Stop Watching Us

Don't worry about that, Norman. For every one who doesn't know who his father was, there are ten who think they know, but have been misinformed!
All we can be certain of, is that what we are is what we made of ourselves.

Yes, they can check my DNA to eliminate me as a suspect, but I don't want them keeping on file afterwards if I haven't committed any crime.

I knew my mother, but didn't know my father. Bothered me only in my 60's oddly, but then I thought even if I had a guide as to who he might have been using DNA - what the hell difference would it have made? For good or ill, I am (still) here, and I am still who or what I am.

Testing for criminal suspects is reasonable I feel especially as I understand there is nothing compulsory about it - at the moment. If it is something for and on behalf of, the victim, as opposed to the crim. that would make a nice change under most laws I am aware of.

I think the genetic testing would have caused many problems for Hitler. Apparently there are no pure races and we all stem from Mitochondrial Eve who was from Africa.....that would have been interesting.

Mark,

I am so old, I don't really care any more!

But you can tell a great deal about me from my DNA, including my racial origins. I can imagine what a gift that would have been to Hitler's Third Reich!

I also think there is a big difference between investigating me if I am suspected of committing a crime and investigating me in case I am thinking about committing a crime. They do that in North Korea.

Oh! I nearly forgot. The cheque is in the post. ;-)

but y

How can the Government KNOW you havn't committed a crime if they do not investigate you? What can the police actually DO with your DNA sample apart from using it to identify you or parts of you? It can only be used to prove either your guilt or your innocence which can only be a good thing - or identify your body should you meet your end (god forbid) in a less than natural way. If we are so concerned about our right to privacy just what the hell are we doing publishing our thoughts, beliefs & feelings on a popular website for all & sundry to read? THIS IS THE VERY PLACE that the "Government" it getting much of its information, so if you are so concerned about your information being misused, don't put it out there!

Mike, I know who you are (you're Mike Kearney) & I know what you think (or don't think) so can I manipulate you in to sending me a cheque for a thousand euros?? :)

(But please do because it is interesting & fun!)

Possibly right, Glen, to some extent. But I don't read the same newspaper as my parents and I learned more outside school than I did inside and I have vast amounts of information available to me, on which to make important personal decisions. In supermarkets I grovel on the floor to look for bargains, or turn my bifocals upside down to read the labels on the top shelves. I do my best to be a cynical citizen and a difficult customer - but I don't want THEM to know that!

I don't think any Government should be able to investigate me if there is no evidence that I have committed a crime.

I don't think the police should be able to keep my DNA on file if there is no evidence that I have committed a crime.

We are assured that the Government is benign, has our best interests at heart and will never misuse our data.

But who can tell who will rule us in the future? Can they speak for future governments? Who knows who will have access (legally or illegally) to their data bases.

If you know who I am and what I think, you can manipulate me.

The proper business of Government is to serve the people who elect them - not spy on them.

More people work for GCHQ than for the Environment Agency. Big Brother is watching YOU!

It most certainly would Carol but what other restriction would France throw into the mix when not c onstrained by the EU would work permits be required would those who want to work be required to jump through all manner of hoops leaving the EU could open up a whole can of worms

If the UK leaves the EU then surely it would mean that ex pats remaining in France would have their pension frozen as happens to other expats outside of Europe?

yep...got that one wrong! trying to multi task (many things done badly!) I meant if you have a state pension and receive other income that pushes you into the tax bracket...you should pay tax in your country of domicile.

You should not pay tax on your state pension any tax due will be based on any other private or Gov pension, i have opted to pay tax here in France on my small private pension as the French tax level is much higher than the uk my tax bill is reduced, as for monitoring our mail or phone calls you are correct Mark any suspect calls are searched electronically for certain words then flagged up

As for loosing our tv the word our is not meant as in our right, the fact that we were able to receive UK tv was a bonus due to overspill of the signal footprint we now have to be more resourceful and find other means to recieve be it larger dish or internet, as for voting in the uk i am quite happy to forgo that pleasure if they are equaly happy to stop making laws and breaking EU laws that affect my well being,earned pension rights are not a hand out, as for the UK leaving the EU i doubt if any Brits will be tarred and feathered and run out of town but it could caused problems for the self employed Brits would they be allowed to set up a company in a foreign country will they be allowed to carry on as before, those companies who rely on mainly Brits for their incomes if many return i know of one French company that will be hit very hard that outcome is unknown

I understood the state pension has to be taxed in your country of domicile. My husband has several pensions and was advised that as we have to pay tax in France due to a property we rent out, that they should all be taxed in France whilst he spent the majority of the year there. We do know someone who worked for the UK government and is permitted to have that taxed in the UK before being transferred to France.

I have my UK part-pension 'tax-paid' in the UK without any hassles from the French

Good post Mark and to the point....though one of your last comments about people on a pension who can 'choose' to pay a pension here, I dont think is quite correct. If you 'live' in France, then you should absolutely pay your tax in France. I seem to know a fair few people who live in France but dont seem to have let anyone know this fact, so still pay UK tax...which seems insane!

I'm one of the "don't give a fig" brigade! For an Intelligence agency to monitor the outpourings of every person in the world would require millions of people. Which they don't have. There is no pale faced teenager listening/reading my personal stuff, giggling at my poor attemps at telephone sex & repeating the story to his friends over a Big Mac. It may be monitored by a machine which is programmed to react to certain words or phrases which, should I accidentally use them, would soon have me dismissed as "no threat". You want to keep your communications secret, write a letter!

What's this "lose" our TV? UK TV is not permitted to broadcast abroad & we only get it because it is not possible to focus the satellite accurately. It is a bonus, not a right! As it happens I lost nothing & I still use a 60 cm standard Sky dish on the Charente/Dordogne border.

As for voting in UK elections!! I live in France so do not feel I have the right to vote for another country's government. Next thing people will want to vote in Brazil's next elections. If the UK votes to come out of Europe then so be it! I somehow don't think that those of us already resident will suddenly find ourselves subject to a sort of ethnic clensing, made to wear the cross of St George on a patch, have "Anglais" daubed on our houses then being rounded up in the night by gun toting gendarmes & being bundled into trucks.

Surely by moving out of the UK we are saying that we prefer to live under a different regime. We can hardly choose to live abroad inside a little UK governed bubble, enjoying the benefit of a foreign land whilst still taking handouts from another to which we no longer contribute. Heating allowances should be for those who live in the UK & spend their money there. If you are that hard up perhaps you can get a form of income support from the French system. Lets face it, those on a pension can opt to pay tax here.

Ever since I have been here I have heard Doom & Gloom - the French economy is broke, can't afford the health service, big storms over Christmas, huge tax hikes, no more UK TV - & guess what? NOTHING has changed!

You do realise Glen that telling the truth is regarded as sinful and treacherous in some quarters?

Otherwise and maintaining my anonymity(?) I applaud your excellent post!

Very true.

no probs chasing Norman, its the expectation that life will ever translate as 'the dream'.

Nothing wrong with chasing your dreams - as long as you read the small print!