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Original poster

Collapse of normal life

507 replies

OldPot · 11/08/2022 12:09

It feels to me that this is what is beginning to happen. Spiralling bills that surely only the well off can pay, shortages of things we all took for granted (2 of my mum's regular medications are out of stock, no chemicals for the local swimming pool, things opening for a few hours instead of all day (post office, banks etc), NHS on its knees, many other services just not running as they should). Plus the sodding infernal heat and drought this summer.....

And yes I know we are luckier here in the UK than many, many others countries.....but I just feel there is no turning back to life pre-covid.

OP posts:
whalleyt · 11/08/2022 18:27

I did read that the 1% who have been building bunkers etc were also doing it because they recognised the growing inequality & wanted to protect their own as they expected some kind of revolt.

Rosscameasdoody · 11/08/2022 18:27

ImWell · 11/08/2022 18:19

The meetings are real. They aren’t secret, and reporters who attend write about what is discussed there.

The idea that they are plotting to keep you down and establish a new world order though, that bit is all made up.

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No, it’s the entire Ponzi scheme of capitalism and the consequential boom and bust economy it dictates that’s doing that.

whalleyt · 11/08/2022 18:28

pp mentioned govts telling us to spend

low interest rates encourage spending not saving.

Solonge · 11/08/2022 18:30

I dont think it is better here than in many other countries unless you are looking at countries that are under developed. Most first world countries are doing a hell of a lot better than we are. Europeans have been helped by their governments who have capped rises in the cost of power, oil etc. in the home and at the petrol pumps....we are the only country with growing gaps in supermarket shelves, we have been told there is a crisis in obtaining life maintaining drugs...frankly, if I were young I would be out of this country immediately. No future for our kids, our economy on a par with Russia which is a failing country in the grip of war. I see nothing good here.

whoamI00 · 11/08/2022 18:31

I feel the same and my life has been completely collapsed after Covid. I'm scared of what's coming next.

elzober · 11/08/2022 18:31

I think it's dramatic to say life will collapse. Previous generations weathered much worse storms and we will weather this one.

A lot of the country voted for Brexit and successive Tory governments (I didn't) so some of this current struggle feels self-inflicted. The turkeys voted for Xmas.

When you think of what we lost economically with Brexit, it's truly astounding but the media narrative has long moved on and they have COVID and the war to conveniently blame for all woes now.

vera99 · 11/08/2022 18:33

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nova99 · 11/08/2022 18:34

@EmmaH2022 why is the food rotting?

I think because it's already past it's best/poorer quality by the time we purchase it from there, so it's lasting a day or so at home, tops.

whalleyt · 11/08/2022 18:35

and yet the U-21s will be picking up the tab

Salome61 · 11/08/2022 18:36

I've noticed a lot of changes, I live in a village in the NE.

My friend came up from London to visit me and I arranged for us to eat in a different pub each night so she could meet some of the local people. For a Friday night the pub was quite empty, and we were rushed to order as the chef was finishing at 8 pm. The bar staff started cleaning at about 9 pm, and said they were closing at 9.30 pm.

I took her to the local coffee house for lunch the next day - no food because they can't get a chef. Their chef went back to his previous profession during furlough, and they can't get anyone.

Our PO and village shop have continued the short Covid hours they started in lockdown too.

BluOcty · 11/08/2022 18:36

@MintJulia Flowers I hope you continue to have a really smooth recovery and an easier year of it next year!

MrsRobinsonsHandprints · 11/08/2022 18:37

MintJulia · 11/08/2022 15:11

@Cantseethewindows
'...... and the one thing that we need most at the moment - competent, courageous leaders with intelligence, integrity and a long-term strategy - is sorely lacking.'

You are exactly right. Something that struck me was we don't need a Minister for Drought as someone was suggesting recently, we need a Minister for Domestic Insulation and Refurbishment.

Rather than wittering about the cost of fuel, why isn't the govt (this govt, any govt) dealing with the inadequate standards of insulation in 50% of the nation's homes. Properly, not launching useless schemes that attract cowboy contractors but doing something useful like...

Insisting 90% of all new builds have solar panels and water panels on their roofs. Stop being so bloody spineless and giving in to the developers.

Updating the standards for new builds to require better ventilation.

Doing a survey of all households with an income of under £20k and get on with installing loft insulation, dealing with damp, mending roofs etc, or forcing landlords to do all of the above to a fixed timeframe. Set up apprenticeships to teach college leavers to do the same, We are going to need a lot of them.

If we are going to get anywhere near net zero, we need to get on with it, and I can't see Truss, Sunak or Starmer having the balls to bring it about. The Green party is useless, and the more extreme organisations think superglueing themselves to the M25 is helpful🙄

As you say, we badly need someone competent!

I'd vote for you but I'd put the income at anyone below the national average.

AllJustATrialOfErrors · 11/08/2022 18:39

I agree. My mum died just preCovid and I absolutely know, she wouldn’t recognise the state of the UK today. It seems everything is broken; services on their knees. God help you if you need a fire engine/police attendance/ambulance. People are dying for lack of basic care and help.

Two attempts to collect a prescription from Boots thwarted as they are closing at 2pm due to staff shortages. Went today at 1.30. Shut. “Apologies for the inconvenience”. Same with our bank. Shutting each day after lunch dispute to “unforeseen circumstances”. Our local police station is to shut to be replaced with an online hub.

My auntie’s 92. Blind and deaf. Lives alone after husband died 2 yrs ago. Called the dr today for assessment for care/social services input. “We don’t get involved with that” 🤷🏻‍♀️ It’s self referral or a relative can refer. They gave me a number. It’s been engaged all afternoon. They close at 5pm and at 4.52, the line was answered by an answer phone voice… “We can’t take your call right now, please call again tomorrow”. So, I completed an online form. It advised me that it’d get back to me, in 5 working days. My auntie lives 120 miles away. I’m not on the doorstep. I’m just waiting for the call to say she’s been found on the floor at home or worse.

We’re in a right mess.

WhoAre · 11/08/2022 18:42

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nova99 · 11/08/2022 18:43

Rosscameasdoody · 11/08/2022 18:24

It pisses me off when older colleagues suggest that Netflix is the reason for my predicament. What's £9.99 gonna get me? It won't even pay for the bus tickets for us all to get to the town centre, once 🤣

Netflix, Sky, mobile phone contracts. All come in for scrutiny from the ‘this is a luxury not a necessity’ police. They don’t realise that £9.99 for a subscription to Netflix or a basic package from Sky or similar are probably the only ‘luxuries’ some people have left. If we can’t afford to go out to eat, or the cinema, or any of the things we used to do before the gloom and doom set in, are we really terrible people for hanging on to a few things to make life bearable ?

Exactly, it's the only form of entertainment we can afford. Long gone are the cinema, theatre, meals out, foreign holiday, stay cations (the pandemic saw to that one) and other recreational activity. We don't do anything but work and come home. Can't even go food shopping care free, we use the Tesco club card scanner to do our shopping, not for ease at checkout, but to add up how much we are spending.

vera99 · 11/08/2022 18:44

If the last election had been English voters under 65 then Jeremy would have been in no 10 with a social democratic programme that would have rivalled.....

Norway!

Capital is shit scared of organised labour and always have been, prefers the doffed cap and tugged forelock. Nothing has been given to the vast majority it had to be fought for and taken out of their cold greedy hands over centuries. When looking for reasons look up not sideways and ask yourself why billionaires are playing with rockets as toys whilst paying their staff peanuts and destroying national economic ecosystems.

wesayenough.co.uk/

neveradullmoment99 · 11/08/2022 18:48

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This 100%
The Tories need to be removed.

Boybandfacedfannyfart · 11/08/2022 18:51

Have you ever been to bloody Norway? 🙄

Christ on a bike - it’s very Corinthians 13:11 around here.

to whomever contrasted “new poor” and “old poor” I’m sending you a Katniss Everdeen solidarity salute!

Collapse of normal life
MarshaBradyo · 11/08/2022 18:52

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I’m sure even Labour can think of a way to win than just taking out sections of the population because they don’t vote for you ;

Suetwo · 11/08/2022 18:54

MiniTheMinx · 11/08/2022 17:42

Yes I am very aware of this. hence my statement about energy prices. However as a Marxist I will argue that these people are just as much reactive as we are........They certainly didn't make capitalism, and they certainly aren't planning on breaking it. Its own internal contradictions are the cause, these extremely rich powerful people and institutions have been digging their own graves , and now just when they are dug they want to throw you and me in! That is all. Vampires having a last supper, nothing more.

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Wow, it's amazing that people can describe themselves as Marxists in 2022 and expect to be taken seriously. Marx was a philosopher, but his followers treated him like some kind of religious prophet. In trying to force society to conform to his ideas, they killed around 100 million people.

Why not move to a Marxist state if you're so keen? Then you can try it for yourself! Venezuela is nice this time of year.

justasking111 · 11/08/2022 18:57

pistachi0nuts · 11/08/2022 17:18

This is the thing that bugs me. I don’t want to just “get by”. This isn’t post war 1940s Britain. That attitude of “we will have to get used to it” drives me mad. The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer and nobody seems to give a monkeys about the energy companies making literally billions of pounds of profit in the past year….Supermarkets too, it’s disgusting, the poor have been hoodwinked into voting Tory to benefit the rich just like the republicans did to the poor in America, it’s astonishing it really is. There is a whole load of bloody money that could help everyone out being hoarded and hidden away by the super rich. And they will just sit there watching us starve and freeze this winter. We need to be more like France and actually protest. This country is a bloody disgrace.

Well tough because you're going to have to get by. I've done it three times and survived and thrived because we knew when to pull in our horns and dig in. We don't live in a particularly ultra left wing or right wing society so need to endure the roller coaster. The alternative is worse.

Do you really think the bulk of Chinese and russian people are better off than you??

vera99 · 11/08/2022 18:59

Voting age reduced to 16 would be a start the same as the Scottish Parliament. I have been to Norway they start all very dour and very pedantic and once they start drinking (which is insanely expensive btw) go batshit mental. But you're looked after from the cradle to the grave and even prisoners live in luxury as society wants to reform not punish you. That said the population is 8% of that of the Uk with same level of oil and gas so they are cashed up.

YanTanTetheraPetheraPimp · 11/08/2022 19:03

Cervinia · 11/08/2022 18:16

As someone in the latter half of their 50s I agree with this.

I have been on so many employment, Inflation and housing roller coasters. My elders will have been on more.

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As a nearly 70 year old I completely agree too.
i well remember the 70’s and thankfully it’s nowhere near as bad as that.

BeechFairy · 11/08/2022 19:06

nova99 · 11/08/2022 18:34

@EmmaH2022 why is the food rotting?

I think because it's already past it's best/poorer quality by the time we purchase it from there, so it's lasting a day or so at home, tops.

It's because of the drought and heatwave. I've seen people blaming brexit and supermarket greed but I live in a farming area.

Crops are ripening earlier than they should have and fruit and veg are smaller than they should be. The strawberry grower down the road is normally open 8 to 10 weeks with a succession of different varieties. They had to close after 5 weeks as the fruit was so over ripe and small.
There will be poor quality/ more expensive fruit and veg all winter.
Europe has also seen heatwave and drought so no doubt imports will be more expensive.

Blossomtoes · 11/08/2022 19:13

Xenia · 11/08/2022 17:42

It doesn't feel anything like as bad as the 1970s - 60% inflation over 3 years - UK has 10% over a year in 2022. 99% upper tax rate 1970s. 1970s more strikes than now, 3 day week, country on its knees, power cuts. It is nothing like that now in 2022. Also we had the threat much higher than now of nuclear war. So far 2022 is a walk in the park compared with that and heaven on earth compared with world war 2 that my parents suffered.

I completely disagree (as usual!). This feels much worse than it did 50 years ago. The country’s on its knees; strikes are already happening and will increase as inflation continues to rise, power cuts and a three day week are very likely to become a reality this winter. Add to that a water shortage and the effects of climate change and it’s actually worse.

I was 19 in 1972 and the blind optimism and resilience of youth meant I just put my head down and got on with it. I’m scared now, this isn’t the way I envisioned my early old age being. And I’m one of the very lucky ones, the food bank here isn’t getting enough donations to keep up with demand.