What do you consider to be todays biggest evils?

[poppet2]

I take you mean the system that means she can't stay at home, is the evil and not the mother for wanting to stay at home.

 

Yes. This would also allow women time to cook healthy fresh food each day for the family, rather than buying processed convenience food. Also, mother could help children do their homework.

 

Also, I hate Sunday Trading, close all shops and make Sundays as they used to be.

[Mister M]

I don't agree with your first point about the widening gap between rich and poor.

 

I think the gap between rich and poor has closed a lot over the years. People at lower levels of society have never had so much money. Nearly every family has at least 1 car - many have more than 1.

 

When I was a kid it was not many families, in the small mining village where I grew up, who had their own transport.

 

A holiday would be a rare thing - maybe once a year if lucky - and that might be a day trip or two. Sometimes it would be a whole week at Skeggy, or Brid, or Scarboro, or Blackpool. Little resorts sprang up around these major resorts, places like Hornsea, Withernsea, Cleethorpes, Filey, Mablethorpe, etc.

But working class people could never afford to go abroad.

 

I remember hearing about famous footballers, like George Best, going on holiday to Majorca. Wow! we all thought. That must be Paradise to be able to afford to go there.

 

Nowadays, most folks have been abroad and Majorca isn't exactly an exclusive resort.

 

The 'have nots' of our society seem to have got quite a lot more than they ever had when I was a kid. 50" plasma screen TV's and Blu Ray players are standard - but still not much good food on the table. That much hasn't changed - in fact it's got worse.

 

My biggest evils would be:

 

1 The erosion of our culture and values by other cultures and values

2 The contamination of the food chain in the interests of profit

3 The buggeration of society by financial institutions that have too much power

4 The way Americanisms, in particular, have ruined our language and lifestyle (like McDonald's and all that garbage)

5 The loss of freedom of speech in favour of political correctness

 

Certainly point number 3 is very pertinent. And true.

 

You're point about people becoming richer is an interesting one.....I think that in spite of the last 5 years with the credit crunch suppressing people's wages, the illusion of wealth is too apparent.

Most people nowadays carry a hell of a lot of private debt, in a way 30/40 years ago they didn't. If and when interest rates rise, you'll soon see how close to the edge some people are living.

I think many people including me are spiritually poor, while having more things. We are spoiled to some extent,a as compared to my garndparent's generation - but seem to be no more content for it.

 

It's interesting that you say the growth of political correctness is a problem, because I think that in the last 20 years or so that's been a positive development. That people in authority, think twice before degarding people for who they are (if they are of a different skin colour, sexuality) etc. It's 20 years since Stephen Lawrence was killed and the in various interviews chiefs of police have been vocal in their attempts to stamp out the 'canteen culture' that many people find so offensive.

[MrSmith]

Yes. This would also allow women time to cook healthy fresh food each day for the family, rather than buying processed convenience food. Also, mother could help children do their homework.

In that case I agree but in some respects the situation was caused by working women, families that have both parents working can afford to pay more for an house, house prices are driven in part by affordability, the more someone can afford to pay the more the price will rise, this lead to more women having to go to work to afford an home, as more women entered the workplace household incomes increased there by allowing prices to increase.

[Mister M]

This.

As people want more and more for lower and lower prices it will drive at least some of the other issues you mention.

 

Often lower prices for us mean some poor kid in a sweatshop in China or India have to work all hours God sends:(

If countries were more protectionist and we started to produce what we consume would things improve?

[MrSmith]

Often lower prices for us mean some poor kid in a sweatshop in China or India have to work all hours God sends:(

If countries were more protectionist and we started to produce what we consume would things improve?

 

Sadly no, if we didn't buy the stuff made in sweat shops, the kids and their families would have less than they have now.

[poppet2]

In that case I agree but in some respects the situation was caused by working women, families that have both parents working can afford to pay more for an house, house prices are driven in part by affordability, the more someone can afford to pay the more the price will rise, this lead to more women having to go to work to afford an home, as more women entered the workplace household incomes increased there by allowing prices to increase.

 

I don't agree. It was common for a woman's wage to be taken into account when applying for a mortgage in the 70s, even though most women were regarded as being paid 'pin money'. Women would give up work to start a family, only to return when all the children were at full time school. Mortgages were a quarter of a man's pay packet in the 70s. It was the 80s when things got out of control, where in London, property for a single person was 90% of your pay packet.

[Mister M]

I don't agree. It was common for a woman's wage to be taken into account when applying for a mortgage in the 70s, even though most women were regarded as being paid 'pin money'. Women would give up work to start a family, only to return when all the children were at full time school. Mortgages were a quarter of a man's pay packet in the 70s. It was the 80s when things got out of control, where in London, property for a single person was 90% of your pay packet.

 

In lots of ways it's a good thing that women are in the workforce; many single parents have to get a job to support their families.

Although not common in Sheffield I think, many men prefer to stay at home and be the carer for the children while the woman earns the crust.

[MrSmith]

I don't agree. It was common for a woman's wage to be taken into account when applying for a mortgage in the 70s, even though most women were regarded as being paid 'pin money'. Women would give up work to start a family, only to return when all the children were at full time school. Mortgages were a quarter of a man's pay packet in the 70s. It was the 80s when things got out of control, where in London, property for a single person was 90% of your pay packet.

 

And as their wages increased so did their ability to pay more for a house, houses only sell when they are affordable and two wages makes a higher priced house affordable, which allowed for house prices to increase. If women didn’t work and households only had one income then houses prices would adjust to be affordable on just one income. It’s slowly become the norm for households to have two incomes meaning it’s now very difficult for families with only one income, were in the past it was normal to be able to afford an house on one income.

[Ryedo40]

Politicians and religious leaders(in both cases not all). Corporations and the mass consumption of complete junk. Overpopulation.

 

Apathy when it comes to the environment and the natural world. Apathy and gullibility when it comes to pseudo-science, superstition, mysticism and other woo-woo generally associated with spiritual BS and religion. Tribalism, misogyny, sexism, racism and homophobia. I'm sure there's more.

[Crosser]

The price of cheese...

 

It is really really expensive lately, especially for the more luxurious ones such as Stilton or a nice Gorgonzola.

 

When Cheese is at a more affordable price for the masses, I think the world will be a better place.