Dear Prime Minister...

Alan, I admire your attitude to life and I certainly agree with your comments about those who think the world owes them a living. As for changing the future, we have now come down to splitting hairs over the meanings of words - influence/change/whatever. My view is that if we do nothing then one set of things will happen; if we do something then there is a possibility that something else will happen. I call it change; you call it influence. It doesn't really matter what we call it - I am just glad that the impression you gave in your original post was not a true reflection of your spirit. However, I think we will just have to agree to differ on the subject of whether things will be worse or not for future generations. Time will tell but I don't think I'll be around to say either "I told you so" or "sorry"! Happy travels
 
no probs. interesting conversation. i agree we agree to differ .we are allowed.
we must all go around with our eyes open though.good luck doesnt come our way easy .bad luck can be the only luck you get.
be prepared for change its on going.there is alot of change coming and europe is going to be hit hard . i believe uk will survive its on the up.forget the big industries of the past .there are small good money earning businesses out there . we do have to get off our backsides to make it.but its available to all. positive thinking will help. remember dont borrow ,save live without till you can pay for it. cash works ,always as, always will.
 
another old one but a guden

Re: Can you remember when
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WHO WERE BORN IN THE
1930's 1940's, 50's,

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.

Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds , KFC, Subway or Nandos.

Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gob stoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii , X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY ,
no video/dvd films,
no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms...........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no Lawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...

We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays,
>
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!
FOOTBALL and CRICKET had try outs and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on
MERIT
Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and bully's always ruled the playground at school.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!

Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO
DEAL WITH IT ALL !
 
and nothings changed in our house. i was born in 55 brought my kids up just like me. only last weekend gave my 6 yr old grandson his first penknife. my son is definately mine acts the same uses the same analogies . think the grandson will get round all the problems in life. shall have to wait and see about granddaughter and year old youngest gr,son. but not molly coddled i think they will deal with life like a good un.or smack it hard in the face.
 
our's not changed either my 21yr old grandson who we brought up past his class i hgv yesterday (6 modules over 5mths and £1800 ) and took 24 ton of straw on a scania 380 wagon and drag to carlisle today :scared: graft = money thats the way i have brought them all up like we were brought up,if you can't pay for it you can't afford it
p.s. cost me £3800 to put him on insurance for that one lorry, £80 ferkin a wk i told him it's comin out his wages:rolleyes2::lol-053::lol-053:
 
Unfortunately common sense ain't that common... in the old days 50% of kids left school and went down the pit or into the mills, antisocial behaviour was not tolerated in these environments and was met with summary justice. Nowadays 50% of kids are supposed to go to University to study UFOlogy or some other such sh*te. Consequently the streets are awash with pond life who think the world owes them a living. Oops... think the 'cynical lock' is stuck on.


Re-introduce National Service is my thought for the day ... and PROPER discipline in Schools ... and, while we are on the subject, what about the Ducking Stool, Stocks and could we not also appoint a Witch-Finder General? lol

Seriously, and by way of example; Have you ever wondered why the German Economy is so robust? I believe that it is quite simply that they ALL went through the rigours of National Service (along with many other European Countries), during which time they were instilled with a sense of respect for authority, self-esteem and, more importantly, a work-ethic that, quite frankly, puts our Youth to shame. It really should come as no surprise to us 'Elders' (as pampered 60's Brits), that we seem to have forgotten the Old Maxim of 'Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child?

Whilst not advocating a return to Victorian thuggery - isn't it glaringly obvious to one and all - that the day that WE (Yes! OUR generation), abandoned the basics of any form of discipline then we had effectively sown the seeds of the apathy that is now all-pervasive?

We might not collectively (as a Nation), actually LIKE our European neighbours - but I, for one, almost wish that the PC, namby-pamby, sandal wearing apologists would just bugger off and allow us to get back to being what we have always been good at. BRITISH!!!!!!!!

~ Phew ~ I will have to go and have a lie down now! :lol-053:
 
National Service???? Ask any professional soldier if they want pressed men in their Army... I say bring back Natural Selection where you worked or starved and those without common sense met with suitably tragic ends.
 
I say Old Boy ... Steady on there! (pour me another Brandy would you please Muffin - We've got an uppity one here!) lol


No! Fair Comment Mastodon. But surely you can see the premise behind the argument?

We have - by and large - a huge swathe of apathetic youth that simply leaves School (sans any semblance of Literacy or Numerical skills), and who think that the World - i.e. You and I - OWE them a living. I would quote the originator of that comment in this thread but I'm afraid that the Brandy has temporarily rendered the Backspace key on my keyboard useless. [note to self - the fingers need new batteries as well].

Can I take it that you are an ex-serviceman ? One who objects to having to place your trust in a semi-literate Muppet when in a position that requires a bit of nous and dedication ??

I don't mean this to sound patronising ... (it probably will)... but it just might have escaped your attention that the whole of the UK is currently placing its (misguided) faith in a generation of Work-Shy Muppets who would rather X-Box all their enemies and slonk on the sofa 24/7 while dear old Mum prepares yet another unpaid for meal!!!

Discuss ?
 
Discuss ?

How about this:

1. Put a hooligan in the army and he becomes an even more dangerous hooligan, trained by the State
2. Wouldn't you rather kids fought each other on x-box rather than in the streets?
3. My experience of travel around the world suggests that the modern generation is mostly ok but we seem to have a higher proportion of idiot hooligans than most. Not all other countries have national service so it can't be that.
4. That experience also sugests that it is the demise of the extended family which is more significant. The fault would seem to lie closer to home than many people think (they always like to have somebody else to blame)
5. If you parked your motorhome next to a bunch of teenage lads throwing around large metal balls would you move on? In France, we have done this and slept comfortably; in England I would look for a campsite!

I will now duck and see what comes my way!
Btw, I will be offline from this afternoon for a few days, so will look forward to seeing where this conversation ends up when I get back next week.
 

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