cheers

Ya but how much after taxes are taken out?

I think about the salaries of the newscaster quite a lot and I'm mad because they are giving out propaganda for various organizations and corporations.

They act like they are average people one of us?

In her case her husband has serious medical conditions so I have a little compassion for.

BTW I think she has gone part-time so her salary, this year, has probably 'tanked'

jasper123

Fish I googled (Meredith Vieira,s finger infection in London)
I watched the video of her talking on late night talk shows when she got home, she was REALLY trashing the NHS and even trying to make it a mockery, she said that when she showed her doctor in the states the anti-biotics the private Doctor in London prescribed her ---- he said we dont even use this type of drug anymore here in U.S. and then he told her that the UK Doc prescribed the wrong meds, they are prescribed for Syphilis!!!! well maybe thats what she has Syphilis of the finger
And just to think I used to like Meredith on the Millionaire show, and the View, and also when she moved to the TODAY show I liked her then too,
I didn't even know that she has left the Today show already, turns out that they offered her $11 million for another years contract in 2011 and she decided to not sign for another year, I suppose she prefers to have more time to look after her terminally ill husband, that makes sense to me,
and after all how much money really does a person need?
I wish her husband well though,

sallysimmons

Some Americans are very threatened by the NHS. I guess she's one of them.

Fish n Chips 56

I'm not the least bit worried about her wages and taxes but the properganda bothers me.

I liked Meredith until she had an attitude about the NHS, she didn't even like the private care she received so that's that, I certainly feel sorry for her with her husbands M.S. problem, I wouldn't want to walk in her shoes.

My Neighbor a family man has M.S. just like Merediths husband, in his late 40's and an E.M.T. at least he was until he lost his job, last weekend he got kicked out of his home together with wife n kids, and that's what bugs me about this country, people that could use a help in tough times get treated like crap.

Seeing the huge guy representing the bank roll up in his beat up chevy pick-up and tell them they had to leave just made me feel sick, these people are not dressed in suits, they are hired by the banks to do the dirty work, it was awful...

cheers

I'm sure you watch on TV when people say this, the US, is the greatest country on earth. Both of the political conventions were full of this. Sorry Denise.

sile

I just have to say that many Americans do not feel that everything here is perfect by any means, but what do you expect people to say about their own countries, especially at a political rally...that we suck? and America IS pretty great, btw.

I know this is a mainly British forum, but what is up with all the US bashing, particularly by expats who actually choose to LIVE HERE?

Mummy in the foothills

Oh jeez get a sense of humor, I think they sell them at K-Mart.

cheers

We are just joining in with the views of our American neighbors.

sallysimmons

It's cultural. Brits don't walk around congratulating themselves on being great all the time. Our political conventions aren't about how fabulous Britain is - they're about policy. No one ever claims that England is 'the greatest country on earth.' Well, except for Boris Johnson (look him up and you'll see why we don't pay too much attention to him ).

I always thought America seemed a very insecure country when I lived there. Like the girl in high school who's always telling everyone how pretty and clever she is, because deep down she's very unsure of herself.

If you ever do move to England, you'll be confounded by our ways, just was we are confounded by yours. You'll find yourself exasperated by things you just don't get and you'll talk about it to other Americans. Then you'll understand why ex-pats here criticize aspects of America. It's not 'bashing' - it's honest dialogue.

But also, look at where we are - this is the section of the site for people who want to move back. They may be living in America, but in most cases they don't want to. If you want to hear nice things about America, check the USA section. There are lots of Brits who love it over there. I just wasn't one of them.

Bud the Wiser

Sile, read and absorb Sallysimmons post above and you won't go far wrong.

Fish n Chips 56

Hello Sile... just so you know, not all of us chose to live here, and not all of us dislike it here, we just dislike certain things, but that could be said of the UK too, If you move to Ireland I'm sure you will have those feelings too.

Once you've walked in our shoes you will understand much better, Emigrating looks easy to some but is a much bigger life changer than most people can explain.

sile

Hello all,

I am sure what you say is true, including the fact that emigrating is huge, and I completely understand that no matter where one is, there will be things that you dislike, and certainly everyone has the right to voice their opinion, especially on a forum like this.

That said, I find it somewhat .... I don't really know the word that fits here...maybe mean-spirited, when some folks here paint the country with a broad and sometimes wrongly colored brush, saying things like we are all too full of patriotism that we voice too loudly, or we are the "laughing stock of the world" in one regard or another, or we are all ignorant or whatever. I am an American and I love my country in many ways, and I am proud of all we do that's right.

Don't forget that any country is made up of individuals, including, in this case, me, my parents, grandparents, friends, ancestors. So, when an insult is hurled at "America", it's essentially being hurled at all of us.

I know anyone here would feel the same if the tables were turned. It kind of gets your back up.

Additionally, it kind of bugs me to hear people insult Americans when I know they are working for Americans, running businesses that Americans purchase from, and taking full advantage of things we have to offer, and then they turn around and insult us. That seems wrong to me.

Sally Redux

On the other hand, it's a forum for British Expats and we don't wish to be dictated to.

sile

I am clearly not "dictating" to anyone. I am expressing my opinion...my feelings on a subject.

Perhaps, if you think this forum should be restricted to British Expats, you should contact the administrator and they can modify the rules so that I and any others from countries that are not part of the British Empire can be told not to participate, or at the very least, we can be told not to express ourselves in any way other than what you think is acceptable.

Sally Redux

That's not what I said but never mind. You are impossible to talk to.