Reality of the UK
#18
Re: Reality of the UK
Yes, that's precisely what's wrong with the UK. A few homeless people being all homeless in a high-profile spot.
Not the fact that we have the second highest debt:GDP ratio in the world.
Not the fact that we have an increasing power consumption and decreasing power generation capacity.
Not the fact that we are watched on CCTV everywhere we go.
Not the fact that we have a huge welfare burden, with (for the first time ever) more people being supported by the state than the total number of workers.
No, none of the above matters, look over here, there are some homeless people.
Oh, never mind, BGT is on. All is well.
Not the fact that we have the second highest debt:GDP ratio in the world.
Not the fact that we have an increasing power consumption and decreasing power generation capacity.
Not the fact that we are watched on CCTV everywhere we go.
Not the fact that we have a huge welfare burden, with (for the first time ever) more people being supported by the state than the total number of workers.
No, none of the above matters, look over here, there are some homeless people.
Oh, never mind, BGT is on. All is well.
All those things may be true but they're just a part of the story. One of the things I'm grateful for is that I spent so long away from Britain, because it has given me a joyful appreciation of so much that I once took for granted. Not to mention a realization that everywhere has problems and some are much worse than the ones you listed.
#19
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: Reality of the UK
You dont mean he was only showing the negatives aspects do you ? OMG
I must say that I am VERY pleasantly surprised since arriving back, I was told in no uncertain terms by people who hadnt been back to the UK in years but had read the Dail Mail or by people who had never been here at all that it was in fact a shithole and was rapidly going down the toilet and that I shouldnt leave Australia as it was booming and there were jobs everywhere.
Well as I say I have been very pleasantly surprised, everyone has been friendly, helpful and shock horror HAPPY. I remember so well someone posting that when they were in the UK they only saw people with baskets of shopping as obviously noone had any money, surprisingly we see almost everyone with trolleys, often full the the top.
I havent been inconvenienced by the CCTV here anymore than I was in Australia to be honest.
I must say that I am VERY pleasantly surprised since arriving back, I was told in no uncertain terms by people who hadnt been back to the UK in years but had read the Dail Mail or by people who had never been here at all that it was in fact a shithole and was rapidly going down the toilet and that I shouldnt leave Australia as it was booming and there were jobs everywhere.
Well as I say I have been very pleasantly surprised, everyone has been friendly, helpful and shock horror HAPPY. I remember so well someone posting that when they were in the UK they only saw people with baskets of shopping as obviously noone had any money, surprisingly we see almost everyone with trolleys, often full the the top.
I havent been inconvenienced by the CCTV here anymore than I was in Australia to be honest.
When you make a list like that, don't forget to also list the good things, otherwise your perspective gets skewed.
All those things may be true but they're just a part of the story. One of the things I'm grateful for is that I spent so long away from Britain, because it has given me a joyful appreciation of so much that I once took for granted. Not to mention a realization that everywhere has problems and some are much worse than the ones you listed.
All those things may be true but they're just a part of the story. One of the things I'm grateful for is that I spent so long away from Britain, because it has given me a joyful appreciation of so much that I once took for granted. Not to mention a realization that everywhere has problems and some are much worse than the ones you listed.
#20
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2007
Location: England
Posts: 4,212
Re: Reality of the UK
Yes, that's precisely what's wrong with the UK. A few homeless people being all homeless in a high-profile spot.
Not the fact that we have the second highest debt:GDP ratio in the world.
Not the fact that we have an increasing power consumption and decreasing power generation capacity.
Not the fact that we are watched on CCTV everywhere we go.
Not the fact that we have a huge welfare burden, with (for the first time ever) more people being supported by the state than the total number of workers.
No, none of the above matters, look over here, there are some homeless people.
Oh, never mind, BGT is on. All is well.
Not the fact that we have the second highest debt:GDP ratio in the world.
Not the fact that we have an increasing power consumption and decreasing power generation capacity.
Not the fact that we are watched on CCTV everywhere we go.
Not the fact that we have a huge welfare burden, with (for the first time ever) more people being supported by the state than the total number of workers.
No, none of the above matters, look over here, there are some homeless people.
Oh, never mind, BGT is on. All is well.
#21
Living in the Truman Show
Joined: Jul 2011
Location: land of make believe
Posts: 265
Re: Reality of the UK
Yes, that's precisely what's wrong with the UK. A few homeless people being all homeless in a high-profile spot.
Not the fact that we have the second highest debt:GDP ratio in the world.
Not the fact that we have an increasing power consumption and decreasing power generation capacity.
Not the fact that we are watched on CCTV everywhere we go.
Not the fact that we have a huge welfare burden, with (for the first time ever) more people being supported by the state than the total number of workers.
No, none of the above matters, look over here, there are some homeless people.
Oh, never mind, BGT is on. All is well.
Not the fact that we have the second highest debt:GDP ratio in the world.
Not the fact that we have an increasing power consumption and decreasing power generation capacity.
Not the fact that we are watched on CCTV everywhere we go.
Not the fact that we have a huge welfare burden, with (for the first time ever) more people being supported by the state than the total number of workers.
No, none of the above matters, look over here, there are some homeless people.
Oh, never mind, BGT is on. All is well.
As for BGT - lighten up its fun.
Oh and stop reading the The Daily Fail.
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 84
Re: Reality of the UK
I don't have a TV, I just read about it on Twitter.
People who think this are frankly morons. What about having CCTV in your home? After all, most crimes are committed in houses. Surely that's ok, if you have nothing to hide.
People who think this are frankly morons. What about having CCTV in your home? After all, most crimes are committed in houses. Surely that's ok, if you have nothing to hide.
#23
Re: Reality of the UK
Your analogy doesn't hold up. Your home is your private property, not a public space. You expect privacy in your own home but you don't expect it when you're out in public. So, for example, you would have sex at home but you're unlikely to do it in the middle of town. But even though I think your argument is specious, I'll refrain from calling you a moron
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 84
Re: Reality of the UK
Hello, moron here!
Your analogy doesn't hold up. Your home is your private property, not a public space. You expect privacy in your own home but you don't expect it when you're out in public. So, for example, you would have sex at home but you're unlikely to do it in the middle of town. But even though I think your argument is specious, I'll refrain from calling you a moron
Your analogy doesn't hold up. Your home is your private property, not a public space. You expect privacy in your own home but you don't expect it when you're out in public. So, for example, you would have sex at home but you're unlikely to do it in the middle of town. But even though I think your argument is specious, I'll refrain from calling you a moron
There was a time when privacy meant more than it does now.
To explore your "in public" argument further, what about having a conversation? Is it possible to have a private conversation while walking in a public park? How would you feel about this conversation being monitored?
What about your private communications? Are you comfortable with someone opening and reading your mail? No? What about your email?
#26
Re: Reality of the UK
You believe this now because you have been conditioned to believe this over the past 30 years.
There was a time when privacy meant more than it does now.
To explore your "in public" argument further, what about having a conversation? Is it possible to have a private conversation while walking in a public park? How would you feel about this conversation being monitored?
What about your private communications? Are you comfortable with someone opening and reading your mail? No? What about your email?
There was a time when privacy meant more than it does now.
To explore your "in public" argument further, what about having a conversation? Is it possible to have a private conversation while walking in a public park? How would you feel about this conversation being monitored?
What about your private communications? Are you comfortable with someone opening and reading your mail? No? What about your email?
Second, your original post was about CCTV in the UK and now you have moved on to a whole range of civil liberties which you a) then (wrongly) assume I do not care about and b) fail to recognize are issues all over the world. I've been living in the US for the last 20+ years (torture, renditions, the Patriot Act etc.) so you don't need to lecture me about civil liberties.
But to answer your question, no - when I have a conversation in a public place, I never assume that no one else can hear me. And I never assume that my email is private either, since the system used to send it always belongs to someone who has access to the emails. I do agree with you that privacy used to mean more than it does now - but things have changed and that's life. It's a fool's errand to hope they will change back - and it's silly to act as though that is a problem unique to the UK when it's really global forces at work.
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2012
Location: Lombardy, Italy
Posts: 36
Re: Reality of the UK
Another vote here for: CCTV doesn't bother me at all. There are already 2, 10, 50, 100, a thousand people watching or able to see me in the street. What difference does one more set of eyes have - if those eyes are even looking at me? I walk past cameras in shops, past cameras in car parks etc. I have no reason to get upset by them, nor hide from them.
#29
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: Reality of the UK
Let me ask you this, where do you intend living where these things arent a potential issue ? Indeed where are you going to live where CCTV arent watching ?
You believe this now because you have been conditioned to believe this over the past 30 years.
There was a time when privacy meant more than it does now.
To explore your "in public" argument further, what about having a conversation? Is it possible to have a private conversation while walking in a public park? How would you feel about this conversation being monitored?
What about your private communications? Are you comfortable with someone opening and reading your mail? No? What about your email?
There was a time when privacy meant more than it does now.
To explore your "in public" argument further, what about having a conversation? Is it possible to have a private conversation while walking in a public park? How would you feel about this conversation being monitored?
What about your private communications? Are you comfortable with someone opening and reading your mail? No? What about your email?
#30
Re: Reality of the UK
Are you honestly suggesting people considering moving back to the UK read the Daily Mail and take it seriously?!?
I haven't even looked at the article, but I would bet a large amount of money on the fact that it's some hate filled bile about immigrants or people claiming benefits. The Daily Mail is hardly a reliable source of news.
I haven't even looked at the article, but I would bet a large amount of money on the fact that it's some hate filled bile about immigrants or people claiming benefits. The Daily Mail is hardly a reliable source of news.