2015 Election

[Garacesh]

I have a suspicion that if an EU exit is announced, there will be a whole load of dual or renounced citizenships happening before EU citizenship is revoked.

 

I doubt EU citizenship would be revoked, as their second citizenship of whatever country would still make them an EU citizen, right?

 

I can see a lot of people wanting to leave but where would everyone go? Honestly I'd like to leave the UK the way things are going, especially if this keeps at it. I can only speak English and find it extremely difficult to learn other languages, and I don't exactly have a varied skillset.. And moving countries ain't exactly cheap nor easy. I suspect this to be the way with most career adults in the UK, as much as everyone has some level of transferable skills those are often simple things that are expected if not outright required (knowing how to use IT equipment, communication, etc.).. I mean, think about how difficult people often say it has been to change careers.. Imagine changing country at the same time..

[sparkeh]

Mmm my wife and I have had a semi-serious conversation about moving to another country. A few of our family have gone already, my brother went to Hong Kong years ago and never looked back. Very tempting at the moment...

[witch]

I doubt EU citizenship would be revoked, as their second citizenship of whatever country would still make them an EU citizen, right?

 

I can see a lot of people wanting to leave but where would everyone go? Honestly I'd like to leave the UK the way things are going, especially if this keeps at it. I can only speak English and find it extremely difficult to learn other languages, and I don't exactly have a varied skillset.. And moving countries ain't exactly cheap nor easy...

 

Whilst I agree that moving country isn't easy, there are plenty of parts of the world that speak English.

South Africa, America, Caribbean, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the Falkland Islands to name but a few!

 

Seriously though, if you went to a country where the population have extremely good English skills, such as any of the Scandinavian countries, you would have no problems. Also, learning a language is much easier if you live and work in that country.

[LosOjos]

I've been looking at moving to (somewhat hypocritically) America. Despite them being the polar opposite to the socialist society I'd love to live in, the prospects just seem so much better out there. Of course the flip side to that is you are absolutely screwed if you lose your job! Big risk.

[Garacesh]

I don't think I could ever live in America. I know things vary wildly from state to state but I just don't think I could do it.

I'd consider Australia if it wasn't so hot (I don't do well with heat or bright light) and mother nature actively trying to murder you at every turn.

 

I think maybe Canada is on my list of maybe's.

 

I thought the Nordic countries spoke mostly Finnish?

[witch]

I don't think I could ever live in America. I know things vary wildly from state to state but I just don't think I could do it.

I'd consider Australia if it wasn't so hot (I don't do well with heat or bright light) and mother nature actively trying to murder you at every turn.

 

I think maybe Canada is on my list of maybe's.

 

I thought the Nordic countries spoke mostly Finnish?

 

People from Finland speak Finnish, Norwegians speak Norwegian, Danes speak Danish and so on. But they are amazingly good at speaking English. As are the Dutch, as it happens.

Australia is hot, yes, but there are places like Melbourne where the temperature is more clement - they even wear jumpers sometimes!

[Crumpet]

Hmm I was trying to find an article I read earlier about BBC staff saying that the Tories had been threatening them with severe repercussions unless they altered their election coverage.

 

But it seems to have disappeared....

 

Here it is.

[Garacesh]

People from Finland speak Finnish, Norwegians speak Norwegian, Danes speak Danish and so on. But they are amazingly good at speaking English. As are the Dutch, as it happens.

Australia is hot, yes, but there are places like Melbourne where the temperature is more clement - they even wear jumpers sometimes!

 

Yeah.. But I don't want to be the typical ignorant British foreigner that doesn't learn the local language lol. I know it's easier when you're surrounded by it but I just can't get my head around it.. I was terrible at languages at school and I doubt I'll be much better now. I may be wrong, I may master languages at the drop of a hat and I'm missing out, but that's an expensive as heck mistake to make if I can't pick it up..

 

Didn't know that about Australia. But still.. Spiders the size of your face that just bleed smaller spiders. Not usually scared of creepy crawlies, but NOPE.

[zag]

The BBC's election coverage was shockingly left wing, I read the BBC website each lunchtime and it really started to annoy me. Pages and pages of Ed Milliband policies given top spot and stories criticising the conservatives.

 

I started reading the BBC because I wanted independence, a balanced view of both sides. But you end up seeing the themes of socialism such as Strikes, Feminism and Labour party support day in day out. It got very frustrating at one point.

 

I personally think that now Top Gear has gone, the only good things left on the BBC are their foreign news and nature programs. Everything else should be chucked in the bin!

[localzuk]

The BBC's election coverage was shockingly left wing, I read the BBC website each lunchtime and it really started to annoy me. Pages and pages of Ed Milliband policies given top spot and stories criticising the conservatives.

 

Funny, as I thought it was alarmingly right wing. Page after page of stories about Tory policies and articles talking about what the papers were saying - which were invariably anti-Labour. Even Robert Peston says the BBC is too obsessed with letting the papers set the topic for them to report.

[Disease]

I've been looking at moving to (somewhat hypocritically) America. Despite them being the polar opposite to the socialist society I'd love to live in, the prospects just seem so much better out there. Of course the flip side to that is you are absolutely screwed if you lose your job! Big risk.

 

Move to Russia, then you can have all the Socialist lifestyle you can eat.

[sparkeh]

Its funny, both left and right wing accuse the BBC of bias at various points. Its worth pointing out that the BBC has/had lots of right wing figures:

 

 

• Former chairman of the BBC Trust: Chris Patten (was a Tory Cabinet Minister)
  
• Political editor: Nick Robinson (former chairman of the Young Conservatives)
  
• Former Senior political producer: Thea Rogers (left to become George Osborne's special adviser)
  
• Presenter of Daily Politics and This Week: Andrew Neil (chairman of the conservative Spectator magazine)
  
• Editor of Daily Politics and This Week : Robbie Gibb (former chief of staff to the Francis Maude (Tory MP)
  
• Former economics editor: Stephanie Flanders (left for a lucrative position at JP Morgan (right wing company)
  

[sparkeh]

Move to Russia, then you can have all the Socialist lifestyle you can eat.

Um, do you know anything about Russia? If you did I assume you wouldn't make that statement.

[Norphy]

I think that quite frequently, peoples train of thought is along these lines:

 

"OMFG YOU DON'T AGREE WITH ME EXACTLY. YOU ARE BIASED!!!!oneoneoneleven".

 

You only need to look at the front page of the Telegraph and to a lesser extent the Guardian to see biased reporting. Looking at the BBC is a breath of fresh neutral air in comparison.

[CAM]

BBC must be doing something correctly if the left and the right are critical of it. I found their coverage to be somewhat interesting and I sit just left of centre.

 

The new website design on the other hand is an affront to my eyeballs!

[SpuffMonkey]

I'm giving serious thought to relocating to Scotland.

 

You may well have the same problem there in the not too distant future :-(

[pcstru]

How Biased is the BBC. There is also a report by the CPS (Centre for Policy Studies), a right wing think tank which concluded that the BBC is lefty bias. Before someone links to that, they might consider the widespread criticism of their analysis, typified by this critique..

 

(ETA - the Radio 4 programme Analysis did a good broadcast on our political biases affecting our judgements).

 

Thinking a little more about respect (thanks @localzuk), we might do well to consider the subtle differences. We do not have to respect a view (that respect could be won by good argument) , but we should respect the poster, _all_ of the readers of our posts and the forum - Edugeek. In the main I think Edugeek these days is generally quite polite and respectful, this thread could be a reasonable example of that given that the subject is likely to bring out views that live at opposite ends of a spectrum on a subject (or a range of issues) which people will feel genuinely passionate about.

Edited May 14, 2015 by pcstru

[LeMarchand]

Yup. Always.

 

I have to totally disagree with this. It should be the other way around. You start from a position of respect, then modify that based on behaviour.

 

In terms of our jobs, your stance means that everyone shouldn't respect us until we do something that earns their respect and, let's face it, while we probably have they don't have the knowledge to recognise it. Hang on...

 

So, what's my point, basically I'm sick and tired of keyboard warriors spending all their time spouting on about how evil anyone is who voted Tory and how bad it is for the poor. This achieves absolutely nothing, apart from really annoying people and completely putting them off ever voting for left wing parties.

A little challenge for you keyboard warriors, how about you get away from your computers for a couple of hours at the weekend and do something that actually will make a difference for the poor and go and volunteer at a local charity that helps the poor. You'll make a massive difference and also give everyone a bit of peace and quiet

 

First off: it's great that you're doing something to help.

 

On the other hand, as the Mirror headline pointed out, it's appalling that such services should be needed in the 6th biggest economy. Yes, such services were needed under Labour but one would hope that under a Labour government more would be done to alleviate the need.

 

You're also making big assumptions about what the rest of us do. I'll freely admit to not doing anything as charitable as you, mainly because I have to spend a lot of spare time organising things for parents whose needs were ignored by an overstretched local NHS until it was too late.

 

As others have said, the "keyboard warriors" you denigrate can help bring change. It wasn't that long ago that it was acceptable to insult ethnic minorities or those with sexual orientations outside of hetero.

 

I'm giving serious thought to relocating to Scotland.

 

It's looking like a good choice: free prescriptions, lovely scenery and all the fried food you can eat! Bit cold, though. Plus, what if Garth Marenghi was right?

 

Here it is.

 

Scary!

 

Didn't know that about Australia. But still.. Spiders the size of your face that just bleed smaller spiders. Not usually scared of creepy crawlies, but NOPE.

 

Even more scary!

 

Anyway, some shock news. Most of us may not be keen on UKIP, but apparently their sole MP has some principles (or he realised everyone was scrutinising him) - from those Commies at the BBC:

 

Parties in the House of Commons receive about £16,700 per seat, as well as an additional £33.33 for every 200 votes won nationally in the general election.

Under the system, operating since 1975, the money can be claimed by any party with two or more seats in the Commons, or parties with one seat that won more than 150,000 votes across the country.

Because UKIP secured almost 3.9 million votes, but only one Commons seat, Mr Carswell is entitled to far more short money than any other MP.

But the MP said it would be "completely inappropriate" to take the money.

 

[LosOjos]

Being unbiased does not mean "criticize nobody". So, the BBC may well criticize Tory policies, but they'll also criticize Labour policies, UKIP policies, Plaid Cymru policies when they see fit. I think the BBC is very balanced in their reporting; I've certainly read plenty I didn't like about all parties!

 

Perhaps if you feel that unbiased sources such as the BBC are being biased towards your party, it's actually because when you see their policies in black and white terms you don't really like them? Food for thought.

 

If you want bias, you need look no further than the printed press, where their chosen party can do no wrong and if they do, it's only because that other lot forced them to do it.

 

Endorsements in the United Kingdom general election, 2015 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edited May 14, 2015 by LosOjos
Grammar

[zag]

Venzuela is the new example of a Socialist Paradise!

 

Venezuela's 'socialist paradise' turns into a nightmare: medical shortages claim lives as oil price collapses - Telegraph

[CAM]

Printed press is a pathetic joke. They hold little more credibility than a blog but sadly have the power to sway public opinion with biased garbage.

[Garacesh]

I have to totally disagree with this. It should be the other way around. You start from a position of respect, then modify that based on behaviour.

 

In terms of our jobs, your stance means that everyone shouldn't respect us until we do something that earns their respect and, let's face it, while we probably have they don't have the knowledge to recognise it. Hang on...

I'm not sure where I stand on this.

 

I don't think you should start off with outright respect, but I do feel your initial position should be "not disrespect" (situation hypothesising this is someone whom you have no previous information about at all, a blank slate). I do personally think there is a difference between "being respectful" (say, holding a door open for someone, saying thank you, basic manners stuff of which it is categorically disrespectful to not use) and then there's outright respect (which I guess also borders alongside favouritism or admiration).. I can be respectful to somebody without respecting them (nor disrespecting them) as a person. I will hold a door open for a complete stranger, but this does not mean I respect them. More.. I respect the currently accepted definitions of social etiquette and manners.

[LosOjos]

Venzuela is the new example of a Socialist Paradise!

 

Venezuela's 'socialist paradise' turns into a nightmare: medical shortages claim lives as oil price collapses - Telegraph

 

Socialism is not without it's problems and sadly I think it's clear to most that a truly socialist state cannot work (socialism relies on total equality; men strive for power; being powerful makes them unequal; socialism fails) but a more socialist leaning state is what I (and I imagine many more "lefties") want; we're mostly not looking for communism, just a state that helps those that need it.

 

Venezuela is a country full of problems, I have a friend who is originally from there and some of the stories he tells me are terrifying. Going to the cinema, you go with as few valuables on you as possible, as gunpoint hold ups where criminals walk around the cinema in the middle of the film collecting all valuables in to bags is a common occurrence, for example. It's not a nice place of the world, but you simply cannot pin all it's problems on socialism.

[clockend25]

Appreciate the BBC lads. It will never please everyone and as a publicly-funded organisation people often feel they have more of a right to have a pop at it, but having lived in North America for a time I found myself grateful to get back to some proper, sensible news coverage, not dominated by opinion shows.

[Andrew_C]

North America .... some proper, sensible news coverage, ...

Chicken Noodle News, and Faux News. What more could you want?