To think everything is getting worse?

[francesfrankenfurter]

I watched the British Olympics opening ceremony this morning in 2012. It was only 10 years ago, but it seems a different world. It was such a hopeful time with a public mood of feeling proud of our country.

Now everything seems to be getting worse. The economy, cost of living crisis, crime, housing, corruption amongst MPs, poor public services, etc etc. Every day brings more gloom and doom and the public mood seems to be, things can only get worse.

AIBU

I don't know, the year before the Olympics we had riots in London with looting and widespread violence. These things just go in cycles.

There are always individual things or issues going wrong. The riots were about racist policing in London.
But now it feels like everything is going wrong.

@francesfrankenfurter
Racist policing? How did stealing flatscreen TVs and Nike trainers help the cause?
I assume by racist policing you mean the lawful killing (majority 8-2 by a jury) of a guy waiving a gun at police when they were to intervene in a drug deal. 😂😂😂

End stage capitalism. I reckon Elon Musk is gonna win.

YANBU

Unpopular opinion.
We are not being as blest by God, as less and less people are Christian.

12 years of Tory corruption, economic mis-management and short-termism. It been horrible to see but not surprising in the least.

In 2012, the country was in recession. By end of 2011, 2.1 million people had lost their jobs due to the financial crisis. The Middle East was being ravaged by a new civil war. The future looked an uncertain as ever. But still, the public didn’t seem as stupid as want to be wilfully locked away - the effects of which we are feeling with ferocity right now.

I am just feeling so pessimistic about the future. Maybe we should be encouraging young people to immigrate as there does not seem to be much here for them.
I can't think of one are britain is doing well in.

God decides whether or not you are saved and blessed, not the people in your church or whether you declare yourself a Christian. Hth

Tory government

😭😭😭😭😭

I thought most Christians in the U.K. these days were pretty New Testament?
That’s some full on Old Testament vengeance shit you’ve got there @lightand

Is that why the Holocaust happened? Christian God created Adolf to remove some pesky Jews?

Not quite there yet.
America has regular riots and homeless camps under bridges.
Five more years, plenty of time for Bezos to build a superweapon.

Do you honestly believe that? That your imaginary friend is mad at the toys he created to amuse him. Laughable.

Where should they immigrate to?

DH always says that nothing was better in the past, you just think it was. And you were younger

Try looking for things Britain is doing well in then? All of Google is at your fingertips 🤷🏻‍♀️

“We” (I can’t really claim to have helped personally) did a fucking awesome job in Covid vaccine development, for example:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55043551.amp

I’m no jingoistic idiot who thinks Britain is Best at everything. But how do you think UCL Great Ormond Street Hospital Institute of Child Health is viewed on the world stage?

Where do you think Britons fall on the World Giving Index of individual money and time donation to charity?

2012 we were coming off the back of a recession in 2008, mass unemployment, riots, people always think the here and now is worse than what we've been through before like the past holds some kind of whimsical nostalgia.

Unemployment is at its lowest for 50 years, try having rampant inflation with mass unemployment- things could be so much worse.

“British TV exports were worth £1.28 billion last year, which gives some indication of how popular British TV is around the world. An eclectic mix of programmes – Peppa Pig, Doctor Who, Downtown Abbey, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Top Gear and the Great British Bake Off – are sold or have their format licensed in a remarkable number of countries.”

So maybe your children don’t need to “immigrate” elsewhere (where?) if they might enjoy contributing to creative industries linked to television?

He is wrong. There are always Issues, but many things were objectively better in the past.
It was easier to rent or buy a house.
Wages were higher in real terms.
Our city centres were doing well.
Our public landscape was better looked after. Lots more litter now and flytipping. Staff who used to prosecute flytippers have been cut to the bone.
More public services. Youth centres, sure start centres, libraries, local events have all been cut or reduced. Even the November firework display is not as good as it used to be.
NHS is worse as it has been starved of cash.
Class sizes in schools are larger. I remember when the standard was 25 children to a class.
And depressingly I could go on. These are objective changes.

@Testina I think British tv is still one area we excel in you are right. But channel four is going to be sold off and the tv licence fee cut. I think this jewel in our crown will disappear.

I think you are looking back with rose tinted glasses.

Class sizes have routinely been 30 plus where I live for 15 years plus.

There have allways been issues with the NHS and funding.

Flytipping has allways been an issue.

People did struggle to buy houses in the past. My parents, in good jobs, (In the 70s)sat on orange crates as furniture until they could afford furniture and hung stuff out of the window as they couldn't afford a fridge.

@Testina Thanks for pointing that out about world giving - we used to be number 1 about 20 years ago but i'm so happy we are number 4 today!

Makes me proud to be British that does.

And interestingly a relative is a paediatric nurse at great ormind street. They are not as well funded as they used to be and she says it shows.

I have been clear that my pessimism is about everything getting worse. Some things like tv are still pretty good, but the direction of travel is bad. When things have been bad in the past I have felt th8bgs will get better.

Every article I read in decent media like the Financial Times say things will continue to get worse in the uk.

I’ve mentioned medical research and TV creative industries. There are also worldwide best selling authors from the U.K., and we have important players on the world stage in aeronautical engineering, artificial intelligence and pop music.

So why don’t you think Britain is doing well in anything?

We have legalised gay marriage. We have equal pay legislation. We have world leading (not the best necessarily, but among the leaders) legislation for maternity and paternity leave and flexible working. Parental leave until 18. Some of even my European colleagues are amazed at what we have!

Theres shit to go with it - like we have longer paid maternity leave than some, but childcare costs are ridiculous. So like I said above, no jingoistic crap from me. But also no uninformed “oh Britain is so rubbish” nonsense either.

Go to a country where being gay is illegal and Universal Credit a dream. Look back at Britain through those eyes.

We’re a fucking joke on so many levels - mainly what we accept from our politicians.

But we also have so many wonderful things, and you make yourself look silly by ignoring those.

“I remember when the standard was 25 children to a class”

How old are you?
I’m in my 50s and remember the grumbles at a “bulge class” in my sister’s year going over 30. Because 30 was perfectly normal.