Is the UK about to collapse?

[Penfield]

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 ...

@Penfield

Oh well.

I should just be resigned to our fate then.

Stop reading the news.

The way the Tories like things is the way it’s always been and will be forever now since we’re all
Ok with it. Look at a few history books.

It’s fine. I’ll just get on with life and accept my children’s lot.

Do something about it then. Or live your life in terror about the future. Or put it in perspective.

What do you want people to say? 'Oh yes it's shit so let's all give up'?

"Do something about it then"

Do what? Seriously. If there is a magic thing that can done I'll bloody do it. I campaigned against Brexit. I marched against it. I support financially and via awareness the legal campaigns against various Tory corruption. I've demonstrated outside Parliament.

I mean, I guess I could train as an HGV driver but, trust me, that ain't gonna help.

I said Do something about it then. Or live your life in terror about the future. Or put it in perspective

If there are any other options, that would be fab

@Penfield

Oh well.

I should just be resigned to our fate then.

Stop reading the news.

The way the Tories like things is the way it’s always been and will be forever now since we’re all
Ok with it. Look at a few history books.

It’s fine. I’ll just get on with life and accept my children’s lot.

I think this is the view of a lot of people who decide to abstain from voting tbh. And the Tories (in this instance) know it.

Whilst you do have to do what’s best for you and yours in the circumstances (which you have very little control over) it’s important to remain informed, remember the facts before they’re whitewashed and twisted and make your vote count.

There’s not much alternative to the tories at the moment but then you need to change your mindset to casting a vote against. I also think we need to lose this solid political identity culture we seem to give value. If the tories policies suit you vote them but if at the next election it’s greens vote them (sadly they don’t even have a candidate in my area). Democracy would work much better in this country if people didn’t treat their political parties like a football team.

I haven't been back for 3 years but if the talk of GP appointments, ambulances, crime etc are true, I really don't want to come back.. We have less than 50 cases a day here and after strict border control and enforcement of sd and masks, are now in green phase and free from restrictions except vaccinated, sd and masks. It was worth it and haven't met one person who didn't support it. So I can eat out anywhere because I am vaccinated. If not, only take out. That is far freerer than the so called freedom and anger I read about.

@Penfield

Oh well.

I should just be resigned to our fate then.

Stop reading the news.

The way the Tories like things is the way it’s always been and will be forever now since we’re all
Ok with it. Look at a few history books.

It’s fine. I’ll just get on with life and accept my children’s lot.

You haven't elaborated about what you think is going to happen exactly.

My longer term plan is to leave the UK because I think the conservatism and resistance to change and the insistence on a ridiculous electoral system and unwritten constitution and State Religion does not suit me.

I am also finding it overcrowded and excessively expensive here.

@Merrylegs87

Stop looking at the news

This

Yes, stick your fingers in your ears and pretend it’s not happening. And then please don’t vote because you’ll have absolutely no idea what you’re voting for. It probably explains why we’re here in the first place.

It's usually the people who 'don't vote because what's the point' that are the angriest.

Those who don't vote are a huge part of the problem

I genuinely don't understand all this rhetoric about there being no alternative to the Tories. I'm no fan at the moment of the way Labour is conducting themselves, but they are still leagues, leagues better than the Tories. Labour wouldn't have spaffed £37 bn on PPE and Track and Trace that didn't work - they might have used it to bolster the NHS. They wouldn't have burned all the bridges to the CU and SM with the declaration 'Fuck business'. There are alternatives. They may not be fantastic but they are a hell of a lot better.

@antoniawhite

I genuinely don't understand all this rhetoric about there being no alternative to the Tories. I'm no fan at the moment of the way Labour is conducting themselves, but they are still leagues, leagues better than the Tories. Labour wouldn't have spaffed £37 bn on PPE and Track and Trace that didn't work - they might have used it to bolster the NHS. They wouldn't have burned all the bridges to the CU and SM with the declaration 'Fuck business'. There are alternatives. They may not be fantastic but they are a hell of a lot better.

The problem is that we were not presented with a choice between Conservative or Labour to manage the pandemic. We were presented with a choice between Johnson or Corbyn to push through Brexit.

I don't want Johnson in power, Starmer would be a huge improvement, but that won't be a choice for another 2-3 years until we have another election. All the Corbyn supporters claim that they don't want the Conservatives in power, yet their support for Corbyn, rather than a sensible Labour leader gave the Conservatives an 80 seat majority.

Yes - agree with all you say matilda. But even now, when we look at the polls and the Tories are ahead, there's the instant rejoinder that they're awful, but that there's nobody else. They are truly, cripplingly dreadful and corrupt, and there are alternatives. If the polling showed that, I'd feel a bit happier about it all.

And I speak as one who did vote Labour in 2019 despite having many, many reservations about Corbyn, but they were our best chance at getting the Tory MP out. Sadly we didn't manage it . . . Rural Devon will always go for the Tory, unfortunately.

Just because historically the UK has been relatively stable, influential and prosperous doesn't mean we always will be. We aren't an especially unique type of humans.
I worry we are going the way of Argentina (www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN0FZ23N20140730) or Japan (www.harvardmagazine.com/2010/07/an-aftermath-to-avoid)

Unfortunately we can't really do much about it apart from vote, so maybe ostriching is the best solution if democracy isn't going ones way

I think it’s going to be a tricky time but I also think we’ve been very very fortunate for a very long time. I’m 43 & this is the first time I remember things being hard. I guess I was too young for other major events to really impact me. It will get better again.

@Pythonista

It's usually the people who 'don't vote because what's the point' that are the angriest.

Those who don't vote are a huge part of the problem

It’s not about “what’s the point?”. How can you possibly vote realistically if you spend your life with your head in the sand?

No, I don't think the UK is about to collapse into a financial Armageddon. I'm really concerned about the gas, food and petrol price increases and what that means for those people who are financially vulnerable. I do think the poor will be hit hardest and some families will collapse with the additional pressure of making ends meet and that the rest of us will find things less convenient and comfortable for the next few years. As usual, it's this latter group with the loudest voices who will swamp the column inches about the injustice at having to rearrange their lives while the former is left to sink.

I hope that the Labour Party gets itself together and provides a proper oppositional party that can represent those who are struggling the most and give a voice to them in Parliament instead of being lost in its own identity crisis and woke navel gazing.

@Pythonista

It's usually the people who 'don't vote because what's the point' that are the angriest.

Those who don't vote are a huge part of the problem

Agreed. For example, I think it was 72% of those eligible to vote in the brexit referendum turned out. Then it was enacted on a result of 52/48%. The last general election had a turn out of 67%. Those votes not casted had the potential to change where we are today.

Votes matter. It’s not a requirement to have an in depth knowledge of politics, vote with your gut if you need to, but even when parties don’t win in changes the political conversations when there is pressure from other parties with support. Everyone is looking to poach supporters from other parties so change their rhetoric to entice them. Politics gives no shits about those who don’t bother, you’re no threat to them.

FFS! Go talk to people living in Syria, Lebanon etc who have been living under incredibly difficult situations for years, they would call our current situation a bloody luxury.

I didn’t realise that grips were in short supply too.

As we're on page 22 I'm sure I have nothing new to add, but - we've gone from a relatively cushy existence (for most of us) into a period of massive change, uncertainty, fear, insecurity and distrust. There have been many times like that before, but not in the age of 24hour news and SM.

The tiniest things can have a lasting impact on our emotions and psychology. So I think it's going to be very hard for most of us to make an objective prediction about the near future. Plus it's impossible to predict anyway.

My overall forecast: some things will get worse. Some things will get better. At some point it'll all be pretty good. Then it'll all go to shit in a completely different way. Over and over. Eventually we'll all die out. For now, I'm having pizza for dinner.

Go talk to people living in Syria, Lebanon etc who have been living under incredibly difficult situations for years, they would call our current situation a bloody luxury.
Yes. But they have not been in those situations forever. Lebanon in particular was a prosperous country.
The UK doesn't have some magic protection other countries don't
www.google.com/amp/s/www.haaretz.com/amp/middle-east-news/.premium-lebanon-was-once-as-financially-prosperous-as-dubai-so-why-is-it-now-like-greece-1.7569710

That's what the tories want - disengagement and apathy. Put your fingers in your ears, deny, deny, deny....
Every factually correct news item is dismissed as sensationalist, fear mongering. The number of people repeating Johnson's pathetic slogans and turn of phrase - doom mongers - etc just tells you how many have been brainwashed. Most people on MN will probably be ok, only have to look at the money people flash about on fashion, travel and property threads, so what's £20 here and there ? So yes most people will be ok in their little bubbles. Then again things have been shit for millions for years and no one really cared, why should they now. And the excuses as to why they can't vote for labour or lib dems. We've literally got the most corrupt dishonest government ever but oh no labour/lib dems are worse..

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

As we're on page 22 I'm sure I have nothing new to add, but - we've gone from a relatively cushy existence (for most of us) into a period of massive change, uncertainty, fear, insecurity and distrust. There have been many times like that before, but not in the age of 24hour news and SM.

The tiniest things can have a lasting impact on our emotions and psychology. So I think it's going to be very hard for most of us to make an objective prediction about the near future. Plus it's impossible to predict anyway.

My overall forecast: some things will get worse. Some things will get better. At some point it'll all be pretty good. Then it'll all go to shit in a completely different way. Over and over. Eventually we'll all die out. For now, I'm having pizza for dinner.

Love this

I'm not disengaged nor apathetic. I am mindful about what I can do and change and then I turn down the noise on worrying. I don't think hyperbolic statements are helpful.

That's what the tories want - disengagement and apathy. Put your fingers in your ears, deny, deny, deny....

Spot on.