Expats

Why is it that people in this country feel they need to comment publicly on other countries' ways of life, governments etc?

🤔

Because no man is an island perhaps?

Maybe for the same reasons U.K. residents feel it’s ok to comment on politics and politicians around the world 🤷‍♀️

I'm an expat and I see no reason why I shouldn't comment on affairs in the UK particularly as I am a lifelong and continuing UK Taxpayer.
Even if I weren't a UK taxpayer I think that my previous lifelong residence in the UK and information from friends who are current UK residents qualifies me to comment in a reasonably informed way.
I am interested in political affairs worldwide including in the UK and in France where currently I live.
Finally what happens in the UK is affected by affairs and events in Europe and America and India and Australia to name just a few.
cf Allira's
"Because no man is an island perhaps?"

It's an interesting question, I've pondered it often. I assume you mean in a critical way here, Riversidegirl.
1. Because they want to feel justified in their choice to live elsewhere, so they dumb their own country down?
2. Maybe because they aren't really happy and would return at the drop of a hat?
3. Maybe because they feel qualified to still comment on the British way of life because they have strong connections with the UK?
4. Maybe because they are right, though personally I think nowhere is perfect, just different.
Who knows?

They were happy to leave, why don't they shut up and get on with what's happening in their adopted country!

Are you expecting polite replies to this rather rude comment?
Do you never comment on any other country's government? If you've never commented for example on Trump's administration then that will put you in a tiny minority. Or is it just their own country they must not comment on?

I think we all feel free to comment on countries around the world don’t we? Ex pats still feel close to Britain as they have their roots here and were born here.

Why are they called ex-pats and not emigrants? It’s ever so colonial.

Expats is short for expatriates and comes from the Latin ex patria (out of the fatherland) and historically described (usually) Westerners working abroad, often with employer support, expecting to return home. "

“Immigrant" often implies a more permanent, often economic, move, with an intention to stay indefinitely.

An ex pat means a citizen of a country ( UK in this case) emigrating to another country but retaining all the rights including the right to return here whenever they like to live.
That means they’re British citizens.
An emigrant could be someone who lives here but isn’t a British citizen who then goes to another country to settle.At least I think that’s the difference 🤔could be wrong.

MartavTaurus

It's an interesting question, I've pondered it often. I assume you mean in a critical way here, Riversidegirl.
1. Because they want to feel justified in their choice to live elsewhere, so they dumb their own country down?
2. Maybe because they aren't really happy and would return at the drop of a hat?
3. Maybe because they feel qualified to still comment on the British way of life because they have strong connections with the UK?
4. Maybe because they are right, though personally I think nowhere is perfect, just different.
Who knows?

5. I wonder if they ever feel like they have truly left. 100%.
Doubt it.

Tuliptree

Why are they called ex-pats and not emigrants? It’s ever so colonial.

Expats have not usually emigrated as such. They are more often working/living abroad for x years.

Dh and I were expats for 13 years, but it was never going to be a permanent move.

Ab yes Witzend - intention is the difference. I’ve got friends in both categories.

Tuliptree

Why are they called ex-pats and not emigrants? It’s ever so colonial.

The difference is a bit confusing, and there are exceptions, but basically ..

Expats are usually professionals, of management level, or business owners who tend to keep ties with their own country. Often they don't fully integrate into their “host” culture, so for example, they send their kids to schools which follow their home curriculum. That's because they may not be intending to stay.

Emigrants/Immigrants are more likely to seek citizenship and to integrate.

LikeRosiesMawAgaindescribes.

Labradora

I'm an expat and I see no reason why I shouldn't comment on affairs in the UK particularly as I am a lifelong and continuing UK Taxpayer.
Even if I weren't a UK taxpayer I think that my previous lifelong residence in the UK and information from friends who are current UK residents qualifies me to comment in a reasonably informed way.
I am interested in political affairs worldwide including in the UK and in France where currently I live.
Finally what happens in the UK is affected by affairs and events in Europe and America and India and Australia to name just a few.
cf Allira's
"Because no man is an island perhaps?"

Exactly this. Rather a rude post Riversidegirl perhaps you should take your own advice.

2 of our children are ex pats.
I would think it odd of they didn’t care about the country of their birth.

We’ve been expats in two different countries. We always intended to come back to the UK eventually. In both places we knew British people who were living there long term and had no intentions of returning to the UK fulltime. I guess they’d migrated to their new country.

One of my sons has been in the US for nearly 25 years and is an American citizen. He doesn’t expect to return to the uk so he’s an immigrant, not an expat. He retains a keen interest in the UK and Europe because we live here, he and his family are regular visitors to the UK and knowing about events in the UK form part of his job in the US.

Why are some people so defensive about their country ? Why are some people xenophobic ? The answer is blowing in the wind ?

Oreo

I think we all feel free to comment on countries around the world don’t we? Ex pats still feel close to Britain as they have their roots here and were born here.

Of course Oreo you are right and I agree with you. Just because we don’t like some of the things that happen in the UK doesn’t mean we don’t like that wonderful country and it’s fabulous history which my country lacks. I think the first comment just shows ignorance and is most unpleasant and xenophobic but,hey Ho, there a lot of it about. I certainly criticise my own country for some of the ridiculous things they do, as well as other countries like the USA and China.

I’d be an expat if I could afford it 😂

Good comment about expats Sue. - I have never regarded myself as one. We became Australians as soon as we could , nearly 50 years ago because that is what we chose to do. Also , we have spent more than 2/3 of our lives away so it wouldn’t really describe us at all. I haven’t had a British passport since around 1990 and never needed one - until now when I am no longer welcome as an Australian. I actually think it is a form of racism on the part of the British government.

I would never use the term expat except for people working abroad for a British company.
For twenty years we have been migrants in France.
We are returning to live permanently in the UK this weekend.
I am looking forward to finding all the things that people on Gransnet tell me I couldn't possibly understand when living in France. 😂😂😂

Interesting thoughts here, both from those with personal experience and from those looking on. I do feel the OP was a bit of a dig, but there can be a tiny bit of truth in it on occasions.

When we lived abroad, I had a job supporting families who had relocated to that country. Mainly to do with their children's education, and language learning, but also helping to set them up and make useful contacts. Those with the best attitude were those who regarded their new country as permanent, whether that was the case or not.
My advice was always that they would find things very different from the UK, neither better nor worse, just different. Every country does what works for them, there's not point in trying to compare or criticise, and the best way is to be accepting and to try to fit in. That doesn't mean not being interested in what goes on back home, neither does it mean rubbishing their ways while smugly shouting their new country is far superior.

Most Brits are neither arrogant nor scathing about their country of origin in real life. Maybe occasionally on GN there is a bit of exasperation shown, followed by accusations, but most posters live and let live, and don't set out to constantly find negatives.

Bon retour, Mamie!
Je languis pour la vie dans l'autre sens, mais telle est la nature humaine!

I certainly have opinions on many overseas places I have visited, mostly positive, some neutral a few negative, all are interesting to visit as a tourist, as for politics, it's their bed let them lie in it .

There is nowhere that would tempt me to move as an expat, but if I hated the weather and everyone around me maybe I would!

MartavTaurus

Tuliptree

Why are they called ex-pats and not emigrants? It’s ever so colonial.

The difference is a bit confusing, and there are exceptions, but basically ..

Expats are usually professionals, of management level, or business owners who tend to keep ties with their own country. Often they don't fully integrate into their “host” culture, so for example, they send their kids to schools which follow their home curriculum. That's because they may not be intending to stay.

Emigrants/Immigrants are more likely to seek citizenship and to integrate.

LikeRosiesMawAgaindescribes.

Yes, and that’s why there are British, or English-speaking schools in many countries. Our DDs attended English-speaking schools in both Abu Dhabi and Oman. But all the pupils were not British - they just had to have enough English to be able to benefit.

The Swedish-speaking dcs of a neighbour of ours, at 4 and 5, acquired enough English within a couple of months at a nursery, in order to be accepted. Within a very few more months you’d never have known that it wasn’t their mother tongue.