from another thread:
‘To: Kaslin
I’ve lurked at this site for many years now and it has become increasingly apparent that many of you have a very skewed perception of Britain - my home.
While I admit that my country has many serious problems, there is an increasing tendency for american commentators to point at Britain and use us an example of all that’s wrong in western civilization - this article is one such example, and is riddled with inaccuracies.
Take unemployment for example: this article says that “rates of 15% are considered the norm” in the UK. The current rate of UK unemployment is 7.8% (check it if you like), and has not been over 15% in nearly 30 years.
Likewise with immigration. While I agree that it has increased a great amount in the last 20 years, this has almost entirely been contained within London - incidentally the one part of the country american commentators seem to notice, and that american tourists visit. The current ethnic breakdown of the UK at large is 92% white (again, check it if you like).
Another current theme is that muslims are taking over. They currently comprise a massive 3%! of our population, and in the event of an ethnic war, they would thus be in serious trouble... Every single photo I have seen posted on this site of muslim protesters in Britain (’Islam will dominate the world’ etc.) come from one small mosque in east london run by a man named Anjem Choudary. He has a following of roughly 100 fanatics, all of whom are well known to the police.
Point number 3 - all guns are banned! Except that they’re not. Handguns and assault rifles are banned. I own 2 bolt action rifles and a shotgun, all of which are currently in a gun cabinet 20 feet from where I’m sitting.
I do not claim to know or judge america from what I read in your newspapers or what bloggers write online, please grant us brits the same courtesy. Thanks.
5 posted on 29 May 2011 17:14:26 by Dauntless40’
Scotsman,
I don’t wish to get in an argument about life in Britain, it’s culture, or it’s job market as it isn’t “my fight”. However, most everything I have ever read about the socialized economies of Europe, including that of the UK suggest that the unemployment rate is higher than 7.8%. If you wish to say that, go ahead. If you want to believe it or state it as your reality, be my guest.
However, based on your suggestion, I am checking it. A simple google of articles about unemployment in Britain gave me this:
‘Unemployment rate is six times higher than official figures’ (2007)
Like most governments where the workforce is subjugated by wage and price controls and socialization of medicine, the ‘official’ unemployment statistics are simply lies to coverup the abject failure of the welfare state. It is happening here for the same reason as it is there.
So forgive me if I do not accept your rational of the wonderful rate of employment in the UK.
Good luck with that.