Why the US?
Apr 18th 2014, 11:55 am
#106
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Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Where bad things rarely happen in movies
Posts: 8,933
Re: Why the US?
I read an article that scared me in the inflight magazine on the plane when I was moving to Singapore....something like 80% of single men over 25 that lived in Singapore for more than a year would be married before they left. Being in that demographic, and happy to be there, I found that slightly worrying.......a few years later, I was reinforcing the statistic!
Here, I know 4 or 5 couples that have a US male spouse and foreign wife ( the 5th I'm not sure about....he may be canadian
)
Apr 18th 2014, 12:03 pm
#107
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: Why the US?
Both my best friends from high-school have foreign wives- one married a New Zealander, and the other married a Danish woman and now lives in Denmark.
Apr 18th 2014, 12:22 pm
#110
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 76
Re: Why the US?
I was looking at police per capita figures a few days ago, and in fact there are substantially more police in the UK than the US. In the US there are about 245 police per 100,000 people, whereas in the UK there are about 307/100,000.
But to your point about freedoms, I agree, generally I think the UK is a much freer country, for individuals, than the US.
But to your point about freedoms, I agree, generally I think the UK is a much freer country, for individuals, than the US.
Apr 18th 2014, 12:28 pm
#112
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 76
Re: Why the US?
Britain started sacrificing it's 'freedoms for security' (a phrase so caked in bullshit I don't even know where to begin!) way before the US did imo. Despite the whole NSA spying revelations, at least America is having a conversation about it and partially changing their approach.
The Brits, on the other hand, stuck an ex Foreign Secretary and gentleman who couldn't be more representative of the ruling classes if he tried (Rifkind) to review a department he spent years running! An utter absurdity and affront to democracy. Rifkind is a stooge of the state of the highest merit.
I applaud the Americans for being outraged at what they heard; the idiot Brits care not a jot. I guess that's what happens when the state imposes mass surveillance into everyday life. I am devastated at the surveillance state the UK has become. Just 'offending' people in society now gets plod knocking at the door.
Britain has more in common with the Stasi than they would care to appreciate or realise.
The Brits, on the other hand, stuck an ex Foreign Secretary and gentleman who couldn't be more representative of the ruling classes if he tried (Rifkind) to review a department he spent years running! An utter absurdity and affront to democracy. Rifkind is a stooge of the state of the highest merit.
I applaud the Americans for being outraged at what they heard; the idiot Brits care not a jot. I guess that's what happens when the state imposes mass surveillance into everyday life. I am devastated at the surveillance state the UK has become. Just 'offending' people in society now gets plod knocking at the door.
Britain has more in common with the Stasi than they would care to appreciate or realise.
Apr 18th 2014, 12:35 pm
#113
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: East Seaxe
Posts: 72,558
Re: Why the US?
Freedom of speech is not greater here - there is plenty of self censorship and manipulation of the media by controlling boards representing their vested interests, and it would be naive to think otherwise. Not only that, in my opinion there is far more freedom of thought in the UK.
Apr 18th 2014, 12:38 pm
#114
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 76
Re: Why the US?
Exactly. One, short emotional reaction and everyone forgot about it.
Freedom of speech is not greater here - there is plenty of self censorship and manipulation of the media by controlling boards representing their vested interests, and it would be naive to think otherwise. Not only that, in my opinion there is far more freedom of thought in the UK.
Freedom of speech is not greater here - there is plenty of self censorship and manipulation of the media by controlling boards representing their vested interests, and it would be naive to think otherwise. Not only that, in my opinion there is far more freedom of thought in the UK.
Apr 18th 2014, 12:47 pm
#116
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 76
Re: Why the US?
You're right, the whole Edward Snowden thing has been incredibly stage managed by the powers that be that control the media. I do think that most people here still believe it's just telephone "metadata" that is be stored rather than everything they do online.
Apr 18th 2014, 1:09 pm
#118
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Apr 18th 2014, 1:14 pm
#120
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598