Every country has negative pasts, not just the UK - Observant if not blatantly obvious.

the free health system perhaps? Anyone can get treated, freely, on the NHS - The NHS is an excellent system in the instances where it works and it's funded properly. YES ANYONE can get free medical care and treatment - but in the instance where the people who DO recieve free treatment DON'T pay for it in the form of NI contributions and Income tax - How is it fair that those who don't pay get something for free? The NHS is not some magical panacaea that the UK govt has to use as a moral sledghammer - Japan, Norway and even CUBA's healthcare systems far outshine ours and are funded, run and respected far more than the NHS in this country.

Free schools? Everyone has the right to an education here, and gets it completely free until a certain age - Thats right - state schools are free for the general public. We also have a series of high end private tuition establishments that cater for the elite of society who don't want thier Prince and Princesses sharing a classroom with the likes of you and I. Do you even KNOW how education started in this country or at what point the Proletariat demanded it against the unwillingness of the Bourgeois?

Yes the UK is not perfect, nor is anywhere else, but a large majority of the people in the UK have a comfortable lifestyle which a lot of people are not grateful for - Ha ha ha ha! Your absolutely right! People have very comfortable lifestyles in this country by sitting on thier arse and doing nothing for it - they collect a rent cheque, income and child benefit and they STILL COMPLAIN it isn't enough. On the other side of the coin there's me, who works, pays taxes and fills the public purse - yet when I have an opinion on how I think this country is a shithole, I have to answer to how YOU say I'M not grateful for living here....

Paying for someone elses children...
Paying for someone elses house...
Paying for someone's methadone...
Paying for someone's NHS compensation...
Paying to bail out an ailing high street bank...
Paying for illegal wars...


Of course I'm not grateful for THAT!

You forgot to add social housing - you can get FREE social housing in the UK just by asking for it! Thats right, you don't need to work or anything - tell them you have no home and they will fix you up with a house! If you fall pregnant you get one EVEN FASTER! And if you have MORE children to support - The government pays for them too!

But... sorry.

If you have a job and a wife and a child, we can't help you. It's true, if you have income and a family your treated no better than a dole dosser who wants his giro every fortnight. Social Justice? Like fuck it is.

I have to agree with you on a lot of these issues. My dad works his ass off and the majority of his paycheck gets taken away and given to people who can't be arsed. I was just highlighting what I believe are the positives, and you are highlighting the negatives, which I agree with.

Many girls in my year are getting pregnant, so they get a house and free money. A lot of people left school and are sitting at home living on benefits, while I'm slogging it out in school trying to make something of myself. Both my parents work full time, so I understand your passion about this issue.

The only benefit I whole heartedly agree with is disability benefit, and illness support. And only if the person is seriously ill, not has a little bruise on their ankle for 3 years that causes them 'the inability to work.'

What I'm trying to say is - I agree. However there are countries that are in 1000 times worse situations than ours and we should be grateful for what we do have that is positive.

EDIT - Just to let you know, I study sociology so I know a lot about the education system so I'm not just a random teenager pretending to have opinions.

Sorry if I was a little overzealous with the posting - I've spent a great many years debating the UK with my friends and colleagues and they are sick to the back teeth of my gripes with it too! :D

Some very positive and some very negative. I'm just bias because I've been to a lot of places where I see thier shit getting run better - thats all.

Shouldn't take my comments too seriously, they are after all only my opinions ;)

Still?

When was it taboo? 50+ years ago? Considering the volume of international relationships in Japan, I would say "Absolutely Not".

It's fine ^-^ Me and my friends take about this a lot too. The subject of debate at the moment is Education Maintanance Allowance >.<

But I do share some of your opinions, while still having some of my own too ^_^

i think it will become your choice then.. do you want to be the one who left school with nothing but still get some money from the government... and marked with that status for your whole life or you want to work and study harder to become what you wish to be and the society will also respect you..... it's just a matter of choice... it's your own life so don't look at others'... there is nothing perfect in this world... of course it doesn't feel good for you to work very hard and you still have to pay the tax that will be given to the people who do nothing... but just like what i said... it's your own choice :)

Yeah, that's exactly the reason I want to make something of myself. I don't want to feel like a good for nothing useless waste of space - it's just unfortunate that some people are fine with that.

Hi everybody, I read the discussion and I wish to share my 2 cents about the matter.
This is not a complaint, I'll try to be as objective as I can.
I'm from Italy, I live in a country where things have been keeping going worse and worse for about the last 15-20 years (I know there are countries in even worse conditions, but I'll talk about my case).
No need to have a long talk of what I'm pointing at, simply know my country is very close to touch the bottom, there is a visible will above political parties which is driving Italy. If you have any difficulty to trust this, I'll give you the first hint to find out yourself.
In a couple of weeks there will be again elections and we'll see how the people are able to see what's going on, and I feel so uneasy about it.
Italian political parties (the very most of them) are made by criminals (no joke) and still there are people who vote for them, in large numbers.

MissMisa, I think your attitude is very good and will let you move on those things that stop a lot of people. Life maybe wasn't made to be easy to all of us, then what we can do is go on, keep in mind our goal and go through the difficulties. Wish you the best.

About the thread topic, I think diversity is richness, and interracial relationship/marriage is an awesome thing.
For many reasons, but I took enough of your time.
Love,
Mat:vsign:

Thankyou, I also wish you the best, and I hope things work out for you.

In regard to the topic also, I agree that these such relationships are also a positive thing, and people should move on from traditions that say otherwise, in todays modern society ^-^

An great example to answer your question is here: AM4BW

I agree with a lot of you... It doesn't matter what race you are, it matters on personality and wether or not one person is attracted to another. Personally, I like Japanese guys better than white guys (I'm white), or anyone else really, (although I love british accents....) It just depends on the person. I have two hispanic friends, and they are sisters. One of them likes black guys, and one of them likes white guys. If you love each other, that's all that should matter. Sadly, sometimes, it doesn't and you get situations like Romeo and Juliet... Or you get racist people.

And some people on here seem to think that if we like Japanese guys, it means that we only want to have the bragging rights to say that we went out with them, but it's just a matter of who we personally are attracted to.

Very well said, HYDfan.

I think the same way.

I wouldn't go out with a Japanese guy, just to say I did.

I'd have to truly like him, as a person.

I definitely don't ignore that. Wish I could get free healthcare.What type of school? Do you mean Universities and such? If so, I should move there. :p For regular schools in the states, the "public schools" are kind of considered the "free schools" and if a parent doesn't make a certain amount of money, then his/her/their child/children are able to get free lunch.

That's pretty much the same here. But I understand in America you have to pay to go to college? The only instance in which you have to pay for education here is if you go to university here, but you can get a student grant - where if you can never afford to pay it, it just gets cleared, or a student loan - where rates for the loan are really affordable.

Also, between the ages of 16 and 18, if you go to college or 6th form, if your parents earn under a certain amound of money, you can get up to £30 a week to help with school supplies. It's supposed to help working class kids stay in higher education. I just find it unfair because, just because my mum and dad earn over a certain amound doesn't mean there going to give me any >.<

It's interesting how you say "It doesn't matter what race you are" and then go on to list how you and your friends choose mates based on race.

I think young people are more into bragging about "yeah I dating a black guy/girl" or " I once dated a chinese/jap/korean and it wasn't all that". Young people do it to be different and because some think it's cool. In the long run all that matters is that you survive all the crap that goes with being with someone of a different background.

Liumingke.Don't use the word "Jap" please.That is very offensive to Japan.And free Tibet.

I don't know if it is right to to speak of 'racial' problems. I only see difficulties in different cultures.
My family is really depressing. Because they don't understand different cultures, they sometimes sound very racist (only german guys, foreigners are all bad...). But I don't think that this is the right way.

I love the person I love, the trick is to understand the culture of the other one (that is what my boyfriend said to me). And that... is hard enough sometimes. XD

Yep, pretty much. We have to pay to attend colleges/universities. Some people consider both the same thing, unless specific. Like, I could say, "Yeah, I went to college after high school. I attended the University of Richmond."Loans are pretty much what we use. Ironically, they were talking about student loans on the news. Seems we're running out of funds to even give out student loans and some states are pulling out on granting them (or something like that; I could be wrong, or misheard it). Universities/colleges are so costly, unless attending a Community College (two-year college), and even though that's cheaper, still can cost a bit. It sucks that in order to get considered for most jobs, they'd rather see that you have that diploma as opposed to whether or not you can actually do the job.

Anyway, as for grants, you don't have to pay those back.I had that problem when I first graduated high school. My parents were looking into grants. My parents are considered middle class, so they couldn't get any grants for me. Seems here those who are considered the "poor class" and the rich, of course, get all the breaks. I'm not complaining, those who are poor do need the help too, but it kind of sucks that the middle class rarely get any breaks.

I'm just pointing out that it shouldn't matter who you like, that anyone of any race can like any other person of any race.... I really wish people would get a life instead of harping on everything anyone says... you are probably smart enough to know what I mean, so don't try to blame me for something. I can state my opinion and you can state yours.

Ah so University and College are the same thing?

Over here we start off at primary school,

So I was in school from 2 to 12 at primary school. Then we live and go to high school, and we go there from 12 to 16. Once you are 16, you can either leave and find work or carry on at 6th form or College. 6th form is an extension of a school, for older students, college is a seperate place for over 16s. Then once you have completed college or 6th form, which is usually 2 years. You leave at 18, and go to university. University is usually 3 years, so you eventually leave school at 21. You can go further than that if you want to, like get a Masters or a PHD, but for most people it's not necessary.

coincidence, im mexican and live in america and i want the same thing. lol. XD
by the way this was a really good question i had been wondering about this for a while now.

Just as some Japanese women find love with non-Japanese men, the same is true the other way around.

Hmm, question. Whats the age of consent in Japan?

It always scares me when people ask that...

especially when they need to know the answer RIGHT NOW!

:D

Bahahah.
Isnt the age of consent 13?

13!? thats gross lol.

16 here in Aus

That's an old national law which is trumped by most if not all prefectural laws to be 16 or 18.

hahahahahahaha!

Things have changed so much world wide with multiracial relationships. My sister is half black American and half german my family is just a big melting pot. I have dated multiple races with Asian women at the forefront and i have not had a problem with any Japanese girlfriend i have had.

Ah, my family is also a big melting pot lol. My grandparents (On my mothers side) consist of my half Okinawan/half swedish grandfather, and my full Japanese grandmother. On my father's side, my grandfather is Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English, and German, and my grandmother is Okinawan.

im not japanese but my rents would like me to marry someone of the same nationality which is why im not going to! dun dun dun!

what about black people

What think Japanese about black people?
 

I often looked into profiles of a japanese friends-site. There was frequently standing: "I want to know new cultures" and stuff like that. BUT: Nearly every one of the Japanese members was seeking first for Asian and then for white people. And sometimes, you can read also Latin. This does not seem to me that Japanese like black people!

Japanese people are weary of whites, so I would assume black people stand out just as much.

There's as much Black Celebrities in Japan as there's white. With the whole hip hop culture being big in areas of Japan.

My assumption would be to not listen to other people, some have no other hobby but to flame a race.

Experience is the key.

Anyway, my racial preference towards a girl is as follows:
1 - Latina/Meditarranean
2 - European
3 - Asian

I like Asians a lot o.o

Well I'm going out with japanese man. He moved here with his family and few friends, to study and work here. His parents were greatly against our relationship. They wanter him to be with this other Japanese girl.

Well...this is as far as my experience with jap hate for other races goes, lol.

That is true for any race that has a strong tradition.

hmmm... for me....

First White
British
German





Other European~




Then Asian
Japanese

Chinese




Korean





Vietnamese




spaces are a visual example of how much i am into that specific ethnicity >.>''

I have no specific preference when it comes to country. As long as she's cute, easy-going and somewhat intelligent.