Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

This can't be said often enough.

Not only that, but Britain today is a better place to live for the vast majority of people than at any time in its history.

The 'good old days' my generation often speak of were also the days of 3-day weeks and rubbish piling up in the streets and IRA bombs and terrible food. I remember when the opening of Kentucky Fried Chicken was a cultural highlight in my little town. :lol: Holidays abroad were the province of the rich and 'foodie' wasn't even a word yet.

Go back a few generations and my family were living in the York slums, surviving on occasional poor law hand-outs and odd jobs, drinking themselves into an early grave (if they weren't murdered in street violence first), all their kids in a 'school' that was just a front for child labor. Just 160 years later, their descendents are all living in comfortable houses, breathing clean air, taking frequent holidays and protected by a slew of labour laws, but complaining louder than ever about how the country has gone to the dogs.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Idiocity transparency is also desirable.

Maybe it should be called The WeebieIndex.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Worst thing about the UK is the police. The corruption in the Met goes right to the top and the way peaful protestors are arrested and harassed strikes at democracy. I thought having a "Ministry of Justice" sounded Orwellian, but recent events and all the CCTV I'm the UK convince me that the UK is closer to 1984 than ever.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

So true. I have had tons of people comment on us moving back home. Like they have this really fabricated view of America. It must be like you see in the movies or on TV show's. Yet 99% of them have never been to America let alone actually lived there to see the true side of the country. It is a horrible country with no culture nor class. Oh I met some wonderful people there, My wife is American, but damn it is one horrible mess of a place. Not to mention they are super proud of being able to buy machine gun's lol.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

:rofl:

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

The justice system is a way of keeping the poor folk in their place and it always has been, it's always favored the rich and privileged, why would it be any different now.

OK changed my siggie so you can see where I am/have been.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

This is my biggest gripe with the UK too... the police coupled with the erosion of civil liberties over the last quarter of a century. I read somewhere that the UK has more CCTV cameras in public places than the rest of the world combined. Wtf? Lots of other examples too, like the cavalier removal of the absolute right to remain silent, the taking of DNA samples of anyone arrested (as opposed to convicted) etc.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Parliamentary Democracy...does that really happen...to me as soon as a politicain (most of them anyway) go through those grand gates of parliament they seem to forget about being there by grace of the public and do mainly their own thing....better politicians are not going to happen until they answer to the public who voted them in to parliament.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Oh please....if there is a country out there that has the perfect system of keeping people safe and with liberties then I am the first one to buy my ticket...we have been and lived in a few countries in our time and each one have different ways in dealing with crime etc...I have never found one to be "truly fair" and would not protest to live in a country where it is....in this day an age (if ever) the law is one unto itself.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

I thought my family & friends would be overjoyed that we were looking at coming back. The first thing I got was "you've got it all out there why would you want to come back" I agree they see what life in America is like through TV and it's all good. In reality it's a different story. I hate the fact that people can just buy guns out here. And they wonder why there are so many drive by's and high school shootings.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Lots of Brits think Ameerika is all Rodeo Drive and Doris Day movies, just like they think Australia is all kangaroos and BBQ's on the beach, TV and the movies have a lot to answer for. :sneaky:

You will also find most of these people will have not been further than a fortnight in Benidorm once a year, never mind actually live in another country.................:ohmy:

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

I have recently been to South Korea and I can tell you that South Korea has CCTV cameras everywhere. They may not have as many as the UK, but in terms of area that they cover, South Korea has more.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Some cool graphics and stats on UK CCTV cameras:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8159141.stm

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

OMG, anyone complaining about the UK Police has obviously never been to Australia. I have never had a really bad experience with cops in England, they just seem more relaxed and friendly.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

I've never really understood the whole CCTV thing, I don't care who watches me walk down the street, why do people have such an issue with it ?

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

I'm not camparing UK policing with another country. I'm saying that the growth of CCTV and the arrogance of the police has diminished liberty and democracy in the UK. My opinion of the UK police at all levels has become far more skeptical since the implementation of a surveillance culture and the suppression of peaceful dissent

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Are they really suppressing peaceful dissent? I see a lot of protest marches in England so if they are trying to stifle people, it's not working.

We found the cops we saw on our last visit back to be very friendly and helpful with directions. At least they don't carry guns. It terrifies me when I pass cops in the street here, their guns right there for anyone to see. Not to mention walking into Grand Central station and seeing army guys with massive automatic weapons and dogs. Yikes!

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

It's really not that black and white:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/ap...rotest-liberty

I've found individual cops very friendly too. I'm more worried about the culture of the police, particularly institutionally. I think a lot of shit is going to come out of the woodwork about the Met police's collusion (and bribe taking) with the tabloids - hardly a good sign. Plenty of automatic weapons at Heathrow btw.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Maybe I'm too much of a cynic but I always assume that the police are crooked everywhere in the world (and always have been). Since power always corrupts, it's really just a matter of degree. I do agree it's disturbing - I'm just surprised that so many people are surprised by the latest revelations. And that so many people view police corruption as a new development rather than an inevitable result of human nature.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Has he been promoted? I must have missed the announcement.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

They are. Show me a law enforcement agency that isn't self-serving and whose employees (at every level) don't think that there's one rule for them and another for everybody else.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

I don't see anyone claiming here that police corruption is new - check out the conduct of the Yorkshire police in the '70's for example - but more that the surveillance "culture" in the UK makes the scope of such corruption more far reaching than used to be the case. Hence one of the reasons for my concerns as how readily many Brits accept their every move being recorded, filmed etc.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

You haven't been to Europe much then? I just came back from a trip to 4 different European countries, and saw plenty of cops with guns. I wasn't terrified at all. I lived in Germany years ago, and all the police carried guns way back then. I believe Canadian cops carry guns too. Look closely around any major European airport - you will be surprised at what you see.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Oh good grief. :rolleyes:

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

I think it's funny how we just drove past a knife and gun show out here in Washington State. It scares me how open this country is with weapons.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

That's interesting! Didn't think cops carried guns much out in Europe. I know Canadian cops do.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Oh yes I remember the first time I saw a gun, I was a kid on holiday in Spain (way back i the 60's) and the police were very nice and chatty with us, I was totally freaked out by the side arms they were carrying, I put it down to my Dad being a western movies buff so I watched a lot of westerns and expected a gun fight to break out

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Actually quite liked seventies Britain for the reason that it was a far less materialistic and money obsessed country.
A lot of folk had a degree of social/political awareness and far less interest in the rich and famous.
People lived simplier lives and there was perhaps more connection than now days with one another.
The summer was warmer..........

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Found a similar thing myself. Aussie cops do appear to take themselves very seriously and views to match.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

No I don't go to Europe much these days - I rarely get to take a vacation, what with living in the US. :lol: And I'm aware of guns at airports. But I'm unclear as to how German police rules have any impact on my concerns about cops in my own city and my preference for the British approach to arming police.

I don't like guns and I don't like cops carrying guns, whether they are American or German or any other nationality. I'm just not big on trusting the police and have read too many news stories of innocent New Yorkers shot by cops. People who would be alive today had they been born in the UK instead of the US.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

They just aren't as approachable and I think the gun on the hip has something to do with that. I really hope they don't go down the same route in the UK.
When I was in Florida the car hire place next to the one we used was shot up by an ex employee the day after we were there, a couple killed and the girl at KFC asked us if we had a gun during a short conversation with her. We of course said no, she had one but didn't bring it to work, she looked to be 18 at most. Scary place.
Talking of Police, I pulled up next to a cop car in Miami and asked the cop where we could park, he said 'not here' and drove off. :D

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Unfortunately, the police often needs gun, such as the shooting in Cumbria, where they could only stand and watch.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...intervene.html

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

I'm not sure I would say often, more like rarely.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

The occasions where UK Police would need guns would be extremely rare. The Police are armed here and America but it doesn't stop mass shootings.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Didn't we have a really bad heatwave :lol:
I finished high school in the late 70's it was extremely depressing to my friends and I, we worried that we'd never find work or be able to afford to do or go anywhere, and one friend cried thinking she and her sweetheart would never be able to marry and find work or have a family one day. Little did we know what the 80's would bring :eek:
We just couldn't see an end to all the unemployment and misery. I see my Son and his friends with that look, he'll be a high school senior next week.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

He can sneak over the border to Canada! ;)

http://oncampus.macleans.ca/educatio...really-so-bad/

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Wow Spains is pretty bad, I knew it was bad but not that high.
He already has a job, he's one of very few of his friends who does, He's the one making your Tacos or taking your drive though order at Taco Bell :rofl:

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Youth unemployment is a huge issue worldwide it seems, at least in Western nations. Here in Australia it is over 20%.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Meanwhile the cost of the business of education continues to increase while more and more folk get ever more degrees and diplomas for reasons i'm not sure of.
Why isn't the Corporate sector investing far more in the training of the young? Far too many quick fixes like juggling the immigration figures year by year.

Re: Major current problems in the UK?
 

Wow just read your signature and you have ping ponged WAY more than me LOL!! :lol:

Will this be your last ping??? Or never say never? :ohmy: