Elvira

"I think you get a very rose tinted view of the UK and it reminded me in general what a shithole it is."

Well, you can only speak for yourself, and if you feel that way about your home country, I'm sorry.

However, as someone who loves England I also find your comment rather insulting. You might perhaps want to moderate your comments somewhat in future...

TheWilliamsons

The UK is going to the DOGs. Everyone you speak to wants out because its not our country any more. Even on the UK news there were brits talking about wanting to get out if they could. The Government letting everyone in while we are fighting to get out and make a better life. The UK has nothing to offer my kids any more. The local school talk to you as if your rubbish and know nothing while the Florida school spoke to us as if we were adults and even more so spoke to my kids as humans and not just a pain in the rear end. Thes nothing for my kids to do in the area where as were our house is in Florida they have loads for them to do and also for us.
I want the best for my family and at this point in time its out of the UK as quickly as I packed the bags.
If it doesnt work for us in the states then i would still not come back id try other places rather then come back here.

Bob

not been in the states for long then...

Eskimo

I feel sorry too but thats I how I feel about my home country - thats how I feel today and I may feel different in few years ..

....oh and no I wont moderate my comments either - I'd go to a forum where you are little less offended if were you (or maybe spend an afternoon in the lounge )

Eskimo

and your point is ?

Bob

well the nice rosie picture that I replied to...health care is still shite here, education is still shite here...all the gloss with a big swimming pool and big house in a sunny climate doesn't make the place any different or better than the shite back in the UK.....it's just a different tint...

snowbunny

I will say that the large numbers of chavs (the kids drinking Buckfast on the corner) does disturb me. At least in Texas, and in most places I know in the US, kids are NOT allowed to be openly insolent to their elders. That's grounds for a public ass-whoopin'. My daughter was back-talking me in the Houston Galleria and a woman walking by glared at her; she noticed. I then said to her in a low voice, "Adults hate kids that back-talk like that, and you won't get far in life if you back-talk your elders.' She quit.

What worries me is that I don't see chavs outgrowing their lifestyle. I hope they do, but.... a very liberal friend on mine in London was musing about the concept of allowing concealed handgun permits (something I personally am against but is allowed here). He said if he got mugged, he'd say, "Here's my mobile..." then reach inside jacket "....and here's the other mobile." The second object wouldn't be a mobile.

I personally do not think that immigration by "Asians" (Indians and Pakistanis), Africans, and Eastern Europeans has the negative effect some of my friends claim. I think it's easier to think that one imported one's problems rather than grew them oneself. I know immigration puts a strain on the infrastructure, but it does here as well: we educate and provide emergent health care to both legal and illegal immigrants.

Eskimo

Sorry Bob but these things do make the place different to the UK - you start alot of threads that talk about nothing but the differences !
Healthcare is not shite you just have to pay for it - is that any different to the UK really - NHS vs BUPA ?
Education I believe to be better but I have only our experience - some very sweeping statements I know and think we will have to agree to disagree as we have obviously had some different experiences

rincewind

Compared to Medical Insurance Vs ?????

The NHS is one thing I do miss. I can't afford medical insurance so if I get really sick in the near future, that would screw me big time.

My take on it is, there are good points and bad points to the US and likewise, there are good points and bad points to the UK.

It's easy for us that are struggling to hold more negative views on the US. But in reality, if I was in the UK right now, I'd still be struggling. I'd rather struggle here in the US.

elfman

Theres a huge difference: How many people are financially ruined in the UK because of medical expenses? Here 57% of all personal bankruptcies are caused by medical bills. In Britain if you don't have private health insurance and suddenly need emergency surgery you're not expected to sell your house to pay for it.

Eskimo

ahhh another good thread that turns into a "don't you just love the NHS.."

correct me if I'm wrong most people on here choose to come to the US and knew that there was not an NHS - hardly a big suprise in my book - rather like complaining that the weather is different in Florida to Brum ..

Im lucky I have medical insurance - the OP asks when did it feel OK - it does today - just a personal opinion

ImHere

If felt OK to me today...I got my GC in the post

Actually I think most of the current problems in the UK (chavs and the general state of the yoof (sp) ) is more to do with the medlin's of the EU courts and the human rights brigade basicallly giving them the green light to do what they want with no chance of reprimand. All these ******* do gooders that have no kids and no idea of how to control kids saying "aw bless em, lets make up stupid laws that mean they cant be punished for their misguided ways".

And didnt we have a similar situation back in the days of yore (when i was a yoof) with skinheads, mods and rockers tearing it up all over town?

Personally I think a lot of the problems are blown up out of all proportion by the media mouthpieces of the politicians... If you want to create a police state what better way of doing it than get everyone believing crimes out of control and the whole country is doomed. Then you can bring in all those control laws you wanted to and everyone is going to let you.

snowbunny

That's precisely what Michael Moore said of George Bush in Fahrenheit 9/11.

No clue about what terrorist alert level colour we're at today.

I'm always interested in discussions about the pros and cons of each country, but I figure you guys have beaten that horse dead

One thing my friends in the UK find surprising is the "two paychecks away from homelessness" -- 1) there is no dole here that pays as much as long as in the UK; and 2) there's very little public housing for those in need of it. This is much more of a sink-or-swim country, and it's harder to swim than it looks in the movies. And fewer lifeguards.

Bob

NHS might not be the best, but you won't go bankrupt being sick, and you'll have pretty much everything covered, you can have private bupa if you don't like waiting...but over here, if you don't have expensive medical, your *****ed.

As for education, hardly a national curriculum, so it's hard to say, differs wildly across the country.

Bob

true..though the dole's pretty shite these days in blighty...