Kelly
Well-Known Member
9Sublime, just want to make sure that you know that I'm not trying to stereotype you because you're British. I'm just celebrating the differences that I so deeply admire and love about your country and culture.
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Kelly
Well-Known Member
"Ha its fine. I'm really not that proud of my country anyway."
--AAW! WHY???!!! I have heard recently that a big portion of the British population don't feel the pride they once felt about their country. Why in the world is this??? I detest Bush; his administration; his policies; his awful speeches; the war in Iraq; the way he severed good relations with other countries; the fact that the rest of the World now hates us and thinks we're a bunch of fat, selfish, ignorant, consumption monsters. But, I'm still very, very proud to be an American and to be a Texan. Don't you feel the same about being British????
--AAW! WHY???!!! I have heard recently that a big portion of the British population don't feel the pride they once felt about their country. Why in the world is this??? I detest Bush; his administration; his policies; his awful speeches; the war in Iraq; the way he severed good relations with other countries; the fact that the rest of the World now hates us and thinks we're a bunch of fat, selfish, ignorant, consumption monsters. But, I'm still very, very proud to be an American and to be a Texan. Don't you feel the same about being British????
Kelly
Well-Known Member
I think the U.K. and her people are wonderful and I would be very proud to be English. I'm proud of my English heritage.
I've never really been very patriotic. I know I should be, because my country is in all honesty a great place to live and I'm lucky to have a passport because its a developed nation with reasonable healthcare etc. which has still got quite a lot of freedoms.
But in the end, what is there to be proud of apart from that? The weather is balls, Scotland and Wales are far more beautiful than England, its full of chavs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkLWPL0YENc , an actor, but most people can't tell).
The government taxes you on everything, inheritance, petrols about 3 times more expensive here, cigarettes are ridiculous, road tax, tv license, and for what your paying, most things are a load of shank.
Yeah, sure, I jump up and down when the World Cups on, even though I know England are going to go out in the quarter finals like every other year even though we invented football.
I don't hate my country, I just don't think its that great.
Sgt Schultz
Well-Known Member
Having lived in England for a couple of years (and an admitted Anglophile) I think what it boils down to is that the English just have a different attitude towards patriotism. The Scots and Welsh have a more American attitude towards patriotism than the English. Part of that I believe is due to the nature of the United Kingdom i.e. the history of fighting between the English, Scottish and Welsh over the centuries. Since the end of of WWII there hasn't been much to united the 3 countries together to foster patriotism in the sense of a United Kingdom. I believe its there but there just needs to be a catalyst to bring it out.
Cheshire Cat
Well-Known Member
Back on topic.
The anti smoking nazis started back in the 70's. First it was separate smoking sections in airplanes. Then it was no smoking in airplanes. Next was separate smoking sections in restaurants. Then smoke free restaurants and bars. now, some cities have banned smoking altogether. The rights are being taken only a little bit at a time. I find this to be a severe violation of personal property rights. If a restaurant owner wants to allow or dis-allow smoking in his establishment, that is his right. Just as it is your right whether or not you want to off your patronage to his establishment. Or as an employee, work in said establishment.
The next step is being taken already, now, cities are banning what types of food you can eat. Trans-fat is just the first step. Your rights are being stripped and you are allowing it. Extra tax on "unhealthy foods" isn't far behind. Mark my words, it happened with tobacco and alcohol, food is just the next step.
The anti smoking nazis started back in the 70's. First it was separate smoking sections in airplanes. Then it was no smoking in airplanes. Next was separate smoking sections in restaurants. Then smoke free restaurants and bars. now, some cities have banned smoking altogether. The rights are being taken only a little bit at a time. I find this to be a severe violation of personal property rights. If a restaurant owner wants to allow or dis-allow smoking in his establishment, that is his right. Just as it is your right whether or not you want to off your patronage to his establishment. Or as an employee, work in said establishment.
The next step is being taken already, now, cities are banning what types of food you can eat. Trans-fat is just the first step. Your rights are being stripped and you are allowing it. Extra tax on "unhealthy foods" isn't far behind. Mark my words, it happened with tobacco and alcohol, food is just the next step.
vyo476
Well-Known Member
Gives you a pretty clear picture of the future, where all meals are a series of nutritional pills and all public behavior is subject to whether or not it has a potentially detrimental affect on your health.
God damn it, if I want to give myself heart disease by eating at McDonalds three times a day, shouldn't I be able to?
Cheshire Cat
Well-Known Member
heh, well McDonalds tastes like crap, but yeah, eat where you want. If you want to be healthy, go for it, if you want to eat trans-fat or a marbled rib-eye it isn't the governments business.
vyo476
Well-Known Member
So long as sellers are accurately providing information on the potential health risks of their products there isn't any good reason I can see for governments to prohibit their activities.
Cheshire Cat
Well-Known Member
I know that smoking is bad for me, so I am a fool for doing it. Still not the governments responsibility. And, it is a violation of the rights of business owners to restrict them and the customers that want to smoke, or eat fatty foods. the restaurant owner can choose what he wants to do with his establishment, if he is wrong, market forces will cause him to go out of business or change his business practices.
heyjude
Well-Known Member
I live in the state of Wash. It is illegal here to smoke in any public building or within 20 feet of a door or window of a public building. You can smoke on the sidewalk or street only if you are walking. They are trying to ban smoking while driving and making it illegal to smoke around anyone under the age of 18. But they charge about $4.50 a pack in taxes. Not so we'll quit. They'd have a fit if we quit. They might have to start taxing booze and fatty foods.
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