Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally s*** now?
I keep looking at the papers and reading the news and the whole country has gone tits up i think.
We pay so much tax and it just seems that the immigrants get more than the hard working taxpayer who was born in this country. Am i wrong?
I work hard, probably about 55 hours a week and i`m taxed £700.00 a month on it. On top of that, i`m paying the tax on fuel, food everything else and council tax, when does it come to an end?:mad::rolleyes:
When do we actually get something back that benefits us?

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Don't watch/read the mainstream news. Everything seems brighter when you don't.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

I like this country, and wouldn't want to leave it (and I have had job offers in the USA, NZ, and others).

I don't have a problem paying tax , which goes towards education, hospitals, and helping those less well off; just because a minority abuse it, doesn't mean it is wrong (imho).

I have got back
a) a reasonable standard of education for both my children
b) good health care for me and my family when needed
c) reasonable infrastructure for day to day living (council services, etc)
d) democratic (mostly) government
e) nice neighbours and friends

So in answer to your question,
a) No, I don't think this country is totally poo now
b) I have got lots back that benefits me and my family

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

i agree - if I were able to save enough money to move away, I would. unfortunately, I get taxed so much and pay all the rest on overpriced bills and produce, that I can't escape the Rubicon of the UK!!!

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Bad news sells.

Is there a way out of the rat race?

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Bah!Things were much worse in the 70's.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

True, just look at the fashion! :D

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

There was none of this political correctness *******s

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Really? Wasn't "women's lib" around in the 70's then?

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

While i agree with some of what the op says i think the bit about immigrants could have been left out.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Would you feel happy if you were starting out now? - do you not feel education has gone down hill?

Hmm.. pretty much luck of the draw though, isn't it? hospital conditions are terrible (depending on where you go), they're unclean (we recently went, and the consultant had to spend 5 minutes cleaning blood off one of the pull down lights from the ceiling that seems to have been there for days)

Hmm.. can't disagree with you too much there - but it is pricey - but I guess you can't have reasonable service and get it for free.

democratically elected anyway :)

That's funny, your neighbours didn't seem so keen :)

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

It seems to me that most of the problems in this country are in large part due to the increasing demand for services by an increasing population. Immigration and longevity are both factors in that - it's just a pity HMG didn't consider those things when making some of their major decisions.

I know quite a few well edcuated professional people who've emigrated and more are heading that way - these are not the sort of people UK can afford to lose!

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

In fairness bud, if you're paying 700 quid tax a month, then you're earning far more than any immigrant who's come to the country to find work :shrug:

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

There, I suspect, is your problem. Which papers? Try this for size:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/me...ws-780672.html

If you base your opinions on the papers I think you base them on, it's a nailed on certainty.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Yes, it is just you.

I'm currently wracking up a nice £20,000 debt just to educate myself, but I'd still rather do it in the UK then anywhere else.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

I think his point is that he feels he's paying so much tax because of the costs associated with immigration (amongst other things) and doesn't feel he benefits proportionately. It's a common view.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

i think the point is that you probably wouldn't be in so much debt if you lived elsewhere....

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

It might be a common view, but that doesn't necessarily make it a correct one :shrug:

I'd much rather pay income tax and national insurance to ensure I can get, for example, health care as and when required, as opposed to having to pay separate medical insurance...

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Quite right and that's why I didn't say it was necessarily correct or state my opinion on the subject. The degree to which these issues affect people is variable according to many factors, however, common views need to be listened to by governments if they want to stay in power for very long.....

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

*cough* 18 years of the Tories not listening

*cough* 11 years (so far) of Labour not listening

;)

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

It's an incorrect view. The common cold is, er, common, but it's not a valid source of opinion.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

He would be in America, and a lot of other countrys. Further Education is not usually free.

---------- Post added at 11:36 ---------- Previous post was at 11:28 ----------

In this respect we should look how other countrys manage their health services, France for example have higher tax rates and spend more on their health service, yet you need to 'top-up' your coverage to get the full level of service we get with the NHS.

When you get seen by a GP you have to pay them yourself, and then fill in the paperwork and claim the expenses back.

America has a lot lower tax, but you need to pay medicial insurance yourself. Which is expensive, not least because of lawsuits against doctors which requires them to pass their high insurance costs down to the patients. The high cost leaves millions without any medicial insurance at all :erm:

We tend to idolise other systems, all of them have flaws. But in both cases we spend less on our health service (per gdp) and yet expect a much wider coverage that is also free

---------- Post added at 11:43 ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 ----------

Personally, I would like to see us develop a system closer to the French. Bring our spending in line with European Levels and offer a option to go private that is subsidizedby the government (thus freeing up more resources for the standard NHS)

So you have Private medicial insurance, but a lot of paid by the NHS. You simply pay a top-up and you can go private. The NHS has a easy load of cope with as level as increased investement, not all your contributions into the NHS are used against the medicial insurance so they still get *Some* of your money as well.

The Torys had a similer idea at the last election but it needs to be better implemented.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

There was very high unemployment,3 day weeks,nationwide power cuts,just about everyone was striking and then there were the punks and the decade ended with the iron B**** in charge.Just about the only thing that was good about this decade was that there was STILL a grants system.

I'd definitely say it was the crappiest decade since WW11.The 80's weren't much better either if you were unemployed or made redundant.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Plus the music was chuffing awful - New Romantics anyone?

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Well some of it was awful but much of it was better than the majority of the punks were producing in the previous decade.

Now the Nineties were rather bleurgh for music..and the politics..but personally I was better off during the 90's and I think most people were.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Personally i feel this country will just drop dead shortly or there will be a public uproar

The cost of living I.E Tax's Poll Tax, Wage Tax, TV License, Road Tax thats before you even think about the mortage and food.

Personally something needs to be done, I know what but I shouldn't say.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Ignorance is bliss lol

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Bleaugh - 1978-83 was the most creative period in UK music since the mid-60s. Some great stuff around from that time. The rest of the 80s was total dreck, of course.

I don't think anyone apart from the nutty right idolises the US medical system, which costs a phenomenal amount of money yet leaves millions without adequate care.

What, in the seventies? Unemployment went up in the early 80s recession, I seem to remember, before that the last time we had anything close to full employment was the early-mid 70s. Don't just take my word for it:

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre..._tcm6-6912.jpg

Of course, so many more people work now (due to women going out to work instead of staying at home).

Strikes, yes, 3 day weeks were from January-March 1974 only, until I got born and the country came to its senses, realising that their Ultimate Leader had arrived.

Now we have 10 hour days and never seeing the kids grow up. Also, the oil crisis in 1973 is usually overlooked in these comparisons (one of the major factors behind the inflation that led to the miners strike and three day week, in fact, The subsequent rise in North Sea Oil and Gas is one of the things that blunted the miners strike weapon and allowed Maggie's revenge. Now of course we have no miners, the oil and gas is running out and the gas tap is controlled by the KGB.

One major improvement is in racist and homophobic attitudes, we're way better now as a country. Still, some people aren't happy about it:

Oh dear.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Don't mention the TV Licence - they'll never shut up!!

Mind you, it's not a tax anyway ;)

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Well it's not - but it may as well be they still take you to court and put your name in the paper if you dont pay it *waves fist* lol :):td:

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

The thing about views is that everyone's entitled to them whatever you or I may think about how valid they are. Those who do vote tend to do so accordingly which is the sole point I was making.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

etc:D

http://www.phespirit.info/montypytho...rkshiremen.htm

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

It doesn't worry you that, if you're right, our government is chosen by people whose views are demonstrably based on wrong data, and that those data are gleaned from perusal of the usual periodicals I bring up here, who should be actually engaged in an effort to tell us the truth?

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Now why would you think that? It worries me a great deal as do many other issues but whether you, I or anyone else here likes the reality or not is irrelevant. BTW it may have escaped you but HMG has done quite a few things itself based on wrong/false/sexed-up/invented information - the Iraq war being just one example - so those whose views you dismiss as being incorrect are in good company. Also, to be fair to the periodicals you mention, maybe they would have more chance of telling the truth if our leaders managed to obtain and provide credible information in the first place. It's that central failing which is the cause of so much strife here. That's only my opinion of course......

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Which, as far as I know, was never voted on or officially part of any manifesto but which did attract the largest demonstration in modern British history. If, say, pro-hanging campaigners or people who think fuel tax should be reduced can get off their backsides and out on the street in those numbers I'll take them seriously. Till then, if the only evidence that '

I was asking you, since it seemed rather an incredible conclusion, but one which seemed to be implied by your previous comment.

It may have escaped you that I'm a printed author in a slim volume specifically attacking Tony Blair's record.

Um. I think, if you read Nick Davies' pieces, that they're not actually interested in the truth any more. It's people like Chris Ames and the New Statesman, or Private Eye that do proper holding-to-account style journalism, despite the big boys being ostensibly much better resourced. Given that, what's the point reading them, if they're stuffed full of recycled press releases, planted stories by intelligence agencies and stuff that's just plain made up. There are *better alternatives* to the mainstream press, is the point, so why do people *still* keep reading them, getting angry and coming on here saying 'I read this in the paper and now I'm bloody angry'?

At least when I get angry (which is frequently) it's because of something genuine, like Straw's lies over rendition, George W Bush not being impeached yet, BAA's third runway plans, the DfT's prejudice against railway electrification or even the bureaucratic cockup at Hounslow council that's allowed O2 to exploit a bit of highly biased planning law to put up a blasted mast despite the local community objecting and the council upholding that objection...

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Other countrys have TV licences as well, difference is ours goes to the BBC instead of the government.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Go on, I dare you. :)

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

No, Don't. It never ends well...

---------- Post added at 17:10 ---------- Previous post was at 17:08 ----------

Exactly, Although I tend to get angry at Halo more than anything else.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Well why should I know that - are you important? I didn't even know Tony Blair had made a record..

Anyway I have a suggestion - why don't you give up being a black American blues artist and make it your vocation to educate the ignorant masses into the errors of their ways - possibly even form their opinions for them. Then perhaps the tabloids you so despise will go out of business and we can all live happily ever after, free from lies, spin etc .....

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Funnily enough, that's what I thought he was doing..........;)

Unfortunately, the tabloids will never go out of business, as no one (hardly) ever went out of business catering to the lowest common denominators.

I don't think (imho) that bbk tells people what to think - he just (again imho) points out the errors and prejudices often printed as fact in newspapers, but disguised within quotation marks. Strange how that seems to be interpreted as personal attacks on people - it's like being annoyed at a teachers when they point out that 2+2 is, in fact, 4.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

ha ha ha spilt me mug o tea on me sun, lmao:D:D:D

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

My oh my we have a printed author commenting on things well guess he must be right and i must be wrong then :rolleyes:.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

.....................oh is it realy

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

and theres me thinking you were a mirror reader :D

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

apparently if one doesn't read the independent one is a numpty ,who needs to be told how to think ,vote and make important decisions, and must be guided towards the correct reading matter,before making dreadful mistakes,that independent readers will frown upon,this will no doubt upset the perfect society that they in there wisdom have created for us lesser beings:rolleyes:

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

ive no doubht bbking will be along soon to correct you for your rash thoughts ;)

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

:rofl:
Oh the irony! So far over their heads they didn't need to duck :D

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Coincidence is a funny animal.

I've just finished rereading Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island.On the last page he writes:


Now this comes on top of the many exasperations that he had suffered living, working and travelling in Britain all obviously as an interloper on sufferance and he still thought this was a terrific place to live.

Sometimes perhaps we just don't appreciate what we do have and just get caught on one or two negatives whilst failing to see the overall positive and it takes the stranger to point out that we do have a great life and a glorious place to live.All those immigrants may just as well be drawn here because they wish to share in what is so wonderful here that they don't find in their own country.
Freedom,justice,education,welfare and the right to disagree with authority provided it's done so in a civilised manner plus beautiful scenery.Who wouldn't treasure all that?:shrug:

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

i agree with the sentiment but the country is changing and not for the better imo

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Coggy, I'm afraid that I can't rep you for this post, but I can honestly say that this is one of the best, well voiced posts that I've read on here for quite a while :tu:

---------- Post added at 20:56 ---------- Previous post was at 20:54 ----------

But, if you're that way inclined, you can always find the bad in it. As Coggy's said (and to paraphrase), the diversity and beauty within this country are just two of the things that make it great, and long may that continue :)

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

i do agree but the bad things just seem to happen and the good things are getting harder to find!!

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

I find that the more I look for the good things, the more I find.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Me too - in fact I'm off to start a thread on the good things about old GB. :)

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Well, there's the Empire, but that did manage to hack most of the rest of the world off ;)

---------- Post added at 21:10 ---------- Previous post was at 21:09 ----------

That's exactly it - unfortunately, there's a lot of people (not necessarily on here) who just aren't willing to look :shrug:

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

To be serious for a moment - there are quite a few things which hack me off about this country and the way it's being 'run'. The fact that some of these issues irritate me as much as they do explains why I post on those topics and even vent my spleen from time to time. That having been said, there are many things I love about the UK and even now there's nowhere else I'd rather live.


...that may change if New/Old/NearlyNew/ReallyQuiteShabbyLabour win another election though. :mad:

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

What hacks me off about how it's being run, is that the way they are doing it, to me suggests they don't care about our nation as much as I do.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

I often ponder the state of the country both from what i read (not in the papers) what i hear and what i see. For me we as a people are basically still comprised of the best bits but we are under constant attack by those with agenda's trying to take what make's us good and replacing it with whatever suits their agenda.

I think the ordinary people of britain are still the same fair and open minded people they have alway's been but our politicians ah well thats another matter. They conduct their business in a little arena built around scoring petty points and making nonsense an art form and would prefer us all to do the same thus making them feel they are ordinary. It amuses me how some on here will paint one side of the media as bad then provide a link to the other side of the media they find acceptable.

Lets face it folks oneway or another were all being manipulated by them whatever side of the spectrum you choose to be on. I am not sure what the future holds or how the country will develop but i am sure that it is upto us as the citizens of the this country to make sure it represents us and that we do not represent what the politicians want the country to become.

Anyway thats my incoherant ramble over i am off to partake of a nice coffee.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Thanks Mate, That comment ,your post, probably says what i actually wanted to say so instead i, stupidly` vented my frustration.
I love my country and i just wish it could be as great as it once was.:confused::rolleyes:
I feel that there is nothing i can do to make it great again.:sleep:
The pride has gone for many people and the hoodies and the drug culture and the government mismanagement has disheartened many people including me.
The government has let us, the British nationals, down very badly.:td::td:

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

Yes that's it in a nutshell - people are angry because of the shambolic way the country is being run and the vast amounts of their hard earned money which are being wasted on things like ill conceived wars in the Gulf, PFI's and the size/cost of Government which so far as I can see increases in inverse proportion to its output.

Re: Is it just me, or does anyone else think this country is totally **** now?
 

:clap: that sums it up for me.