Jerry Springer the Musical

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Elvin, normally I would agree with you 100%.

But, Meridian, isn't BBC2 tax-supported, to some extent?

Cricket

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Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

- Viktor E. Frankl

TV licences? What the...


What the heck are TV licences? Why do I get this odd feeling that I'm glad I don't know?

I guess if it's tax-supported, then they definitely have the right to complain.

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What if there is a spoon?

A colour TV Licence costs £121.00 and a black and white licence costs £40.50, and has to be renewed annually. Everyone who has a tv has to have a licence, even if they don't watch terrestrial channels (such as BBC 1 and 2).

My view is that it's an acclaimed show and it'll no doubt be on after the watershed. I'm looking forward to seeing it, since I had been wondering how else I was going to get to see it (unless it comes to a theatre closer to where I live, of course...).

On the other hand, there is plenty of stuff that goes on before the watershed that really needs reining in. I'm a grown-up, I should be free to watch what I want after that time. But before 9pm, tv targeted for adults to watch should still be child friendly. Regardless of the channel or how it's funded.

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Mallanox : "My mother was Irish and my father was an alien. I was an only child and I dress funny."

Also, don't get Brits talking about the telephone (pay per minute, even local calls) or the postal service (which, to be fair, used to be incredible). Internet is another verboten topic.

Much as we in North America complain, we've actually got it pretty good.

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Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

- Viktor E. Frankl

O_O

The UK scares me. I thought an 8.75% sales tax was bad! Phones here have competitive rates (yay!), and cellphones are great deals (my family's main phones are cellphones because we can talk to any Cingular or AT&T cellphone user for free).

Your broadband sounds normal...if it were US dollars. But there's enough of a difference in the two currencies to make that a bit high.

Heh. If more Americans knew this, they'd be more patriotic on the whole. ^_^

Healthcare here can be a pain. Especially HMO's. My family is *finally* getting off an HMO. But I've yet to see a healthcare system that works flawlessly. I think you'll find complaints and compliments for all sides.

I'm still glad I live in America. ^_^

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What if there is a spoon?

Yes, you enjoy more freedom in the states.

Wealth here is compulsory (as are indoor loos) you are not allowed to be poor like many in the US are.

(its not as compulsory as in places like, Japan, Iceland and Switzerland though)

No wonder so many foreigners (some of them from the US) want to live here! There is so much to moan about!

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"If you think I am a Condor, you may keep that opinion;
Though I am no Condor, my Skylines rusty enough."

I dont know what you mean; I cannot afford any pastimes.

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"If you think I am a Condor, you may keep that opinion;
Though I am no Condor, my Skylines rusty enough."

Like Americans supposedly pay less income tax than Canadians to compensate for having to pay more bills -- like their own health care and such. From what I can gather, it might work out overall, but the grass always looks greener. It's impossible to list everything that has to be compared, even if you stick to easily compared stuff like money or loaves of bread.

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Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

- Viktor E. Frankl

Welllllll..... it's a little bit more complicated than that.

We pay the government more in the expectation that we will get some back if/when we need it - if we can afford to pay the taxes, we hope of course that we never will need it. The government pays us a state pension when we retire; gives us a weekly allowance towards feeding our children (not much but some); gives us money towards nursery care for pre-schoolers; gives us money if we're ill and can't work or are disabled and willing to work; gives us money if we're unemployed and looking for work; gives us money towards caring for disabled relatives; gives us healthcare although there are of course those waiting lists.

None of the benefits are for large amounts (except for free healthcare, I can't emphasise enough what a great benefit that it, it's just a shame it's not better run) but at least they exist and they apply to everyone.

On the TV front, we pay our tv license, and there are some satellite channels which are free, but we also have to pay the satellite/cable company for extra channels too.

Likewise, if I want to be able to pay my mortgage in the event of losing my job, I have to buy an ASU (accident/sickness/unemployment) policy from an insurance company. The benefit I'd get paid by the government while unemployed wouldn't be enough to cover my mortgage. On the other hand, if I then lost my house, the government would find me a place to stay - not a nice place, by any means, but hopefully better than a cardboard box.

The taxes we pay go towards everyone's basic wellbeing, rather than just our own. I think that's the deep down difference - in the US you buy policies and save money to protect you/your family from bad things, whereas in the UK and much of northern europe there is a government safety net for everyone, which is kind of saggy and droopy but better than falling on concrete.

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Mallanox : "My mother was Irish and my father was an alien. I was an only child and I dress funny."