My A-level mates almost all emigrated-- Spain, France, Germany

Of my close to 20 mates and acquaintances from A-level days two decades ago, perhaps 5 are staying in the UK. The rest, probably soon including me, are soon emigrating.

I have a few mates in Spain and France as it is, they already speak Spanish and French as well as the natives and are raising their kids. One went to America, one to South Africa, some scattered in SE Asia or South American countries-- Chile and parts of Brazil are popular.

Germany seems to be choice #1 for the professional, technical, creative or entrepreneurial set-- three old mates of mine in that country raising kids there and one soon to follow, he learned enough German in barely a year to already get a start.

You know, people complain about the taxes in the UK but that's not the problem in and of itself. Whilst France and Germany certainly have their taxes, they do something good with them, i.e. provide outstanding schools for the kids and beautiful cities to reside in.

In the UK, our horrific tax burden goes to what? More speed cameras to advance NuLab's War on Motorists and Lorry-Drivers? More cameras to issue parking fines? A war we are losing in Iraq and yet another idiotic, useless, needless war on Kosovo? Fought on behalf of our enemies? Our cities and infrastructure are crumbling, our schools are terrible, yob culture rules and as the article notes, crime is overtaking ordinary citizens. Combined with the litter and the miserable grime that seems to envelop our cities, there is no reason to stay here anymore.

And the Tories are as bad or worse than NuLabour, so there is no escape by staying in the UK.

To those of you who are emigrating, be careful about where you go. I have been working in the USA for awhile and the traffic, crime, and cost-of-living here are if anything even worse than the UK. The infrastructure is crumbling from years of budget mismanagement, the public schools are terrible and universities are expensive beyond affordability.

I have heard the same problems about Australia and New Zealand, plus the yob culture seems to have been exported there and even to Canada. In other words, Australia/NZ and Canada seem to be versions of the UK in miniature, just a few years behind, while the USA is a ghastly mess of its own sort. So research carefully where you go, before you go.

Most of my old mates in France, Spain, and Germany at least are quite satisfied with the choice, learning the new language turned out to be a minor hassle, but make sure to get a feel for the place wherever you decide.

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