Worst thing in your country ?

You'd have to have my top (or bottom) 10 I'm afraid (although they are in no particular order)....

1) We have a criminal housing shortage with up to 1,000,000 children with no permanent address, while the ownership of second/holiday homes is going through the roof.

2) We are running out of landfill sites, and yet local councils won't put money into proper recycling schemes.

3) We have an ailing, privatised public transport structure, which is so poor in rural areas, that it forces familes to travcel practically everywhere by car.

4) We are STILL in Iraq, with no possibility of parole...

5) Our town and city centres are not safe to walk around at night, unless you fancy the prospect of being kicked unconscious by a drunk chav.

6) Drug related crimes are causing a spiralling Gun culture in many of our cities, while theft from shopping centres and burglaries are rising.

7) The overall gap between Rich & Poor in this country is growing every year, despite the fact that we have a nominally socialist government.

8) A significant portion of the younger generations of ethnic minorities are becoming increasingly detatched from our society, marginalised and alienated from the idea of citizenship.

9) Our increasing obsession with 'Celebrity' is breeding false values, landing many yuong people into incredible levels of personal debt, as they strive to keep up with an image of a lifestyle they think they are entitled to.

10) Isolationism within society...the rise of domestic violence, one parent families, children in care, and the fact that no-one seam to know, or care, who their neighbour are any more...

.....do any of our overseas forum members still think that Britain would be a great place to live?

.....do any of our domestic forum members think that I'm overstating the case?

I think you've painted a pretty accurate picture of Britain there. But i'm sure a lot of other countries in Europe have the same problem?

marktheshark wrote: Syzygy wrote: marktheshark wrote: BaldJean wrote: marktheshark wrote: The Doctor wrote: marktheshark wrote: The ACLU, Hurricane Rita and yes Iraq is even pissing me off! Have to agree with you on the ACLU.  But don't forget NOW. AKA National Association of Gals (NAG)! hmm, Mark, 2nd time you disappoint me. the ACLU? I am more worried about the decline of civil liberties in my former home country I can't condone an organization that aids terrorists Jean. Do you? Does that mean that you're also against the CIA?   Depends on which terrorists they're supporting. I can only guess that you must have top security clearance and know all this. Right?

Disengenuous remark of the week award goes to The Shark.

C'mon Mark surely youre not invoking Plausible Denialbilty on us?

The housing shortage is not through lack of building but vast changes in social structure - more single people with money to buy. In an island the size of ours it doesn't take much to upset the balance. Population size hasn't gone up drastically - compared with the demand for housing in the last 20 years or so.