Is a Brit entitled to an opinion ...

volver

If we don't like what someone is saying, we can move right on to the next thread.
??? not posters on GN and possibly not on the French Group either.
Sometimes changing your name helps, but people often post the way they posted before.

There is so much unintentional irony on this thread.

I'm afraid that sounds rather like "Look what you made them do".

If we don't like what someone is saying, we can move right on to the next thread.

Kali2 It must be hurtful when a group wants to exclude you, but perhaps they feel under attack from you and excluding you prevents that happening. Change your name and adopt a less critical persona and you may be welcome. You don’t have to tell anyone you aren’t French do you?

When the country one lives in (although I don’t live in England so maybe I’m exempt?) comes under constant criticism it may well make some people feel as though they’re being personally attacked. Is everyone in that country to blame for its perceived failings? Or is it their politicians? Or the media? Or someone else?

Good on you Tina, bravo (I do hope it is not satire however). If it is for real, my total respect.

For me, a good and positive post to end this thread on. I am sure some understood perfectly well what I was trying to say and the example I gave. Others won't - not because they did not understand, but because they choose not to.

ComeonEileen- of course it is permitted. But it is extremely surprising, say impossible even for some new poster out of the blue to come with such a dig up post from years back under a different name (which I never tried to hide) - yes, impossible. And as said above, the player, not the ball - and an anonymous attack.

Back to you Tina- my hat off to you. And you have cheered me up no end.

I find this thread fascinating and would like to comment, but I’m rushed off my feet today getting our spare room ready in case it’s needed for anyone fleeing Ukraine.

GrannyGravy13

I will also repeat my earlier post, everyone has a right to their opinions however, we should always be mindful of how those opinions are delivered

Agreed- and some truly have to be mindful of how they receive too.

Absolutely Callistemon

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

but there are ways and ways of doing this. Personal attacks are just not the way. How many times as it been repeated here 'play the ball, not the player'.

My goodness, so ComeonEileen comes from the blue, from nowhere at all to post this she dug up from years and years ago. This was of course a quote from a newspaper article- and not my words at all. Just incredible

I’m sorry - I was following on from what MerylStreep had posted.
I did not realise this was not permitted.

Quite right gg and how often.

GrannyGravy13

I will also repeat my earlier post, everyone has a right to their opinions however, we should always be mindful of how those opinions are delivered

Absolutely GG13

and I will repeat my earlier post:

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.

Quite so GG.

I will also repeat my earlier post, everyone has a right to their opinions however, we should always be mindful of how those opinions are delivered

Germanshepherdsmum

I don’t recall you saying unpleasant things about the UK sodapop but I find Kali deliberately provocative - as with this thread.

Why is this thread provocative. Unless YOU choose to make it so.

I'll repeat, do you think a British person, who moved to another country as a teenager, lived all her life in that country, than moved back for a while in an emergency to her birth country, leaving all her 'other country' ACs and GCs and friends behind- lose the right to feel strongly about the country that person integrated and admired all her life, changing massively and for the worst. It is quite a simple question actually. Try to understand it and reply honestly, with personal attack, perhaps.

The fact it was dug up (from someone who has appeared from nowhere and with whom I have never exchanged a single word- unless of course one those posters who has changed names yet again)- just illustrates what I was saying very well.

Someone who has appeared from nowhere?
MerylStreep has been on here for years.

with whom I have never exchanged a single word
Yes, you have, several times and even did yesterday.

sodapop

I'm British living in France and have found things to criticise and praise in both countries. Maybe ' comment on ' would be better than criticise. I think we are entitled to express our thoughts on here.

I've never known you be provocative, sodapop

Yes, agreed sodapop. And we can be just as critical of both countries, for different reasons and at different times. I do remember the days when friends in Europe and mainly in Switzerland, used to say I was such an admirer of British values and had become more British than my birth nationality.

As for the porker comment- as said, digging that up from years ago is just despicable. It was of course not my words, but came from this here

theglobalherald.com/news/mark-dolan-we-are-a-nation-of-porkers-and-its-killing-us-its-time-britain-went-on-a-diet/

The fact it was dug up (from someone who has appeared from nowhere and with whom I have never exchanged a single word- unless of course one those posters who has changed names yet again)- just illustrates what I was saying very well.

I don’t recall you saying unpleasant things about the UK sodapop but I find Kali deliberately provocative - as with this thread.

nanna8

We can't vote in the UK ( not that I'd want to) and our very very small British pensions were frozen from the moment they started paying them many years ago at $11 a week. We worked for them when we were there but they don't care. Not known for their generosity the British government. Britain is a wonderful country but their government is greedy.

When you paid taxes the money went to pay the pensions of your parents/grandparents. That's how is works. My children will be paying for my state pension when I eventually get one at 66. I'm not sure if this makes the government greedy. It's duty is to the people living here and many of them were not born in the UK.

Glad you find my comment hilarious. I find your comments on my country anything but.

I'm British living in France and have found things to criticise and praise in both countries. Maybe ' comment on ' would be better than criticise. I think we are entitled to express our thoughts on here.

Germanshepherdsmum

And telling us how she’s off to go foraging in the mountains with her many ‘young friends’.

Oh dear, how hilarious. Why shouldn't I go foraging- and why should I have no young friends? How low can you get Germansheperdsmum? Really. I mean this is actually hilarious. Blimey!

Mamie

I think Kali2 that I would say that it is easier to get your point across if you present it calmly and avoid showing too much anger and emotion in your writing. I don't claim to get this right all the time by any means, but I do try.

Absolutely and totally, I agree. However, this has become very difficult, as a small group here have attacked me every single time. Similar opinions have been posted by others, and strong discussion ensued. But I do believe, and I honestly thing I am correct here- that I am the only poster who has been personally attacked for not 'being a proper British citizen' and for not having a right to said views on what is happening. currently to the UK. Being constantly attacked, and each and every post turning to 'ah but what about your country' - with people digging the internet to find anything negative to say about it, despite knowing very little about it, bar visiting for a holiday once, or studying there for a short time yonks ago- makes it difficult to keep a low and calm tone. I am sure you can understand this.

My goodness, so ComeonEileen comes from the blue, from nowhere at all to post this she dug up from years and years ago. This was of course a quote from a newspaper article- and not my words at all. Just incredible.

It would be funny if it wasn't so rude and, quite frankly, ironic.

Interesting that you should find that, Meryl in view of the fact that a ew years later some people were rushing to defend our high covid death rate by blaming it on the UK's 'obesity problem'. Same problem, just more politely named.