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[Varche]

I take my hat off to the Frenchies. Macron organises lifting pension age from 62 to 64 and the protests go on in the streets for weeks . Public transport is at a standstill. Macron cannot even go to the theatre without protesters breaking in.

In Britain our government says it is going up from 65 ( 60 if you were a woman) to 67 and we say OK and moan a bit over a pint ( can only afford one) in the local pub. Oh and our state pension is the worst in Europe .

[Raeturbo]

Yeah public transport is hopping about at a snails pace 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Maybe we are more realistic and less entitled than the French. We used to get the pension at 65 and probably be pushing up daisies 5 to 7 years later. Now, many people are living well into their 80,s so the country cant afford to pay out pensions to all at 65 like we used to.
Also, the Govt. doesn't have a penny of its own money. It all has to come from taxpayers, or more realistically, future taxpayers who aren't even born yet. British sense of fair play kicks in over facts like that. The French don't have a sense of fair play.

[Varche]

You might be right.

My point is we Brits just roll over and accept a later retiring age and less money. It is a fact the uK state pension is the worst in  Europe.  I know some European countries finances are in a bad way but UK debt isn't that clever either. We just accept a poor lot with nary a murmur. A decent life after working seems quite a reasonable goal managed by other European countries.

[Doctor Gollum]

Where would you stand if you actually stopped being a British citizen and became Spanish? I ask, because from here it sounds remarkably like you want the best of both worlds and that's just not possible...

Paint or get off the ladder, but don't complain about something you don't like from 1,500 miles away

Apologies for the slight rant, but it seems to be a recurring theme, be it Brexit, voting or anything else...

[BazaJT]

Whenever the French government decides to do something that's not popular the people know all they have to do is form a protest and the government will back down as it's too weak willed to do anything else.

[Varche]

Where would you stand if you actually stopped being a British citizen and became Spanish? I ask, because from here it sounds remarkably like you want the best of both worlds and that's just not possible...

Paint or get off the ladder, but don't complain about something you don't like from 1,500 miles away

Apologies for the slight rant, but it seems to be a recurring theme, be it Brexit, voting or anything else...

Rant? Well I have noticed you do have a recurring tendency to question why I post on stuff when I live 1500 miles away. Let us put it to bed now.

I have. no intention of ever becoming a Spanish citizen. As a British citizen having paid a fair amount of tax in my UK working life, I have an interest in what the British government of the day is doing. For example what happens with my UK state pension. I also have family members living and working in the UK.

However living here means I also have a vested interest in events here like our current  governments efforts to tackle rural depopulation. I don't post on here about that as I suspect no one would be interested.

Regarding this thread, I wasn't complaining, merely highlighting the difference between the French and us British when it comes to unpopular policies.

I don’t think it matters that I am 1500 miles away. If it helps, think of me as just being on a long holiday abroad.

[Doctor Gollum]

Fair enough 

Wouldn't want to be your accountant though...

[redelitev6]

Easy enough answer , give everybody full pension at 65 but the give them a magic injection at 70 to end them , we've got way too many of these moany old f*****s clogging up the system 

[STEMO]

Easy enough answer , give everybody full pension at 65 but the give them a magic injection at 70 to end them , we've got way too many of these moany old f*****s clogging up the system 

Yep. Let's euthanise David Attenborough, the Queen, Prince Philip and John Humphries. That should save us a few bob. 

[Rods2]

Civil society & fair play are much stronger here than in France, where it is much more all about "moi, moi et moi" to the overall detriment to their society & wealth as a whole, although I do like their day-to-day laid back attitude to life where their priorities are: Food, fun & f*cking & not necessarity in that order.

Their petty bureaucracy, anti-business & entrepreneurship & 57% of GDP government spending are all pretty stifling if you want to get ahead in life. They are good at milking the EU funds & quotas to their advantage & it is usually at the UK's expense, but that all starts to change on the 31/01.

To me our different national character is summed up by our industrial revolution empowering the many at the gradual expense of the landed gentry few, whereas the French just chopped all their heads off!

[Doctor Gollum]

According to a few of the Europeans at work, the UK is the least racist country in Europe, which came as a bit of a surprise.

Apparently Romania and Hungary are the worst.

[Raeturbo]

Everybody seems to be racist against us though (British), but that never gets brought up.

[Doctor Gollum]

Everybody seems to be racist against us though (British), but that never gets brought up.

You're confusing racism with diversity

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Easy enough answer , give everybody full pension at 65 but the give them a magic injection at 70 to end them , we've got way too many of these moany old f*****s clogging up the system 

Yep. Let's euthanise David Attenborough, the Queen, Prince Philip and John Humphries. That should save us a few bob. 

Can't see many objecting to this.