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AIBU

Is a Brit entitled to an opinion ...

(219 Posts)
Kali2 Thu 03-Mar-22 19:12:52

Imagine a Brit who goes to live abroad, lets say, France, as a teenager on a short work placement. And then stays for much longer, getting married to a local, becoming fluent in the language, getting local qualifications, having children and working locally. Gets completely integrated and accepted. Then after retirement, goes back to UK to help with elderly parents, but retains a property and spends a lot of time back in France, as their main family is there, and friends- their whole life actually, in so many ways- and having gained French nationality over 50 years ago.

Now does that Brit give up any right to have an opinion about what is happening in France, where they have spent all their adult life- because they have temporarily returned to Britain- and that because they are so disappointed to see things changing for the worse back in wherever they so admired and loved- actually more than the UK in so many ways.

A simple open question.

Baggs Thu 03-Mar-22 19:14:28

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, or several.

ComeonEileen Thu 03-Mar-22 19:27:08

That is actually another closed question
This explains the difference
Open-ended questions are questions that allow someone to give a free-form answer
Closed-ended questions can be answered with “Yes” or “No,” or they have a limited set of possible answers (such as: A, B, C, or All of the Above)
Have you done this before?:” as opposed to “What kinds of questions or difficulties have you had when ….

Nothing to do with the length of the question, just can it be answered with a simple Yes or No.

mokryna Thu 03-Mar-22 19:28:34

More serious to have the vote.
French citizens living abroad enjoy full voting rights in presidential and parliamentary elections, regardless of how long they have lived abroad.
My ex married a Chinese and because 15 years later they lived in France for 5 years, she is now allowed to vote although they live in another country. She is allowed an opinion on the affairs of France.
I am English but I have not been allowed to vote in the UK, I am not allowed to have an opinion

Bodach Thu 03-Mar-22 19:30:35

Oh, dear. This isn't going to end well.....

Casdon Thu 03-Mar-22 19:31:59

There’s a difference between an opinion and a vote though, isn’t there? We can all have opinions on anything and everything. I think we should only be able to vote in one country, that of our main residence.

Germanshepherdsmum Thu 03-Mar-22 19:34:09

This is just about you isn’t it?

Ailidh Thu 03-Mar-22 19:34:49

Bodach

Oh, dear. This isn't going to end well.....

Probably not. On a lighter note, I smiled to see your screenname. When I got my 14 year old, 3-legged, Romanian rescued dog back in May I named him Òlach, because I'm learning Gaelic. He answers to Òlach-Bodach. I know it doesn't quite rhyme but he doesn't complain about my accent.

Zoejory Thu 03-Mar-22 19:43:37

We can all have opinions on things. But not everyone will share those opinions.

Dickens Thu 03-Mar-22 19:43:40

Ailidh

Bodach

Oh, dear. This isn't going to end well.....

Probably not. On a lighter note, I smiled to see your screenname. When I got my 14 year old, 3-legged, Romanian rescued dog back in May I named him Òlach, because I'm learning Gaelic. He answers to Òlach-Bodach. I know it doesn't quite rhyme but he doesn't complain about my accent.

... I must get my cataracts sorted.

Because I can't see very well, your "3-legged Romanian rescue dog" blurred into an 8-legged one... and I pondered for a few seconds what type of dog had 8 legs grin.

Anyway, sorry to go off topic.

CanadianGran Thu 03-Mar-22 19:44:57

Agree with Baggs.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

If they can back it up with a good argument or knowledge of the subject, even better.

Bodach Thu 03-Mar-22 19:49:18

"..my 14 year old, 3-legged, Romanian rescued dog".
Well, Òlach-Bodach, it seems we're not too far apart in dog years, nor (I bet) in aches and pains. Welcome to the Gàidhealtachd - agus oidhche mhath!

paddyann54 Thu 03-Mar-22 20:01:12

Opinion but not a vote.I know many people who live in Spain and France and Portugal who think things should never change from when they lived in Scotland.

Thats ridiculous ,life moves on wherever you are ,I'm sure the new places they call home have built roads through nice landscapes or demolished buildings that someone remembers fondly bt you cant and shouldn't try to stop progress because you believe it was "the good old days" I'm often shocked that people say that about photographs of barefoot children playing in middens ...not a lot of good about that in my opinion.

Coastpath Thu 03-Mar-22 20:13:05

I would be interested to hear her opinions as they would come from a unique viewpoint informed by different perspectives and experiences from the average Joe.

That's what we're all here on GN for isn't it? To hear different views from different perspectives. If not we could cut out the middle man and all just sit in a room, talk to ourselves and never learn anything or develop fresh, new ideas.

kittylester Thu 03-Mar-22 20:18:47

I think that if the person from the UK does nothing but complain about the country they were once happy to call home then they should accept that it gets other people's backs up.

M0nica Thu 03-Mar-22 20:23:49

Everyone is entitled to an opinon, but each country makes its own electoral rules and the inhabitants have to agree with them or campaign for change.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 03-Mar-22 20:28:59

There is a song by Busted its all about you, it’s all about you baby

LauraNorderr Thu 03-Mar-22 20:30:51

I think the right to vote should only be held in the country of residence but the right to an opinion should never be restricted.

Dickens Thu 03-Mar-22 20:33:16

The answer is yes. Everyone is entitled to express an opinion, on anything.

The only thing to bear in mind is that when you give an opinion, it won't necessarily be shared by others, who will challenge it. And some will be offended by it.

And that's very much the nature of social media.

That's it. But I think you know all this.

Chewbacca Thu 03-Mar-22 20:34:13

<<sigh>>

Callistemon21 Thu 03-Mar-22 20:38:50

Yes
Or is the OP a rhetorical question?

But sometimes opinions can be controversial and others should be allowed to say that or offer a different viewpoint without disapprobation.

Callistemon21 Thu 03-Mar-22 20:39:14

Chewbacca

<<sigh>>

?

Chewbacca Thu 03-Mar-22 20:40:53

kittylester has nailed it.

Callistemon21 Thu 03-Mar-22 20:41:47

GrannyGravy13

There is a song by Busted its all about you, it’s all about you baby

Or as DD would say:

Me, me, me, it's all about Me!
Well, that's enough about Me - let's talk about you.
What do you think about Me?

Callistemon21 Thu 03-Mar-22 20:42:49

kittylester

I think that if the person from the UK does nothing but complain about the country they were once happy to call home then they should accept that it gets other people's backs up.

kittylester
Well said.

Spot on.