Joel invites us to tell others about places we have lived. I have spent the last 9 months in Southern England and it is a wonderful country. As far as strategic relocation however, there may be some shortcommings. From my western perspective, most of the shorcommings stem from the cultural and political side of things. To summarize, the population looks to the government to take care of them. When breakdowns occur in services (health care, utilities and such)it is the government that must step in and "fix it." There isn't much private initiative.
Then, as far as advance planning (food storage and such), it is pretty much unheard of. People go to the market often and buy what they need for a short time. While it makes for a quaint lifestyle, any major catastrophe or conflict would leave people without delivery infrastructure and the means to take care of their family.
Also, there is the issue of self defense. Handguns were outlawed two years ago and now crime is on the rise. And since all responsible citizens in England follow the rules to the letter, there isn't much in the way of organized and orderly rebellion. This means that when laws have been passed the populace feels compelled to obey them whether or not they make sense. Perhaps it is because of the way the government treats the citizens.
An interesting example is this is when the local government decided to close a school. The deciding body published a nice brochure and went on the radio to tell everyone why it should be done. Then they invited everyone to a meeting to voice their concerns. However, as one person pointed out, the decision had already been made and the meeting, which must be held according to the law, served no useful purpose because its result would not change the decision to close the school.
England's ways are just different from American ways. One could probably live in Northern England in a little village and do nicely as long they keep a low profile. But it would be somewhat of an adjustment.
We lived 2 1/2 years in the Northeast of England over 20 yeaars ago now, but still stay in touch with the friends we had there. I believe that if a person wanted to relocate to England for strategic reasons, the N.E. would be the best part of the country because that is where one would find the highest concentration of like minded people. To be in good company, I can't think of a better area in Europe, and we've lived over 10 years in various countries.
I may be relocating from the U.S. to London because of work, and I was wondering if there would be any import restrictions regarding my bringing along a year's worth of long-term storage food, which is in cans.
I don't think england is a good place to survive if there is a climatological or social upheaval, here's why :
* the land and building laws are TIGHT
* land is very expensive
* the ecosystem is ruined here through intensive agriculture
* high population density
* tough winters
British Government Push To Fluoridate Drinking Water
Fluoridation schemes were first introduced in the United States in 1946. Since the late 1960s, about 10% of the UK population has received fluoridated water supplies - primarily, those in areas served by the Severn Trent, Northumbrian and Anglian water companies. Read the rest of the story and about the health dangers of fluoridation at: http://www.rense.com/general38/bbrus.htm
According to a recent U.N. study, writes Historian Joyce L. Malcolm, author of “Guns and Violence: The English Experience,” “England and Wales have the highest crime rate and worst record for ‘very serious’ offenses of the 18 industrial countries surveyed.” While violent crime in America has been plummeting for 10 consecutive years, British violence has been rising.
Full story at:
No Right Of Self-Defense In Blair’s Barbaric Britain http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=33945
Researchers found a normal day's exposure to London's air can be the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes. Pollution hotspots include Marylebone Road, where daily vehicle emissions are so concentrated that pedestrians and those with offices or homes on the roadside are exposed to the NOx equivalent of more than 30 cigarettes."
Alarming levels of pollution on London's streets have been highlighted in a major study.
Other affected areas include King's Road (29 cigarettes a day), and Hammersmith Broadway (27.3 cigarettes). . . The index shows that at 57 out of 85 London sites, annual average levels are above the Government's recommended limit of 40.11 microgrammes of NOx, the equivalent of smoking 12 "light" cigarettes in 24 hours.
http://www.rense.com/general44/londonsairasbad.htm
Britons may be the most spied upon people in the world. By 2007, it is estimated the country will have 25 million close-circuit television cameras. More at:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2003/12/19/2003084126
ID Cards 'Compulsory by 2008'
Everyone in Britain could be forced to have identity cards within five years under a fast-track plan by David Blunkett which is backed by Tony Blair and gaining support within the Cabinet.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=508519
Pollution & Roads Kill 100,000 Kids A Year In Europe
The profound and damaging impact of Europe's environment on children has been quantified for the first time by experts who have found that a third of their ill-health and 100,000 deaths a year are caused by air pollution, unsafe water, lead and injuries.
Full story at
http://www.rense.com/general53/dksisd.htm
Britons Own Up To Being World’s Most Dishonest People
Britons are among the world's most dishonest people, according to research that seems to undermine the country's long-held reputation for fair play. The researchers, from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, say that the persistent cheating is costing industry millions. They quizzed consumers in Europe, America and the Far East about their views on dishonest behavior and discovered that British consumers have the worst attitude of all.
http://www.rense.com/general56/britons.htm
Poll: Brits Forgetting Ten Commandments
According to a new British poll, the country is quickly forgetting the Ten Commandments.
Only three of the laws – passed to Moses on tablets of stone in Old Testament times – made any showing in the poll, commissioned for an event called "Just10 South London." Less than half of the population remembered the admonitions not to steal, murder or commit adultery, but it appears that commandments such as "don't take the Lord's name in vain" are fast becoming a distant memory.
Only 9 percent of those polled recalled the commandment not to lie. Worst remembered of all the commandments was "keep the Sabbath day holy," which was correctly identified by only 4 percent of those polled.
There were varying results for age and regional differences. Among 15-24 year-olds, only 11 percent remembered to "honor thy father and mother," while in the 65-plus age group, the figure was 20 percent.
One region had 15 percent of respondents remembering the commandment they shouldn't lie, while another resulted in 32 percent of those polled knowing the charge not to "covet." Some 20 percent of Londoners recalled the charge to respect their parents, while 53 percent of those interviewed in the Britain's West Country remembered the admonition not to steal.
The survey was conducted between Aug. 27-29 2004. One thousand people were interviewed in 10 regions across England, Scotland and Wales.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40513
Three-Quarters of Londoners Wouldn’t Help Unconscious Woman
This week, the Evening Standard featured shocking pictures of a young woman lying unconscious in the gutter of a busy road, blood pouring from a head injury. The worst thing about the CCTV images of the 25-year-old's plight was the string of cars that swerved past her small and helpless figure - and then drove on. The case highlighted the apparent unwillingness of Londoners to play Good Samaritan. So the Standard decided to test the readiness of people in the capital to help out in an emergency. The results were distinctly depressing. The Standard asked student Katy Walford, 20, to help with the experiment. She was asked to lie, in broad daylight, by a path in Kensington Gardens as though she had either been taken ill or attacked. Then the reactions of passers by to her plight were monitored. Three quarters of them simply strolled past her prone figure - many pretending not to notice her at all. In total, of the 50 people who passed her during a busy lunchtime period, just 13 stopped. Of those, only two knelt down next to Katy and a third tapped her on the shoulder. The rest asked if she was okay but kept their distance.
Full story at http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/september2004/300904wouldnthelp.htm
An American Scapegoat in London
"In Britain, America-bashing is so bad that I fear for my safety," Carol Gould echoes what many other Americans report.
http://www.rense.com/general58/anamericanscapegoat.htm
Authoritarian Rule Britannia
As government pushes Britain towards surveillance police state the next Prime Minister lauds over glorious heritage of freedom.
http://infowars.net/articles/february2006/140206Authoritarian_Rule.htm
Traffic Speed Cams To Monitor Personal Behavior
Not satisfied with over 4 million CCTV cameras already spying on British citizens, the government is now floating proposals to turn the country's 14,000 speed cameras on drivers to monitor their personal habits.-Prison Planet
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/march2006/070306surveillancecameras.htm