posted 06-18- 08:42 PM               

How about off-licence proprietors? There are a lot of people who overdo the booze and seriously harm themselves. Should the proprietors be held accountable?

Johnny may be smug, he's landed a million pound contract. That's because he's talented, for a change. He also pushes the line, and risks his own job, by making close-to-the-edge comments on social issues that most other (gutless) presenters choose to ignore.

So he's done bird...at least he's not another cosseted wanker who wouldn't know about the realities of life if they smacked him in the face.

Do you buy the spice girls by any chance?

posted 06-19- 10:24 PM               

Every single company of note will defraud, falsely advertise and cheat you of your money. Have you ever heard the term "Rip-off Britain"?

People are miserable, depressed, desperate, un-happy and angry. There is a constant atmosphere of harrassment and oppression. The streets are not safe and the police are not interested in helping or protecting anyone who isn't famous, wealthy or powerful.

There is no political integrity, honesty or vision.

The rich are getting richer, the poor poorer. This is a statistical fact, the divide between the haves and the have-nots is widening dramatically.

People are leaving the state education system barely able to read and write, fit only for low-paid work in horrific environments.

The medical system is failing fast. People who have paid-in to the health system all their lives are dying because of 18 month waiting lists for vital operations.

Entrepeneurial spirit and endeavour is crushed by local councils that tax local businesses into bancruptcy.

Should I go on?

Drug use in the UK is the highest in the world. That alone should indicate just how bad things here are. People no longer take drugs for recreational pleasure, they take them to escape the horrific reality of life in this country.

The suicide rate here is the highest in western europe, especially amongst high-school age children.

posted 06-19- 11:57 PM               

But regards your experiences when you visited; few English people would subject you to their true mood, indeed your visit probably cheered them up and took them out of themselves. And who's to say they were any of the depressed? Status, wealth, job-satisfaction...were they 'top flyers'?

I live close to the street, amongst real people, people who burn their guts out only to see all their money go on rent and bills, with almost nothing left over for the pleasures of life (like being able to relax with their loved-one in their arms without the crushing worries of how they'll pay the next electricity bill...etc). That's the reality of life for the majority in this country.

Apparently the average wage here is around £350. Yes, so the government (lying scum) would like us to believe. Of course, that figure is grossly distorted by the salaries of fat-cat businessmen and bears no resemblance to reality.

The REAL average wage in this country is about £150 per week. That's why no single person can afford a flat (apartment) without state aid. That's why couples must both work, and damm the children they have/would like to have.

The proof? The government have finally admitted that people on state welfare will not voluntarily seek work. Why? Because they will be worse-off in paid employment. Doesn't that fact just say it all? On welfare the state pays one's rent and a living allowance. Health insurance is not required to be paid. Poll-tax is not required to be paid. All prescriptions are free. All that adds up to about £175 per week. There ain't no jobs with a TAKE-HOME pay of £175 per week. Unless one doesn't mind many hours of overtime.

Hence the atmosphere that pervades this country. Over-work, poverty and little money left-over for the small amount of liesure time one might have.

posted 06-20- 01:30 AM               

It's like the bullshit about the customer having to pay the cost for shop-lifters. Would prices go down if shop-lifting ceased over-night? Would it fuck.

We are cattle, used, exploited and abused by greedy scum. And the education system? Hey, if the common man was given a true education do you think he would be happy to slave in a factory for a pittance? Of course he wouldn't. Education for the common man is DELIBERATELY poor, despite the best efforts of concientious teachers.

These fuckers know EXACTLY what they are doing, they have their sick little system running like a well oiled machine.

The sad fact is, the people don't WANT to know the truth. If they faced the reality they might feel compelled to act...and the consequences of doing that scares the shit out of them.

posted 06-22- 12:52 PM               

Actually Siggi, the economy here is so strong that anyone who wants to work can get a job. Welfare rolls are way down and tax revenue (because more people are working) is way up. So we have a tax surplus and there is serious talk about tax reductions, or at least paying off the National Debt. Now, if it weren't for the Torries...oops, Republicans and other Conservatives....you would be right, the Government would just create new schemes to spend the surplus on.

I guess the mind set here is different than in the UK.

Which brings me to my last point. Your posts are over two days old and not a single Brit has disagreed. That really says something about the state of affairs over there. Either it's all true or no one give a rat's ass about defending their own country's political and economic system....sad. If I were to attack the US that way I'd be flamed to no end, whether I was right or wrong.

Regardless, I find England charming and her people a delight, and look forward to living there someday, even if I can only afford a year or two.

posted 06-22- 08:22 PM               

For me, some of the best times of my life were when I lived in China. No computer, no telephone, no refrigerator, no washer/dryer, no car, hot water 1 hour a day, and polution was very very bad. However, because of my friends, and what i was doing, it was a great time for me. Now I live in the US, work for Microsoft, with 6 computers in my office and a good salary and benefits, but I wouldn't say my life is any better. Basically my point is that it is all in the attitude you have about life. China is dirtier and more corrupt than the US, but people are more innocent, and the girls are in better shape :-) England has a really long and interesting history, and there must be some other redeeming qualities. If you are willing to have a positive attitude and an open mind, you can probably enjoy most anyplace.

Siggi, I think you need to take it easy a little man, it sounds like you are on the edge. I can tell from your posts that you are a smart guy, who is wise to what is going on in a lot of different places. However, you get really caught up in the negative aspect of things. I think that instead of finding the shitty aspects of life in your area (you can find them anywhere), look for the good points. Or if things are really bad, go teach English in Japan or something... find a new place where you don't have to be so irritated all the time!

posted 06-22- 10:16 PM               

I've done the teaching English in Japan, about five years in total. I can't say I'd like any more of that pie. It gave me the best things in my life, a Japanese wife and beautiful daughter. I think worrying about what kind of world she's going to inherit is contributory to my state of mind.

Fuck, if only the sun would shine here for more than three weeks in every year!

posted 07-13- 05:52 AM               

People are sad, with the f**** off attitude in professional relationships. The conditions were/are harsh and the human characters are the reflection of this. It's changing (I hope) but there still a vast gap between the comunities on this side of the late iron curtain and the communities of the free world.

The education. The good one. Here two of the most evil systems man devised took a good care to exterminate (well, murder is the right word in most of cases) all the people of good education, those who would carry the spirit forward. Just two examples: in autumn 1939 the the nazis announced that they would agree to the universities activity of some sort, invited the professors of the Jagiellonian Uni for talks, promptly arrested all of those who showed up and sent them to Oswiecim (Auschwitz)
The soviets murdered some 14 thousand officers, members of clergy, scientists, engineers etc. captured after invasion of Poland. That was just the beginning. The effect after 50 years was that there were fewer highs school (14-18) leavers in Poland than uni graduates in many countries. Prospects for educated independet minded people were null, they were encouraged to emmigrate. Now the level of [regresive - I'm not sure how you call it in English] illiteracy is one of the highests in Europe

That is a very grim history that followed and it shows, still shows. There's been some ten years of economy transiting from centrally govrned f***ed up one to the quasi normal we have now.

The riches of this country. Hmm, you can only imagine. One can always expect the worst scum to surface and rule. With only ten years for the matters to get straightened up one cannot expect building a working system of control and representation. The intellectual and moral level of that "top" of our society in a lot of cases must be the same as their moral and educational tradition (I don't say as their morality and education, these though may be apparently high, heck they are such; according to stats there is some 90% of practising christians of the best sort known - the roman catholics )

Very grim picture I'm painting here.
Am I bitter? No, I am not, just trying to cheer you up a bit. There is so many thing that piss me off and changing them would be like trying to knock a wall down with the head (mind you, those modern plasterboard jobbies don't stand a chance )

Oh, yeah the narcotics, the most popular over here is still alcohol. I'm a happy user. The beer is my favourite "packaging".

Sadly, the cannabies (and the derivatives) are put equal amnogst the worst kinds and there is a push to make the law even more stringrent.
Tobacco - it IS shocking what you can see here - huge ads, ads everywhere (except TV).
Total ban on alcohol (agree but see the above) but how the hell is somebody explain allowing advertising nicotine products and criminalising marihuana. Selling vodka happily to people and extracting heavy tax. That's bloody mad.
No, except alcohol (in the mostly very diluted form) I don't use any other narcotics.

Hoping that everybody is cheered up

Yours trully and madly

Poniat

posted 07-13- 06:23 AM               

To present the common flight-sim user front I therefore agree to hate him if such is consensus. Nothing brings people together better than common hate subject

Death to the CTDs!!! , yo!

posted 07-24- 02:07 PM               

What do you mean, "I like you"? Isn't this supposed to be a flaming flame wars thread!?

And yes, I hate you (what was that Harry Enfield's character name - very lovable young man, he would have be my idol if I had been a bit younger )!!!

I'm not living in the UK, otherwise I would be buying you drinks at this very moment or getting pissed on my own (which is more like me, actually).