Is a Brit entitled to an opinion ...

I complain about the weather all the time, as do all British people I know, perhaps they were trying to 'fit in'.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions however, one should be careful on how that opinion is delivered.

What MerylStreep said…….

You never give up do you Kali2. You can change your name as many times as you like, your hatred for this country Always shines through……

I beg to differ. Kali2 certainly doesn’t hate this country.
She just thinks any country living under EU ruling is superior.
She’s entitled that opinion.
A lot of Remainers can’t and won’t let it go.
I understand that.
They are still annoyed about the referendum.

Galaxy

I complain about the weather all the time, as do all British people I know, perhaps they were trying to 'fit in'.

Yes, that’s true. When I worked in a public-facing role I could absolutely guarantee that whatever the weather, someone (local) would be moaning about it. Too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too ‘muggy’ - you name it.

Having lived in Middle Eastern deserts for 13 years - all too often stinking hot and sometimes incredibly humid on top, I’m generally happy with our weather - I even appreciate rain! On the whole I think we’re generally lucky here. In our SE neck of the woods, anyway.

It's horrible in the North East today Wizend

One of the reasons we left was the lousy weather, we were sick of not having a proper Summer. There are so many other good things in the uk though. I am totally envious of all the wonderful old buildings and old ,old objects. Fabulous works of art, the humour, the pubs. We have nothing like it here. Of course we have different things,as do other countries and I love my country and ( most) of my countrymen. Just now I feel proud of all those ‘earth angels’helping people cope with the flooding which they are not reporting on over there for some reason. It is the worst since about the 1870s apparently. Absolute disaster.

Oopsadaisy1

Does any other country refer to itself as ‘Expats’ apart from the British? if we go to live abroad surely we become Immigrants.

I’d be interested to hear if other nations refer to themselves as Expats if they move abroad?

We were ‘expats’ in Abu Dhabi and Oman. We were never going to stay for ever - we were never ‘immigrants’.

‘Expats’ is just convenient shorthand for the many people who go to work overseas for a while, while always intending to return home after x years.
What we had thought might be a max of about 5 years, turned into 13.

nanna8

One of the reasons we left was the lousy weather, we were sick of not having a proper Summer. There are so many other good things in the uk though. I am totally envious of all the wonderful old buildings and old ,old objects. Fabulous works of art, the humour, the pubs. We have nothing like it here. Of course we have different things,as do other countries and I love my country and ( most) of my countrymen. Just now I feel proud of all those ‘earth angels’helping people cope with the flooding which they are not reporting on over there for some reason. It is the worst since about the 1870s apparently. Absolute disaster.

nanna8, I think you can blame Putin for keeping the Australian floods off the front pages, or even off the first half dozen.
As I’ve said elsewhere today, though, there’s quite a lot of coverage on the BBC news website.

witzend I know we British refer to ourselves as expats, I wondered if people from other countries called themselves ‘expats’ or their equivalent.

nanna8 There have been reports online on the BBC news website although nothing on the scale of the Russian attack on Ukraine, and mostly having to be searched for. I don't think it's because there's a lack of sympathy or interest, but probably more that the Russian invasion is so frightening and potentially risks world safety. Those of us with friends or family in Australia are very aware of the disaster, and like you have so much admiration for all the rescue teams whether official or voluntary.

Weather-a great conversation starter.
I don’t mind the changeability in the UK. It’s better than the constant 40°+ we’ve experienced on holidays in different countries; OK for holidays but not for daily life.
Nanna8 what makes you think we don’t hear/see about the OZ flooding over here.
It hasn’t been as prominently in the news because of the Ukraine situation, but I’ve seen reports of the devastation and even reports of people trying to drive their cars into deep floods.
My Oz and NZ friends on the other hand haven’t mentioned hearing about the destructive floods near us over here in the UK, but I didn’t expect they would. They only know what I’ve told them.

One of the reasons we left the UK was the NHS was going down the pan. We came back from Australia after a year because at least the UK has an NHS (still!) And, the Aussie weather was fairly boring!

Now imagine that British born and bred person, who arrived in (say) France as a kid, became French in her early 20s, married to a Frenchman with French kids, a French Degree and career- has to go back home to the UK for a while to help very elderly parents. Keeps a property in France, and has her children there, her grandchildren, family and friends.

This British person has spent all her life praising her country of adoption, being a true Ambassador for it- praising its culture, landscapes, people, food, and so much more to family and friends back in the UK.

And then, a short while after returning to UK to help with those elderly parents- sees things back in France, change totally and for the worse. Marine Lepen becomes President- turns on immigrants, even those who are 2nd, 3rd generation, stirs up division, and cuts itself off from all partners from surrounding Europe. Causing untold damage to society, the health services, education, inviting Russian money in to support her, etc.

Would that British person, French also since early 20s and fully integrated, having worked and lived there all her life, and back to birth country for a while to support elderly relatives - lose all rights to join a French Grans Forum and express that she feels dismayed but how things are changing in France, and how she feels so disappointed and beyond about this- and worried for her ACs, and grandchildren, as they are seriously affected.

If other French posters on the site, told her, again and again, that she should keep quiet (and the other day, to pu a sock in it) because she is not 'proper' French (despite having nationality for 50 years!). If everytime she pointed out to a problem caused by Marine's Governement- the reply would just be 'ah but I have looked on the internet and in the UK they blablabla...Would you not read this as extremely discriminatory, and yes borderline 'racist'.

I leave it with you.

I don’t think it’s complaining when that person loves that particular country and is upset at seeing things that are happening there. Sometimes we all need an outside perspective to open up our eyes to what’s happening around us? Do people really think this country is perfect in ever way? Because I’m pretty ashamed of it at the moment. Only have to see the UK’s attitude towards the Ukrainian refugees to realise we ( post brexit) aren’t the country we used to be.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202203/medium-633668-f5067136-63de-4bab-9f2c-242f464e2bc8.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202203/medium-603730-45926450-1d64-48ae-b6e7-2a7bff82f05c.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202203/medium-804048-322a89cc-c610-4713-ae44-d68bba5750ed.jpeg

I feel proud of all those ‘earth angels’helping people cope with the flooding which they are not reporting on over there for some reason. It is the worst since about the 1870s apparently. Absolute disaster

The Australian floods are most certainly being reported here as were the last bush fires.

I think I prefer U.K. weather and four actual seasons to either extreme.

Oh give it a rest Kali2
Even dead horses stop being flogged eventually.

Oopsadaisy1

witzend I know we British refer to ourselves as expats, I wondered if people from other countries called themselves ‘expats’ or their equivalent.

"I am an expat, you are an ecomonic migrant, he is an illegal asylum seeker"

kali, I expect your hypothetical person would manage, just every now and again, to say something good about their adopted country. It would be a real insult to the people she had lived among for all those years to suddenly deride their home. I think they would feel as though they, and their country, had been badly used. Almost violated.

At least that is how I feel when that happens. As though my country is not good enough and has been used as a means to an end.

Would you not read this as extremely discriminatory, and yes borderline 'racist'.

No

I'm confused - I thought you were Swiss, Kali
I don't think you understand the meaning of the word racist and to accuse others of that is very wrong indeed.

And yes, I do understand that you are angry at being banned from Ex-pat sites (in France?) because, yes, you are entitled to an opinion on French politics too, but you have to accept also that other posters are entitled to express an opinion.

Being told a jokey remark is obscene when it was not in the slightest, as you did to Lucca and me is bound to annoy other posters.
I don't think you understand the meaning of the word obscene either.

Urmstongran

I beg to differ. Kali2 certainly doesn’t hate this country.
She just thinks any country living under EU ruling is superior.
She’s entitled that opinion.
A lot of Remainers can’t and won’t let it go.
I understand that.
They are still annoyed about the referendum.

There's a difference between being annoyed about the referendum result, and being frustrated at what it has resulted in.

And what does 'letting it go' really mean anyway? Since 1975 Eurosceptics have been actively working to wean us away from membership because they didn't accept it. They didn't let it go either. It has been a subject for discussion ever since - hence the last referendum.

Is there a logical reason why it should now be excluded from political debate? A huge constitutional change to our whole way of life - and we're not to talk about it's consequences?

I'm not debating the issue itself - nor the fact that Cameron promised to abide by the result of the referendum, which he did - having made the promise, he had to. We have left and that is a fact. I'm just puzzled why so many think it's now a subject that should not be discussed further - particularly in light of the fact that Brexit is an ongoing change and will be for many years to come.

As for @Kali2 - I'm not sure where she's coming from, but I agree that she doesn't hate this country. But she is highly critical of it. Which is also a bit of a puzzle because we are a nation of differing - disparate - individuals, and the idea that EU = 'good', Britain = 'bad'... if that is the case - is clearly nonsensical.

I'm not attacking you Urmstongran - this isn't personal, I quite enjoy some of your postings - your sense of humour - I'm genuinely interested in why Leavers subscribe to the view that Brexit - as the dust settles - is now a 'closed' subject, because we know more now than we did prior to it.

ComeonEileen

^I feel proud of all those ‘earth angels’helping people cope with the flooding which they are not reporting on over there for some reason. It is the worst since about the 1870s apparently. Absolute disaster^

The Australian floods are most certainly being reported here as were the last bush fires.

I think I prefer U.K. weather and four actual seasons to either extreme.

ComeonEileen
Barely a mention on either ITV or BBC main news.
Obviously the dreadful situation in Ukraine is the absolute priority now
But a five minute update on other news could well be included at the end. The dreadful floods in SE Australia where people have drowned, Covid (what Covid?) are still happening but many are totally unaware of it.

How can reporting actual policies of any country be considered 'racist'? If they are not true, then refute the claim, if they are true then own it. No country is beyond criticism, even those we love.

We have a number of British citizens (or ex British citizens) living abroad posting on this site. I don't notice them being personally attacked for expressing their opinions or drawing attention to foreign media views of the UK. Or being accused of hating the UK.

Likewise, a number of British citizens who live in the UK are highly critical of aspects of the country they live in, like our corrupt Russian funded government and our ridiculous severance from the EU. Or the need for Scottish independence.

While they might occasionally be accused of hating the UK by people who have no better argument to offer I don't see them being subjected to pile ons every time they post..

I don't see them being subjected to pile ons every time they post

Perhaps because they are reasonable and their posts are not offensive?
Just a thought.