Britain falls to 25th best place to live in the world

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

They also fixed Global Warming in the UK. I really think they should rate higher. FREE medical care, no Global Warming and gun control. What could be better? (And drunk chicks with min-skirts and high heeled boots)

[MonkeyJuice 3]

We don't have free health care. National Insurance is taken automatically from our salaries to pay for it & the system is abused a lot.

Guns are controlled but knives are a huge issue as is alcohol with bored young people.

l

There are some gorgeous picturesque towns & villages in the UK that the newspapers never talk about. They only focus on the resisential areas on the outskirts of the big cities such as London, Birminhgam, Manchester & Liverpool which have very poor areas.

Most countries have this issue also but I think the population of the UK has increased so much over the last decade, with the influx of Eastern Europeans since we joined the EU, that the country just can't cope with the strain on resources, such as jobs, income support, housing & healthcare.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

We don't have free health care. National Insurance is taken automatically from our salaries to pay for it & the system is abused a lot.

Guns are controlled but knives are a huge issue as is alcohol with bored young people.

l

There are some gorgeous picturesque towns & villages in the UK that the newspapers never talk about. They only focus on the resisential areas on the outskirts of the big cities such as London, Birminhgam, Manchester & Liverpool which have very poor areas.

Most countries have this issue also but I think the population of the UK has increased so much over the last decade, with the influx of Eastern Europeans since we joined the EU, that the country just can't cope with the strain on resources, such as jobs, income support, housing & healthcare.

Thank you for being honest about it.

Australia has a pretty good health care system but like you we pay for it in taxes. Hell, I just found out the US doesn't have Zovirax unless you get a prescription and even then it CAN cost $120 unless you have co-pay.

Australia's great in many way but for right now my hubby wants to be here in the US. One day we might go back to Australia, the weather is definitely better and so is the chocolate

[KnightAndMagpie 7]

I'm with MonkeyJuice. They banned the carrying of knives, but the people who were the cause of the ban went on to carry them anyway. I lived about forty minutes south(ish) of London, and with some people -- not all -- their miserable attitudes completely smothered anything positive that was there. As a student, I knew enough UK students who would complain about not having any money, mostly because of the fact that they were drinking every other night, getting completely plastered, and waking up with a horrendous hangover the next day. It was just heartbreaking seeing what people were doing to themselves.

It's so refreshing being here, in Alaska; I've learned so much in terms of practicality. People here (for the most part) seem to take things in their stride, whether Mount Redoubt is spewing ash into the air, or whether there's a really bad snowfall, or whether they've been hit hard by the economy. People are also generally a lot more friendly than where I was living in the UK, more willing to chat or just more open.

It's a lot more affordable, too, out here; you get more for your money. A LOT more. I'd rather take no national healthcare (which, as MJ said, wasn't free) and have the better quality of life. It was so crammed there, so many homes stuffed into one plot of land, but out here, I could have a house with my husband by next year which would be twice as big for a lot less. England did have some very pretty places, I'll say that, but nothing quite beats the magnificence of this snow-covered Eden.

I have to say though, European chocolate will ALWAYS top US chocolate. Nommmm.

Magpie.

[alienlovechild 75]

Most countries have this issue also but I think the population of the UK has increased so much over the last decade, with the influx of Eastern Europeans since we joined the EU, that the country just can't cope with the strain on resources, such as jobs, income support, housing & healthcare.

I've heard that before but I guess the influx looks large if they haven't been a part of the UK national fabric before. I remember one guy who was Welsh and enraged about Albanians in the UK. How many could there be?

Rank country (migrant(s)/1,000 population) Date of Information

1 United Arab Emirates 22.98 2009 est.

2 Afghanistan 21.00 2009 est.

3 Cayman Islands 16.48 2009 est.

4 Kuwait 16.02 2009 est.

5 Macau 14.56 2009 est.

6 Anguilla 14.06 2009 est.

7 San Marino 10.32 2009 est.

8 Aruba 9.70 2009 est.

9 Turks and Caicos Islands 9.02 2009 est.

10 Luxembourg 8.44 2009 est.

11 British Virgin Islands 8.13 2009 est.

12 Monaco 7.58 2009 est.

13 Andorra 6.89 2009 est.

14 Northern Mariana Islands 6.47 2009 est.

15 Australia 6.23 2009 est.

16 Jordan 5.83 2009 est.

17 Singapore 5.82 2009 est.

18 Canada 5.63 2009 est.

19 Isle of Man 5.23 2009 est.

20 Liberia 5.13 2009 est.

21 Botswana 5.00 2009 est.

22 Ireland 4.71 2009 est.

23 Liechtenstein 4.66 2009 est.

24 Hong Kong 4.38 2009 est.

25 United States 4.31 2009 est.

26 Burundi 4.04 2009 est.

27 Guernsey 3.80 2009 est.

28 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.17 2009 est.

29 Portugal 3.14 2009 est.

30 French Polynesia 2.73 2009 est.

31 Jersey 2.73 2009 est.

32 Brunei 2.69 2009 est.

33 Denmark 2.48 2009 est.

34 Netherlands 2.46 2009 est.

35 New Zealand 2.46 2009 est.

36 Antigua and Barbuda 2.38 2009 est.

37 Israel 2.37 2009 est.

38 Greece 2.33 2009 est.

39 Bermuda 2.20 2009 est.

40 Germany 2.19 2009 est.

41 Rwanda 2.17 2009 est.

42 United Kingdom 2.16 2009 est.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/th...r/2112rank.html

[MonkeyJuice 3]

Perhaps they could be refugees??? The UK has a lot of refugees that are not classed as immigrants.

[NickD 203]

Sure having second thoughts about the good old USA and this bit about freedom for all. From the time I was born here, my life was dictated by the state until I was 24 years of age with mandatory school and a military obligation that lasted a full six years on active duty. For the convenience of the government they said.

Afterwards, have a strong fear of the IRS, the EPA, DNR, ERA, DOT, more recently the USCIS, and our legal system. Judges are attorneys and if you get a judge that is from a law firm where the opposing attorney is from, you are screwed even before you walk into the courtroom. No way to fight this because is ruled by the state bar that is a brotherhood of attorneys. Sure fear driving 26 in a 25. Even though I think I own my own land, can't fill a pot hole from fear of the DNR fining me for wetland preservation. Already, I have paid more in property taxes than the value of my home when I first purchased it. If I don't pay it, will be out in the street.

Not only federal laws to learn and to obey, but also state, county, townhship, and city or town laws to learn. And of course, they all want my tax dollar.

Learned more recently, if I make any out of state purchases, the state IRS has full access to my credit card statements, I better well pay the state the sales tax on it or will be fined. Have to wash and sort my garbage now. If my kid is truant, I can go to jail. We are a country of laws!

Can't play with my automobiles anymore and the more recent ones are spying on me, so much about buying a vehicle to get freedom of the road. Won't even mention trying to come back into this country, but sure feel like a prisoner and forget about any US Constitutional rights.

Government even took away our ability to find work by their trade policies, feel like a prisoner living here. And our leaders don't even have to follow the US Constitution and can break the laws of our country with the most severe penalty of being asked to resign.

Our country as sure gone to hell.

[PlatyPius 5]

How did the US rank higher than Canada???

[_Simpson_ 250]

How did the US rank higher than Canada???

Well they obviously didnt take into consideration the awesome health care system Canada has

Edited January 14, 2010 by _Simpson_

[scotinmass 588]

Of the top 25 countries on the list only 2 failed to score 100% for freedom. Italy and The Land of the Free!

[visacat 1]

Perhaps they could be refugees??? The UK has a lot of refugees that are not classed as immigrants.

Plus these statistics dont take into account illegal immigrants that have made it into the UK.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I believe a lot of Albanians claimed asylum in the UK during Kosovo

Although the guy was probably complaining about them because they have taken over the vice trade in London so I guess there's a perception that they are trouble

[luckytxn 2,265]

I have been to many countries and a few of the ones on the list and trust me they are no better to live in than where I do now............Texas.

[Ali G. 37]

Australia is the best at everything.

Yeah they are such a huge FAIL. Oh wait, they are second.

Better luck next report hey.

I have been to many countries and a few of the ones on the list and trust me they are no better to live in than where I do now............Texas.

Based on traveling for the military right?

[Pooky 3,850]

GORDON BROWN was visiting a Scottish primary school and the class was in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings.

The teacher asked Mr. Brown if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'Tragedy'.

So our illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a 'Tragedy'.

A little boy stood up and offered, "If ma best freen, wha’ lives on a ferm, is playin' in the field and a tractor rins ower him and kills him, that wid be a tragedy."

"Incorrect", said Gordon, in his best trying-not-to-sound-too-Scottish-accent, "That would be an accident."

A little girl raised her hand, "If a school bus kerryin' fifty children drove ow’r a cliff, killing a'body inside, that wid be a tragedy"

'I'm afraid not', explained Gordon, "that's what we would refer to as a great loss’’.

The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Gordon searched the room.

"Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"

Finally, at the back of the room, a wee lad raised his hand and, in a quiet voice, said: "If a plane kerryin' you and Mr. Darlin' wiz struck by a 'freendly fire' missile & blawn tae smithereens, that wid be a tragedy."

"Fantastic!" exclaimed Gordon, "and can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"

"Weel", says the lad, "it has tae be a tragedy, because it certainly widnae be a great loss, and it probably widnae be a f*cking accident either!"