Little Britain - the state of England today

Bad news is magnified by all the media. Good news doesn't get through. Heard anything about our wonderful garden and city garden culture... Our fabulous writing and online game culture? Thought not - check it out. This country is still creative and fabulous in countless ways. (Yes I do know La Belle France well enough to know they have neglected post industrial landscapes etc too).

Just to clarify, people are free to judge, have opinions and criticise as we have free speech in the U.K. Free speech comes with responsibility.

Judgement and criticism of U.K. residents and asking what are you doing about it in my opinion is verging on rudeness, and I know this is contradictory to my first paragraph but that is how I feel.

What would the OP like/want us to do.

We have elections whereby we can vote for the party we think will do best for the country, we can sign petitions, we can volunteer, we can give to charity, we can live a life to be proud of.

Any other suggestions?

sandelf

Bad news is magnified by all the media. Good news doesn't get through. Heard anything about our wonderful garden and city garden culture... Our fabulous writing and online game culture? Thought not - check it out. This country is still creative and fabulous in countless ways. (Yes I do know La Belle France well enough to know they have neglected post industrial landscapes etc too).

If you're aiming this at me - yes of course I have. I've had several discussions with friends about the new RHS gardens at Bridgewater near Salford. I've also read several quotes complaining about the National Trust.

Good post GrannyGravy13 except OP singled out England and presumably English residents. I have picked upon England since I am not as aware of what is going on in the other countries of the Union with regard to the state of the nation.

Dinahmo - what gives you the right to assume and say we all don’t care? As you’re in your French ivory tower you really have no idea what we all think! I do care as do all my friends and family.

JaneJudge Thank you.

GoldenAge

Dinahmo - what gives you the right to assume and say we all don’t care? As you’re in your French ivory tower you really have no idea what we all think! I do care as do all my friends and family.

That's it exactly. You care for all your friends and family. Doesn't everyone?

You remind me of a former neighbour in Suffolk. A kind and helpful person to all she knew but anybody else? Not interested. She even thought we shouldn't the NHS because we should all pay for healthcare.

Rosie51

Good post GrannyGravy13 except OP singled out England and presumably English residents. ^I have picked upon England since I am not as aware of what is going on in the other countries of the Union with regard to the state of the nation.^

Oops!!!

You are correct, my mistake.

Frankly, Dinahmo, I have the impression most people living in England today don't know as much about what is being done to them as we do.
We have a variety of news sources, whereas they rely on a group of print media owned by Tory donors, and the BBC which is clearly - at least in the news department - closely controlled by the government.
I feel the same way as you. Only came to France because my partner is French - and because it was so easy, 8 years ago. He might have joined me in England, but for his client base here. Just as well he didn't, as it turns out.
There are many on Twitter who despair of the disintegration of what used to be so good. There might even be a majority who are unhappy. But there seems to be no way to reverse the rot now.
I had not intended to stay in France for ever. But I've no choice now (if they'll have me).

GoldenAge I realise that I slightly misread your post.

Actually, a lot of you have said that you do care but you haven't said about what.

Dinahmo

GoldenAge I realise that I slightly misread your post.

Actually, a lot of you have said that you do care but you haven't said about what.

Really?

So what has everyone done to help the poor and underprivileged in this country? Oh sorry, I forgot, they don’t exist in middle class little gransnet do they?

I do find it quite interesting that people on here know about riots in France (actually more like protests) without knowing that they are actually about the need for a Covid vaccination certificate to enter bars, restaurants and shopping centres. Are the papers not providing that rather important information?.

Dinahmo. If you removed the “what are you doing “ thing I wonder if posters would address the issues you listed ?

I dont see the point of turning this into a “well France is bad too” thread.

MayBee70

So what has everyone done to help the poor and underprivileged in this country? Oh sorry, I forgot, they don’t exist in middle class little gransnet do they?

Well before we all start on our "boastfest" perhaps you'd like to lead the way?

MayBee70, if people start listing things they'll get accused of virtue signaling

Oh and am I to leave gransnet, definitely working class and not ashamed of it!

The news does not focus on all those constantly putting time and effort into righting the issues you raise. If you want a more realistic impression of what ordinary people are trying desperately to achieve try searching Facebook. There are many communities there committed to working towards goals like green energy. There are many loyal volunteers who turn out in all weathers to collect surplus food and turn it into hot meals for the homeless. Others maintain food banks. The reason you see the issue of sewage release raised is because local watchdog groups inform the media of these actions. Activism has never been so alive and well but you won't find it on the news. Search the internet more diligently instead of offering ill-informed moralistic hand wringing - and then join in yourself.
What we lack here, as elsewhere, is any connection between our politicians and the desires of the public they purport to serve. Their priority is their personal popularity and not our criticisms of their actions. We have a government unchallenged by any effective opposition and until this state of affairs is altered little will change at the national level.

crazygranny ???

Bravo crazygranny

MayBee70

So what has everyone done to help the poor and underprivileged in this country? Oh sorry, I forgot, they don’t exist in middle class little gransnet do they?

It’s my experience that those who don’t talk about what they do for others actually do the most.

You can look at any country in the world and list the negatives....even where you live in France will find the negatives. I love England and live peacefully. My children are all happy as are my 6 grandchildren aged between 5 and 25. Try looking for the positives in life....there are far more of those.

Lucca

Dinahmo. If you removed the “what are you doing “ thing I wonder if posters would address the issues you listed ?

I dont see the point of turning this into a “well France is bad too” thread.

Good point
The confrontational and ad hominem tone was established the minute OP listed all that she saw was “wrong” with this country and then said
I care about these things and yet I don't live in the UK at the moment. Why aren't you all caring about the wrongs? And, if you do, why aren't you doing something about it?
ie I care followed by why aren’t YOU all caring…why aren’t YOU doing something about it
The choice of pronoun was guaranteed to be a blue touchpaper ?

Wow. So many negative comments about our wonderful country! This balony about our overseas aid is laughable. We, for a very long time, have been one of the biggest donators in the world, above France for example, which isn’t exactly a poor country. The water pollution- 70% of our water companies are foreign owned. Football hooliganism - they’re not fans and they are a tiny minority. Same with the racists. It’s a very small group of idiots. The vast majority of our population are decent, hard working and tolerant. People need to remember that, get a grip, and try looking for the positives instead of listening to the snow flakes. #englishandproud

JaneJudge

MayBee70, if people start listing things they'll get accused of virtue signaling

I agree, the majority of us on here do what we can when we can with what we have, we can do no more.