Nanny State - US v UK
May 27th 2007, 9:48 am
#1
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Nanny State - US v UK
I think most would agree that the UK is a Nanny State and getting more Nannyish* by the year.
How does the US compare in terms of Nannydom*? Is there much state to state variation?
No offence to real Nannys
* these may not be real words but you get my drift
How does the US compare in terms of Nannydom*? Is there much state to state variation?
No offence to real Nannys
* these may not be real words but you get my drift
May 27th 2007, 10:10 am
#2
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
Actually Noo Labour would like the UK to be a nanny state and while stuff like the like HSE and various social experiments they have conducted have certainly made it more "nannyish" there seems to be a slight but perceptible change away from it all. Public opinion has shown this recently. The UK is certainly nowhere near as nannyish as other EU states...Sweden springs to mind.
As for the US I personally think that it's very nannyish but in a different way....it's unbeleivably beaurocratic and very definitely run for a small number of people - ie large corps and certain dynasty familys, leaving everyone else to beleive they are free to do whatever when infact their entire lives are being run for them to the benefit of others.
May 27th 2007, 1:47 pm
#3
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
i think its all swings and roundabouts really. on the one hand the UK is THE nanny state but the US is also very beurocratic. but compared to individual freedoms, the US has to win hands down (not up?) but the UK also has more freedoms socially and in the press. take for instance this lovely bunch of "peaceful" guys whom will soon demonstrate in the UK "rise up" demo. http://britishoppression.com in the US they would never even dream of holding a call for sedition march on parliament. and rightly so.
so heres a recap
socially the UK is more flexible (pub/club culture)
uk, its a big fat nanny state
the US has more individual freedoms but slightly more beurocracy
the US is a great place to work and reap in the rewards
the UK is a great place to work hard, pay is little and you are more inclined to spend it in the pub. (well i did)
the US prides itself on individual freedoms (its in the constitution)
the UK prides itself on er, curry and er speed cameras.
i'll get me coat.....
May 27th 2007, 1:52 pm
#4
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
welfare state/social safety net vs free-for-all/sink-or-swim
laws that protect the individual vs laws that favour corporations and extensive bureaucracy
Long live the Nanny-State...
laws that protect the individual vs laws that favour corporations and extensive bureaucracy
Long live the Nanny-State...
May 27th 2007, 6:53 pm
#5
Re vera, potas bene.
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
The sink or swim of the USA has worked for us....
Put against what we did in the UK when hubby lost his job...and what we did here...well...America wins hands down in our case.....
If we lose a job again...which is very lightly in the next few weeks...I'll see if we do as well again....
Put against what we did in the UK when hubby lost his job...and what we did here...well...America wins hands down in our case.....
If we lose a job again...which is very lightly in the next few weeks...I'll see if we do as well again....
May 27th 2007, 7:06 pm
#6
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
The sink or swim of the USA has worked for us....
Put against what we did in the UK when hubby lost his job...and what we did here...well...America wins hands down in our case.....
If we lose a job again...which is very lightly in the next few weeks...I'll see if we do as well again....
Put against what we did in the UK when hubby lost his job...and what we did here...well...America wins hands down in our case.....
If we lose a job again...which is very lightly in the next few weeks...I'll see if we do as well again....
where do u guys live? i'm looking for an apprentice, another brit would be great.
Last edited by leonatlanta; May 27th 2007 at 7:10 pm.
May 27th 2007, 7:16 pm
#7
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
agreed, i came from a moldy bedsit in kentish town. the USA is a whole new ball game, you can be anyone you want to be and you are rewarded for your hard work. but then again i was in london, a highly competitive market. but living in georgia there are so many careers to choose, so many directions and business opportunities if you want them and are willing to go get them. but you dont have the safety net of social security in the US as you do in the UK, which is also a hindrance as it seems to encourage laziness (i was also on the dole for a while, i couldnt even get a job at mcdonalds even though i was a uni graduate!!!) if i ever went back to the UK i know that i would be in a different frame of mind and would prolly start my own business there. but it would be a lot tougher than here. its all about positive thinking and being happy with yourself which can influence your business moves. hope i dont sound too smug? but my life has improved being in the states.guess having a good woman behind you helps a lot and stabilises you.
where do u guys live? i'm looking for an apprentice, another brit would be great.
where do u guys live? i'm looking for an apprentice, another brit would be great.
In the corporate world I've found America to be more cut-throat than the UK, with more gloryhunters and liars amongst your colleagues than the UK. For opportunities are greater here purely because of the numbers game - I've moved to a bigger market place, that is the only benefit I have gained.
May 27th 2007, 7:32 pm
#8
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
.......... you dont have the safety net of social security in the US as you do in the UK, which is also a hindrance as it seems to encourage laziness ...................if i ever went back to the UK i ... would prolly start my own business there. but it would be a lot tougher than here. its all about positive thinking and being happy with yourself...........
As far as starting your own business is concerned: so far, the ONLY people I have met here who run their own business/are self-employed are those who have a spouse whose job entitles their whole families to health insurance. Indeed, I know quite a few women who work SOLELY so that their families get healthcare.
Until the US sorts out this anomaly - which is unique to the Western world - the US will always be a precarious place to live and work.
(I know I probably sound like a broken record but, for personal reasons this is a subject very close to my heart.)
May 27th 2007, 10:06 pm
#9
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
Get them doing 20 community service hours a week and you'd see how fast those lazy bums would stop living off the dole 
May 27th 2007, 11:16 pm
#10
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Posts: 351
Re: Nanny State - US v UK
I agree with you that the safety net does encourage laziness *to some extent* - I wish someone could come up with a way of getting lazy sods off their arses without penalising the genuinely needy.
As far as starting your own business is concerned: so far, the ONLY people I have met here who run their own business/are self-employed are those who have a spouse whose job entitles their whole families to health insurance. Indeed, I know quite a few women who work SOLELY so that their families get healthcare.
Until the US sorts out this anomaly - which is unique to the Western world - the US will always be a precarious place to live and work.
(I know I probably sound like a broken record but, for personal reasons this is a subject very close to my heart.)
As far as starting your own business is concerned: so far, the ONLY people I have met here who run their own business/are self-employed are those who have a spouse whose job entitles their whole families to health insurance. Indeed, I know quite a few women who work SOLELY so that their families get healthcare.
Until the US sorts out this anomaly - which is unique to the Western world - the US will always be a precarious place to live and work.
(I know I probably sound like a broken record but, for personal reasons this is a subject very close to my heart.)
thats true. my wife was working for a major software company, im self employed and we have her insurance. shes now quit and is also self employed so we have about 1 year left of her old insurance company. its about $600 per month for both of us. afterwards im not sure how much but i know its a really stupid amount.
May 28th 2007, 12:35 am
#11
Re vera, potas bene.
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Cape Cod MA..Davenport FL
Posts: 2,405
Re: Nanny State - US v UK
agreed, i came from a moldy bedsit in kentish town. the USA is a whole new ball game, you can be anyone you want to be and you are rewarded for your hard work. but then again i was in london, a highly competitive market. but living in georgia there are so many careers to choose, so many directions and business opportunities if you want them and are willing to go get them. but you dont have the safety net of social security in the US as you do in the UK, which is also a hindrance as it seems to encourage laziness (i was also on the dole for a while, i couldnt even get a job at mcdonalds even though i was a uni graduate!!!) if i ever went back to the UK i know that i would be in a different frame of mind and would prolly start my own business there. but it would be a lot tougher than here. its all about positive thinking and being happy with yourself which can influence your business moves. hope i dont sound too smug? but my life has improved being in the states.guess having a good woman behind you helps a lot and stabilises you.
where do u guys live? i'm looking for an apprentice, another brit would be great.
where do u guys live? i'm looking for an apprentice, another brit would be great.
Love New England...but time to move on...no jobs around here if this one goes....
May 28th 2007, 12:42 am
#12
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
Fair play to you, but I think your comments are a bit of a sweeping generalisation based on your own experiences.
In the corporate world I've found America to be more cut-throat than the UK, with more gloryhunters and liars amongst your colleagues than the UK. For opportunities are greater here purely because of the numbers game - I've moved to a bigger market place, that is the only benefit I have gained.
In the corporate world I've found America to be more cut-throat than the UK, with more gloryhunters and liars amongst your colleagues than the UK. For opportunities are greater here purely because of the numbers game - I've moved to a bigger market place, that is the only benefit I have gained.
May 28th 2007, 12:49 am
#13
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
The US is great when everything is going well as it is for you leon, wait till it goes tits up and the thirty/fifty thousand dollar hospital bills arrive
May 28th 2007, 2:22 am
#14
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Posts: 351
Re: Nanny State - US v UK
but i will always have insurance thydney. it's like $600 per month. expensive but affordable. i'm in a niche of a business and hiring folk to work for me, and my wife runs here own sucessful business with her father. i'm not on here to brag. i'd hate to be in a position like you say but its an unlikely scenario. i will always have the $600 for our health insurance per month. its expensive but i chose to live in the USA and not expect the government to bail me out and nanny me for the rest of my life. but thanks anyway my friend. 
May 28th 2007, 2:31 am
#15
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Re: Nanny State - US v UK
but i will always have insurance thydney. it's like $600 per month. expensive but affordable. i'm in a niche of a business and hiring folk to work for me, and my wife runs here own sucessful business with her father. i'm not on here to brag. i'd hate to be in a position like you say but its an unlikely scenario. i will always have the $600 for our health insurance per month. its expensive but i chose to live in the USA and not expect the government to bail me out and nanny me for the rest of my life. but thanks anyway my friend.
