Well, it is that same old question, with the same old answer - it really depends upon what you mean and what you compare it to. If, for example you compare it to another country which happens to be really poor, then the answer will probably be yes, the UK is a fantastic place to live! If, however you compare it to ideals (what the country would look like if it was working as it is designed to) then it would be difficult to argue that it was any good at all.
The sheep in the field
I've often heard a story which sums the arguement up quite nicely:
Looking into a field one day, I saw hundreds of white, fluffy sheep. Some brown tree trunks, green grass, a black trough along with a host of other things. It was hard to miss the sheep, as they stood out so clearly against their darker background.
The next day, passing the same field after a heavy snowfall, the sheep were equally easy to spot, but for a different reason. The sheep which the day before had been white (against their background) now seemed to be a ver dirty shade of 'white' - almost yellow against the snowy fields!
Had the sheep changed colour overnight or was it the background that had changed - it was of course the background that made the sheep appear as they really were - not really white at all!
In the same way, we all too often sway between arguing that the UK is a great place (compared to...) to just moaning! In this case, we need to get a bit of perspective!
The question then comes about what is the background upon which to compare it? This is often debated and any authority 'god' who would dictate standards and morality is generally rejected (I would argue that this rejection is based, deep down, on the basis that everyone wants to see themselves as their own god, of their own life. Yes, we are resposible for our own life - but not God!
A good way to acheive a reasonably standard 'background' upon which to compare things would simply be our concience (as opposed to 'what will make me fatter, richer, most popular, etc.)
Posted by David on March 9th, 2010
Tags: Philosophy, UK, Debate
While talking to my two year old daughter recently as she was jumping on the bed and spelling out the resk of falling and injuring herself I realised what an irrational fear kids (in fact people in general) can have in relation to hospitals!
She was pretty unphased about the prospect of hurting herself by falling off the bed, until I light heartedly mentioned that I didn't fancy going to hospital with her - all of a sudden this brought floods of tears as she said that she didn't want to go to hospital!
It was only then that I realised that she didn't understand that hospitals were there to make people better - and that it wasn't the hospital that made the people sick!
We have since been to hospital, or referred to hospital on a number of occasions - having made sure that there was a smile on our faces at the time!
This made me wonder if this simple misunderstanding, along with the emotions cast up at the same time can be carried into adulthood - not that people don't understand, but that the association may be carried on, out of childhood.
At the same time, I have a sneaky suspicion that many adults fear hospital because it reminds them that they are 'only' human!
Posted by Sarah Allen on March 14th, 2010
Tags: Medical, Fear, Kids
I once heard the story of a doctor who had been suspended for stealing something like a 70 pence piece of food from the hospital canteen. This doctor was suspended and there was a big legal battle about whether he should be returned to work. This story went on for a very long time, costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, not to mention adding to the stress on the already stretched NHS.
I don't beleive that there was ever any question that he stole the food, and I think he was even quite quick to pay for it after the fuss first blew up!
The debate came in about whether or not he was fit to do his job, as he was a thief. The debate was more about whether it affected his job and whether the lost NHS money (he was paid while on suspension) was worth the hassle - why not just have him back?
So is stealing wrong, no matter how big or how little it is?
I would argue that it is wrong, and that the amount in question is irrelevent to the fact that the thief is a thief. Should a thief be shown mercy - maybe or probably, but it would certainly be mercy as opposed to innocence!
A small demonstration that it 'must' be is that we can be certain that nearly everyone would agree that stealing a million pounds was wrong - and if you say that stealing a penny was fine, what about two, what about three, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, where is the line?
Posted by Sarah Allen on March 14th, 2010
Tags: Ethics, Debate, Philosophy
The number of of driving lessons along with the cost involved will shock a lot of people.
I have often heard stories about how some countries have a driving test that requires a simple drive around the block along with a small handful of cash! The driving test in England is not quite as easy as that!
The English driving test involves reversing around corners, parking, turning the car around using reverse and first gear, emergency stopping, driving on roundabouts, dual carriageways and much more.
Having to do some or all of the things above competently requires a lot of preparation, whether or not you undertake professional driving lessons. I would suspect that it would take significantly longer to prepare and leave you with a lower chance of passing the driving test. It is estimated that people on average need to take somewhere between 40 and 60 driving lessons to pass the driving test! Apart from the length of time required for lessons to have a good chance of passing, there is the cost involved in the training. Driving lessons seem to cost between 15 and 25 pounds each! Doing the sums shows that even cheap lessons are likely to cost a lot of money.
Looking at the pass rates in Birmingham as compared to somewhere like Blackpool there is a big difference (about 15 percent lower pass rate in Birmingham). This kind of significant difference begs the question about the fairness of the test (but the DSA claim there are other reasons for this).
Posted by Sarah Allen on March 14th, 2010
Tags: Autos, Driving, Education
With fuel prices rising month by month heckling the Government to lower is unlikely to have an immediate effect on the cost of driving. Here are a few ideas as to what you can do to aid fuel economy (which is inside your own control) and therefore reduce the cost of driving.
Driving style can have a big impact on the amount of fuel that is burnt by a vehicle. Avoiding harsh accelerating and braking is a good basic principle in an effort to save money. This can be best implemented by planning well ahead, looking down the road to where you are going and trying to judge a smooth drive.
Try not to carry any weight that you do not have to. Keeping the boot of your car empty unless you need to carry something specifically for that journey, can easily add a few miles per gallon if you are used to carrying unnecessary junk!
Having properly inflated tyres can aid fuel economy. A good way to think about it is that under inflated tyres effectively make the wheels smaller and therefore the same amount of rev doesn't go as far. There can also be additional resistance from the under inflated tyres, leading to more 'struggle' for your engine. Saying that, over inflating tyres can also be dangerous and cause additional wear on the tyres, so make sure you only use the manufacturers guidelines.
Plan your journeys. The simple act of getting lost can add 50 pence with little effort.
An overly simple additional solution to keeping your fuel cost down is not driving as much. Simply by planning journeys, potentially to include a few tasks in one, can save a significant amount of fuel. Walking a half-mile trip to the shop could save you a few pence here and there, which mount up easily and quickly.
Apart from the benefit on your pocket, saving fuel when driving can also significantly help the environment in general. As well as long term issues being avoided, there can also be a marked increase in short-term air quality. As a jogger, at different times of the day I can really experience the difference that cars make to the air quality. By reducing the amount of fuel that you burn, you can increase the clean air quality for everyone.
Resources:
Government Department for Environment
Driving instructors for cars (a good trainer can help increase economy)
Compare Fuel Prices
Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SaFED)
Although comfort and ease are big priorities for most, a few little changes while driving, can make all the difference for everyone. Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving!
Posted by David on May 11th, 2010
Tags: Autos, Driving, Education
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