worthy of being called history. Here is the thing, Britain has won and lost loads of wars, it means nothing to us if we lost some random colonial war, it just goes on the pile with all the other ones we lost, whereas you bristle at the fact the US lost a war and try to rewrite history, but I have no interest in historical revisionism to massage your fragile ego.

We have even lost wars to our annoying neighbour, shit happens sometimes, but we do not try to pretend we won the 100 Years' War and I would never get into an argument with a Frenchie claiming we did because we got Calais out of it.

Also, America HAD successfully captured Canadian land, including what is now Ontario. The return of this territory was central to the Treaty. So no, it's not like we were "driven" out of Canada. Britain captured some American territory, America captured some British territory. We signed a treaty, gave each other each other's land back, and then immediately after the treaty was signed, we had a major victory in New Orleans. So no, at worst, the war of 1812 was a stalemate. But it sure as shit wasn't an American loss.

There are no respected historians that would put it down as an American victory, so to claim that "at worst" for the US it was a draw is revisionist nonsense.

You are ignoring, or ignorant of, the historical context and your "Bumper Book of American History" written by Donald J Trump esq., is not a reputable source, regardless of how much you like colouring the pictures in.

[Deleted]

Are remainers still this triggered?

Oh i dont give a shit.
No wait, that's not true - I want them to leave.

[Super Kami Dende]

So many morons finding this offensive rather than taking it as a joke makes me feel sorry for Mankinds future.

[Theodarzna]

Oh i dont give a shit.
No wait, that's not true - I want them to leave.

It is a strange sight to behold, that after brexit it turns out the little post-nationalist europhiles are actually very nationalistic and invested so very emotionally in the EU.

[Deleted]

It is a strange sight to behold, that after brexit it turns out the little post-nationalist europhiles are actually very nationalistic and invested so very emotionally in the EU.

You do get that the EU isn't a nation?
To be 'nationalist' about the EU is in fact quite post-nationalist?
Anyway I like the EU, and while at first i wanted the UK to stay, i rapidly moved to the camp of IDGF, and then after further interactions with brexit folks, i moved to the camp of, lets kick those idiots out.

[owbu]

I wonder when "people being outraged on twitter" stops being something worth reporting. I do look forward to those times^^

[Theodarzna]

You do get that the EU isn't a nation?
To be 'nationalist' about the EU is in fact quite post-nationalist?
Anyway I like the EU, and while at first i wanted the UK to stay, i rapidly moved to the camp of IDGF, and then after further interactions with brexit folks, i moved to the camp of, lets kick those idiots out.

It isn't, but the way the europhiles on this board reacted to brexit, I think I the hearts of some it is a nation,

[Deleted]

the british "empire" would literally be 50% richer and more prominent without these "commonwealth" countries using up 90% of the welfare and commiting 90% of the crimes.

[Deleted]

"Deeply offensive to so many people and their ancestors"?

Are these whiners fucking serious? Jesus Christ.

my ancestors are offended by this comment.

- - - Updated - - -

Are you expecting Brits to disagree? Lmao.

you're more likely to get people saying "only half full of shit ppl????"

[Deleted]

It isn't, but the way the europhiles on this board reacted to brexit, I think I the hearts of some it is a nation,

I suppose i can see myself as a Euro Nationalist, even though the concept is a bit out of its area now.

[Deleted]

so one idiotic person from england says something and people think all englanders are like that?