At the end of the day lifes what you make it. Yeah i could watch every news story, read every tabloid and get depressed about things. Moan about this and that constantly.
But then you'll wake up, be 50 and single and think 'where did my life go?'. Why didnt i just enjoy things instead of getting wound up by some chavvy family in Bristol who live no where near me and dont really affect me but i read that story in the Mirror, it then escalated into me thinking the whole countries crap etc etc.
Sadly bad things or things which frustrate us happen every day, its life, you either get on with it or moan about it constantly, get in a bad mood, your heart gets stressed, you get stressed and it goes on and on.
I mean as for the "42 inch plasma tv's in prison" you seem to think every single prisoner has this? You must love reading those tabloids and believing every single word they say !
That claim wasn't actually ewgf's - it was me trying to be funny.
That claim wasn't actually ewgf's - it was me trying to be funny.
Yeah i know, sorry was meant to expand on all the 'prisoners have it easy...' type of thing. Some people seem to think they do have some huge tv and a wide choice of meal every day. "No no Giles, i'll have the steak with the mushrooms and a glass of merlot please.....". Funny that people have this sort of view "So have you ever been in prison and seen this ?" (No), "Have you heard anyone say how easy it is in prison ?" (Not really, people seem to hate it), "So where do you get your views from ?" (Well it was in the Mirror so it must be true.......)
Read the Sun every day and you think thats the case. I do read the Sun/Mirror when i'm waiting to get my hair cut and want a bit of light 'entertainment' in which i wont take it that seriously and believe every single word of it.
But ewgf have you seen the conditions in prison ? What are you basing your facts on ?? Is it simply a few horror stories to sell papers ? One of my friends works in Nottingham Prison and also has been in a few others and the stories he tells me, christ theres no way i would want to go there. Butlins it aint !
And I take it you'll lend me the money to move and get started somewhere else? I don't have it.
Funny how the Polish immigrants seem to do it with no money (that's why they are moving to Britain, to actually have more than a subsistance amount of money). If the Polish can figure it out, surely you can. There are plenty of European countries with a lower cost of living. A one way plane ticket on easyJet ain't that expensive, and of course the money you spend now on housing/food etc. will go further in a country with a lower cost of living. Leave all your crap behind (I'm sure you can make reasonable money ebaying your current stuff) and go. As I said, if you hate England it's not worth hanging onto these possessions and your flat/house if it's costing your sanity. Far better to make a new start elsewhere, just like the Polish plumbers did.
And if not, why not at least try to run for local elected office? You aren't going to change anything by sitting on the sidelines and moaning. Since you are convinced your views on your area and on the country are correct, and you have a lot of support, you should be able to get elected and start making a change. You'll at least have a much better handle on who/what the people/issues are involved in the things you don't like, have an opportunity to argue your case, build support amongst colleagues and start changing things at a local level. Once you have success at the local level, you can move up the ranks.
Sitting on the sidelines whining doesn't help. Surely you can be motivated to do *something* if you hate living here so much?
Seriously ewgf, you need to spend some time in a prison. You've mentioned this on many occasions in the past and TBH you simply don't know what you're talking about. Throwing a few links around doesn't make your statements facts.
I *KNOW* someone who has come out of prison recently. He spent the two years he was inside basically sh*t-scared of being attacked or raped. He *was* attacked once and spent a week in the infirmary - the reason - a couple of guys just didn't like him. The threat of rape is ever present, but you keep your gob shut if you wanna live. Oh and the food is revolting, the cooks do all manner of gross things to it before it gets to the prisoners.
I've never been to prison myself, but I know people who have, plus prison warders and coppers (many of whom have spoken to me frankly, and some are friends, so I'm not just parroting official lines). I've also met many victims of serious crimes, and am in contact with people who have suffered (often very) hideous abuse as children. And believe me, (a) they almost never see anything like justice at all, (b) even our laughable justice service is disproportionately lax on the true sh*t who live in our country, and (c) I know from other peoples' first hand experiences what prisons are like, and the experience varies massively according to who and what you are.
Prison is hell for some people, yes. Those who are incapable of physically defending themselves and who also have no criminal connections. But for many others it's far easier than it should be, especially those who are connected (and if that bloke you know had been either hard or, even better for him, influential or wealthy, then he'd have had a very different time in prison. He'd still have hated it, but he wouldn't have suffered much other than the lack of women and (most of the time) alcohol. Drugs would be no problem if he could afford it.You'd be amazed (and appalled) at the things that you can get in prison if you know the right people.
I have heard that open prisons are much easier, but I can't confirm that, though I think it's very likely.
Believe me, our prisons don't work. And yes, despite the checks the cooks can do things to the food, but do you image they'd risk doing that to anyone with any power or swing? Of course not. There is a hierarchy to all human groupings, and prison is a very good example of this, all the more so since people in prison tend, almost by definition, to be bothered only by what they want and what effects themselves personally.
I'm not going to post any more in this thread. It's just become an excuse for the usually Dave C type "Daily Mail [one of his many obsessions] says the country is crap so England must be really wonderful" rants by people who haven't got a clue. Trust me, if you'd heard some of the things I've been told by people you'd feel very differently. When I first started trying to help people who have been abused in the past, I sometimes tried to find out what had become of the abusers, and believe me, there is really no justice in this country. I could post stuff that would break your heart, thread after thread (and believe me, you can't tell often who the worst abused were, they cover it up well, although their defenses are often paper thin), but even if I wanted to then it would be modded.
Most people are decent, but there is real evil in this world. And closing your eyes to it is a luxury that you might have, but other people (some of whom you'd never think) don't have.
But ewgf have you seen the conditions in prison ? What are you basing your facts on ?? Is it simply a few horror stories to sell papers ? One of my friends works in Nottingham Prison and also has been in a few others and the stories he tells me, christ theres no way i would want to go there. Butlins it aint !
Precisely. It irritates me as you can probably tell when people have this ill-informed opinion. The guy I mentioned admitted he hasn't even told me a quarter of what went on inside, and what he did tell me makes me damn sure I never wanna end up in there!
I've never been to prison myself, but I know people who have, plus prison warders and coppers (many of whom have spoken to me frankly, and some are friends, so I'm not just parroting official lines). I've also met many victims of serious crimes, and am in contact with people who have suffered (often very) hideous abuse as children. And believe me, (a) they almost never see anything like justice at all, (b) even our laughable justice service is disproportionately lax on the true sh*t who live in our country, and (c) I know from other peoples' first hand experiences what prisons are like, and the experience varies massively according to who and what you are.
Prison is hell for some people, yes. Those who are incapable of physically defending themselves and who also have no criminal connections. But for many others it's far easier than it should be, especially those who are connected (and if that bloke you know had been either hard or, even better for him, influential or wealthy, then he'd have had a very different time in prison. He'd still have hated it, but he wouldn't have suffered much other than the lack of women and (most of the time) alcohol. Drugs would be no problem if he could afford it.You'd be amazed (and appalled) at the things that you can get in prison if you know the right people.
I have heard that open prisons are much easier, but I can't confirm that, though I think it's very likely.
Believe me, our prisons don't work. And yes, despite the checks the cooks can do things to the food, but do you image they'd risk doing that to anyone with any power or swing? Of course not. There is a hierarchy to all human groupings, and prison is a very good example of this, all the more so since people in prison tend, almost by definition, to be bothered only by what they want and what effects themselves personally.
I'm not going to post any more in this thread. It's just become an excuse for the usually Dave C type "Daily Mail [one of his many obsessions] says the country is crap so England must be really wonderful" rants by people who haven't got a clue. Trust me, if you'd heard some of the things I've been told by people you'd feel very differently. When I first started trying to help people who have been abused in the past, I sometimes tried to find out what had become of the abusers, and believe me, there is really no justice in this country. I could post stuff that would break your heart, thread after thread (and believe me, you can't tell often who the worst abused were, they cover it up well, although their defenses are often paper thin), but even if I wanted to then it would be modded.
Most people are decent, but there is real evil in this world. And closing your eyes to it is a luxury that you might have, but other people (some of whom you'd never think) don't have.
Do you think that all those terrible things happen ONLY in the UK, and that they don't have *exactly* the same problems in Australia, Canada, or NZ?
Apologies if I appear to have a Daily Mail obsession, but every time I read one of your "the UK is shit" posts it just triggers my 'tabloid bollocks' alarm. Maybe I should try to avoid reading those posts in future and just stick to your other posts, which I do actually enjoy.
Most people are decent, but there is real evil in this world. And closing your eyes to it is a luxury that you might have, but other people (some of whom you'd never think) don't have.
Yeah i get that point, a lot of times i 'shut out' a lot of that crap and think of the good points. I know in my town theres an estate full of these sorts of scum, the type to mug grannies, drown their old dog, smash cars up etc. Thankfully the other 90% of the town are decent people raising their kids well so that generation will continue being decent. Prison will be hell for a lot of people, for others it wont be (So for those tough nutters do we make a super super tough prison ?). Some people will like/handle that !
But thats where i think you and me are different. Yeah i get wound up by things, but i actually dont get 'too wound' up by it. Lifes too short, whenever i hear about a relative or a friends relative who isnt well or who has died it reminds me that life is too short.
My wifes granddad is in hospital, WWII vet, its very sad, doesnt look like he has that long left. Right now he would LOVE to be in any of our shoes, (even though theres all these people with 'light' prison sentences, CCTV state, terrible government, immigrants, bla bla bla). He would love to be one of us, 30 or 40 years old living right now. He would be enjoying life, looking at the positives, enjoying the countryside, having a laugh with friends instead of constantly moaning and being depressing.
So call it a blinkered view, but i actually like to look at the positives and enjoy things or like i say i'll wake up, be 50/single and totally depressed.
But yeah if you constantly keep getting wound up by all of this then run in your local election. As according to you '60 million other people agree' so there you go, you'll get tons of votes. Either do something to make a difference or dont, sat there whinging constantly in cyberspace wont do diddley squat.
there is really no justice in this country. I could post stuff that would break your heart, thread after thread (and believe me, you can't tell often who the worst abused were, they cover it up well, although their defenses are often paper thin),
Well, run for office. If you know all this stuff and do nothing except complain, you're siding with the system you hate so much.
You're only going to change things if you actually get up and *do* something to change them. Since you know that you have the support of many of your friends, you must at least suspect the support for your views is wider. Therefore you should be able to raise campaign contributions for the next elected post that comes up in your locality. Find out when the next local election is and get to work on doing something that has at least a chance of *changing* things.
The whole tax system needs reforming, tax credits are a joke. They've spent millions on advertising them, millions sending out letters to people saying they've overpaid/been underpaid and millions on sorting out the problems. Wouldn't it have been easier to TAKE LESS TAX in the first place?
How about this - instead of all the complications of tax codes and National Insurance numbers, everyone has a personal account with the Government FOR LIFE.
It gets set up when you are born, and you get payments from the Government for child care/school
If you choose to go to University, you get a loan to pay for your tuition and then pay that back as you earn more
When you go into work, you get a guaranteed minimum income per week - any time you fall below that (illness/unemployment), the Government pays you. Any time you earn more than that, you pay tax. At a single fixed rate.
Assets - be it a house, shares in a company - are taxed at a single rate when you buy and sell them.
When you retire, there is again a minimum level of income, but you can save more to increase it.
When you die, your funeral expenses are covered and you pay a small level of inheritance tax in the knowledge that your estate/financial affairs are properly settled.
So you're happy to have a police force that do little to combat crime nowadays, a court system that awards Mickey Mouse sentences to criminals, services that are being cut back to compensate for the money we gave (not loaned) to the filthy rich banks, being forced to pay more than most other countries for nearly everything, a political system that's beyond satire, a "news" paper range that can (and do) print whatever rubbish they like regardless of the facts and get away with it, ever increasing prices for petrol and other things, VAT on heating and other "luxuries", a health service that is choking to death on bureaucracy, the possibility that a newly released (and still practising) paedophile could be living in your street at any time, the ever widening gap between rich and poor, the fact that we don't have a real Labour (i.e. for the working man) government any more, and so on?
Since you are "perfectly happy" to live in England, then you must be literally unable to be more pleased about the state of the country. That's blinkered-ness of Dave C's standards.
I'm perfectly happy to live in England, because I don't have the completely jaded view of this country, as you obviously do. Talk about going completely over the top!
Would you rather live somewhere like Burma? Zimbabwe? Yemen? No country is perfect, but at least England has none of the troubles some places have.
If you don't like it here, leave. No-one is stopping you. Just don't try to force your wildly innacurate thoughts on everyone else, stick your fingers in your ears and shout "Ner Ner Ner! I can't hear you!".
You should have read what I posted, instead of just quoting it. It's relevant as it's commenting on more injustices and social wrongs in this country, in line with the first post.
You, as always, ignore the original post and go off on your own personal rant because you like the sound of your fingers hitting the keyboard.
Yes, thanks for that considered assessment. It would be a bit more valuable though if you'd actually read and understood what I wrote, first. Still, next time eh?
I read what you wrote and failed to see any correlation between it and the original post.
I stand by my original comment...
Muppet.
Since you are "perfectly happy" to live in England, then you must be literally unable to be more pleased about the state of the country. That's blinkered-ness of Dave C's standards.
F**k off and live in Cambodia then...
...or if you find a 'perfect' country to live in then let us know and we'll see you there.
I do agree with Winston and i'm not taking the mick.
Why dont you look to run in the local elections ? If people around you/your neighbourhood/town have the same sort of views and are sick and tired of things then give it a go.
You have nothing to lose, go canvassing and speak to the locals, you'll then find out whether your view is right or not.
You do seem very passionate about your views (not saying theyre right or wrong !) but give it a go. Lots of people would respect you (dont mean here mean generally) for giving it a go.
I couldnt do that so thats why i dont moan so much about the state of the country and realise all I can really do is use my piddley vote in local and national elections. I feel the country was a mess under Labour and so i want to see what a new party can do in 4 years, if they cant do squat then i'll try to vote in someone else.
But give it a go, local elections anyone can give it a go, if people have the same view as you go for it.
"A doctor who tried to lure two young girls into his car because he wanted to have sex with them has been jailed for at least four years."
Criminals have rights. The rich have rights. The rest of us don't matter. We just pay tax and get trampled on. It's no wonder so many people I know just want to leave for good, and would if they have the cash, and go to Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc. This country is a joke. But only the rich and the criminals are laughing.
Yet the article reads further, and I quote:
"A doctor who tried to lure two young girls into his car because he wanted to have sex with them has been jailed for at least four years.
Leslie Mitchell, 57, approached the girls - aged 10 and 11 - as they were returning home from school.
The casualty doctor, from Falkirk, was also placed under a lifelong restriction order.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Hardie said this meant he may never be released from prison.
Any future decision to release Mitchell would depend on the authorities, who will assess the risk he poses "as time goes by", said the judge."
So, it's a minimum of four years, but it could very well be life, if the authorities decide that he should never be released.
Basically you did what the tabloids, "they", heard it down the pub, and other dodgy journalism does... reads/hears/sees an article and decides to only post the information that is the most sensationalist. Pot kettle black anyone?
I've never been to prison myself, but I know people who have, plus prison warders and coppers (many of whom have spoken to me frankly, and some are friends, so I'm not just parroting official lines). I've also met many victims of serious crimes, and am in contact with people who have suffered (often very) hideous abuse as children. And believe me, (a) they almost never see anything like justice at all, (b) even our laughable justice service is disproportionately lax on the true sh*t who live in our country, and (c) I know from other peoples' first hand experiences what prisons are like, and the experience varies massively according to who and what you are.
Prison is hell for some people, yes. Those who are incapable of physically defending themselves and who also have no criminal connections. But for many others it's far easier than it should be, especially those who are connected (and if that bloke you know had been either hard or, even better for him, influential or wealthy, then he'd have had a very different time in prison. He'd still have hated it, but he wouldn't have suffered much other than the lack of women and (most of the time) alcohol. Drugs would be no problem if he could afford it.You'd be amazed (and appalled) at the things that you can get in prison if you know the right people.
I have heard that open prisons are much easier, but I can't confirm that, though I think it's very likely.
Believe me, our prisons don't work. And yes, despite the checks the cooks can do things to the food, but do you image they'd risk doing that to anyone with any power or swing? Of course not. There is a hierarchy to all human groupings, and prison is a very good example of this, all the more so since people in prison tend, almost by definition, to be bothered only by what they want and what effects themselves personally.
I'm not going to post any more in this thread. It's just become an excuse for the usually Dave C type "Daily Mail [one of his many obsessions] says the country is crap so England must be really wonderful" rants by people who haven't got a clue. Trust me, if you'd heard some of the things I've been told by people you'd feel very differently. When I first started trying to help people who have been abused in the past, I sometimes tried to find out what had become of the abusers, and believe me, there is really no justice in this country. I could post stuff that would break your heart, thread after thread (and believe me, you can't tell often who the worst abused were, they cover it up well, although their defenses are often paper thin), but even if I wanted to then it would be modded.
Most people are decent, but there is real evil in this world. And closing your eyes to it is a luxury that you might have, but other people (some of whom you'd never think) don't have.
I couldn't be more pleased for you that you've found others able to fuel your own opinions. Believe it or not, I haven't lived in a bubble my entire life, I've spoken to people, I've experienced things too and I've come to the opinion that yes, there is evil in this world, yes some are treated differently to others, whether "inside" or not. That's life, get the hell used to it. Oh I forgot, I haven't got a clue!!!
Oh, and I'm perfectly aware of the kind of abuse that can be dished out. I've never mentioned this on here, but the person I'm talking about got put inside because apparently he was a threat to my kids - MINE! It was utter bullshit perpetrated by some hateful scum but because he didn't fight it (was told he would die in prison because of the length of sentence for maintaining innocence, and boy does he regret that now!) he got put away. I suppose by your reasoning he should have been hung, drawn and quartered regardless of the fact he was innocent. I had to sit through months of lectures about recognising signs of abuse/grooming, my kids are still on the at-risk register, and as a parent it's fu**ing awful.
Everything is terrible in every country it seems until it comes to election time. Then everybody votes the same guys in like they actually quite like it.
"In a democracy, people get the government they deserve."
Dont think ewgf was actually racist but i think it 'could' show that he does seem to live in quite a different world...
"Now first of all, the word "Paki" is not offensive to anyone with a brain"
Think ewgf should stay away from any newspaper/news websites ;) He admits he doesnt have a large social circle but seems to just know everything happening in the UK !
Ha ha that thread also had one of my worst typos ever...
I still dont get why people like you who moan about the state of the country over and over dont just move ?
Because that would be quitting....the way to make change is to stay and fight it...not turn tail and run...you can love a country and hate the way it is run...2 different things.
Because that would be quitting....the way to make change is to stay and fight it...not turn tail and run...you can love a country and hate the way it is run...2 different things.
Yep, and as we all know, the best way to make a positive change is to gripe about things in an 8-bit computer forum on the internet.
Yep, and as we all know, the best way to make a positive change is to gripe about things in an 8-bit computer forum on the internet.
Right on, comrades!
Not what I said...I said stay and fight it.....no mention of posting about it on an 8 bit forum and expecting change.
If the choice is LEAVE the country or stay and fight it by your vote etc...then staying is more likely to aid a change.
However, do not underestimate the power of the internet...a certain movement called the 'Tea party movement' does very well by promoting itself on forums/web etc.
Because that would be quitting....the way to make change is to stay and fight it...not turn tail and run...you can love a country and hate the way it is run...2 different things.
Get your point, if you want to change things though moaning constantly about it on a retro games forum wont do diddley squat. Write letters to your local MP, try and meet them, or stand at local elections etc.
Sometimes 'quitting' might be the best answer, if i really really hated where i lived i wouldnt feel bad if i 'quit' and moved to another country. How many of us dont like our job ? How many people sit there whinging yet dont look for another job ? Others get off their backside and find a new job and move and are happier.
If i had a lot of hatred/anger about issues or this country i would honestly move
Comments
But then you'll wake up, be 50 and single and think 'where did my life go?'. Why didnt i just enjoy things instead of getting wound up by some chavvy family in Bristol who live no where near me and dont really affect me but i read that story in the Mirror, it then escalated into me thinking the whole countries crap etc etc.
Sadly bad things or things which frustrate us happen every day, its life, you either get on with it or moan about it constantly, get in a bad mood, your heart gets stressed, you get stressed and it goes on and on.
That claim wasn't actually ewgf's - it was me trying to be funny.
Yeah i know, sorry was meant to expand on all the 'prisoners have it easy...' type of thing. Some people seem to think they do have some huge tv and a wide choice of meal every day. "No no Giles, i'll have the steak with the mushrooms and a glass of merlot please.....". Funny that people have this sort of view "So have you ever been in prison and seen this ?" (No), "Have you heard anyone say how easy it is in prison ?" (Not really, people seem to hate it), "So where do you get your views from ?" (Well it was in the Mirror so it must be true.......)
Read the Sun every day and you think thats the case. I do read the Sun/Mirror when i'm waiting to get my hair cut and want a bit of light 'entertainment' in which i wont take it that seriously and believe every single word of it.
But ewgf have you seen the conditions in prison ? What are you basing your facts on ?? Is it simply a few horror stories to sell papers ? One of my friends works in Nottingham Prison and also has been in a few others and the stories he tells me, christ theres no way i would want to go there. Butlins it aint !
Me too. I would like to move out of London though.
Funny how the Polish immigrants seem to do it with no money (that's why they are moving to Britain, to actually have more than a subsistance amount of money). If the Polish can figure it out, surely you can. There are plenty of European countries with a lower cost of living. A one way plane ticket on easyJet ain't that expensive, and of course the money you spend now on housing/food etc. will go further in a country with a lower cost of living. Leave all your crap behind (I'm sure you can make reasonable money ebaying your current stuff) and go. As I said, if you hate England it's not worth hanging onto these possessions and your flat/house if it's costing your sanity. Far better to make a new start elsewhere, just like the Polish plumbers did.
And if not, why not at least try to run for local elected office? You aren't going to change anything by sitting on the sidelines and moaning. Since you are convinced your views on your area and on the country are correct, and you have a lot of support, you should be able to get elected and start making a change. You'll at least have a much better handle on who/what the people/issues are involved in the things you don't like, have an opportunity to argue your case, build support amongst colleagues and start changing things at a local level. Once you have success at the local level, you can move up the ranks.
Sitting on the sidelines whining doesn't help. Surely you can be motivated to do *something* if you hate living here so much?
I've never been to prison myself, but I know people who have, plus prison warders and coppers (many of whom have spoken to me frankly, and some are friends, so I'm not just parroting official lines). I've also met many victims of serious crimes, and am in contact with people who have suffered (often very) hideous abuse as children. And believe me, (a) they almost never see anything like justice at all, (b) even our laughable justice service is disproportionately lax on the true sh*t who live in our country, and (c) I know from other peoples' first hand experiences what prisons are like, and the experience varies massively according to who and what you are.
Prison is hell for some people, yes. Those who are incapable of physically defending themselves and who also have no criminal connections. But for many others it's far easier than it should be, especially those who are connected (and if that bloke you know had been either hard or, even better for him, influential or wealthy, then he'd have had a very different time in prison. He'd still have hated it, but he wouldn't have suffered much other than the lack of women and (most of the time) alcohol. Drugs would be no problem if he could afford it.You'd be amazed (and appalled) at the things that you can get in prison if you know the right people.
I have heard that open prisons are much easier, but I can't confirm that, though I think it's very likely.
Believe me, our prisons don't work. And yes, despite the checks the cooks can do things to the food, but do you image they'd risk doing that to anyone with any power or swing? Of course not. There is a hierarchy to all human groupings, and prison is a very good example of this, all the more so since people in prison tend, almost by definition, to be bothered only by what they want and what effects themselves personally.
I'm not going to post any more in this thread. It's just become an excuse for the usually Dave C type "Daily Mail [one of his many obsessions] says the country is crap so England must be really wonderful" rants by people who haven't got a clue. Trust me, if you'd heard some of the things I've been told by people you'd feel very differently. When I first started trying to help people who have been abused in the past, I sometimes tried to find out what had become of the abusers, and believe me, there is really no justice in this country. I could post stuff that would break your heart, thread after thread (and believe me, you can't tell often who the worst abused were, they cover it up well, although their defenses are often paper thin), but even if I wanted to then it would be modded.
Most people are decent, but there is real evil in this world. And closing your eyes to it is a luxury that you might have, but other people (some of whom you'd never think) don't have.
Precisely. It irritates me as you can probably tell when people have this ill-informed opinion. The guy I mentioned admitted he hasn't even told me a quarter of what went on inside, and what he did tell me makes me damn sure I never wanna end up in there!
Do you think that all those terrible things happen ONLY in the UK, and that they don't have *exactly* the same problems in Australia, Canada, or NZ?
Apologies if I appear to have a Daily Mail obsession, but every time I read one of your "the UK is shit" posts it just triggers my 'tabloid bollocks' alarm. Maybe I should try to avoid reading those posts in future and just stick to your other posts, which I do actually enjoy.
Yeah i get that point, a lot of times i 'shut out' a lot of that crap and think of the good points. I know in my town theres an estate full of these sorts of scum, the type to mug grannies, drown their old dog, smash cars up etc. Thankfully the other 90% of the town are decent people raising their kids well so that generation will continue being decent. Prison will be hell for a lot of people, for others it wont be (So for those tough nutters do we make a super super tough prison ?). Some people will like/handle that !
But thats where i think you and me are different. Yeah i get wound up by things, but i actually dont get 'too wound' up by it. Lifes too short, whenever i hear about a relative or a friends relative who isnt well or who has died it reminds me that life is too short.
My wifes granddad is in hospital, WWII vet, its very sad, doesnt look like he has that long left. Right now he would LOVE to be in any of our shoes, (even though theres all these people with 'light' prison sentences, CCTV state, terrible government, immigrants, bla bla bla). He would love to be one of us, 30 or 40 years old living right now. He would be enjoying life, looking at the positives, enjoying the countryside, having a laugh with friends instead of constantly moaning and being depressing.
So call it a blinkered view, but i actually like to look at the positives and enjoy things or like i say i'll wake up, be 50/single and totally depressed.
But yeah if you constantly keep getting wound up by all of this then run in your local election. As according to you '60 million other people agree' so there you go, you'll get tons of votes. Either do something to make a difference or dont, sat there whinging constantly in cyberspace wont do diddley squat.
Well, run for office. If you know all this stuff and do nothing except complain, you're siding with the system you hate so much.
You're only going to change things if you actually get up and *do* something to change them. Since you know that you have the support of many of your friends, you must at least suspect the support for your views is wider. Therefore you should be able to raise campaign contributions for the next elected post that comes up in your locality. Find out when the next local election is and get to work on doing something that has at least a chance of *changing* things.
How about this - instead of all the complications of tax codes and National Insurance numbers, everyone has a personal account with the Government FOR LIFE.
It gets set up when you are born, and you get payments from the Government for child care/school
If you choose to go to University, you get a loan to pay for your tuition and then pay that back as you earn more
When you go into work, you get a guaranteed minimum income per week - any time you fall below that (illness/unemployment), the Government pays you. Any time you earn more than that, you pay tax. At a single fixed rate.
Assets - be it a house, shares in a company - are taxed at a single rate when you buy and sell them.
When you retire, there is again a minimum level of income, but you can save more to increase it.
When you die, your funeral expenses are covered and you pay a small level of inheritance tax in the knowledge that your estate/financial affairs are properly settled.
I'm perfectly happy to live in England, because I don't have the completely jaded view of this country, as you obviously do. Talk about going completely over the top!
Would you rather live somewhere like Burma? Zimbabwe? Yemen? No country is perfect, but at least England has none of the troubles some places have.
If you don't like it here, leave. No-one is stopping you. Just don't try to force your wildly innacurate thoughts on everyone else, stick your fingers in your ears and shout "Ner Ner Ner! I can't hear you!".
I read what you wrote and failed to see any correlation between it and the original post.
I stand by my original comment...
Muppet.
F**k off and live in Cambodia then...
...or if you find a 'perfect' country to live in then let us know and we'll see you there.
Why dont you look to run in the local elections ? If people around you/your neighbourhood/town have the same sort of views and are sick and tired of things then give it a go.
You have nothing to lose, go canvassing and speak to the locals, you'll then find out whether your view is right or not.
You do seem very passionate about your views (not saying theyre right or wrong !) but give it a go. Lots of people would respect you (dont mean here mean generally) for giving it a go.
I couldnt do that so thats why i dont moan so much about the state of the country and realise all I can really do is use my piddley vote in local and national elections. I feel the country was a mess under Labour and so i want to see what a new party can do in 4 years, if they cant do squat then i'll try to vote in someone else.
But give it a go, local elections anyone can give it a go, if people have the same view as you go for it.
Yet the article reads further, and I quote:
"A doctor who tried to lure two young girls into his car because he wanted to have sex with them has been jailed for at least four years.
Leslie Mitchell, 57, approached the girls - aged 10 and 11 - as they were returning home from school.
The casualty doctor, from Falkirk, was also placed under a lifelong restriction order.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Hardie said this meant he may never be released from prison.
Any future decision to release Mitchell would depend on the authorities, who will assess the risk he poses "as time goes by", said the judge."
So, it's a minimum of four years, but it could very well be life, if the authorities decide that he should never be released.
Basically you did what the tabloids, "they", heard it down the pub, and other dodgy journalism does... reads/hears/sees an article and decides to only post the information that is the most sensationalist. Pot kettle black anyone?
I couldn't be more pleased for you that you've found others able to fuel your own opinions. Believe it or not, I haven't lived in a bubble my entire life, I've spoken to people, I've experienced things too and I've come to the opinion that yes, there is evil in this world, yes some are treated differently to others, whether "inside" or not. That's life, get the hell used to it. Oh I forgot, I haven't got a clue!!!
Oh, and I'm perfectly aware of the kind of abuse that can be dished out. I've never mentioned this on here, but the person I'm talking about got put inside because apparently he was a threat to my kids - MINE! It was utter bullshit perpetrated by some hateful scum but because he didn't fight it (was told he would die in prison because of the length of sentence for maintaining innocence, and boy does he regret that now!) he got put away. I suppose by your reasoning he should have been hung, drawn and quartered regardless of the fact he was innocent. I had to sit through months of lectures about recognising signs of abuse/grooming, my kids are still on the at-risk register, and as a parent it's fu**ing awful.
"In a democracy, people get the government they deserve."
That's uncalled for - in all his various rants I have never seen ewgf express any racist views!
I dont think XTM was meaning to be racist at all, but more of a dig at ewgf because of this thread...
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showthread.php?t=23462
(Another all time classic thread !)
Dont think ewgf was actually racist but i think it 'could' show that he does seem to live in quite a different world...
"Now first of all, the word "Paki" is not offensive to anyone with a brain"
Think ewgf should stay away from any newspaper/news websites ;) He admits he doesnt have a large social circle but seems to just know everything happening in the UK !
Ha ha that thread also had one of my worst typos ever...
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showthread.php?t=23462&page=3
"When i went to america i got racist comments as i was a white guy going out with a latino guy"
(It was a latino girl not ricky martin okay !)
Hmmm, Freudian slip, methinks :-)
Sorry, wasn't suggesting for a minute that XTM was racist. :smile:
I think he has teh ghey! :D
I mean both...
Because that would be quitting....the way to make change is to stay and fight it...not turn tail and run...you can love a country and hate the way it is run...2 different things.
Right on, comrades!
Not what I said...I said stay and fight it.....no mention of posting about it on an 8 bit forum and expecting change.
If the choice is LEAVE the country or stay and fight it by your vote etc...then staying is more likely to aid a change.
However, do not underestimate the power of the internet...a certain movement called the 'Tea party movement' does very well by promoting itself on forums/web etc.
Get your point, if you want to change things though moaning constantly about it on a retro games forum wont do diddley squat. Write letters to your local MP, try and meet them, or stand at local elections etc.
Sometimes 'quitting' might be the best answer, if i really really hated where i lived i wouldnt feel bad if i 'quit' and moved to another country. How many of us dont like our job ? How many people sit there whinging yet dont look for another job ? Others get off their backside and find a new job and move and are happier.
If i had a lot of hatred/anger about issues or this country i would honestly move
It's not the first time neither. :)