to think that an austerity-related culture of blame for misfortune is very dangerous

[YeahCorvid]

Kind of a TAAT - I have been following the pregnant young woman with kidney infection and sepsis thread.

She couldn't move, was alone, unable to get water or seek real life advice and the sane mn-ers on the thread advised her to call an ambulance. She is now in hospital being treated for serious illness.

There was an opposing current of opinion on the thread that basically assumed she was a timewaster. (Was it relevant to this thought that she is a student?)

Let's be clear: public services are under huge pressure. This is to do with all kinds of macro social and political factors and HAS NOTHING to do with individuals taking the piss.

There is a rightwing current of thought being put about by hugely influential rich rightwing press barons that:

• scarcity is the fault of individuals
• individual misfortune could always have been avoided by acting better
• or in other words, it is the individual's fault
• it is therefore barely ever appropriate to seek any sort of help
• whether for health issues or other problems like poverty

Please can we all see why this cultivated impatience with misfortune is dangerous and inappropriate on a support website. It is politically generated to the benefit of very few people; very few of whom will be on this site.

I think you are right. I didn't see the thread you are referring to but the 'impatience with misfortune' is rife on MN.

"Why did you have more kids with this man?" is the very worst and most cutting example. It allows follows after someone has bled their heart out about some awful situation and adds nothing to the discussion.

Is there such a thing as conspicuous lack of compassion? Look at me aren't I a bitch?

what a great expression - "conspicuous lack of compassion". I think it's a bastardised version of the hard-hitting truth-telling that mn used to be known for - when it was a smaller site, there was more likely to be some wisdom and / or humour in it.

And yes, I do think the climate of austerity and the "you did it to yourself" narrative that it oscillates around is infectious and dangerous.

There's also this paradigm that wellness will make you impervious to health conditions or misfortune, so if you develop one, it's because you made yourself unwell by not adhering to perceived standards of wellness. That thread was terrible! One particular twat posted along the lines of 'have you figured out why this happened'. Gah, how exactly does one cause one's own kidney infection and sepsis.

conspicuous lack of compassion Oh! Yes!

It's the flip side of "You were just lucky"

MN seems to have a thing for your misfortunes being all your own fault and your successes being down to sheer luck! Not quite sure where that leaves anyone trying to work their way through anything!

MN is only a reflection of what's happening in society in general.

It goes like this:
Unemployment (or insecure employment) + lower wages (in real terms) + higher cost of living = unhappy people

Add in cuts to public services having a real impact on the same people (over-stretched NHS, schools have less resources, Councils cut 'non essential' services etc) = very unhappy people

Now throw in various biased/misrepresented/fake news stories about migrants/disabled people/single mothers etc being the cause of it all - spread liberally across tabloids, twitter, blogs etc.

And the result? Lots of unhappy people who are a lot less tolerant than they were 10 years ago.

The happy people are the wealthy, privileged elite who are shielded from all of this and can continue living in their protected bubble.

You see, dame that's that I mean!

You describe a simple dichotomy - have / have not!

What about those in the middle? Not unhappy and not wealthy, privileged elite?

The thing is the middle are impacted - look in today's Guardian for the article about several Councils facing insolvency and what that will mean for local services.

Middle class people still use roads. They still rely on infrastructure being properly maintained.
They'll notice the impact of an increase in unsupported addicts and people with mental health issues.
They'll notice the cuts in children's services and youth centres (they might not use them but they'll see the wider impact on their local area).
The list goes on.

The only people who won't notice it are the super rich living in their gated enclaves, relying almost entirely on private services.

@YeahCorvid - definitely agree. It's promulgated by the right-wing media and the is yet another consequence of allowing people like Katie Hopkins to have a public voice. As a nation, we seem to be collectively becoming more selfish and more likely to look down on the unfortunate.

And if you comment on it, you are a dangerous far-left insurgent. Christ.

Sarcity is the fault of individuals combined though. The British take advantage of their welfare state but refuse to pay the obscenely high taxes that are required to keep a everything free for everyone model running. People who don't need to use state services like NHS or schools do. People who could get by without claim child benefit still claim it. Parents who could pay university tuition tell their children to take government loans instead. People who don't need a state pension draw one anyway because 'they paid in' apparently. If you multiply these actions by hundreds of thousands you get a poor welfare state. The reason that the British welfare state is at breaking point is because the British don't respect it. It takes care of them but they won't take care of it.

The British take advantage of their welfare state but refuse to pay the obscenely high taxes that are required to keep a everything free

Er.. except this assumes all taxes are used only to pay for essential public services that benefit the poor and from which the wealthy can opt out.

What about the defence budget? Unless you're saying not a penny of taxes or Nat Insurance ends up there? There's no opt out and everyone needs it.

What about the civil servants and council employees who spend their days processing planning applications for luxury housing developments? Or HMRC employees who are run ragged by expensive tax lawyers? How are they funded and who do they benefit?

Perhaps a fairer tax system which discouraged investors from treating UK property and land like an ISA might be a start.

But it would take a brave political party to propose that. Far easier to blame it on the average earner and say its their fault for not paying more tax.

Incidentally have you heard of Lehman brothers? Sub-prime mortgages? Did you perhaps notice that the economy took a turn for the worse circa 2007?

Impatience with misfortune is bad everywhere, not just on a support website. And I found that it is those with high-power career, who think they're "self-made man/woman" who have the least compassion towards those who are different. I don't like a "CEO woman", the kind who lives in 5bed house, 3 bathrooms, cleaner twice a week, and who'll sack someone if they cry at work, that sort of type. Nothing "empowering" in there, just another exploiter, but of your own gender.

These people think they carve out the best fortune for their own kids, while screwing everyone else (and their kids).

Mind you, I'm not someone sitting in the pool of my own piss, shoving fat down my face, "on the social" and expecting a 4bed council house. I'm a former professional who is sick of these ruthless, self-righteous fucks in the top management who ruin every job for everyone.