Ok, not football at all, but it matters, eventually.

[WTF11]

What decade were your working visits to USA ?

According to the USA Department of Labour, roughly 8.7 million jobs (about 7%) were shed from February 2008 to February 2010 which must have been pretty rough times back then in the States.

Historians could also argue American decline was prevalent in the 50s, 70s & 80s too - as well as the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

So surely Spaldy would/should be entitled to express his opinion on behalf of his American folks ?

USA history not my bag but in my limited reading then then I'd suggest the1960's were arguably the years of greatest social change in American history as the country entered that decade full of idealism & hope, with the Civil Rights movement gathering steam under a 'charismatic President' who rallied the nation to explore a new frontier, many historians would argue.

My thinking is that WTF maybe the elder in years (with regard to Spaldy) so was interested what decade did WTF visit the States to exchange working schedules & guage local opinion as I know Spaldy has a hell of a 'Factotum' to gauge an overall valid opinion via having so many diverse activities with responsibilities over his career, which must be taken into account, surely in any debate ?

I'll just add when recently in UK I was talking to a person aged 50 who should be able to retire when they reach 67 but it had been estimated they would need to save an extra ?370 (370 Pounds) per month to provide an income to cover any gap income generated by her early diagnosed illness that may cause intermittent issues between ages of 63 & 67 !

Not gonna knock my country of birth but jeez, when going back home to visit London, Cambridge & York I dunno what happened to the ethic of British idealism & hope, particularly for 21 to 50 year olds currently - thats just visiting family, friends & a stay in my fee paid Medical facility who hold my contracted records for specialised ongoing medical fee paying treatments with female patients of mixed age.

Having just taken the plunge to buy property again, its certainly food for thought as the fact is I simply could not have done that in the UK but I do feel comfortable to release my capital again into securing a future by investing in realistic value among a realistic local society with human experiences to share & basically being amongst everyday people in ordinary but beautiful settings.

Just saying (as the voice of youth) on 'ere.

I worked in various parts of the USA (as I have already indicated earlier in this thread), and from the early 80s (when I went on my own), briefly just before the millenium and shortly thereafter, including a period covering the 911 atrocities, and on to the late 2010s when my wife and I lived in New York and Florida.

I worked with and for American companies over a period of nearly 4 decades in various capacities and delivering a variety of major projects to the rail and construction industry, not exactly the kind of industries where ?soft? as a notion of working environments springs to mind. I will take any experience Spaldy may have into account once he gives ANY kind of indication that he has such experience, by which I mean broadly equal to my decades-long experience not only of working with his countrymen and women, but those from Africa and the Far East.

Having been challenged to provide examples of where I worked and who I worked with and for, and provided the same, all I have seen from him in response is the delusional ramblings of someone I say again, who has the square root of zero knowledge of the United Kingdom save what he has been able to glean from the fervent imagination of the hacks working for Truth Media.

Have I suggested I have anything but respect for the working people of the USA? By all means try finding such an indication. Your suggestion is in any case irrelevant in the context of what Spaldy posted in post #283 and others, which haven?t made any mention of the undoubted decline in various aspects of the economies of the western world in general and the USA in particular. #283 and others DO contain virulent, misguided, totally incorrect and incoherent statements attacking MY country, without (I suspect) ever having set foot on this sceptred isle, for the reason (I suspect) that a ?limey? dared to question the wisdom of the American people in electing a mysoginist convicted felon as their future President and the ?quality? of those he has nominated for high office.

I have no issue with Spaldy expressing himself in areas that he has any relevant experience, but what he said in post #283 is so far from the truth, including the bizarre suggestion that we live under some kind of marshal law with ?bobbies on horseback busting heads?, where we are told what to have injected into us, and our ability to leave our homes is controlled by ?someone????????

You and yours have some experience of living in the UK. You may have chosen to leave as a result of personal experience and the result of the Brexit referendum, but are you telling me (and others) that you see what Spaldy wrote as in any way shape or form correct?

As to pensions, I can well imagine, as Spaldy has stated, that there are many in the USA who face uncertainty in their later years, and that is just as true here, and in many parts of Europe (my Dutch friends have similar concerns). That?s again frankly an irrelevance as to the post were are discussing as pensions weren?t referred to

As to how disappointed you might be wrt British idealism, I suspect you will find idealism much diminished the world over, again an irrelevance in terms of the statements Spaldy made wrt to the UK, where reference to idealism of any kind was significant by its omission.
And I also suspect that were you a US citizen, unless VERY fortunate to have been covered by comprehensive medical insurance from and age when most wouldn?t consider it necessary, your specialised medical treatment would be a thing of fantasy, unlike here in the UK, where ability to pay is not a factor in assessing need (albeit that huge demand creates long waiting lists (NOT the same as the statement made in Spaldys post, as I would hope you would agree)).

I?m pleased for you wrt to the investment in property, and I?d agree that it is far more viable to do so in France given the generality of property prices there, but again, looking back not only at #283, such things appear not to feature in Spaldys responses to my posts.

This is my last post on this thread (Sure you will be pleased Oz!)

[BelfastAndy]

#depressing

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Hope it?s not a case of promises waiting to be broken ?.

[Monaco_Totty]

ENJOY STARMERGEDDON🤣
https://youtube.com/watch?v=jbnC4oBY...Xe0aZLqQuNTOTt

To be fair an interesting thread with interesting responses - maybe we should keep a Thread available for comments on world events as I learned lots. 🤐

[whitestomper45]

I?d imagine this has legs for a while with US elections/Russia/Israel ongoing situ, am happy to watch from the sidelines

[spaldy]

WS, understand totally but?There is no sidelines anymore. Everytime the globalists win it?s another chunk of freedom gone. Generally for forever. Digital currency, mandated vaccines and lockdowns, Electric vehicle mandates, Education reforms that place transgender and DEI over hard sciences and the lawlessness associated with unchecked and unvetted immigration affects you every day. Many governments don?t even pretend anymore to worry about the needs of all citizens but just the chosen few.

I think that this likely always been that way but the internet speeds up the flow of information and disinformation. It?s also why the government is so driven to control information. It?s why governments pass hate speech laws. Often the ? hate speech? has some basis in fact but reflects poorly on our rulers. They can?t have that

[whitestomper45]

ENJOY STARMERGEDDON🤣
https://youtube.com/watch?v=jbnC4oBY...Xe0aZLqQuNTOTt

To be fair an interesting thread with interesting responses - maybe we should keep a Thread available for comments on world events as I learned lots. 🤐

Hi Spaldy, I meant sitting on the sidelines on this forum. I believe the methods of spreading extreme falsehoods/ or mainstream outlet guidance can also be used for spreading alternative info.
As they say there’s usually 3 sides to an argument, I’m not dumb enough to purely believe the first two.

[spaldy]

Makes total sense and certainly didn?t mean to sound demeaning. Not proud of some of responses on this thread. Got sucked into the issue emotionally. Still shocked that the expert on this thread doesn?t even live in the US and never really experienced it.

I really enjoy the perspectives. The one common link we have is supporting Leeds. Beyond that we all have vastly different perspectives and life experiences. We have some brilliant posters with all kinds of world experiences and education down to people that are much different. Makes for lively discussions!

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Always enjoy your take on things Spaldy

[Billyni]

#depressing

I probably could start another political thread, but let's not.

Thank god for smirnoff.