AIBU to think this godforsaken country is a shambles?

[Toysintheattic29]

THIS IS WHAT’S ON MY MIND: this country is in shambles. I’ve never seen so many homeless people on the streets; social care services unable to cope with overflowing caseloads; our precious NHS struggling to care for anyone at all (forget it if you have non life-threatening surgical needs or are elderly); train fares continually getting jacked up; rising costs; roads cracking up; broadband speeds laughably slow and the biggest con of all, BREXIT. Even in the austerity of the 1950s things were not as grim as they are now - at least we had a reliable health service and publicly owned transport systems and many members of the public didn’t have to rely on food banks.

One of these threads rolls around every month or so.
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It's amazing that so many people keep having children, given that things are so bad .

What are you doing to improve things, OP? Besides moaning?

Americans get far superior healthcare to that provided on the NHS.

Lol. Not true at all.

In some cases that may be true Cote but I myself have been on the receiving end of very very shit healthcare in the States. Which I'll be paying off for years.

I share none of your negativity about this country and if it's so bad how come so many thousands are battering at our borders to be let in?

Seriously, if you don't like it the door is that way ----->

YANBU about Brexit - it’s a disaster.

But homelessness is significantly lower now than in the past (eg one third of what it was 15 years ago). Google if you don’t believe me.

In 1970 only 30% of homes had cental heating. 96% today. Hardly any in the 1950s. Three quarters of households didn't own a car in the 50s.

You have no idea how much things have improved materially, let alone in terms of women's rights etc.

Cote emergency healthcare in the UK is brilliant it really is, I have first hand experience unfortunately or fortunately depending on which way you look at it and all free at point of delivery. Non urgent surgery not so great obviously...

Things are much better now than they have ever been, yy to heating, leisure time etc.

I am really worried about the NHS. Management of ur local GP surgery has just been contracted out. Whilst treatment is still free at point of contact; i do not believe its possible for a profit making business to offer the care which will be in the best intetesy of patients. The priority will always be minimising costs to increase profits

Oh except Brexit - that is a bloody disaster

The NHS offers us so much that US health insurers make their patients pay for - in my sil’s policy, for example, vaccinations for her unborn baby as well dopplar scans have to be paid for on top. Neither is the Metformin she takes to prevent a miscarriage - cost of this is around 10 dollars a pop on top of their health insurance.

Seriously it may become a lot more efficient though you never know.

So what do you suggest, OP?

Or did you just want to moan despite living in a first world country?

Whilst I agree that there are issues today I am really surprised to hear that you thought the 1950s were better.......really surprised...

Yup. We can't afford the NHS, schools or housing yet the Tories can pluck £13 billion from the magic money tree to pay for foreign aid. I guess a lot of MPs benefit personally from the situation.

It is bad for some but not for others - So many people want to move there. I'm in NZ and we have the same problems - much worse homelessness per capita . Families living in people's garages, families in cars, tents. But somehow people think it's a wonderful place to emigrate to.

www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/335556/nz-tops-list-of-developed-countries-with-most-homeless

Did you actually live through the fifties op? How can you possibly say things were better? Due to the bombing many families were living in multi occupancy housing, one room and shared facilities. Most had no fridges and certainly no washing machines or TVs. Many barely had any furniture and some only the clothes they stood up in.

Children were often 45 to a class with one teacher and no classroom assistance. Food was more heavily rationed in the early fifties thsn during the war. There was little to buy and nothing to buy it with anyway.

After 5 years of war, many sons, husbands and fathers would never be the same men again. There was fuel shortages, a housing crisis, and damage to the infastructure that took decades to put right.

What was different then was the spirit of the people. They slogged on through the war and they slogged on through the fifties without the constant carping and complaint we see now.

We really don't understand the sacrifices they made and what they endured for us and only a very entitled snowflake would make the ludicrous claim that we are worse off than in the 1950s!

Yeah. We have it so bad here. If only people in the majority of other countries saw how tough we have it

Obviously things are far from perfect but we get free education and healthcare for one, we don't starve, we have clean water, we aren't experiencing war or under a brutal regime that kills our friends and family, we have freedom of speech, equal rights for all - even the disorganised mess of a benefits system is a huge benefit, plenty of other places don't have this at all. We have access to abortion and contraception. That is not an exhaustive list.

Yes things can be improved and it's no bad thing to strive for better. Yes there is still suffering, poverty etc, I'm not arguing things here are perfect. But bloody hell, get an awareness of how millions of other humans live before you complain too much. We are a very lucky minority.

Ecclesiastes "It's amazing that so many people keep having children, given that things are so bad"

I actually think it IS amazing people keep having children, given that things are so bad.....but then again people have them because they want them at the time, I don't think they think much what life will be like for the child.

So what should the NHS provide? Vasectomys, nose jobs, gastric bands, or Heart bypass, cancer treatment?

As for the homeless, we had a charity worker on local TV saying they weren't homeless and DO NOT give them money.

Those who can not afford housing in the south should look to the north. Cheaper housing and cost of living is cheaper.

Rail fares. A woman on the news said her rail season ticket is £5k. Cheaper than us then as we had to buy a car, insure it, put it through MOT's.

@kath - most rail commuters maintain a car too. So it often means paying 10k for transport.

I agree jenala that we are a lucky minority BUT i think the terrible thing is that we have the system, infrastructure and money to treat people far far better than we do. In a place like the uk, there really is no excuse for people living in the streets or old people freezing to death at home

So what lucky country is going to have you OP seeing as you don't like it here. The 1950's were awful especially for women

My DM would have to tell her husband how much she earned for the family tax return which he had to fill in!

The NHS needs a complete re-think. I would get it back to basics

1. No paracetamol and items that can be brought cheaply.
2. No IVF (sadly)
3. Pay a nominal sum to see a GP.
4. No free prescriptions for pensioners on a certain income level. You can buy a £100 yearly season ticket if required. My FIL is a higher rate tax payer on his pension. He doesn't need free this and that
5. The Lagos Express that the Nigerian women use after having had life threatening multiple eggs implanted through IVF needs to stop. Charge the Embassy if this happens

The homeless people from Eastern Europe is spot on

@Newyearnewyew

Do you have any evidence that "many people want to come here to beg.."