I don't like living in England....

[[XAP]Bob]

There is plenty of evidence that our government today is the most corrupt of modern times.

I read some online news once a day and never watch TV news or listen to the radio news. But thanks for the advice.

That's one thing I miss.

If I read an news article in a paper from the early part of the last century it's just presented as facts.
No spin, no colouring.
"He said X, they said Y. Z was observed" etc etc.

That's the one thing I really hate about "modern times" is the spin.
Perhaps it was just hidden better back then.

It was also actually news - things that had happened since you last heard about them. Not - So an so is expected to wear a blue dress made by someone's aunt's sister's best friend's dog and announce that they are in fact a tomato.

[Ben@Forest]

It's just the way they read.
They come across as being factual as opposed to modern opinion pieces.

Obviously you can colour stuff by altering what you report, what you omit etc but somehow for the most part the reporting seemed to represent facts.
At the extreme end of the spectrum these days is the DM that is frequently spanked for telling porkies or exaggerating stuff to levels of unbelievable levels of silliness.

I read a biography of Ian Fleming, who spent some time as a journalist in pre-war Moscow (covering a Stalinist show trial). There were, apparently, big electric clocks around Moscow city telling citizens the time. When drafting an article Fleming wrote 'When the 300 clocks of Moscow reach....' A colleague said 'How do you know there are 300?' - to which Fleming responded - 'I don't'.

[al_yrpal]

Having been to a lot of countries, some of them multiple times and trying to understand them, getting friendly with locals, as an Englishman theres no place I would rather live than in England.
I am concious that immersing oneself in the media to the degree you are reading the opinions of others together with slanted facts, being over influenced by them can make you very unhappy. I avoid that and just try to make up my mind on things by reading and listening to raw news from differing sources. I take folk as I find them irrespective of political labels and dislike extremism of any persuasion.
I do believe that in my early years I lived a far better life than todays youngsters and I feel immensely sorry for todays young people and children. On top of what are often really shallow lives they now have their future blighted by the virus.
Is there honestly anywhere in the world you would rather be?

Al

[thirdcrank]

On a fairly recent thread - 1930s clubrun at an ice cream - parlour I quoted LP Hartley "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”

It shares a border with chauvinism. (That's me, not LP Hartley.)

[Mick F]

The problem (amongst other things) with the press - newspapers and your choice of media generally - is that you buy into what you already believe.

The press you chose to listen to or read, has your attitudes at heart.
You don't buy a Telegraph if you are a Daily Mail sort of person. You don't buy the Sun if you prefer the Mirror outlook.

You don't buy media you don't already agree with.

[kwackers]

The problem (amongst other things) with the press - newspapers and your choice of media generally - is that you buy into what you already believe.

The press you chose to listen to or read, has your attitudes at heart.
You don't buy a Telegraph if you are a Daily Mail sort of person. You don't buy the Sun if you prefer the Mirror outlook.

You don't buy media you don't already agree with.

I don't buy any media, I just read articles but there's no doubt some media is more "truthful" than others.

You can bend the reporting to suit left or right agendas without resorting to outright lies and I don't have a problem with that.
If you lean a particular way some things are simply more relevant and deserve headlines than if you lean the other way. Changing their weight reflects political bias.

[Oldjohnw]

I don’t immerse myself in the media as Al suggests. But I see the consequences of policy. And in 40 years of working with the excluded I have rarely seen things so bad and worsening. My views are based on the reality I come across, not press spin.

[Ride-sleep-repeat]

I'm in my mid-50s and wish I was 18 again right now.Yes things are different but I believe in progress.I love just how far tech has moved on in the last 10 years let along in the (almost) 40 years since I left school.I would love to still be around in 50,100 or 200 years.If I could give up every single thing I have right now for immortality I would.I wouldn't have to think about it!
As much as I loved growing up in the 70s and 80s I do think we look back at stuff through rose tinted glasses sometimes.
I do still love living here but would also like to live elsewhere.I don't get attached to things like area,property etc so could easily move on.

[Mick F]

I too would love to be still alive in 50,100 years.
Would the world still exist in the year 52,121?

[Oldjohnw]

I am not looking back and I remember the poverty of the 1950s. I was there and I was poor. But, as I said, I am seeing things getting that way again: the wealth gap is bigger than ever. That doesn't sound like progress.

It am interested how people get their information if they never read the press or listen to the news in any form as some appear to suggest.

[Psamathe]

I find the UK is no longer a country I want to live in solely on the basis of what it is now (compared to other countries). No looking back with or without rose-tinted-anythings; just what it is today.

There are other countries (specific ones) I'd far rather live in but making any such plans have to be "on hold" at the moment - but that does not stop me periodically doing a bit of search engine use to check on e.g. medical facilities or income requirement or cost of renting house, etc. in the country I'm currently favouring.

Ian

[Oldjohnw]

At 72 i am not going anywhere. Fortunately, I like solitude and I also have some good friends. We don’t talk politics much: mostly hobbies and interests.

I’d rather be in Scandinavia which though not perfect seems to function. But I will never learn a new language or fully acclimatise to a different culture.

[al_yrpal]

I am not looking back and I remember the poverty of the 1950s. I was there and I was poor. But, as I said, I am seeing things getting that way again: the wealth gap is bigger than ever. That doesn't sound like progress.

It am interested how people get their information if they never read the press or listen to the news in any form as some appear to suggest.

I was there in the 40s and 50s and what I would say is that now wealth is greater than ever and much more widespread. Greater home ownership, vehicle ownership, NHS free to all, TVs, restaurants, takeaways, holidays, convenience foods, computers mobiles and tablets, etc etc. Wealth gaps dont bother me they have always existed but the standard of living of the poorest is always of concern.

Al

[Oldjohnw]

I am not looking back and I remember the poverty of the 1950s. I was there and I was poor. But, as I said, I am seeing things getting that way again: the wealth gap is bigger than ever. That doesn't sound like progress.

It am interested how people get their information if they never read the press or listen to the news in any form as some appear to suggest.

I was there in the 40s and 50s and what I would say is that now wealth is greater than ever and much more widespread. Greater home ownership, vehicle ownership, NHS free to all, TVs, restaurants, takeaways, holidays, convenience foods, computers mobiles and tablets, etc etc. Wealth gaps dont bother me they have always existed but the standard of living of the poorest is always of concern.

Al

I am glad that wealth gaps don’t bother you, Al. But they bother me. (Are you sure your name is not Jack?) Home ownership is now, after a generation, decreasing. The NHS is bit by bit being sold.

[al_yrpal]

If you are worried about wealthy people are you sure you arent suffering from little green man syndrome? What about the gold plated inflation proof pensions and massive gratuities enjoyed by retired Senior Civil Servants? Can we continue to afford them whilst the poor rely on food banks?
I am interested as to what parts of the NHS have been actually sold? I am aware of private hospitals acting as a flexible overflow for the NHS, I have been treated that way but it was still free to me as a patient. It was interesting that such hospitals are mostly staffed by very well paid NHS Consultants earning an extra few bob on their eye watering salaries. Perhaps its time public sector excesses were reviewed and money diverted to look after the poor.

Al