In your opinion, what are the best and worst things about the country you reside in?

[V1P3R]

-Overwhelmed healthcare system (It may be "free", but you can end up having to wait for a long time to get looked at/cut open/fixed otherwise)

Oh, so Micheal Moore neglected to talk about that too? It's not all that? lol

 

[Philly]

60% on income? Sweet Jesus!

But they probably get everything paid for by the government. Housing, food, medical needs, cars, vacations, toys for your two-year-old.

 

[sn00pie]

But they probably get everything paid for by the government. Housing, food, medical needs, cars, vacations, toys for your two-year-old.

Cars are among the most expensive in the world. Housing prices are through the roof.

Medical used to be good, yet they screwed with the system a few years ago.

Most people I know, residing in a high tax bracket, are packing up and moving to Belgium.

 

[tait]

free health care is always cool, but our mediocrity gets kinda boring.
we have nice trees, but we have a lot of poor areas.

 

[Scaff]

Let me go a bit more in detail as to what I like and dislike about this country.

Firstly my Grandfather came to the UK in the 50's or 60's. He like your mother in law worked until he retired. He was also subject to racial abuse and attacks etc. Same thing with my own father. Came to the country as a boy, at 17 joined the army and had a job since he was 12. My mother herself is a Immigrant being born in Germany, and infact I myself am a immigrant as I was born in germany also, as my father met my mother whilst serving in Germany.

My whole family are immigrants. However although I know im a immigrant as such I see myself as British. I have made Britain my home and feel very welcome. In all of the 3 countries that I have lived in I made each of them my home at the time, even when I was in germany were people were nowhere as friendly as the british.

Now that a more reasoned way to express yourself, but here is a brief news flash, people in the 50's and 60's were saying exactly the same thing as you are now, a great deal of difference often exists between perception and reality in this area.

Heres the thing though. At one point I was proud to say that London was the multi-cultural capital of the world, but over the last 5 years things have slowly changed to what they are now. Quite frankly and this remember coming from a mixed white and black person, there are not enough white faces in London anymore. Go into any primary and secondary school and it is infact the white children that are in the minority. Went to oxford street and most the shoppers up there arent even talking in english! All the building sites I have been on dominated by eastern european workers. I have dozens of friends who want to get into the construction industry and get an apprenticeship but there are hardly any about. Competetion for them is fierce. Before young men would be able to get work on building sites but these days tehre is no need thanks to cheap eastern eurpean labour. Our own kids are quite frankly loosing out.

Funny that I thought this was your problems with the UK, which the last time I checked consisted of more than just London. One of the great things about my job is that it gives me an opportunity to travel around the whole of the UK and quite frankly your comments do not apply to the whole of the UK, nor in fact to parts of central and outer London. You want to talk about the construction industry, my father runs a Scaffolding company and as such I help out from time to time. Yes he does employ people who have come to the UK. One of the main reasons being they are a damn site more willing to actually turn up for work and put in the hours than many (but certainly not all) 'native' workers. Now most of these are for labourer positions, as no one works on the tools unless they are qualified (and no he doesn't employ them because they are cheaper - he pays the same).

More and more people are driving without tax and insurance, and in london the biggest culprits are supposedly africans and eastern europeans.

Source for that please, because while I would agree that more people are driving without tax and insurance I doubt that you prove its mainly Africans and Eastern Europeans. Speculation and opinion are not fact, don't present them as such.

I used to work for a major maintenance firm in London. I worked on council estates, council offices, hostels etc. The majority of people living in hostels were immigrants, and the majority did not seem to have a job, but yet instead managed to have 2 or 3 young children in the time that they arrived in the UK. Make of that what you wish. In one of the council offices where people went for free accomodation were full of immigrants.

Not all immigrants are bad, and it seems to me that a few races seem to take the p*ss out of the country more than others.

Im just saying there has been this huge influx of immigrants, but I dont see a huge influx in the number of houses, hospitals, jails and schools being built. House prices are high enough as it is without some work shy immigrant coming over and the council having to buy them a £500 grand house to fit the family in. Now its not just immigrants, I know that british people do this aswell, but it just takes the p*ss more when they are not even a british citizen.

Can we have some detailed and documented cases of this, rather than more of your speculation, opinion and belief. You seem to be linking your own short and limited knowledge of some peoples situations and filling in the blansk with what you think is the truth, you are thne applying it to a whole cross-section of people and then applying that to the whole of the UK.

I hate it when I used to go to work on the tube and trains. Walking to the tube/train station I would have slow walking immigrants block the way. But once you reched the station and the train/tube arrived all of a sudden they are extra keen to get on and push their way to the front of the queue.

Anyway enough ranting let me talk some sense.

Sorry but that last bit is little short of an offensive rant! The only people who dawdle, block your way or push in on the tube are immigrants, so you know just by looking at all these people exactly what background they have and there personal circumstances? I don't think so.

What the government needs to do is stop giving out leanient jail sentences for major crimes, send back any immigrant that commits crime in this country, cut benefits, increase incentive to behave and follow the british way of life. People who self inflict themselves with injury due to booze or drugs should have to pay for treatment.

What exactly do you think just about every government has tried to do, slight issue is that punishment alone for crimes does not stop re-offending on its own. It needs to be balanced with rehabilitation. However this should be applied to everyone, not just immigrants.

As far as people who get injured while on drugs or drink having to pay for treatment you are again oversimplfing things here. What about someone who happens to be drunk when the are subject to an unprovoked attack, do you intend that they are denied treatment until they sober up and are able to prove they were the innocent party? Unworkable clap-trap of the highest order.

This country is in trouble. Inflation is going up, cost of living is going up, stealth taxes increasing, but yet labour carry on decieving the naive that the UK economy is booming.

Actually almost all independent financial commentators say that (given the entire global picture) the UK economy is actually in a fairly descent state. Inflation is actually at a descent rate and news flash teh cost of living does actually (shock horror) generally go up.

While I would agree in regard to some of the stealth taxes issues, you may note that while the Tories decry them, they have not actually pledged to get rid of them.

And whilst all this is happeneing the current generation of teen and early 20 somethings are cacking it. How are they supposed to be able to afford to buy a house. Everything costs more year by year but their pay packets dont follow suite?

Not a new situation at all, very little different to when I first moved out of home and buying a house was a no-go due to interest rates being well above 10%.

People always mention the tories and the 80's but what they seem to forget is that the whole world was in a economic downturn, and just as the labour party got control from the tories the economy was back on its way up. Labour did us well for about 5 years, but then it all got too much. Too much PC crap, not enough common sense.

I grew up and started work in the 80' so my comments are based on personal experience, rather than hearsay. The whole world was not in an economic downturn during the whole 80s at all, quite the opposite. Part of the boom-bust cycle that happened during the 80's can be laid at the door of the Tories themselves.

You dislike current tax schemes, well go back to the days of the Poll tax and give that one a go.

I do not yet earn 33k a year but in the next two years will have surpassed that figure. Not only will I have to stubbornly fork over 40%, there is also N.I contributions, council tax, road tax etc. It just annoys me that I will pay all this money to the government, and then at teh same time someone find the money to cough up for a 350k mortgage, with the icing on the cake being that my neighbors also living in a 350k house could very well be on benefits, workshy and have everything paid for by me and the other tax payers.

Again can I have some independently documents evidence of widespread abuses of this nature, not the odd isolated case of someone abusing the system (as that has gone on forever and will do no matter who is in charge).

I mean what kind of government gives people who dont work because they dont want to a house thats brand new

Not very many and unless they are completely unable to work not the one the UK has currently. What you are referring to here is benefit fraud, and again this happens, and I quite agree when and were it does it should be prosecuted fully.

The NHS is currently struggling. Its under funded with extrovert expectations. It wasnt too bad at one point but the population of London itself has increased dramtically over the past 5 years. I do have a private healthcare scheme, and the same goes with my pension. Trust the government to my healthcare and pension when they are proven to be incompetent over and over again? Yeah right.

Funny that I have a brand new hospital down the road? Wonder how that got built. The NHS is struggling, but the issues are far more complex that those you are presenting here. The simple fact that the UK has a population that is living longer is an issue in itself (just go and ask company heath insurance providers for GM in the States).

Now you have private healthcare, just as I do, now let me ask you what happens when you need to use it? You have to first be seen by a GP and referred to the healthcare provider, in addition your policy will have limits and caps on it. In other words it is still in part supported by the NHS, and don't lets start on what happens if you need an ambulance, just try giving the insurance company a ring.

This country is only good if you are poor and workshy, or rich. Those inbetween, the majority, are getting shafted.

P.S

I cant really think of anything good about the UK being working class.

Utter rubbish again, on the whole the UK is a fairly balanced place, and trust me no place is great if you are poor.


Back on topic, my single biggest gripe about the UK has just come to me (and this is one you can level firmly at the government) and its that of surveillance. The UK population is one of the most watched and monitored in the world, and quite frankly that I just can't stand.


Regards

Scaff

 

[Jondot]

Back on topic, my single biggest gripe about the UK has just come to me (and this is one you can level firmly at the government) and its that of surveillance. The UK population is one of the most watched and monitored in the world, and quite frankly that I just can't stand.


Regards

Scaff

That's interesting. The surveilance cameras left, right and center actually help me to feel safe. Admittedly it is rather un-nerving when you're in a shop and one's pointing right at you, but in a bad area it's quite reassuring.

 

[Philly]

Cars are among the most expensive in the world. Housing prices are through the roof.

Medical used to be good, yet they screwed with the system a few years ago.

Most people I know, residing in a high tax bracket, are packing up and moving to Belgium.

So what do you get? I'm sure healthcare. Education too (I believe the Brits do)? How are other taxes like sales and property?

 

[sn00pie]

So what do you get? I'm sure healthcare. Education too (I believe the Brits do)? How are other taxes like sales and property?

Basic healthcare is granted at a minimum ca. 100 EUR monthly fee (this fee is obligatory).

Property tax is levied on homes on a municipal basis in two parts: for the one who lives in the house and one for the owner of the house. At the moment it's € 4,1 per € 2,500.

 

[TwinTurboJay]

Cananda:

Pros;
Free, except you have to pay through the nose for it, unless you don't work....

Not as ridiculously litigious as the US

4 seasons of fun - regular fishing or ice fishing, quading or snowmobiling....all good things.

Multiculturalism at its finest

Cons;

No non speed limit highway

just recently changed law on the Ontario highways, if you get busted at 50km/h more than the limit, your car is impounded for a week, and possible $10'000 fine ( even if its a $$rental$$ )

 

[GT_Jim]

So what I like/dislike about Greece....
The only thing I am proud of are my ancestors, Greece's history, and the country's beauty (only out of the big cities though)

But I gotta say the education system is awful, the country is badly organized, and more...I don't mean to sound like "do not come never here" but this is the reality...

 

[Omnis]

But they probably get everything paid for by the government. Housing, food, medical needs, cars, vacations, toys for your two-year-old.

Problem is, what if all of that costs only 10% of my paycheck? 60% tax, no thank you.

 

[Kent]

I live in America.

I'd say the Best thing about the country I reside in is...
The Bill Of Rights.

I'd say the Worst thing about the country I reside in is...
The Bill Of Rights.

I love my freedom of speech but I can't stand when others use their freedom of speech.

 

[OpheliaMontague]

Australia's upside: awesome weather!

Australia's downside: creepy crawlies!!

 

[Joey D]

Best thing about America:
Housing is cheap compared to many parts of the world, I'm allowed to own a firearm, decent education system with the universities, lots of national and state parks, and low population density makes for a uncrowded country (even though many Americans think we are packed in here).

Worst things:
Taxes are higher then they need to be, our politicians are morons (Dems and Rep), our health care is expensive, everyone sues one another, people can not drive, there are quite a few illegrants (illegal immigrants) running around wanting rights, people abuse the firearm right, crime is high in some areas, we have government welfare, the power the unions have, people are typically rude, to many fat people, drinking age for some reason is 21, and we don't get the cool cars like the rest of the world does.

 

[kikie]

PRO

* the weather
* bilingual issues
* the government
* the toxic air we have to breath in every day
* taxes
* urbanization
* law concerning tuned cars
* being a transit country for traffic and illegal aliens.
* bureaucracy
* the Walloon provinces
* corruption
.
.
.
.

* the entire country called "Belgium"

(not in that specific order)


CONS

*Nothing at all.

[/sarcasme]

 

[Jondot]

Your chocolate is pretty good, though.

 

[Azuremen]

Best thing about America:
Housing is cheap compared to many parts of the world, I'm allowed to own a firearm, decent education system with the universities, lots of national and state parks, and low population density makes for a uncrowded country (even though many Americans think we are packed in here).

Worst things:
Taxes are higher then they need to be, our politicians are morons (Dems and Rep), our health care is expensive, everyone sues one another, people can not drive, there are quite a few illegrants (illegal immigrants) running around wanting rights, people abuse the firearm right, crime is high in some areas, we have government welfare, the power the unions have, people are typically rude, to many fat people, drinking age for some reason is 21, and we don't get the cool cars like the rest of the world does.

More or less hit the nail on the head. I love the illegrants wanting rights, I mean come ON, you aren't even suppose to be in the country. That, and drinking age is absurd.

People just make the US out to be worse than it really is. We actually have a pretty good deal going on. And people that think we are packed in here are just dumb, or clearly have never left the east coasts. Go 300 miles inland and all you see are fields or desert, or mountains with forests

 

[Nicknamealguem]

Let’s see, Portugal….

Cons:
High Taxes;
High Prices;
Low Salaries (compared with the rest of the Europe);
Almost no freedom;
The government spend money where it isn’t needed, and where is needed, nothing is done.
The Monopoly;
Spain (almost everything comes from Spain).

Pros:
The Weather;
The scenery of nature places:
The beaches;
The people of the little villages;
Madeira and Açores (Islands).

 

[Joey D]

More or less hit the nail on the head. I love the illegrants wanting rights, I mean come ON, you aren't even suppose to be in the country. That, and drinking age is absurd.

People just make the US out to be worse than it really is. We actually have a pretty good deal going on. And people that think we are packed in here are just dumb, or clearly have never left the east coasts. Go 300 miles inland and all you see are fields or desert, or mountains with forests

I don't hate living here by any means, I would just prefer to live somewhere else...ideally I would love to live in the UK.

 

[Michael88]

Likes: Lack of gun crime; no killer insects; proximity of stuff (no wide open spaces over here).

You must be kidding! Since UK totally banned guns our news service shows us shot people every day which died during drug and gang wars in the UK.
There were also some statistics that gun crime increased since the ban and it got even worse than most countries with tame gun laws (UK-sized).
I'll try to find them in the net.

 

[F1GTR]

You must be kidding! Since UK totally banned guns our news service shows us shot people every day which died during drug and gang wars in the UK.
There were also some statistics that gun crime increased since the ban and it got even worse than most countries with tame gun laws (UK-sized).
I'll try to find them in the net.

Not where I live. It's knife crime that's worrying.

 

[Sureboss]

It's still quite low compared to many countries, and given that most gun crime is involved around gangs. I certainly don't find it's a problem, it's a bit bad in some areas of Manchester, Nottingham and London, but in Nottingham it's actually gone down with some gang leaders being sent to prison. Gun crime in the Uk certainly doesn't worry me as much as say Boris Johnson being the mayor of London....

 

[TwinTurbos94]

AMERICA!

PROS*
Bill Of Rights


Cons*
Politicians are dumb (Reps and Dems)
Too many people are dumb (Especially here in SC)
People obsessing over celebrities

 

[Omnis]

Your chocolate is pretty good, though.

Yeah, blame Neuhaus for fudging the numbers.

 

[kikie]

Your chocolate is pretty good, though.

That's true but it's nothing to be proud of. Chocolate is pretty unhealty if you ask me, (if you eat too much off the stuff)!

 

[Azuremen]

That's true but it's nothing to be proud of. Chocolate is pretty unhealty if you ask me, (if you eat too much off the stuff)!

Someone is a bit cynical perhaps?

Anything is bad for you in extremes, clearly.

One other con about the US is the majority of Voters have no idea on topics, thus the retarded legislation that gets through at times... =/

 

[kikie]

Someone is a bit cynical perhaps?

Yes, I am. Concerning Belgium, I'm always cynical. Not about chocolate though. I know I'm right.

 

[DustDriver]

C'est moi: 'Chocolate is pretty unhealty if you ask me'

On the contrary. Pure chocolat is very good for you. It contains all sorts of things that are good for you.
Even milk chocolat isn't really bad for you. It too has good stuff in it.

 

[Sureboss]

It depends on quantity of it, if you can burn it all off with exercise then it's not going to be a problem is it?

 

[kikie]

C'est moi: 'Chocolate is pretty unhealty if you ask me'

On the contrary. Pure chocolat is very good for you. It contains all sorts of things that are good for you.
Even milk chocolat isn't really bad for you. It too has good stuff in it.

This is a bit off topic.

Nope, chocolate is unhealthy, believe me. Pure cacao is healty but chocolate isn't. They put a lot off sugar and other bad stuff in chocolate. White sugar is pure poison. So chocolate is unhealthy, cacao is healthy. A couple off weeks ago I ate pure cacao chocolate, (organic, macrobiotic). It tasted very bad but it's healthy.