I am someone now into their 40th year, and feel we are losing it in this country. 1 Million reasons why. But i think our no1 failure is for some of us (not all, some are brilliant) have lost the ability to work hard and work properly, to many excuses.

Did anyone hear the very sad story on radio 5 live on J. Derbershire show this morning on the events that followed his son being killed in the Eygption bombings at sharm el shiek last year. The foriegn office and government ministers should hang their heads in shame.

An elederly relevative has at to sell her home for full time care due to alzheimer's. The first 2 homes wanted her out within 2 days because they could not cope even though they were being paid 500 quid a week. This could be absolutely any of us reading this now in the future. Is this the way we treat our own in Great Britain??? What do these homes want to do for 500 quid a week.

If we are great please explain why!! Would love to hear your stories why you think/know, like me, we are going down the pan.

Think about the billions that we have poured into the health service.... how has it improved i ask myself????? i recently spent some time in a nhs hospital abroad (euro holiday resort) and the service, help, quality of doctors, cleaniness, in a country where they could hardly understand me was unbelievable, the after care service since i have been back is nothing short of a joke. i have always supported the nhs, now i would be glad to see the back of it.

We invented the great game of football and have great team in Aston Villa!!
Good to see a Bluenose on the board Kivver.

If you've got a great team in Aston Villa, how come David O'Leary hasn't found it yet???
Alan ;-)

nice one doughboy, i am pretty sure we're going down after some diabolical displays this season (oparticularly the one against WBA, Melciott you couldnt kick a barn door), but the one saving grace the record of results between bcfc and avfc in the short time we have been in the premiership, lol. sad i know.

just a few responses

When were we great: -
when we had bobbies on the beat (institutional racism, West Midlands coppers...)
when we had matron nurses that kept hospitals spotless (go along with that one but agree with someone above re contracting out)
when we could leave our front doors open (lol Victorian britain was crime ridden; as for binge drinkers what about Hogarth's gin allleys?)
when we had lots of recreational grounds (particularly schools) and parkies to look after parks.(go along there but who started the whole notion of selling off the silver?)
when the elderly were well looked after in this country (it starts at home as in other cultures)
when we won the world cup (the biggest lie of them all - internationally we have won sweet FA)
when people earned a fair living from a fair days work
when people didnt throw rubbish out of their car windows (at the height of Empire there was shit in the streets of London)
when people worked a little bit of overtime (for no pay) if something needed doing (there are legions of staff intimidated by macho managers as well as countless teachers/doctors who give of their time)
when youths respected our teachers, elderly and emergency services (ok but authority has to earn respect - the increasing democratisation and opening up of society leads to a more informed electorate ready to question - perhaps the pendulum has swung too far)
when a fight was a fair fight (and no weopens) (Victorian London again)
when everybody wasnt try to rip us off (mechanics, builders bankers, insurances etc) (LOL twas ever thus -read Volpone)
when it used to cost a fiver to watch birmingahm city (and not 35 quid to be completely outplayed by west brom) (the gentrification of soccer has also brought its benefits)

Plus ca change

There's a really apt latin saying for this that means "the times change and we change with the times" but I'm a thick Yorkshireman who can't remember it. Perhaps someone with a little more breeding could help me out here.
Alan

Geez oh, A few posts in and the Americans are getting the blame. Without the fact they sent 600,000 troops to Europe to save us we would have all starved to death if they hadn't fed us for much of the war.

kivver, "lost the ability to work hard and work properly". How very true ...

We need ... amongst other things, starting from ourselves.


Pride without arrogance.

Courage without aggression.

Sense of fairness for others and for ourselves.

"Is Great Britain still great "

No, thread over!

But seriously, I travel a lot now and I am amazed at how insular and behind the times the UK feels when I arrive back on these shores.

Great Britains not that bad guys,
Tonker

some interesting replies, zscrooge i thought i was the p*ssed off bitter one, lol. ax - spot on,
al - im a thick brummie so know dont the latin.
scrip - again spot on, i remember going to spain in my early 20's and couldnt believe i could get a drink at any time during the night, twenty five years later and i can now do it britain even though i dont feel like doing it anymore.

One of my deepest regrets in life is in helping the undeserving - professionally and otherwise. All those exploited and stolen efforts, sacrifices, time and goodwill could have been spend on helping the genuinely deserving who are often trying very hard not to trouble others and not complaining.

So, be careful out there. But double the efforts to help the good guys. UK will be better for it.

axdpc - 13 Mar 2006 19:51 - 20 of 24
kivver, "lost the ability to work hard and work properly". How very true ...


How hard do day traders and other city types work? Big fat bonuses for what exactly?

zscrooge, not sure about "city types with big fat bonuses" but IMHO independent day traders, risking their own money, make a far more honest living than some who draws a steady salary with very little risk and little work!

And some people may have decided to start working for themselves because they are fed up with others, who had not partake in fair efforts and risks, insisting and scheming on sharing in the fruits of their hard work.

A more appropriate description than kivver's "lost the ability to work hard and work properly" would be "never had and never will have the intention to work hard and work properly.".

...

Only IMHO :-)

axdpc,
Agree with that last bit. I still argue that it all comes down to pride.
As a nation we have no pride in our heritage, no pride in our nationality, our locale, our jobs and ultimately in ourselves. We have been browbeaten into being apologetic souls, and constantly apologising and excusing leads to poor self value and self worth.
I am not asking for everyone to be massive egocentrics, but we have a right to be loud and proud of everything we are and everything we did.
yes its Tory rhetoric of the worst kind, to ask for a return to the values that made us Great, but we are an extremely moderate nation, and leading the world once again with that kind of moderation would not be a bad thing.
Examples stem from the top, and the top of our tree at the moment is full of leaders who have to make vacuous promises and half cocked attempts at policy in order not to offend the media. While this makes them appear shirkers and shysters, the nation will see this attitude as a route to personal success.
Pride is the missing ingredient.
Rambling, but I hope you catch my drift.
Alan

One in four people in work in the UK are employed by the public sector. One issue you have in the Uk at the moment is that those in the private sector who have no security are being asked to prop up a massive spending splurge on the uneconomical and unproductive jobs for life and massive pension rights public sector.

Alan, yes, I got the drift very well.

In most areas, we have sheep who follow bosses who set potent examples of
"Do as I say, not as I do, or else ...".

Extra efforts to "love thy neighbour" and help a few good men/women sounds like an excellent idea.

who were/are the best cleaners in nhs hospitals, the old direct workers or the new private contract cleaning firms.

Who was best, the railway system or new more private system??? ps i dont know the answers, do you????

Depends on your measurement of "best".
If by best you mean the job done to a reasonable standard at minimum cost then private, as it does not have the shackles of an overly corrupt beaurocracy hanging over it.
If by best you mean the job done to a high standard regardless of cost then the old systems.
However most people chase the impossible dream of a perfect job at almost no cost. While ever we pursue the impossible, and bleat at every 1p on tax, we will have a cheap job done.
Remember the old saying. I can do it quickly, do it well or do it cheaply. Which one of those don't you want?
Alan

To add another side to the debate.

Has the universal suffrage outlived its usefulness?