British and Irish "The worst off in europe"

[gonzo75]

Anyone of us could of informed them of this fact at any time in the last 30 years.............
What lame journalists we have nowadays!

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-..._Study_Reveals

http://www.realradio-scotland.co.uk/...rope/tlk8dsx4/

Yep, we live in a sh**hole, its official.

[andyh]

Well....it's not true for everyone and every situation.
Some countries may suit certain people more than others.

For example, if you're like me, married with a wife and kids and you want peace,quite, lots of space, no nanny state intervention and affordable large housing with temperate climate and reasonable living costs and wage etc, then Ireland is actually very hard to beat. There's also hardly any chavs/yobs here either which makes a hell of a difference.
Theres a lot of whining and moaning going on after the recession for sure but I'm a world apart from the life I had in the UK.
I would certainly agree the UK is one of the worst places to live in Europe but just you try Estonia,Latvia,Poland etc, life sucks there in a big way, even more so in Russia of course or China lol.
The eastern EU states are "on the up" so to speak but they still have a long way to go.

It's all about common sense really and what best applies to your own situation, what skills you have/experience to earn money and where those jobs are and how much housing and travel costs yadda yadda.
There's a hell of a lot more to it than these surveys can manage and I've no doubt I could probably turn out something more accurate and reflective on my own given a year and travel expenses....so how about it yougov?

When I was a young lad I would probably have thrived in one of the upcoming eastern EU states or no doubt in the middle east but it no longer applies to me any more for example, so give it some thought

We've had a few interesting discussions about "where the grass is greener" a few times on this forum and I discovered some interesting stuff- particularly about switzerland from hadabusa which was great to see. I haven't been there since I was a nipper and all I can remember is the lovely countryside and amazing hot chocolate

[fratoue]

Originally Posted by andyh

For example, if you're like me, married with a wife and kids and you want peace,quite, lots of space, no nanny state intervention and affordable large housing with temperate climate and reasonable living costs and wage etc, then Ireland is actually very hard to beat. There's also hardly any chavs/yobs here either which makes a hell of a difference.
Theres a lot of whining and moaning going on after the recession for sure but I'm a world apart from the life I had in the UK.

Are you sure you're talking about Ireland??. Ireland is totally becoming a Nanny state more laws are being passed every year for petty fines and with the recession more and more are going to join the Gardai as it's a stable job hungry to get as many fines on folk as possible. TV licences, fishing licences, bin tax, CCTV everywhere and reserve Gardai, I could go on.

Reasonable cost of living? Ireland is absurdly over-priced I know Cork isn't as bad as Dublin but it's still very expensive and Cork folk are a pain in the arse anyway so whats the point in moving there to save a few shilling?.

Ireland is not hard to beat as a country any of the Scandanavian countries IMO are better and so is Holland.

I can't understand how you see this country through rose coloured glasses with these imbeciles of FF/Greens in government selling us out to the Bilderberg/EU Elite everyday?

[bendelapidate]

Blame the EU and the so called "national governments" for implementing their daft directives. The sooner it collapses, the better.

[void]

Originally Posted by gonzo75

Yep, we live in a sh**hole, its official.

Although I see things crumbling around us here, still it doesn't in any way compare to the horrors (hah) I've seen in other parts of the world, material life wise. Don't get me wrong, this is not another one of those - "Compared to <insert country> we're living like Kings so be grateful" comments that are used to end conversations of this sort. Poverty is always relative to the kind of nations it is referring to and in comparison to the big wigs here, there are many people here who may have a huge TV in their living room but in comparison to the big wigs's income they are still living on pennys in a relative poverty to the big wigs. But it would take an awful lot for conditions here to get even remotely like the material conditions faced by people elsewhere. Knowing this doesn't remove annoyance at seeing food and fuel prices going up while jobs are either having a lower wage or simply dissapearing by the month. But I feel I've got an advantage that I could put up with a lot taken away in my life and still feel a certain degree of contentment. I'm not planning to be one of those people clinging to,and begging at, this crumbling system either for my sustenance nor for my contentment in life in coming years. I'm slowly bit by bit educating myself on how I could get by without it, and also looking at other options. I'm not about to get all depressed and despairing while this comfort zone we're used to, crumbles.

[andyh]

Originally Posted by fratoue

Are you sure you're talking about Ireland??. Ireland is totally becoming a Nanny state more laws are being passed every year for petty fines and with the recession more and more are going to join the Gardai as it's a stable job hungry to get as many fines on folk as possible. TV licences, fishing licences, bin tax, CCTV everywhere and reserve Gardai, I could go on.

Reasonable cost of living? Ireland is absurdly over-priced I know Cork isn't as bad as Dublin but it's still very expensive and Cork folk are a pain in the arse anyway so whats the point in moving there to save a few shilling?.

Ireland is not hard to beat as a country any of the Scandanavian countries IMO are better and so is Holland.

I can't understand how you see this country through rose coloured glasses with these imbeciles of FF/Greens in government selling us out to the Bilderberg/EU Elite everyday?

I had a good laugh at that, especially the bit about Cork people
Look closely at what I said, Ireland is specifically good for rural family life
The unemployment net here in Ireland is actually quite good if you have a wife and kids, yes in scandinavia it's good but you pay for it
I have many gripes about Ireland but they are small nuisances.
Bins used to be expensive but a private biz has bought out the local council where I am now and the prices have plummeted two-thirds.
I also pay no council tax....
I have fresh clean private water.
I am allowed by law to remain off the voting register.
I get peace and quiet.

Average wage for the Irish IT pro is roughly €36k - €40k and it's more than enough to get by.

The niggles are inadequate choice and large distances to go shopping but I take the good with the bad and tbh the small things (such as privacy) are far more important to me.
The fact that the Irish govt are a bunch of incompetent nitwits combined with the tiny police force makes for a nice place to live if you think about it carefully

The laws are very similar to the UK which is also a benefit but there is nothing like the intrusion and micro management present with spy cameras and UK social services etc....nor for that matter will there be for quite some time- simply because of that stupidity in govt, lack of postcodes etc etc...long may Ireland remain full of back lanes, potholes etc, I love this country

FYI I find the people in Cork just as nice as everywhere else (and they seem to like me!)but then again I do tend to look on the bright side nowadays as I left all the crap behind in the UK. I'm a different person now

[bendelapidate]

Down with the EU. National governments are irrelevant now. People must wake up to the slow motion coup d'etat by the power elite in Brussels.

[nuka]

Probably comes down to our extortinate taxes. 20% from our wages and 17.5% on everything we buy. When I earn money it goes on tax or bills. There has been no social evolution for 1000 years. The poor will never have money because it goes straight back to the rich on pay day

[bendelapidate]

So many europhiles on here. Any criticism of the EU is always met with silence.

[nongeekywebdude]

Originally Posted by andyh

Well....it's not true for everyone and every situation.
Some countries may suit certain people more than others.

For example, if you're like me, married with a wife and kids and you want peace,quite, lots of space, no nanny state intervention and affordable large housing with temperate climate and reasonable living costs and wage etc, then Ireland is actually very hard to beat. There's also hardly any chavs/yobs here either which makes a hell of a difference.
Theres a lot of whining and moaning going on after the recession for sure but I'm a world apart from the life I had in the UK.
I would certainly agree the UK is one of the worst places to live in Europe but just you try Estonia,Latvia,Poland etc, life sucks there in a big way, even more so in Russia of course or China lol.
The eastern EU states are "on the up" so to speak but they still have a long way to go.

It's all about common sense really and what best applies to your own situation, what skills you have/experience to earn money and where those jobs are and how much housing and travel costs yadda yadda.
There's a hell of a lot more to it than these surveys can manage and I've no doubt I could probably turn out something more accurate and reflective on my own given a year and travel expenses....so how about it yougov?

When I was a young lad I would probably have thrived in one of the upcoming eastern EU states or no doubt in the middle east but it no longer applies to me any more for example, so give it some thought

We've had a few interesting discussions about "where the grass is greener" a few times on this forum and I discovered some interesting stuff- particularly about switzerland from hadabusa which was great to see. I haven't been there since I was a nipper and all I can remember is the lovely countryside and amazing hot chocolate

Whats ireland like for big open (relatively) unpopulated spaces forestry/hills etc as compared to the UK? Any idea what mobile broadband coverage is like in rural areas? Wonder if its a good country for van-dwellers

[gonzo75]

Originally Posted by bendelapidate

Down with the EU. National governments are irrelevant now. People must wake up to the slow motion coup d'etat by the power elite in Brussels.

Agreed

[andyh]

Originally Posted by nongeekywebdude

Whats ireland like for big open (relatively) unpopulated spaces forestry/hills etc as compared to the UK? Any idea what mobile broadband coverage is like in rural areas? Wonder if its a good country for van-dwellers

Rural broadband is provided by wireless line of sight.
www.permanet.ie is an example of a company covering rural areas in Wexford/Wicklow and Cork for example.

The trick is to find somewhere you're sure has decent broadband in advance.
http://mapviewer.broadband.gov.ie/

If you check that you can see which places have it etc.

I have 6Mb download and 1Mb upload with wireless but I pay €60 per month for it.

As for big open unpopulated spaces...well there's plenty of that
It's no bother to live in a van but I would stay well away from cities and main roadside lay overs.

[cpfc12]

Strange in the edwardian/victorian times, espescially after the war, we where so close to a revolution, but the nature of our conditioning and politicians/media or what have you, sort of brainwashed us to think things "ain't really all that bad" or strong self pride, so we wouldn't ask for outside intervention, or it would be looked down upon.
However i don't think we can strongly compare the situation in this country to others, in terms of material wealth etc. However spiritually we are fucked up.
Everyone is in a box, the weather certainly don't help, and the old 60's buildings really fucked shit up, in terms of people's emotional well beings.

[gonzo75]

Originally Posted by cpfc12

Strange in the edwardian/victorian times, espescially after the war, we where so close to a revolution, but the nature of our conditioning and politicians/media or what have you, sort of brainwashed us to think things "ain't really all that bad" or strong self pride, so we wouldn't ask for outside intervention, or it would be looked down upon.
However i don't think we can strongly compare the situation in this country to others, in terms of material wealth etc. However spiritually we are fucked up.
Everyone is in a box, the weather certainly don't help, and the old 60's buildings really fucked shit up, in terms of people's emotional well beings.

Good post
Interesting point about being conditioned not to ask for outside intervention.
While our 'leaders' and 'statesmen' and 'monarchy' are busy selling the uk as some sort of utopian example to the rest of the world, and we natives have been busy 'keepin' our 'eads down' and 'getting on with it', chaos has well and truly taken over.
You are totally right mate, we are all in a box, and it's getting SMALLER by the minute.

[void]

Originally Posted by cpfc12

Strange in the edwardian/victorian times, espescially after the war, we where so close to a revolution.

Another notable thing after that WW1 and also after the Napoleonic Wars, was.......

Gun Control Acts, because of ex soldiers bring back firearms.

* Vagrancy Act 1824 (stlll used today, to move on beggars and homeless)
* 1920 Firearms Act

It was once considered a right in the 1689 Bill of Rights for us to own Firearms.

As for the 1920 Firearms Act....

"The legislation had less to do with armed robbery and more to do with the Lloyd George Government’s fear that a combination of disaffected soldiers returning from the Western Front, the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and the surge in trade union membership might be harbingers of trouble. It was thus better if firearms were monopolised by the State and the more responsible classes (PAH! )" ~ http://bit.ly/aRxqfW

[andyh]

Actually the elites own view of British Law was that it was only the right of "free men" to bear arms.
They consider us lot serfs and as such not free men.

[nongeekywebdude]

Originally Posted by andyh

Rural broadband is provided by wireless line of sight.
www.permanet.ie is an example of a company covering rural areas in Wexford/Wicklow and Cork for example.

The trick is to find somewhere you're sure has decent broadband in advance.
http://mapviewer.broadband.gov.ie/

If you check that you can see which places have it etc.

I have 6Mb download and 1Mb upload with wireless but I pay €60 per month for it.

As for big open unpopulated spaces...well there's plenty of that
It's no bother to live in a van but I would stay well away from cities and main roadside lay overs.

Thanks for that - maybe do a "reconnaissance" mission to IE soon, down in Wales a lot so can go via ferry

[the apprentice]

Originally Posted by andyh

Actually the elites own view of British Law was that it was only the right of "free men" to bear arms.
They consider us lot serfs and as such not free men.

I can vouch for Ireland being a nice place to bring up a young family, but there are many other nice places in Europe to do this too.

I know a middle aged couple who have just bought a farm and mill in Bulgaria for 25 G, they have other UK people living there too, their contribution of a younger ellement has giving a new lease of life to the area and they are now well established working their land and the locals help also.

No matter what happens when a united states of Europe tales hold, many places will become less desirable as the infastructure tightens its draconian grip of all walks on life to try and make the system work for the ruling classes amongst their theives as the general populous has less freedoms.

This whole mess will eventually come to a greater mess before it finally collapses as it always does, now is the time to take the skills Andy mentioned earlier and knuckle down into building a community within a comunity with like minded people before things get out of hand, do it later and you will regret it for sure.

And remember the "12 day rule" for those who try to go it alone in a system that is just about to leave you on your own.

[decim]

The New World Order

17. Middle Kingdom

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan

China may not, as the IMF recently predicted, pass the U.S. in GDP within a decade or so, but it’s undoubtedly the world’s emerging superpower. Its ethnic solidarity and sense of historical superiority remain remarkable. Han Chinese account for more than 90 percent of the population and constitute the world’s single largest racial-cultural group. This national cultural cohesion

[baukes]

Originally Posted by fratoue

Are you sure you're talking about Ireland??. Ireland is totally becoming a Nanny state more laws are being passed every year for petty fines and with the recession more and more are going to join the Gardai as it's a stable job hungry to get as many fines on folk as possible. TV licences, fishing licences, bin tax, CCTV everywhere and reserve Gardai, I could go on.

Reasonable cost of living? Ireland is absurdly over-priced I know Cork isn't as bad as Dublin but it's still very expensive and Cork folk are a pain in the arse anyway so whats the point in moving there to save a few shilling?.

Ireland is not hard to beat as a country any of the Scandanavian countries IMO are better and so is Holland.

I can't understand how you see this country through rose coloured glasses with these imbeciles of FF/Greens in government selling us out to the Bilderberg/EU Elite everyday?

You really think the Netherlands is better?
There are 17 milion people living there, not much rural area left-which is now only for rich people who can afford such lovely space. There are at least 4 times as much rules and regulations in place on EVERYTHING. (The rules and regulations that the EU wants to put in place all over europe, that's why it's getting worse in Ireland too)
Trying to duck and dive through the maze of regulations doesn't leave you with a lot of space to do what you really want to do and be who you really are. You'll be forced to stay in line and do what everybody else does, or live a life as an outcast.

I'll stay in rural Ireland. At least here most people still know how to live with the land and nature, and that you can't regulate everything.

oh and I really think that people think the Netherlands is great because of their 'free-thinking' about hookers and cannabis. That, also is another urge to regulate everything. You can be a hooker as long as you do it our way, and you can smoke cannabis as long as you smoke our stuff....
I was born and raised there and