On: Australia has the most expensive energy bills

[andybak]

There's an old joke where in Heaven the cooks are French, the policemen are English, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and the bankers are Swiss - whereas in Hell the cooks are English, the policemen are German, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss and the bankers are Italian.

I'm pondering an updated version where in hell the healthcare system is American, the energy market is Australian... Anyone care to finish it off?

[bitwize → andybak]

I've heard the joke told as: Canada could have had English culture, French cuisine, and American industry... instead it has American culture, English cuisine, and French industry.

[grecy → bitwize]

What's amazing about that joke is Canada is a much better place to live than all of those countries, so I assume those countries tell it because they are jealous.

(I have lived in the USA / Canada / Australia, my sister in France & England for many years)

[rfrey → grecy]

> so I assume those countries tell it because they are jealous

Naw, that Canadians find that joke hilarious is part of why it's a great place to live.

[nimchimpsky → andybak]

The policemen are english ? Eh, why is that a thing, never heard that before.

I've heard similar but it was organising a party ...

Good party : Germans organise English music French food Belgians beer

Bad : Belgians organize English food french music germans beer.

Wait german beer is quite nice, well you get the idea.

[mrob → nimchimpsky]

British police aren't perfect, but I'd trust them more than police from most other countries. When Sir Robert Peel founded the Metropolitan Police in 1829, he based it on the "Peelian principles" - the idea that the police operate with the consent of society as a whole. Policing in the rest of the country followed the same model.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles

These principles are still mostly respected today.

[crdoconnor → mrob]

The Met is probably the worst example of a British police force. They shot de Menezes in the head for no reason, killed Ian Tomlinson for no reason, they racially profile constantly, failed to convict the Stephen Lawrence killers because they were institutionally racist, they're brutal during protests (c.f. kettling) and when the riots kicked off they basically just ran away with their tail between their legs.