Grayling

Certainly wasn't a mistake for me to move back.......wild horses wouldn't drag me back to live in Australia again.

...and the UK still looks OK to me......if anything things have greatly improved since I was a youngster many years ago

Editha

In what way has Britain deteriorated during your lifetime and how is it related to the 'imperial attitude'?

Germany is also one of the 'top nations' as you put it. That would be because it is the world's fourth largest economy, and the UK is the fifth.

Moses2013

What modern world are Germans living in then, that's so much better than UK? People live in small overpriced shoe boxes, eat processed food and hope they might get a pension one day.

scot47

German pension provision is much better than in the UK. Public transport is incomparably better. The education system caters to everyone and is not skewed to favour a small elite.

Grayling

It would have to go some to be better than mine

Editha

You are still dodging the question. What is the link to our loss of Empire?

Incidentally, Germany's social mobility statistics are not very good compared with other developed countries. Ours are much worse, but it is wrong to say that there is no privileged elite in Germany.

Novocastrian

I agree with your first two points but the third is not well put.

As you know there are 3 streams of schooling after the age of 11 based on the dreaded Empfehlung given by the Grundschiule in the pupils' final year.

As a valid rule of thumb, only the children who go on to Gymnasium will later attend a Universitaet and thence have a shot at "the elite" to use your term.

At least the UK got rid of the 11+

Moses2013

I don't know the UK figures, but have you actually heard what's going on in Germany these days. Ever heard of Altersarmut? In Germany many pensioners can no longer afford to rent, due to increases and it's not like the UK where most people own a home. As you can see, Germany is not better than the UK, compared to other OECD countries.
Die durchschnittliche Ersatzquote, also das Verhältnis der Rente zum Einkommen, in den OECD-Ländern, zu denen neben den europäischen Industrienationen beispielsweise auch die USA, Japan, Australien und Neuseeland gehören, beträgt 69 Prozent, d. h. die durchschnittliche Rentenhöhe in den OECD-Ländern beträgt 69 Prozent des Einkommens. Unter diesem Durchschnitt liegt neben Schweden, Großbritannien und Irland auch Deutschland mit gerade einmal 58 Prozent.

Helen1964

To return to the original post, can you explain in more detail what it is about the UK that you don't like? I'm genuinely curious, because I've been living in France for many years and am considering moving back myself at some point.
I've only just started taking trips back, with a view to scouting out possible places to live, and so far, the only real negative I've noticed is litter (specifically on the streets of Cardiff!).
The weather of course is pretty awful, but it always was. What I really noticed the couple of times I've been back is how easy it is to get chatting to complete strangers. Even in central London.

Giantaxe

I'll take today's Britain over the one of the days of empire... sounds to me that you're the one trying to hold on to a bygone age.

scot47

We lost an Empire but have not found a new role. I am not the first to make that judgement.http://quotationsbook.com/quote/12281/
For so many in GB, the default position seems to be straight out of "The Daiiy Mail". Colonel Blimp rules !
I still say that things are much better in Germany ! Our Blimps simply cannot stomach the idea that Germania has sorted things out while GB is in a real mess.

Giantaxe

A quote made a mere 44 years ago... maybe the world has changed a little since then. And maybe things aren't as black and white as you like to claim.

I realize you have a particular "agenda", but really it has little to do with the subject of this thread.

Bipat

During the time of the British Empire the colonies were exploited for the benefit of the British economy. However the resulting wealth was not evenly distributed and there was profound poverty in the UK also. Since that time the welfare system has ensured that no one in the UK should starve or be without medical care. The economic situation will certainly vary from year to year. What has become worse in my opinion is crime, drug and alcohol addiction and general anti-social behaviour, some of which happens because individuals have more money to spend.

Editha

Dean Acheson said that in 1962. Whether he would still say it more than fifty years later is another matter. You really are living in the past.

Editha

The statistics are against you on crime, which has dropped dramatically since the mid-nineties.