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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is the UK about to collapse?

778 replies

Penfield · 07/10/2021 14:20

Sorry - There was probably a better way to put this.

Does anyone else have a feeling that we are close to some collapse, explosion, disintegration of society ...

With gas prices, petrol shortages, inflation, Brexit fall out, Covid, gaslighting government etc

I feel like we're on the edge of something - big ...

OP posts:
OddSockReunion · 07/10/2021 20:26

@julieca

No it is not something to aspire to. But we are where we are.
Worth examining why though, given that much of the current predicament was a choice and we could, you know, decide not to be dicks to all of our allies and economic partners and not trash our own currency and not deliberately create a situation where we can't import the goods we want and can't staff huge sectors of our economy etc. Confused
julieca · 07/10/2021 20:26

@DerAlteMann I totally disagree.

Blossomtoes · 07/10/2021 20:26

@DerAlteMann

Compared to the 1970s, this is a picnic.
This is just the beginning. The resemblance to the 1970s is striking. The recent price rises take me right back to mid 70s.
somewhereovertherain · 07/10/2021 20:28

Johnson’s Brexit bonuses.

somewhereovertherain · 07/10/2021 20:29

We still haven’t implemented most of the inbound checks and delays.

derxa · 07/10/2021 20:31

@julieca

Scotland will I am sure go of its own volition.
I sincerely hope not
DazzleDrops · 07/10/2021 20:33

I agree with the op.
Think we're on the verge of some extremely tough and scary times.
I said to DH that it feels like something big is going to happen, I don't know what though. I think there may be a war of some kind or another pandemic.

Things just seem rather strange atm.

Cornettoninja · 07/10/2021 20:40

So I click on this to thread, vote and am greeted with this…

@Penfield things aren’t exactly great are they? I think so many of the worlds bad news stories have always felt ultimately quite far removed from the majority of us for the past few decades. It’s quite disturbing to be living in the midst of chaos.

Is the UK about to collapse?
dreamingbohemian · 07/10/2021 20:41

I think the threat of nuclear war is still viable tbh

I agree @JasonMomoasgirlfriend

It's interesting actually that so many people have mentioned the fear of nuclear war as something that made previous decades worse than today, when actually there is probably a greater danger of nuclear war today than ever before

More countries are developing nuclear weapons, the taboo against using nuclear weapons is much much weaker. The scariest thing about the Trump presidency was his obsession with nuclear weapons and wondering why he couldn't use them.

We will have space-based weapons in the near future, it will make the Cold War look like a picnic.

madisonbridges · 07/10/2021 20:45

@OddSockReunion. Don't change your argument because you lost it. You said food and petrol shortages were because of Brexit. That is wrong. There are no empty shelves and no petrol shortage. Therefore you can't blame Brexit for two problems that don't exist. Although you do sound a bit manic, so maybe you can. 🤷

TeamRick · 07/10/2021 20:48

I think the only thing going for us atm is the fact we don't have an erupting volcano!

Daphnise · 07/10/2021 20:51

Apart from rumblings that Scotland- or rather Sturgeon wants another referendum because the answer to the first one was "wrong", there's nothing to upset the status quo in the UK.

julieca · 07/10/2021 20:52

@dreamingbohemian I think there will be some nuclear missiles fired. I think it is unlikely to directly affect us. Far more likely to be in the Middle East or Korean border.

In terms of Trump, it has emerged that the Chief of Defence reminded everyone that they needed his approval to launch a nuclear missile and that Trump could not do it alone. So there was real concern that Trump might try. But there are some safeguards there.

julieca · 07/10/2021 20:54

@madisonbridges yes there are shortages. With petrol, it matters not if there is enough petro at the refinery if there are not enough drivers to get it to the pump.

hashbrownsandwich · 07/10/2021 20:56

[quote madisonbridges]@OddSockReunion. Don't change your argument because you lost it. You said food and petrol shortages were because of Brexit. That is wrong. There are no empty shelves and no petrol shortage. Therefore you can't blame Brexit for two problems that don't exist. Although you do sound a bit manic, so maybe you can. 🤷[/quote]
Star

MarshaBradyo · 07/10/2021 20:57

[quote julieca]@dreamingbohemian I think there will be some nuclear missiles fired. I think it is unlikely to directly affect us. Far more likely to be in the Middle East or Korean border.

In terms of Trump, it has emerged that the Chief of Defence reminded everyone that they needed his approval to launch a nuclear missile and that Trump could not do it alone. So there was real concern that Trump might try. But there are some safeguards there.[/quote]
I hope not. Too awful

A fascinating programme on the Manhattan Project today on R4

Finishing on the horror people faced

MintJulia · 07/10/2021 20:58

No, yabu. There's a big proportion of people who have no problem filling up the car, paying their bills etc. And most people are double jabbed now so covid's not much of a problem for most. They'll just carry on with their lives.

luckylavender · 07/10/2021 20:59

I hate responses to threads like this that say 'stop watching the news'. Why do people want to be in the dark?

julieca · 07/10/2021 21:04

@MintJulia

No, yabu. There's a big proportion of people who have no problem filling up the car, paying their bills etc. And most people are double jabbed now so covid's not much of a problem for most. They'll just carry on with their lives.
Yes there are always people who ignore signs of a crisis. I remember people on MN in early March 2020 saying everything was okay and there would never be a lockdown. And even earlier some saying that the virus would never reach Britain. Some people seem to like living in denial. It is bloody obvious more shortages are coming. We haven't even put into practice the border checks that Brexit agreement demands.
madisonbridges · 07/10/2021 21:04

[quote julieca]@madisonbridges yes there are shortages. With petrol, it matters not if there is enough petro at the refinery if there are not enough drivers to get it to the pump.[/quote]
There were no shortages at the pumps before BP said it had problems at 10 forecourts. There are no shortages at the pumps now people are behaving normally. And yet we have the same amount of delivery drivers both before and after that mad week. All petrol companies said they had no problems with supplies or deliveries. The whole thing was hysteria made and fuelled by the media.

Thecurliestwurly · 07/10/2021 21:05

@Blossomtoes

Property always goes up in value really

Unfortunately it doesn’t. A lot of people whose houses were repossessed 30 years ago still owed money after they’d lost their house. Hopefully that won’t happen to people again.

And in 2008.....

Even now I still see people on here talking about how their house ended up in negative equity in 2008.

OddSockReunion · 07/10/2021 21:07

There are no shortages at the pumps now people are behaving normally.

Depends how close to a refinery you happen to live.

JassyRadlett · 07/10/2021 21:10

There are no shortages at the pumps now people are behaving normally.

All the service stations round here with signs up saying ‘no fuel, but our shop is open!’ seem to indicate otherwise.

One got a delivery today. The queue blocked an A road.

SweeneyToddler · 07/10/2021 21:11

This made me smile.

Is the UK about to collapse?
julieca · 07/10/2021 21:15

Yes people always seem surprised when I say I lost money when I sold my first house. No prices do not always go up. Buy to let is keeping house prices artificially high.