Are we as a society basically broken?

Realy

mewbie wrote: »

I simply read the news report.

Here's a quote from it
"Norfolk Police arrested three locals aged in their early 20s on Tuesday, and began questioning them"

From other sites...
"Police said last night that three men - all in their early 20s and from the Norwich area - had been arrested. "

More...
"Police said he intervened when he saw thugs attacking a homeless Lithuanian man and his girlfriend"

I draw my conclusion from that, and as is the way with these things, you draw your own. At least we know which side of the fence we both stand on.

I think the biggest conclusion from all of it was that their is no evidence of racism behind any of it.
The perpetrators were obviously looking for trouble has the poor guy would not of been beaten to death surely?
Until charges or it going to court proves a racial element any comments on here are guess work at best.

neverdespairgirl

mewbie wrote: »

The Norfolk area has 'suffered' from a large of amount of immigration and tensions are running high. The danger of 'discussion' is that those who enjoy a little bit of minority bashing on a Saturday night feel their actions are more justified. Perhaps they could have applied for job picking cabbages on the local farm themselves, but I guess its beneath them.

I work as an immigration barrister, and my OH is in one sense an immigrant (he was born in Israel, moved here as a child, his father having been born here and his mother in Palestine).

Areas can suffer from large-scale immigration. It is a problem when they is a sudden, very large influx of new people from a different country. There are issues in schools (pupils speaking poor or no English puts a strain on the education system) law (people who don't understand the law and break it) and other local services (interpreters are expensive). There can also be difficulties with community cohesion.

Most of my work is with asylum seekers. They are the group I mostly deal with, although I do some entry clearance / EU work as well, and some immigration-related crime (dodgy passports, people smuggling).

Asylum seekers aren't necessarily immediately "good" for the country. It's a mistake to justify all immigration on economic grounds. There are very different groups of immigrants and would-be immigrants.

Take asylum-seekers from, say, Somalia, or Afghanistan. Both countries have, in essence, been in a state of civil war and anarchy for decades.

It makes perfect sense to me that asylum seekers from these countries can cause disproportionate problems. Many are illiterate. Many have suffered psychological or physical torture. Many more have post traumatic stress disorder.

And they have not grown up in a society where the rule of law is important. You didn't survive in Somalia for the last few years by being considerate, gentle, and kind. You survived by being ruthless and looking after number one. It's hard to adapt at first.

casper_uk

dad-of-4 wrote: »

dont you think your taxes that subsidise the benefits are a small price to pay to not have to live that life? do you actualy think its a cushy number?, dont you think we as a society are failing when some of its members feel benefits is all they can aspire to?

do you realy believe your life would be easier, your tax obligation less if we rid our selves of the welfare state? perhaps you can afford to do without state funded education & health care?

exactly how much money do you need to afford a kid in your schieme of things?

The benefit system is a good thing when it works BUT it doesn't work well at the moment because of the wide scale abuse. I didn't advocate shutting down the whole system just kicking off the people that abuse it! There are plenty of part time jobs people could get while kids are in school, but a lot of people don't want to put in the effort any more. Oh god stacking shelfs! I can't do that what will my mates think of me!

Yes there are some on the system that want to better them self and work and i applaud them for that :T but you have to admit there are plenty that just don't want to work.

casper_uk

dannyboycey wrote: »

Yes... we are broken. Why? ....Thatcher.

This country will never recover from her legacy.

Fantastic, don't blame the government that has been in charge for the last 11 years. Don't blame the government that wasted all the money that was left for them in 1997, (yes that's right the country actually had plenty of money when labour took over). Don't blame the government that has done more then any other to destroy peoples civil liberties. Blame the Tories unbelievable lol

rizla01

Apart from a huge number north of Watford many of us, myself included, actually PRAISE Mrs Thatcher and are proud to do so.

I'm sure I would feel different if my ol' man (And the resst of my village) lost his job in the mines, though.

Annpan

I like the diverse cultures we have in this country and mostly it enriches everyone's lives. I'd hate to think that we couldn't welcome people here as hopefully we are welcomed elsewhere.
There will always be 'lowlifes' from every culture, but I'm still optomistic enough to think that the majority of people are good and would rather be working and earning a living than living on benefits.
Benefits are in place for the unfortunate or to help through difficult periods in our lives. There will always be those who abuse the system - but that's life.

Pobby

Wasn`t it Thatch who said there was no such thing as society. Very responsible!!!!

carolt

Interesting microcosm of society- it worries me (though it doesn't, sadly, surprise me) that if this represents typical attitudes before recession kicks in, what will it be like once unemployment goes up, etc?

The rise of the far right taking advantage of people's fears and anger at times of economic downturn is well-known - and I really don't want to return to the 1930's again in that way, any more than I do economically.

I have taught adults from many countries, including many asylum seekers, and a few of them are - like everyone else - lazy or rude or whatever, but guess what? Most of them are normal, average people just like you or me, who happen for political or economic reasons, to have been dispersed from the country of their birth. It doesn't make them bad people. Obviously, I understand people's worries re the UKdealing with it and successfully absorbing those immigrants.

But it is better to constructively consider that, than jump to kneejerk reaction against all foreigners. We are fortunate in having been born into a country not torn by major civil war or political strife, and (for all we complain) relatively wealthy. Not everyone else is so fortunate. Obviously, there are horror stories - your experience sounds dreadful, hethmar (interested to know if your dislike of immigrants predates the attack on your son?) - but I don't think they are typical.

We are all different in many fascinating ways - race and nationality are only 2 of them. Better, surely, to work out how we can all get along?

john.xs

hows about stopping cash benefits and offering food /clothing vouchers /heating etc so that it can only be spent on essential needs rather than alcohol, drugs etc
stop immigration by shoring up borders for 5 yrs until we find out who is actually on this tiny island.
give prison sentances and stick to them. i.e 5 does not equal 2 yrs
remove rights of prisoners.
fine parents who regularly let ther kids run amok
get rid of all the unnecessary paperwork
get rid of all the leeching solicitors who make thousands on the back of human rights
look at the dla handouts that must be costing billions
bring back stigma and shame to those who shirk responsibilities as parents and members of society.
the simple answer to original question is we are doomed. i hope the credit crunch will eliminate the must have now approach to life but fear that taxpayers will bear the brunt and the leeches will be nannied further by the state leading to a downward spiral.there are no consequences to peoples actions in this country.its amazing how many people are in process of flitting to oz,canada and nz and each and everyone of them are rounded generally law abiding people .mmm now i think about it wheres my passport?

WhySoHard_2

To be honest our moral fibre is probably no worse off than it was during the Victorian era, back when there were gin palaces, and loads of women were whoring and there was open sewage in the streets and poor people's lives were worth less than nothing.