to wonder whether we can afford this?

[yellowcatss]

we are over 240 000 000 000 0 www.nationaldebtclock.co.uk/
pounds in debt that seems like a lot of money to me.

No, is the short answer. The austerity to follow is going to be off the scale. And I think that will be a huge shock to some.

The next generation will pay for it big-time. I’m doing what I can now to try and sort out her financial security but obviously the Government will make sure that’s what I shouldn’t have done

We have to.

No. Obviously not.

And I am really thrilled to have worked throughout the pandemic to pay for furlough, only for my taxes to go through the roof to pay for everything else once this is all over because the economy has been destroyed and there are no jobs left. All while (most) people sit at home cowering and shouting for more lockdowns and more magic money.

Austerity is ideological, it is a failure as economic policy.

Economies do not operate in the same way as your household finances. For starters, you can't print your own money!

We cannot afford this, the media is not doing its job, it should highlight the dangers of us doing into a currency crisis caused by over indebtedness.

The sort of levels of debt we are getting ourselves into will kill a lot more people then Covid.

If we actually cared about young people we would not be offloading all problems on to them on the form of debt.

@user2853684215

Austerity is ideological, it is a failure as economic policy.

Economies do not operate in the same way as your household finances. For starters, you can't print your own money!

Exactly!

Just as subsequent generations had to pay for the war (finally paid off in 2006?), so existing and subsequent generations will pay for this emergency, and no doubt the generations after them will pay for whatever other catastrophes occur.

What we do need to do is ensure that the poor don’t end up paying the most.

I haven’t been on furlough, but I am happy that my taxes are going to help others, that’s the way a decent society should work.

@epythymy

No. Obviously not.

And I am really thrilled to have worked throughout the pandemic to pay for furlough, only for my taxes to go through the roof to pay for everything else once this is all over because the economy has been destroyed and there are no jobs left. All while (most) people sit at home cowering and shouting for more lockdowns and more magic money.

I keep reading this on MN about people "cowering" at home, but I don't see any of it in real life. I see people trying to get on with their lives as best they can and some who are vulnerable doing their best to protect their health where they can.