Honestly, you're a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Who is 'fighting it at every turn?' I'm a ****ing realist, I'm not going to be defensive over the rock formation I happened to be born on, I'm not gonna delude myself into thinking that we're perfect because we're far from it.

The few things we do right in this country are being systematically dissembled by those in power and the public cheer them as they do so. Pretending that's not the case to swing a flag around and go 'Woo! the UK is the best country ever!' is pointless. Patriotism is pointless. Wilful delusions have never fixed anything.

I'll expand on that by saying it's only a great place thanks to the great British public and progressive governments historically.

It's fair to say in the last 30yrs there has been a dismantling of support structures and with brexit a retrograde movement in who we consider choice of allies and trading partners.

In essence all that made modern Britain great and a draw for so many no longer exists.
Welfare, housing, health ...basic rights and protections are difficult enough to access for British passport holders, that is not an exaggeration.

England as the land of milk and honey is a myth.

I have no problem with genuine people who are in danger and want to make a better life for themselves by working.

I have a problem with those that abuse the system and that includes home grown scum bags that think the world owes them a favour.

And we should pay for their Ferrell kids that they produce yearly without the means to support them.

:smug:

Well, well, well.

...the country offers so much and yet there are so many who have nothing at all...so what we ‘fight at every turn..’...is inequality, surely...because we should all be so lucky/Kylie...and because we have so much to offer/because we are a great country..?..then giving refuge to those whose birth countries are very conflicted or poverty stricken is something that surely puts the Great in Britain as well...

Yes Valid

That's a nice fairy story.

The only people I ever hear droning on about how awful this country is, are white Lefties.

Didn't you say your gran was going to leave the UK if Corbyn had won?

I agree, really thoughtful post.

This country is terrible because of our government
Other countries are even worse because of our government

Lol, I verymuch doubt the "government" make a blind bit odds to your life no matter who was in

It's been decent for me and my family, can only speak for myself of course.

I will hazard an opinion it is much easier to thrash a country when you have never lived anywhere else and haven't been forced by economics to move from the area/country you were born in :pipe:

Or maybe people are just blinded by their own patriotism that they can't bring themselves to acknowledge the serious problems this country faces. I pity such people.

As stated in OP im not patriotic. I can however appreciate what this country does, how it helps those in need, offers ample opportunities and so forth.

I would like to hear what these 'serious' problems are though?

Okay, let's start with how this country 'helps those in need'. Do you know much about how benefits work these days? Oh how Universal Credit is mostly a predatory system that looks for reasons to withhold benefits from people that need them? People have died of starvation under the current system because of it.

By painting the vulnerable as scroungers and layabouts for decades, the government has managed to turn the benefits system into a vicious cycle in which turns a lot of vulnerable people into victims and drives them into worse positions then they were in before. The current system doesn't 'help' people find work, it heaps pressure and cruelty onto them in an attempt to force work instead of dealing with the underlying problems people face while finding work.

Our benefits system was never perfect but it's never been more cruel than it is now. I'd certainly like to see how people who look down on the unemployed would cope with such a system, I expect they would do poorly.

The NHS is probably the greatest institution in our country, it's definitely my favourite thing about the UK but it's being eroded before our eyes by a callous government and an apathetic public. It's all well and good painting rainbows and clapping on your doorstep but when push comes to shove, people will vote for those that want to destroy the NHS. Public services are being eroded across the board and the public are content with letting it happen because we are a dumb people who are far too easily distracted. Instead of criticising the government and demanding change, we chortle and say 'well, just imagine if Corbyn was in charge?' because fearing an imaginary scenario is better than dealing with reality. Corbyn is not in change, instead we've got a moron that willingly sleptwalk into a crisis and wanted to deal with it by sacrificing the old and infirm and he's slowly been walking us back to that original plan.

The government is deeply incompetent and is protected by a bootlicking public that has long since treated politics like football and will fight for their 'side' regardless of what their party is doing.

The best things about this country are our rights and whether it's a right to benefit, healthcare or employment rights, they're all being undone in equal fashion and we as a nation are cheering it all on.

Head to Spain, see how much help you get there if you haven't paid in for at least a year ... nada is what you would get ...nada yet it the UK with a SERIOUS problem?

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS To receive the unemployment benefit in Spain, you must have contributed to Social Security for a minimum of one year (360 days). This contributory period gives you the right to receive benefits for 120 days (4 months). You must also prove that you are actively seeking employment

:joker::joker::joker:

I'm definitely not an English Patriot, I'm Irish :omgno:


You can be patriotic in Ireland, no one looks down on you for it, in fact it is actively encouraged :hee:

**** argument, just because another country has a worse handling on rights doesn't make ours automatically better. We have people being broken by the system, we've had people starve to death on benefits. They don't automatically not matter just because Spain's benefits systems are different to ours.

Lol yes let’s not compare EU countries

Yes because it's not going to fix the problems we face as a country, it's just pure whataboutism to avoid facing the truth about our own issues.

Amplifying another countries problems does not magically fix our own.

I see the goal posts being up rooted as usual...the reasons people do not head over the border from France into Spain and risk their lives instead in inflatables is pretty obvious, the OP didn’t ask how to fix Britain

Probably the difference between you and other people. Some people see the world is not all about them.

Just because something doesn't affect you, doesn't make it ok.