cricket1again

Many of the convicts were only guilty of stealing a loaf of bread to feed their starting families as a result of the social injustices and deprivation of Georgian England.
The corruption came not from the convicts but the priests, police officers and jailers who came on the ships with them. It's this hierarchy of anarchy that has forged generations of corruption in Australia today.

I love it when people give their expert theories.

Sue

Thanks for the giggle, being Gloucestershire born and bred I know exactly what you mean.

St.Georges Girl

What a strange thing to say.

I ditto that, but what about all the other races here on Oz, of which there are many, I think some people who have never lived in Australia have some very strange ideas and theories about the country, don't you?

cricket1again

Just as a matter of interest and while there is some suggestion that the 'underclass' is unique to Britain, which it is not, there are currently approx 10 million people in the UK receiving some kind of benefit. This includes the long term sick, elderly, parents and disability. Only 1.7 million are actually receiving long term unemployment benefit and the UK government has just released a white paper outlining their intention to force people to work for their benefits.
1.7 million 'chavs', whatever this means, isn't bad out of a population of 61 million.
I think these figures are correct but anyone can do their home work by looking up the government stats which are usually reliable when it involves paying out money.

ezzie

DH is already back, we leave for Oz mid Jan. Then we talk, discuss, agonize and make our final decision.

Hubbies comments on arriving back was 'so lovely to be back in a big home with space and light, but going down the shops he was struck by robotic-like people, smiling, moving but not really connecting. He essentially summed it up as 'back to bland'.

One thing that's struck me here is how much time people spend chatting on the phone or popping round for a cuppa here in the UK....I'd be in my element.

On the underclass thing. I have to say that whilst it seems that there is indeed a massive number of, and let's call them the 'underclass' so we know who we're talking about, over here in the UK (looked to be about 90% of those shopping yesterday!) I could honestly say that there'd be a large proportion of them that I could happily spend a night down the pub with. In Oz, when I've been around the Australian version, I've found it damn hard work trying to coax any conversation out of them which has left us feeling frustrated.

The UK version may have adopted a certain code of dress and lifestyle but they're still sparky and interesting. I've met this type in the outback in Oz, it seems you need to live with a bit of hardship and extreme or different experiences to really hone a personality. I feel I've lost some of mine along the way - hard to describe, but I've always felt you have to kind of draw your horns in a bit in Oz, to tone yourself down and be careful what you say. Taking the piss out of someone as a means of humour doesn't go down too well in Oz...now in Brum it comes as easy as breathing!

I think I've said it before, but the UK seems to offer an incredible diversity of people and experiences. It's not neat, it's not always lovely, but you'll never be bored.

ezzie

'Only' 1.7 million! With 10 million in total receiving benefits.....bloody hell! That doesn't leave an awful lot of working age people to fund the non-working does it. You think 'it's not bad'...I think it's dreadful.

I know a few 'long term sick' of the 10 million you speak about...dreadful ailments such as a bout of asthma back in '69 or a touch of arthritis in their feet. Nothing I, or many haven't experienced yet still somehow manage to drag ourselves off to work. It happens everywhere, but it just seems so endemic in the UK.

It's a good system that provides welfare to those most in need, but it's also a system which has become so institutionalised and corrupted that it now favours the lazy gits of the population rather than those who need a temporary boost to get them through a difficult patch.

Oh, and all those I know 'on the sick' as they call it, also work part-time, cash in hand when it suits them to ensure they get their holidays in Spain each year.

I've also discovered here an 'appeals' mentality. Get knocked back? No probs, just appeal using slightly different tactics each time and eventually you'll get what you want.

On a completely different stream..we've been driving down the same little muddy road to get to our friends house for three weeks now and passing the same cone placed over a pool of water. We presumed it to be marking an underground stream which had eroded a bit spilling water onto the road, but after seeing an area nearby gushing away, we asked and discovered it's a burst water main waiting to be fixed! A very different take on water resources here. I know there's plenty of it, but then there's the cost of the processesing of it with flouride etc, energy to pump the water ....I know I'm a bit of a greenie at heart, but the lack of organisation just amazed me. I think I'll ring someone today about it and see what happens!

cricket1again

There are almost 29 million employed and out of the 10 million, only 1.7 unemployed. The other 8.3 million are probably doing some form of work but they may also be receiving widows pension, war pension, retirement pension, invalidity pension, family benefits, carer's benefit and the good old family allowance which you would also receive as a matter of course if you return to live in the UK.

It's the 1.7 million on unemployed benefit that the government are now going to force out to work.

ezzie

I haven't read anything on this white paper. Have you got a link to it Cricket or know how they going to go about it?...such a dreadful problem here, I don't know where they'd start - and then I guess there's the fear that turfing people off benefits will lead to more crime.

I think the old system of supplying apprenticeships was an excellent way to engage younger kids into the workforce. I wonder if this could work with the long-term unemployed. Doing it in a recession might be a challenge although might even do much to get some smaller businesses up and going by providing a subsidised workforce if it didn't prove too distracting. I've seen the joy a great apprentice can bring to a firm, but likewise a couple of bad uns' can bring everyone down.

Grayling

It is also a huge problem in Australia.

I am not sure what your agenda is here

Things are no different in Australia so why do you keep on about it?

Giantaxe

And yet ironically you wanted to add yourself to that 10 million judging from your visit to enquire about benefits. Oh, and you also want your children's university education subsidized by taxpayers at UK resident rates despite their complete lack of nexus with the UK.

Fleaflyfloflum

Dont do as i do, do as i say

Grayling

No no....you don't understand.

It is only 'dreadful' when the 'underclass' want benefits

ezzie

Agenda? Not everyone has an 'agenda' on these boards.
As for uni education, I've been clear on that and I do feel that if you're British and can prove a definite intention to remain settled in the UK, then you should be able to access UK education at less cost than someone who has no heritage or ties to the UK...which currently is not the case.
Benefits....it was purely an exercise to establish exactly what assistance is available as a safety net 'should' things go pear shape initially. These are difficult and unpredictable times. I see nothing wrong in accessing services temporarily when needed. We discovered we wouldn't be eligible for anything and you won't have heard me whinging about that either. The visit was also to establish what rules are in place regarding us returning, what we need to do upon return and whether we need to specifically tell anyone 'Honey, we're home'! I was told the Job Centre is now where you go to access all information regarding health, tax, pension etc. which is why I went there.

I'm just tired of the personal jibes and attacks for what I thought would be a gentle ramble on our take on the UK. I really thought after a hicough that the vitriole was over....and I'm asked what 'my' agenda is!

Well, the rain has stopped and the mist is clearing, I've a heap of people to see today and I feel the need for a walk through the silver birches of Sutton Park. So, I'm off....if anyone wants an update, I can be PM'd.
Ta ta and thank you so very much to all those who have made wonderful comments on their own feelings and experiences, I've really enjoyed reading and learning from them....and I'm still laughing about all those 'R's in Gloucestershire!

cricket1again

The government has a web site Ezzie and there is a national statistic department. There are regular updates which any taxpayer can access and read to find out how their money is being spent on the many issues facing modern day Britain today. It's a good way to find out the facts instead of guessing them.

TillyG

Ezzie, I'll miss your updates. I've found it a pretty informative thread and it's been interesting following your adventures and also the emotions too. It's made great reading and made me think about things that I might not have otherwise considered. Sometimes, in the depths of my homesickness, I convince myself that the UK is the answer to everything... and it's refreshing to read that (while it's still lovely) there are downsides to it too.

T