chartreuse

[QUOTE=exvj;7211471So I have been brought up to be most wary of all these 'high ideals' being used by politicians to get my family butchered and torn asunder[/QUOTE]

http://www.web-books.com/Classics/Po...ling/Tommy.htm

exvj

Tommy Atkins indeed !

chartreuse

For those who can't be arsed to click on the link:

exvj

and they did !

in 1945 the eyes of the British people were open and they wanted no more warmongers - they wanted public housing and public health

The Americans are in exactly the same position today and that is why Obama is in.

All the right wing people on telly are saying 'we don't want socialized medicine ' and the people are saying 'we want socialized medicine'

and the telly is saying 'no cheap drugs from canada' and the people say 'gimme canadian drugs'

and the telly heads are saying we need to attack north korea and iran and syria and russia and venezuela and cuba '

and the people are saying - 'enough ! peace, '

and the telly heads are saying 'let the banks go bust' let nature take it's course

and the people are saying 'protect my deposit account'

and Bush, the President of the USA was booed by 2 million people as he left office

It's just like the UK in 1945

As Neil Kinnock said - vote conservative if you want - but then dont get old and dont get sick

It's a quiet revolution in the US and it's very interesting

chartreuse

Errr, possibly, but you do realise that I'm one of these right wing people you're talking about?

exvj

I know there are some remaining

My mother was a weaver in a mill from age 13 and then a tea lady - but she is a conservative who would help nobody, and a right wing christian who believes unmarried mothers or girls who become pregnant before they are married (my daughter for instance), should be 'kept in a dark cellar away from decent people'

I find that kind of politics and religion revolting

But I am off to see her in England and that's the main reason for my trip this week

chartreuse

Fair enough, and if you have an hour or two to kill in London, let's have a beer.

exvj

would love to but i am in the frozen north of wharfedale where the ale isnt wattery ! Then I go to Ocle Pichard in Herefordshire to where I have just tracked my forebears (yes i come from a family of four bears) and where they have lived for centuries as serfs under the Norman Duke of Picardie

jeez I am am nearly a yokel southerner (south of Sheffield) - with 50% Welsh Bevan too !

that's worse than finding out you were adopted !

Redwing

I may not agree with everything you say, but I would not want you to keep your mouth shut. You raise some interesting points, as always, and it is good for all of us to hear different views.

exvj

Cheers matey ! 2nd amendment rules ok ! and probably the 5th before I am done

good

Juswus

agreed

lansbury

That hasn't been a bar for some time. Serving or ex police officers can be called for jury service now.

The previous entitlement of police officers and staff to be excused from jury service as of right was removed by Section 321 and Schedule 33 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 when it came into effect on 5 April 2004.

exvj

heck - i left just in time

So as at this moment I can't be called for jury service anywhere in the world as I am not resident in the UK and not a US citizen

I am in the ether - an intangible

That feels quite priviledged actually - I wish it worked for tax too -oops someone will tell me what a priviledge it is to pay tax and they are proud every time they write the check

There are lots to think about and I am one of those who is tempted to do things just because they can - so I will have to think long and hard about naturalization as I think it would be in bad taste and ungrateful to renounce it later

chartreuse

If you do tax right, then it's the gub'mint that writes the check

May I congratulate you on your mature and thoughtful approach to the matter.

exvj

hooray approval at last - somebody must be putting something in my cocoa

I have my UK pension and Bank interest untaxed now - so I just settle up at the end of the year

I have to pay 'advance tax' in the US of course

If the government owes me a refund, then it means i have overpaid and they have had use of my money when I could have had it in BP shares at 8% dividend

'better in tha pocket lad' my old boss used to say

The IRS kindly offer a number of sources for the average exchange rate - for some reason i pick the best

Hey $20 T shirt cost me £10 last year - now it costs £15 - an exchange rate slip from $2.04 to $1.35 will do that

Do you realise that British ex pats have had a 50% increase in their living expenses here in the US ?

If one earns USD then ok, but all my income is GBP and all my costs are USD including losses on US investments and revalued UK bank account holdings !