ladylisa

sorry couldn't help put all the smilies in. The Canada forum has the same Daily Mail link..the thread title is 'Thats why millions are leaving Britain Mr Blair' and everyone is agreeing!!! I always have a laugh about some of the negativity on the other forums but now I'm wondering if its us in the US who are weird. Why are we always so optimistic about the UK maybe its something in the water.

jjmb

Its worth noting that on the "moving back' forum it is always those who move to Australia (the majority) and the US are the ones desperate to move back. You get the occasional poster from Canada or NZ (the ones who stray there by chance). Having read a few of the Aussie posts I am surprised anyone wants to stay there.


Must admit I am bias as I come from London where there are loads of Aussies and most of the ones I met, were a load of freeloaders. Also my sister is married to one and lives in Canberra. She is not a happy bunny and has become a religious nut to cope I think (my opinion).

nxylas

I kind of like the fact that Britons don't have that "rah rah we're number one" mentality. Even if they do think that Britain is the best country in the world, they don't feel the need to constantly say so, almost as if they're trying to convince themselves that it's true.

Incidentally, my mum had an old book of cartoons, with a few text pieces interspersed, called The British Character by "Pont". It was published in the 1930's (when the Mail's ideological clock stopped) and contained a list of British beliefs about themselves which included the following:-

• That Britain is the best country in the world
• That Britain is going to rack and ruin

Sounds like the Mail's attitude in a nutshell.

elfman

I think it was Eskimo on a different thread recently who said something along the lines of: the reason that in the US forum we're not so plagued by the UK-is-a-shithole brigade as other forums are (eg the Oz one) is because we tend to be in the US for a specific reason, generally a USC spouse, a specific job, study, etc rather than an initial desire to leave Britain, whereas a far greater proportion of those emigrating to Australia (for example) are doing so out of a straightforward desire to leave, hence a number of them are always looking for reasons to justify their decision to themselves and others, and will noisily seize on anything that appears to vindicate them. Does that make sense?

ladylisa

Yes I think its a correct observation. What is a shame is that many people emigrate really to escape themselves but they dont realise it at the time. They honestly believe that they will be a different person in a different location. Its a shame because they are setting themselves up for a surprise. Thats why its important to look at the reasons why you want to emigrate in the first place.

jjmb

Yes I agree that the "we are number one" is bit wearing at times but it you read that your country is going down the toilet constantly, then eventually you are going to believe it, which I think is the problem the UK is suffering from.

I must admit I was lucky in that I lived in a lovely part of Scotland before we moved over here. However, my sisters live in the South east...the chatham/rochester area and to be honest its one of the most depressing places to live. People seem to have lost all ambition to improve their lives and basically go around looking depressed. My BIL is a good example...he moans about the taxes, the east european immigrants, health care, council tax and house prices, basically anything that moves he moans about. He has lost faith that things will change. What papers does he read, the Daily Mail and the Sun, both constantly telling him that the UK is going down the drain and nothing can be done about it.

tony_2003

Never had a problem finding a job in Edinburgh.

nxylas

But given the way the Mail always touts America as the free market Thatcherite paradise that Britain should aspire to be, you'd have thought here would be their readers' first choice ("But we're not like those economic migrants that are swamping Britain. Oh no...we're whiter"). Maybe it's just that immigration is tougher here and you actually need a concrete family or business connection before they'll let you in.

Yorkieabroad

Which also maybe explains someone elses observation that a lot of the "Moving back to UK" posters are from Aus - they found out the hard way that the grass isn't actually greener, its just a different shade of green.

Sally

Case in point-I was just reading on the Australia forum that piggy banks and the singing of baa baa black sheep are now "banned" in Britain. Lord love a duck.

ladylisa

yes must admit if I couldnt have a piggy bank it would make me leave the UK, all the stress of selling my house, selling the car and shipping the furnture would be well worth it to prove a point. Natwest Bank will be gutted.

Sally