Strange comments about the U.K.

[Lessando]

I often just read threads without posting. But I read one thread on here recently that made me think, and I wanted to start a new thread about it.

There was a thread on here a while ago, it was titled "Do you feel lucky in life".

About one hundred posters came on and wrote a similiar thing, they all wrote

"Oh yes I am so lucky to have been born in the U.K." and they wrote things like

"I won the lottery of life by being born in the UK"

I was surprised at the fawning over the top comments, because they are in stark contrast to how I have experienced living in other countries. Living conditions in many other countries seem to me to be a lot better than living conditions in the UK.

I have lived in other countries and right now I am living in the UK for a year . Don't get me wrong , there are things that are nice about the UK.

What I really wanted to discuss is why do some people in the UK seem to think it is the best country in the world.
But, if you go outside of the UK, a lot of media outlets talk about the UK in a very negative way. Do people know this happesn?

So many other countries are doing better economically than the UK is. Living conditions are better. The last EU country that i lived in, i barely saw a homeless person.

In my current city in the UK, homeless people come up to me and ask me for money all the time. Every single day.

I lived in an EU country last year. The media outside of the UK always reports negatively about the UK. They usually say that the UK is a very bad place to live, especially after Brexit.

Im not really saying if I personally think the UK is good or bad, obviously I am just one person.

I more wanted to discuss the discrepancy between many people in the UK thinking it is the best country in the world and they are lucky to live there, and the media outside the UK who report that the UK is a terrible place to live in.
Any thoughts on it?

OOoooooof! You've definitely lit the blue touch paper - are you standing well back?!

Well, it depends what you mean by “best country in the world “. I wouldn’t say that, but I’m very grateful to be British instead of being born in Palestine, Sudan, etc. And I hate the heat, so being born in the Australian outback wouldn’t have suited me either.

I hate how the uk press denigrates our country. It contributes to many people’s negative opinions of the UK, no matter your experience of the other thread.

However, if one considers other countries beyond Western Europe then yes, women have a great life. Compare a woman’s lot here than most of the developing world and we’re doing well. Even if things aren’t perfect. And that is what other posters mean.

There are pros and cons wherever you live in the world, and those are different for everyone. Nowhere is perfect. I lived most of my life in Canada, but prefer the UK. Different people will have differing perspectives. What’s to discuss? No one is objectively right or wrong.

That's really interesting as I've often wondered how we are viewed in the media in other countries.

I feel lucky to be born in the UK in comparison to say, a third world country where I might experience famine or a country where women and girls have no rights, but I definitely don't think the UK is some sort of utopia.

I've lived abroad in some fantastic countries and I certainly don't think that the UK is the "best" country in the world. But I absolutely believe that I am incredibly lucky to have been born in a relatively wealthy and peaceful country where I've had access to a free education and free health care etc, where the state provides a safety net if things should go wrong, where there are laws to protect my rights etc.

There are many other countries where I would have been equally lucky to have been born, or perhaps even luckier. The majority of the world's population are not so fortunate.

I just think its strange how if you go outside of the UK , a lot of people say that the UK is an absolutely terrible place to live, and that they feel sorry for the people who live there.

But then you look at mumsnet, alot of people think that the UK is amazing.

It made me think, who is right.

Are UK people being brainwashed by UK media into thinking the UK is a better place to live in, than it is.

Or are other countries overly negative about the UK?

If I say I feel lucky to live in Scotland I’m comparing it to somewhere where life is harder than here, especially countries with hot climates or very crowded cities or civil wars, I’m not thinking about Norway of Canada!

I like moving around and experiencing lots of different countries. For the experience

I think a lot of people move around these days, don't they.

Who’s to say anyone is objectively right or wrong though? People are all different and value different things, no? What I appreciate about another country, you might not.

I do find the UK press and media to be relentlessly negative, which is a real shame.

We've a temperate climate. No need to worry about tsunamis, droughts etc. We have the NHS, no need to worry about the coat of being ill. If we lose our job or are too disabled to work we are housed and given money to live off.

Also life isn’t terrible everywhere in the UK. It’s Pretty good where I live, room for improvement of course but I’ve not got much to complain about ( apart from the rising bills).

So where are you off to next?

It wasn't people who moved out of the UK who were saying negative things about the Uk.

It is the international news media who are saying negative things about the UK. And then people in general, comment on the UK

Why are you asking?

Of course Im working. I would hardly have moved here without a job, would I?

Op.. you dubbed peoples happiness at being born in the UK as “ fawning over the top comments”.

you’ve made it clear you are here to belittle and demean those of us that love the UK.

Well most of the worlds population dont have clean drinking water and sanitation, so anyone who is born in a country where that is universal has hit the jackpot. Everyone has access to medical assistance and education, not the norm in many places even with sanitation. Safe from war, tornados, volcanos, tsunamis, avalanches, maleria, rabies, earthquakes, etc, it just gets better and better when you factor these things in. We have only ever had one day over 40 C (that will change if we keep abusing the environment) and we rarely have catastrophic flooding or blizzards. Our wildlife is mostly harmless, our infrastructure is reliable, we live in a democracy, we can expect fair treatment and there are places to go to if we dont get it.

Some other european countries make homelessness a criminal offence, so of course you dont see them.

Most people appreciate these things deep down, even if we all grumble about details of day to day life occasionally

I did think the comments of

"I won the lottery in the womb, by being born in the UK"

Were over the top, yes.

That is my opinion.

Why do you ask?

Why is she being silly? I understand what she meant.