Giantaxe

To which I would say "thank goodness for that". Admittedly, I haven't moved back, but I find England a far more interesting place than the one I left not long after.. 1982.

I'd happily swap the license fee for the cost of broadband access the UK gets compared to the US. A recent study suggests it's over twice as expensive in the US for slower speed. Really, complaining about the TV license seems like not seeing the wood for the trees:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24528383

As to the OP, when I see a laundry list of negatives followed by a token positive - about any place - I smell an agenda rather than an attempt to have a rational discussion.

Grayling

Indeed......especially when the poster has plenty of 'previous' for this type of rant

Pollyana

My weekly fix of Casualty

chris955

I have come to realise nothing the OP posts should be taken very seriously. Some (most) of the points made in the opening post are just nonsense and dont stand up to even basic scrutiny.
Lenient on crime, just literally read about an a bloke in America out on bail for murder then murdered his ex and ate her heart and lungs.
Everything takes 6-8 weeks, how absurd.
Quite frankly it is a waste of energy dissecting this kind of post, it is so inaccurate in so many ways.

SDDep

You can't keep a good mod down!

SDDep

The radio alone is worth the fee I'm not paying on I-player.

christmasoompa

Really? I happily pay the licence fee for an uninterrupted hour of what I consider quality programming - for me that's usually dramas like The Fall, the White Queen, Luther, Line of Duty, Sherlock, Happy Valley, the Honourable Woman, and then lighter stuff like The Great British Bake Off, Top Gear, Have I Got News For You, etc. Not to mention the 24 news, great documentaries and stunning wildlife documentaries.

chris955

Absolutely, British programming and especially the BBC is light years ahead of what I see elsewhere.

SDDep

Ok, this kind of Mod then

Sally Redux

Agreed. Every young woman out with a baby is a single mum on benefits. It's the sort of thing my mum thinks, with no evidence at all.

Also agree with Giantaxe, the country has got miles better since 1982.

chris955

Its just Daily Mail nonsense which unfortunately some swallow hook line and sinker.

Yeah, the country isnt the same as it was in 1982, no sh** sherlock Agreed, in so many ways it is just so much better than it was back then.

We visited America back in the late 90's and while we had a good time it is the last place in the world I would want to live but that just shows we are all different.

mikelincs

Also the myth that a young girl having a baby will automatically get housed is a load of rubbish, yes they do get accomodation, only if where they are living is inadequate, and then often a poor quality apartment in a highrise, then they get to go on TV and complain about the accomodation they were given, when some of them set out delibratley to get prognant to get away from home.
I can honestly say I've seen no real problems in the streets, and have lived in one area that was renowned for the number of drug addicts, but apart from hearing about one house that burned down from a fire started by faulty electrics in the 'growhouse' in the attic and seeing a few people obviously on 'something' wandering the street, never had any problems, neither did I when living in Spain in a somewhat similar area.

As has been pointed out, education is now compulsory till 18, and vocational courses and apprenticeships are being set up everywhere. One of the problems the UK has had is that many people believe that getting a university degree is essential, so they study mickey mouse degrees, which qualify them nicely to work in McDonalds or behind the tills in a supermarket.

Maany of the kids seen around looking aimless are there because it's simpler to live of benefits of paretns than get a job, but this is changing, the qualifications for benefits are being tightened up, and the levels altered so yhat it's much less simple to livve the way they want on benefit money.

petrichor

I don't understand why the OP is living in the UK.

rebs

The OP's list kind of makes me want to say 'don't sweat the small stuff'

Sally Redux

I have previously asked him that with no reply.