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I'm not sure we should detach this thread/subject from politics. It started by listing the reasons people were leaving and with the exception of the weather, most can be linked to political policy. In addition we are surely talking about society and the direction it takes is informed and informs governance.
My initial reaction to all of this is that of seeing another Daily Mail report about how we are all doomed. If everybody read this paper, nobody would leave their houses through fear of being stabbed by a paedophilic asylum seeking hoody with an ASBO and a love of all things PC. If everybody stayed in then there probably wouldn't be any problems, other than the increased demand for Royal Family commemorative plates (that dominate every other page of the Mail supplements). If you read the Daily Mail, I can understand why you would want to leave, as the paper's founder said he gave his readers their 'daily hate'.
The next thing that struck me was the overwhelming irony of this. I agree with Roger's initial list of why people would want to leave. The funny thing is that the people who are 'jumping ship' clearly hold an equal (if not more) level of contempt for society as those that they are blaming for it's demise.
Society has become more selfish and this is the result of placing emphasis on the individual. We all think about ourselves first (and have to) but when this extends beyond our needs, greed sets in. This is why rich people don't like paying tax, like Lord Rothermere and the Daily Mail Group Trust based in Bermuda...and they have the cheek to 'inform' us about people ripping our system off.
'Too many people have no pride in where they live' I couldn't agree more, so much so they sod off to live in other countries, taking money from the state and then paying into a system elsewhere. Of course I have absolutely no problem with this, because these people have paid into the system in the first place and it is their choice, but then I have no real problem with migrant workers either. Knowing people that are Expats, I don't think they would agree with my view, as they sit beside their 4m pools near Malaga, eating fry-ups. I have one friend who plans to make the move to Spain, because of their 'way of life' and that this country has too many foreigners...I think he is a bit racist.
If it wasn't for migration Spain would certainly not have benefited from Moorish irrigation or us from our great mix of immigrants. I always point out the hyphen in Anglo-Saxon, an indigenous population that acknowledges its impurity...great I say, I'm proud about that!
Things in this country do need to change, but we're not going to achieve that for future generations by moving elsewhere. These people are acting for themselves, let them go, they're clearly not committed to the cause or future of our 'society' anyway. Margaret Thatcher promoted this idea, look after yourself first, don't look to society...there's no such thing. No you can play semantic games with this all you like (and I probably quote it too much) but the intent is very clear as she confirmed on many occasions and by her actions. Why else dilute the power of unions...oh yes because they're potentially more power than 'a group of individuals'. No I believe Mrs Thatcher had to make a lot of tough decisions, as will our next government, however individualism and capitalism were at the heart of those tough decisions and these don't sit well with the greater good of a society.
As for selling off the Silverware, it did have a value, otherwise nobody would have taken it on. I agree with Sid that if the coal mines had any long term value someone would have taken it on...although there is time yet! The public property that was sold off allowed people to buy shares in something they already owned. They may well now be contributing tax...just like Lord Rothermere, but at the expense of providing something that is not consistent with the idea of society.
Look at the railways, although privatised after Mrs Thatcher she would love this awful service, forcing people into their cars of metaphors for individual choice, and also ensuring that no one talked to each other on the way to work. We still subsidise our railways, so much for cutting it from the dead hand of the state. And what do we get? One of the poorest and expensive services in Europe...oh that's right ours is the only one that isn't nationalised.