Struggling With The Cost Of Living?

[Mister M]

1 hour ago, fools said:

The uni scam (unemployment figure fiddle) will inevitably come crashing down at some point

 

Perhaps these extortionate student loan interest rates and power costs will make a few of them think twice about wasting time on a pointless qualification.

Why is it you lefties are always rude.

 

Look at the debt this country is in, the mess it's in, it's all down to ineptitude and socialism.

 

You have vast amounts spent on welfare, and the nhs, and hotels for illegal immigrants, we owe trillions as a country, and you're still blaming thatcher, and want more spending, it's beyond ridiculous.

 

Your proposed pm is wandering around picket lines....love a strike the lefties.

I'm struggling to find what was so rude about Anna's post. You complain that Anna is blaming Thatcher, then complain that the debt the country has "is down to ineptitude and socialism". What socialism? I wished somebody would've told me that we were living in a socialist country.

[Guest sibon]

17 minutes ago, Mister M said:

I'm struggling to find what was so rude about Anna's post. You complain that Anna is blaming Thatcher, then complain that the debt the country has "is down to ineptitude and socialism". What socialism? I wished somebody would've told me that we were living in a socialist country.

He seems to have forgotten the Tory “governments” of the last 12 years.

 

I’m rather envious actually.

[Mister M]

2 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

 

Millions of people still feel like that and are living proof of it.

 

The generations now have benefits and a lifestyle that their predecessor couldn't have dreamt off. There is a very good reason why there are fees for university, and that's because thanks to Tony Blair's policies and every government since, the younger generation treats it as if it's some given right that they will go and it's a routine part of their education life. It used to be a place of selective courses for those with a genuine career path or academic ability - now it is arguable it's become the norm. An extension of adolescence and another buffer to stretch out time before joining the the world of work. In fact those who don't attend uni are often treated as if they somehow left something out.  

 

Then look at how the working world is these days. For the majority of the current generation employees they've got rights and benefits and working practises which would have been unthinkable 30-40 years ago. Look at the working conditions compared to some of the unsafe (if not lethal practises) being done by their predecessors. Look at the advancements in workplace technology, look at expansion in the type of job roles, the changing shifts in society on what people can achieve regardless of their sex or race or background or sexual orientation. Look at the advancements in things like flexible hours, shared parental leave, equal pay, minimum wage levels, maternity allowances, mental health and wellbeing initiatives, agile and home working initiatives..... 

 

Some of us are old enough to remember the days when women stayed at home washing the pots. If they did dare to enter the testosterone world of work, they were there to answer the phone, do the typing, serve lunch, look pretty and make the tea. Ask some young starter now to handwrite a ledger report and total it without a calculator, unload a load of pallets without some nice electronic trug or sack barrow, or manually dig up some part of the road without a 1000 pieces of safety gear....   we have a world where people are making legitimate careers out of of social media performance sitting in their own bedrooms. People making legitimate careers creating art and video content.  They are making legitimate careers trading goods bought online and resold. They are making legitimate careers blogging their own lives and journalling every trivial thing they do to show others who dedicatedly follow them.

 

Thanks to the advancements in globalisation and of course communications, the current generation have a work and social life which far exceeds anything seen before with friends and acquaintances all over the planet. They are constantly connected to their support group, they are constantly engaged, informed and entertained.

 

All of this of comes at a cost which plenty of people seem more than willing to be able to absorb. There is more socialising now than there ever was. The spend in consumer goods is more than ever before.

 

The definition of poverty is beyond all recognition. Yes we all know food banks exist but where is the genuine need.  If they disappear tomorrow what exactly would people do. Would they starve to death or would they somehow miraculously managed to find those extra pennies to buy groceries. The average house, even for someone on modest or low income, has  furnishings and technology previous generations would have had to save months if not years to achieve. There is an abundance of cheap consumer goods, cheap clothing, cheap food broughty by exploiting foreign labour markets. No one seems to care a lot about that as long as a price on the shelf is good. Everyone takes advantage of such things as demonstrated by the fact there are globalised businesses that make billions on the back of it.

 

We have an abundance of cheap credit, buy now pay later schemes all at the click of a button and without having to face a regular third degree from some bank manager or credit officer.   We are buying cars like picking up a dress off the rack. We have millions flying out on a regular basis at least once or twice a year on some bargain basement package tour, something which are predecessors may have only done once or twice in a lifetime. Travel is now for the masses when it was once seen as for the upper class and celebrity set.

 

Genuine grievance about genuine poverty??  or just entitlement syndrome from a society who've  continually been in a privileged position and never really had  to face what on the wider global stage would be considered  be genuine hardship and destitution.

 

Times are tough. Times are difficult. But people get on with it. People adapt. People make their own path.  Others sit on they're behind looking for someone else to continually blame or expect things just to happen for them.

Really glad that there has been progress in the world of work - workplace rights, equal pay, anti discrimination legislation, Health and Safety legislation and regulations.

With regards to food banks, I've not had to use one, and I'm grateful for that. There are others in a less fortunate position, due to ill health, crises or change in personal circumstances. You're asking where the genuine need is. It's there, in the food banks. People can't just go to one and help themselves. They have to be referred, the number of referrals is limited, and food banks themselves are struggling because they rely on the public. What with the cost of living crisis, many such donations to food banks are drying up.

With regards to "buying cars like picking up a dress off the rack, and people flying everywhere", well I wouldn't know about that or the personal finances of those that do.

Most, if not all people do adapt and get on with it, I'm one of them. 

I don't think that people who use foodbanks are 'entitled', that's a very bizarre description of them. You mention about genuine hardship and destitution, while others on here complain that poverty should not be seen in relative terms, therefore 'genuine proper poverty' doesn't exist . I'm sure to a third world country, people queuing at food banks here in UK must look like luxury, but it doesn't look like luxury to me, and it probably doesn't feel like it to them either.

[fools]

15 minutes ago, sibon said:

He seems to have forgotten the Tory “governments” of the last 12 years.

 

I’m rather envious actually.

You seem to not understand what socialist policies are. Very blinkered are the lefties.

Edited July 30, 2022 by fools

[Mister Gee]

Just now, fools said:

You seem to not understand what socialist policies are.

What are socialist policies?

[Guest sibon]

8 minutes ago, fools said:

You seem to not understand what socialist policies are. Very blinkered are the lefties.

I recognise 12 years of Tory misrule when I see it.

 

Maybe you’d be better off writing a stiff letter of complaint to Boris Johnson. I’m sure he’ll give it his full attention.

 

 

Edited July 30, 2022 by sibon

[Dromedary]

2 hours ago, Anna B said:

....

We have always been Capitalist, and used to use the wealth to help those who needed support. That's called responsible Capitalism and it worked well. 

No it was simply called Capitalism as we have never had responsible capitalism in the UK. Responsible capitalism is a fairly new idea and a phrase coined mainly by the left in an attempt to to justify a version of capitalism they are happy with because Socialism does not work. 

 

This partial quote by Bryce Evans on his piece about "Responsible capitalism and a return to the moral economy" sums it up well.

 

"....responsible capitalism, like moral economy, is the stuff of pantomime in an age in which England's place in global capitalism rests on the continued primacy of the City of London, bonuses and all."

 

Miliband used the phrase when he knew socialism was dead in the water and wanted a fairer capitalist state. Vince Cable also used the term and wrote about it when he was part of the Conservative coalition.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/responsible-capitalism

 

It was an attempt to get socialists on the side of capitalism and you fell for it!

 

2 hours ago, Anna B said:

....

We look to America now, and the great American dream, which isn't working there either, instead of looking to the Scandinavian countries who seem to have the balance about right. 

You have mentioned that many times before and also recently mentioned that the UK was one of the most expensive countries to live in. Perhaps if you look at the top most expensive countries to live in you will notice, I believe, 3 Scandinavian countries that are well above the UK in that list.

 

 

[Mister Gee]

4 minutes ago, Dromedary said:

No it was simply called Capitalism as we have never had responsible capitalism in the UK. Responsible capitalism is a fairly new idea and a phrase coined mainly by the left in an attempt to to justify a version of capitalism they are happy with because Socialism does not work. 

 

This partial quote by Bryce Evans on his piece about "Responsible capitalism and a return to the moral economy" sums it up well.

 

"....responsible capitalism, like moral economy, is the stuff of pantomime in an age in which England's place in global capitalism rests on the continued primacy of the City of London, bonuses and all."

 

Miliband used the phrase when he knew socialism was dead in the water and wanted a fairer capitalist state. Vince Cable also used the term and wrote about it when he was part of the Conservative coalition.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/responsible-capitalism

 

It was an attempt to get socialists on the side of capitalism and you fell for it!

 

You have mentioned that many times before and also recently mentioned that the UK was one of the most expensive countries to live in. Perhaps if you look at the top most expensive countries to live in you will notice, I believe, 3 Scandinavian countries that are well above the UK in that list.

 

 

 

[fools]

Public sector debt has gone from half a trillion, to 2.5 trillion in 15 years, and you think that's Tory austerity.

[Dromedary]

42 minutes ago, Mister M said:

....

You mention about genuine hardship and destitution, while others on here complain that poverty should not be seen in relative terms, therefore 'genuine proper poverty' doesn't exist.

....

You seem to love twisting the context of posts to suit don't you.

 

I don't think anyone on here has posted the idea that genuine poverty does not exist except you in the above post.

 

A poor attempt.

 

5 minutes ago, Mister Gee said:

 

Thanks I love that. Now it's time for some Electric Ladyland, a brilliant album to trip along to..... 

 

Maybe you should too as you seem a little lost for words. 

Edited July 30, 2022 by Dromedary
Blowing in the wind, not *******....