Is it more about Joanna Lumley than the Ghuerka's?

[Sam Slater]

[quote]Well you've got hold of the wrong end of the stick Dr Slater. I said nothing about a black man and I already have a black neighbour thanks,[/quote]

No, no, no, Reggie. You having black neighbours or not isn't the point. My point was that stating "I wouldn't like a Gurkha living next door to me." isn't a clever thing to say. I just pointed out that you -I assume- wouldn't look kindly on someone who said the exact same thing about a black man. I think that, like me, you would have asked them to explain why, if they had said something like that.

And you're right, I don't live in London, but do you think major cities outside London don't have overcrowding issues and immigrants? London, I admit, takes in a massive percentage of foreign immigrants and asylum seekers but I still don't understand how that would incline you to pick out a Gurkha as the one you wouldn't want living next door. I mean, the Gurkhas have to learn English as part of their training (both spoken and written) and go through a course in Western culture before passing out so I'm sure they'd fit in to life here a little easier than a lot of other nationalities.

[Sam Slater]

To be honest, 35k isn't going to make much of a difference in the long run (though I doubt it will be that if, as you seem to think, half of them will be so traumatised by this country they'll be on a flight home after 6 months).

We are supposedly in a multi-cultural, multi-racial society these days and there's a shortage of Nepalese and Hindus compared to Christians, Muslims, Jews and Sikhs. I think their culture will add to our society.

[max_tranmere]

Reggie, the Aussies and Kiwi's coming here don't come here in any greater numbers than we go there. I lived in Australia for a year, doing that same thing - living in a backpackers hostel, doing pick up jobs, and doing lots of drinking. Sydney, which is where I spent most of my time, is full of Brits doing menial jobs and getting pissed a lot. After their one year visa runs out they either get another year extension or come home. Most of the Aussies and Kiwi's here are doing bar jobs, working as waitresses, or working as a removal man, and getting pissed a lot.

When I went to Australia I had to have ?2,000 in my bank account to get a visa, and that is so that if you fall on hard times you don't scrounge off their welfare state. I knew Brits over there however who used the health service and never paid the bills they were then given (not me I hasten to add) and I knew people who worked cash-in-hand all the time and never paid a penny in tax. In fact most Brits over there who work are doing cash-in-hand stuff and only pay tax occasionally. The Brits who go to Australia for a year or two get more out of the country than Australia gets out of them - and probably cost the Aussie Goverment a bit aswell. The Police, and health service, are there for them for the time they are there.

Under the Medicare system that they have you are meant to pay a certain amount each month and then you get health cover. Us transients all had up to ?1m of medical insurance with our visa so that would theoretically mean our insurer would pay for any medical care we urgently needed to have, but in reality that didn't happen. People often gave a false name and address at a hospital (again - not me) and then the subsequent bill would never be sent to them. One English guy I knew had to be rushed to A&E after being mugged and injured and he was then sent the ambulance bill and the medial bills. He left the country and came back here a week later and the bill still remains unpaid.

Another thing: there are a chain of charity 'soup' kitchens in Australia that are meant for the local homeless (why they are called soup kitchens I don't know, as I have heard you get ordinary nice meals there). Loads of Brits would show up at these every day for a free meal and then go back to their hostel afterwards. They had money for their own food but thought they would eat for free there and then have more money for beer later. Honestly, the situation with Brits in Australia is just the same as the situation with the Aussies over here. The Brits there are actually probably worse - on so many levels.

[Sam Slater]

And one thing the BNP will do is stop all those scrounging Brits from sponging the Aussie system, hey? lol.

For once though, Max, you make a good point.

[JonnyHungwell]

I've never liked Joanna Lumley and most likely never will. Her Ghurkha stance did nothing to improve my opinion of her, although she did one good thing - making Brown Arse and Co. look stupid.

[JonnyHungwell]

although the corrupt old cnuts didn't need much help