Young people should take responsibility for themselves, not the state?

[Chattybum]

Quote from Jeremy Corbyn - "Think of the young people who are given the subliminal message to look after your own education and look after your own health forget about council housing, make your own way in the world. It’s depressing, it’s unnecessary and it’s all part of the contraction of the public realm and the public state."

I'm not a fan of JC and this statement perfectly sums up why. AIBU to ask why people like this idea without this turning into a bun fight?

Where's the source this came from? It's a quote that's out of context.

I think that the state does owe its citizens health and education. Why the fuck wouldn’t anyone?

I'd need some context to the quote because I avoid the news as much as possible. Is he saying it's a good or a bad thing?

Surely younge people shouldn't be brought up to think they can rely on the state to provide everything for them and and should, as far as possible, take responsibility for their own health, education and housing?

So you believe in moving to an American system of healthcare?

Young people, like all people, need to take responsibility for fulfilling their potential as individuals and as members of society. Working hard, getting a job, being good citizens and good parents.

Having a shared equitable NHS doesn’t divest us of responsibility, surely?

Previous generations have had support to gain further education, whether grants previously or just less extortionate university fees adequately covered by student loans. Is it so awful to want to go back to that and support young people in getting an education?

Being young doesn't mean you can't be unreasonable. Why shouldn't young people be enticed to council accommodation if there's enough to go around if it reduces homelessness, overcrowding and sofa surfing, meaning they're more able to work and contribute. Council housing isn't just free accommodation for life.

Assume the health ties in across various parts where people actually care about young people's services.

I took it to mean, along side his pledges in reducing homelessness etc that it's about building a society where we look after everyone, not just the rich

I don't understand your post OP. Are you saying you don't think young people should have access to good quality healthcare, education and housing? Have you not had these things and why would you not want future generations to have them?

I like the idea of an inclusive society and I’m happy to pay a contribution in tax for it as long as everyone else does, too.
I got the same subliminal message growing up in Thatcher’s Britain and decades of feeling a failure at being an adult, in spite of working full time in the public sector in the South East, and not having a secure family home until the right relative died, has highlighted how much it’s needed. My student loans were a tenth of what my daughters can expect to have. We need a socialist government. Blair’s wasn’t and things got worse. I admire Jeremy Corbyn and think we need him.

@nailsneeddoing The quote was from one of his campaign speeches this week I believe.

@pigsknickers that's not what I'm saying.

I started this post to gain others perspective on his statement.

How can a young person take care of these things themselves if they don’t have parental financial support at the very least?

I know heaven forbid that today's generation should actually benefit from the same things previous generations have.

I quite like the idea of everyone having as equal and fair opportunity as possible, recognising that the reality may be different. But let’s at least try.

Why? Because I want a country filled with people who are happy, healthy, well educated and able to earn a living and have a roof over their head.

I think Jeremy Corbyn is fantastic and exactly what the country desperately needs. I don’t know what it is you don’t like about this statement Op. it’s been asked by other posters but you’ve not explained?

Um, that’s hard to gauge from the quote. I don’t think uni should be free. I think actual health care should be free but not some of the things we get currently. I think social housing should be there for those in need. So I’m not what his statement means or what he was discussing.

Or what bit you’re most annoyed by.

What are you saying then Chattybum? You have had other people’s perspectives. Can you explain why this statement makes you hate JC even more?

It’s from a speech he made in Telford on Wednesday. I’m not one for socialism and do think that as far as possible people should look after themselves. By all means have the state as a safety net but individual responsibility is a good thing. That said, this has always been a Labour position, they like big government and state control.

It’s funny that people associate state control with Labour but actually it’s more subtle than that.

The Tories are big on central state control - they don’t like local authorities and power being closer to voters, for example. They just don’t want to give individuals much support even if they clearly need it.

@FridalovesDiego so far we have already had 'fuck' and 'hate' from you and it's not yet 7am. I'm after a civilised chat on this thread thank you.

😂😂
Sorry dearie, can you explain why this statement makes you less of a fan of JC? Thanks ever so.

I probably shouldn’t reply to this but......

The opposite of the NHS is not the American health system. Also, alternatives to the NHS are not limited to the American heath care system!

As to the original question - I agree. What happened to ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’

The Tories are big on central state control - they don’t like local authorities and power being closer to voters, for example

From what I can see, the Tories prefer to give control to business rather than to people. I’m not keen on that either.

Iggly
I quite like the idea of everyone having as equal and fair opportunity as possible, recognising that the reality may be different. But let’s at least try.
Why? Because I want a country filled with people who are happy, healthy, well educated and able to earn a living and have a roof over their head.
^^This. I vote Iggly.

Well my perspective is that if you think these things should be available to members of society, including young people and those without independent wealth, then Jeremy Corbyn agrees with you.

If you don't support a system where young people (or anyone) can get access to health, education and a welfare state that seeks to address the deep and growing inequalities in this country then you have a fundamental lack of understanding of the levels of poverty and discrimination that prevent people from reaching their potential and being able to contribute to society. The more we reduce the system that seeks to close the gap, the bigger the gap becomes and actually costs the country more as well as being morally bankrupt.

I absolutely don’t think young people should expect - or even want - council housing.

They should expect and want a job which allows them to pay their rent.

So many things wrong with the NHS most of it not down to money but down to the fact it’s really just the sales branch of big pharma.

I’m in favour of a very different approach to healthcare. One which is actually about health not drugs and operations.

I don’t particularly see why university should be free, particularly when far too many people currently go, getting degrees that don’t help them at all.

I do think young people, and I am talking teenagers here, do feel the country doesn't care about them very much. School budgets have been slashed in real terms, and many of them won't have reliable subject specialist teachers in all their subjects. Funding for mental health services has also been slashed.

When they get slightly older, many of them realise that owning a home will be out of reach and they will have to privately rent forever/for a long time. They're often told they need to go to uni to do well, but this involves taking on a lot of debt and the maintenance loan often doesn't cover their living costs.

I think it's very easy for young people to feel that society doesn't care about them, so why should they care about society?

I also think equality of opportunity is very important and that starts with education and services for young people.