Welcome to the forum, @Celia Jenkins ! Please do browse around and join into any conversations that interest you, or start a new thread if there is something you would like to discuss that you do not see a thread about. I am a greeter here, so if I can help you with anything about how the forum works, I am happy to help out. We have been hearing about a large seniors forum from the UK that is closing in February, and the people are looking for another forum home. Are you one of the members from that forum ? If so, we welcome you here, this is a small forum, but friendly people. We do not always agree with each other, but when that happens, we try to discuss the thread topic, and personal attacks are not allowed on this forum, which helps to keep everything fairly mellow here. Just about any subject can be discussed, as long as it is done respectfully, and vulgar language is not used.
Good morning @Celia Jenkins and welcome to the forum. I’m in the US too but there are some international members here. I hope you will like this small forum and join in the conversations.
I'm with @Vada Bloom, welcome! I hope you like it here, there's lots of topics to choose from so it doesn't have to be any one "board". I try and get into lots of topics SOC has to offer folks, again,
Thank you for the welcome. Yes, I am from the forum which is closing and I expect you will get others from there moving to this one. It's difficult to find a site which has rational discussions, while keeping things decent and polite. Things can quickly descend into unpleasantness when there are conflicting opinions. There is another good site, but it doesn't allow politics and I do like to see the different views of people. As an English person, American politics can be very confusing, so it's good to get the perspective of the Americans themselves.
Celia, American politics can be confusing to Americans too. And I, at least, find some things about British politics confusing so I'm expecting to learn from you.
I'm not sure myself, actually. I do think we should dispense with the party system, though. So often, during an election, voters have to choose between a party and a person. Someone you know would be an excellent MP doesn't get your vote because you don't support their party. I think debates would work better. Yesterday, (Tuesday), the house were discussing the situation in the Middle East. People were expressing their views and the whole thing was more civilized than the usual PM's Questions. If all matters were discussed in this way and then a vote taken, I think the whole thing would work more efficiently.
I would like referendums where the people could have input, not just the politicians who are supposed to represent us but don't seem to, a lot of the time. Doesn't it seem like they are flooding the world with illegals, not just the US? That will tip the votes too the 'progressives' when they finally pass a law to allow them to vote. It frightens me to think how this year could totally change my country. I could 'have nothing and be happy' like the WEF says. I saw your Parliament debating the plan the WHO has for the world. I hope your legislators defund it too. I think it should be an advisory body, not take over the sovereignty of a country. BTW, WELCOME to the forum!!! I have a small farm in Wisconsin, US. We have other countries represented here. And I like gardening and my animals more than politics.