I am surprised to see the level of bitterness or desillusion some of the British people on this forum exhibit towards Great Britain.
I love being in the UK. People are polite, helpful, and fun.
20 years ago, it seems that British citizens were quite proud of their country (maybe it was after the Malvinas, err, I mean Falkland war). Or maybe it is just an impression.
A country that has produced Winston Churchill, Peter Sellers, and Jeremy Clarkson cannot be that terrible... What am I missing?
For the record, I am a big admirer of everything British, from vintage Triumph motorcycles to Depeche Mode to... Brutalist architecture.

Wasn't it 20 yrs ago that Noel Edmunds stopped his house party (with the infamous Mr Blobby and NTV) ? Also Bruce Forsyth with the hot woman stopped his Generation game around that time. Since then everything went downhill....

P.S. to properly place my comment, I am Dutch

I wouldn't read too much into it, the British are famously self effacing.

If you are looking for some more depressing news on the state of UK society.


How Britain is falling down on the yob


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1245359/

Agree wholeheatedly with Castro here.
First you have to understand the British sense of humour - only then will you understand what we mean. Often comments are made tongue very firmly in cheek to provoke comment (aka feedback) from others. We complain famously (whinge/bitch/moan) however most Brits I know are proud of their country at heart. We are just low key , no rah rah for us.

Am just reading Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell - now theres a story

Not sure about Jeremy Clarkson, but I can see where you're coming from.

There are some brilliant cultural things about the UK which help to make life worth living - particularly for me, the music, literature, comedy etc. I also think there's nowhere better for a night out, and to hook up with new people.

Its just that many of us are very pissed off about the social problems, the politics, the media, and the fact that really important things like healthcare and schooling, seem to be on the decline. Lots of people are also upset about the amount of immigrants, although IMO if times weren't so hard, most people wouldn't care so much.

It doesn't do to blow one's own trumpet, old chap.

We leave that to Johnny Foreigner.

Because we love whinging.
Saying that, there are a few on here who do genuinely seem to loath the UK, but then they've upped and left, so fair enough for them.
I guess there are a few things that are getting people's goat here. There seems to be a greater-than-usual sense of disenfranchisement regarding politics and certainly people are annoyed about the way the armed forces are being undersupplied by the MoD - they seem to be the two biggest things at the moment.
Interestingly, it would appear that the credit crunch doesn't seem to be biting that hard at the moment, contrary to what some reports had been saying.

What I dont like

1. Wastage of Taxpayers money
2. Widespread corruption at the top level
3. uncontrolled immigration

Neither do the previous inhabitants of all the colonies you invaded.

Curiously enough, this is where most of the above immigrants come from.

The britain you see today unfortunately is the result of Tatcherism...
The Iron lady caused so much social damage...

anyone see the program on bbc 2 last night - about the films used abroad in the 50s - 70s, to promote britain ?

Hilarious - one of my favourites was when they had two african students walking across a field then they see the bus. The narrator then goes on to say something like "everyone queues in an orderly manner, no pushing or shoving and the conductor always has a smile and pleasan demeanor"

made me hark for home

also caught a bit on channel 4 about the queens tour after coronation - phone in radio show in jamaica had people saying they wished they didnt go for independence ! bit of an eye opener.

Yes, because Britain in the 1970s was a prosperous, happy, joyful workers' paradise, wasn't it?

But back to the topic of the thread. Whilst it is true that the UK is a great cultural nation, its standard of living is much lower (for the typical middle class) than in other Western nations, especially in London if you're not in Finance.

In addition to the Yob factor mentioned above, the largest decline in the UK has been in its education system. A levels just aren't what they used to be and O levels are much lower than the standard high school diploma in other nations. Dumbing down has finally caught up with the system.

nobody is complaining at immigration, its the uncontrolled bit.

What I love is the fact that we've managed to create yet another self-indulgent, navel-gazing thread about Zi British

Yes hes right. Weve got millians of foreiners just walking in without a by-your-leeve. Their are no boarder controls whatso ever they all get free money from the goverment they are first on the list for top quality counsil houses and then they open there horrable shop's selling garlic sousage and pickled cabage.


The *******s!


Enoch Powell was right you know...

Mr Breakfast, When did you leave UK? Maybe you are not up-to-date on the current situation. Pl go there and try to apply for a job, then you would know.

Yes. In protest, I wish to open a forum where we speak solely about another country. How about Switzerland? Oh, wait...

I used to work with immigrants, and life isn't as easy for them as the BNP might have us believe.

Nothing gets my goat more than hypocrites who are quite happy to live in a foreign country, but don't like the fact that someone else might want to live in theirs.

It's the 21st century, sweetheart: Labour is mobile.

Get used to it, or perish.