To think the mood of the country is low level depression?

[AllThePogs]

I know individuals may feel optimistic at the moment or severely depressed, but I think the atmosphere in the country is of low-level depression.
I think countries often have an overall "feel" to them. I have lived through times that have felt optimistic that things are going to improve, and times that have felt happy and prosperous.
But at the moment the atmosphere just seems like low-level depression.
AIBU?

@stamina I have volunteered loads in the past. They can go to hell if they think I will for the Jubilee. I suspect there will be fewer people willing than normal. Even our street "organiser" who have organised things in the past has so far been quiet about the Jubilee.

I feel depressed about the future of this country and what it offers. It's very corrupted. The NHS being on its knees, lack of housing, drug use increase, knife crimes, children being abused and murdered and punishments given isn't good enough, women being murdered or attacked, switching to electric cars which costs thousands, the petrol crisis we had recently, energy bill increase, tax increase, the pandemic which has ruptured our economy, new businesses such as pcr labs making millions since the pandemic and a few other things that I can't think of right now.

Just before omricon, life was buzzing a little and then it went dead quiet because people didn't want to risk Christmas especially when the media was constantly reporting potential lockdown. The streets then went into a ghost town mode where high streets already struggling had hardly any customers when it's meant to be the busiest time of the year, restaurants left empty because of cancellations, shows being cancelled etc. I'm sick and tired of this pandemic and the media constantly exaggerating and fueling the fire. I'm sick of tired of watching the depressing news. And of course one rule for the elite/politicians and another rule for the rest of the country. This divide is making me feel like we are living in the hunger games where the elite is the capitol and the rest of the country is living in districts serving the capitol.

Just watching the news. I had forgotten about the NI increase coming which will affect people like me more who earn less, than the rich.

@twominutesmore

Inflation, fuel and energy prices, tax rises, interest rate rises, a pay freeze for many in the public sector, two years of covid, a corrupt government and nothing to bloody look forward to for the foreseeable. I'm fed up of even pretending to be optimistic snd cheerful.

All of this I agree Op

@AllThePogs

Just watching the news. I had forgotten about the NI increase coming which will affect people like me more who earn less, than the rich.

This is really infuriating me. Essentially I can't afford to buy a home because of the wages I earn, I now get to pay more towards social care to ensure people who already have more than me get to keep more of it, with no improvement in conditions or pay for those already subsidising social care by working in it for a pittance. I just can't believe that in all the ways this extra money could be spent, this is how it's going to be, instead of improving the delivery of care, the industry and the conditions.

I agree. If it was to be spent on increasing wages and improving care I could accept it. But I agree poorer people are being taxed to benefit rich people.

@AllThePogs

I agree. If it was to be spent on increasing wages and improving care I could accept it. But I agree poorer people are being taxed to benefit rich people.

Until I understood what it was for I was all for it, I never really expected it to raise wages to a level where it would significantly affect my standard of living, but it should be spent on training and equipment, enough staff to do the job effectively, not running existing staff into the ground. It's probably not going to cause me extreme hardship when it comes out my wages come April, but it will be noticeable, and I was more than willing to deal with that if the results meant I could give better care in a less stressful environment and not feel constantly conflicted. I'd trade a pay rise for more staff and better training, as long as I could still afford to live. None of those things are happening, and I'm still going to be poorer. I'm really disillusioned with it all.

@Tealightsandd

I expect that Silent But Deadly Twelve Homes Sunak is in a fairly good mood.

And people are swallowing it. I feel like, collectively, our faculties have atrophied, given that there's so little opposition to such exploitative policies. The Tories based their manifesto in large part on a promise to revitalise the funding of social care. How many people who voted them in, and stand to lose from their 'solution' to the social care problem, are actually voicing any anger now? Instead, most are either apathetically overlooking it, or else they're falling for the media narrative that the ultimate burning issue is a few piss ups at no 10 during lockdown.

Trust me, in terms of the bigger picture of what's coming along the line because of Tory self-interested meddling with policy and legislation, that's not what people should be aiming their dissatisfaction at.

Totally agree. No one is enthusiastic about anything but it’s hard to be enthusiastic when things keep getting cancelled. Just had to scrap all our plans for the weekend yet again due to one of the kids testing positive. I can’t be bothered to plan much in advance because of all the uncertainty and there’s no point looking forward to things too much because so often at the moment they don’t happen!

Austerity, Brexit, Covid and now a cost of living crisis chaser. Yeah, I think even life's Pollyannas are scraping the barrel at this point

There's glorious sunshine where I am today and I went for a lunchtime walk so am actually feeling cheerful at the moment.

But I agree about the general mood of the country. Brexit will be biting harder in the years to come and the combo of increased fuel bills + NI + general cost of living makes the future look very uncertain for many.

I think there will be a braindrain out of the UK to EU/Aus/NZ.

It is grey and misty where I am. Looks like the setting for a horror film today.

:-( hope it clears out soon @AllThePogs !

@Helocariad I would love to leave for Australia. I’m now too old.

I also think there will be a massive brain drain.

@AllThePogs

Just watching the news. I had forgotten about the NI increase coming which will affect people like me more who earn less, than the rich.

Appalling isn’t it? A policy that increases inequality and puts old against young.