Are you surprised that the UK even managed to make it to 29th in a (quality of life) assessment?

Question

I would of placed us between 50th and 60th.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4020523.stm

Answer 1

I'm not really surprised. Most of northern and western Europe have better standards of living than the UK. I wouldn't be at all surprised if places like Canada, Australia and New Zealand also came above us.

I've seen a lot of the world and while Europe is my favourite place and Britain has many good qualities, the UK tends to have an inflated opinion of its own quality of life.

Answer 2

Yes - considering the huge number of countries in the whole world - yes, I am surprised.

29 is higher than I would have - (NOTE: "have" - not "of"...!) - placed the UK, as well... Of course, a vast majority of countries in the third-world - (that's most countries...!) - must have a far lower life standard than Britain, along with any other European or Western - even most Eastern bloc countries... However, since I would rate the UK close to the bottom of any list of, so-called, developed nations - in all hemispheres - I too would probably have rated Britain quite some way below 29.

Frankly, I think the UK should feel flattered...!!!

Oh, and don't be fooled by the influx of Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians or Poles - the vast majority of them are much better educated and have a better lifestyle at home than most Brits... They're mostly short-term visitors with no intention of staying - and only come to Gray Britain ("Treasure Island" or "Cowboy Country") to earn a quick-buck then dash back home with the dosh... just like Brits who work in the Arab Emirates to grab a fat pay-check and build a financial nest-egg...

Answer 3

We are still being praised around the world for our wonderful Margaret Thatcher, who single-handedly saved the British economy from those nasty socialists, made many (conservatively-minded) people rich, and made two million people unemployed almost overnight. The social devastation, broken families, etc, has to be seen to be believed..
Sure, the economy needed restructuring, but don't believe that the unions got us into the mess..the most they did was jump on the greed wagon created by the big companies who made use of the era of pre-globalisation to sell us all crap.. If the unions had really been strangling the economy, it wouldn't have been 'turned round' so quickly. (now you know where all the scottish oil wealth went ...you don't?)
'Moving the Goalposts' should be a compulsory GCSE subject.
Cos each time we work out how the elite is treating us like slaves, the goalposts are moved.
Unfortunately, we don't know what we're missing...easier to blame it on the yobs on the estates, and the immigrants...

Answer 4

Im curious how you would put the UK so low.... have you lived in 50 - 60 countries to gain any experience?

Im guessing that you only half read the report as the poll included health, freedom, unemployment, family life, climate, political stability and security, gender equality and family and community life. Even though people complain alot in the UK there are alot of countries that dont even have the basic political stability that we have which puts them alot further down.

Answer 5

It just goes to show how bad it must be everywhere else.
It must be quite good as all the Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians,Polish, Afghans, Pakistanis, Indians, Albanians, Bulgarians, Romanians, etc, want to come to live in the UK.
May be that is also why we slipped down to 29th, wait till more economic immigrants come and we will eventually get further down the list to what you thought 60th.
May be it is another government target - 60th to be achieved by the year 2010 like carbon emissions the problem by their political actions it is only target they will achieve.

Answer 6

UK is still a good place to live in as compared to other countries.

Answer 7

yes if you are english, but no if you are an assylum seeker, immigrant or some other sponger from god knows where.

Answer 8

no way, america's number one. the bible says so.