Anybody else feel like we are heading for an equivalent of the "winter of discontent"?

[Ihatethedawnchorus]

There just seems to be more and more talk of strikes from different areas and it just feel likes a build up of general discontent(not blaming anyone, things are bad, not likely to improve in the short term and people are getting desperate and disillusioned with good reason)

It is awful - the combination of Brexit impacts now starting to strangle the economy, poor Tory management and just the overwhelming incompetence and corruption of this government feels relentless.

Completely agree @TodaysSocks

Lots of us were poor in the 70s. But we weren’t in the grip of consumerism, and there was more opportunity to bring in a little extra as there were fewer single parent households. I remember the dads doing the day jobs, the mums working in pubs, or chippies, or going out cleaning. In Scotland, whole families working their summer holidays picking berries to pay for school uniforms. We were creative as there were no government top ups, and no food banks. Our expectation was survival!

I don’t remember starvation, more boredom with a very basic diet that usually involved spuds, veg and bread. Treats? No. New clothes? Rarely. What is the biggest difference between then and now? Probably the cost of housing, but what other factors have caused poverty?

There is a Navajo First Nation saying which goes along the lines of:

'There is no WE.
There is only I and YOU
UNTIL there is affinity'.

I understand those words to mean - be careful when someone in a position of 'power' starts using the word WE without differentiating as to WHO it is that they are actually talking about.

Example - 'WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER'.

Facts are - we are NOT all in this together.

Those currently in power would like us to believe that they are the same as us, they have the same struggles - their kids have the same struggles -

It is NOT true. And needs to be seen for what it is.

A person with an array of paid staff - an admin manager, a cleaner, a cabinet (!) and a PR manager to write their tweets for them - and a chauffeur is not in the same position as

someone who can't afford the bus fare to the job centre.

This country has already gone to shit. I had an arab boyfriend nearly 20 years ago and whenever he came over he would talk about how you could tell the uk was a very rich country because the streets were clean and the shops were shining. Litter was collected and the pavements swept. Lots of pride in our surroundings.

Its not like that now. Councils have jumped on the bandwagon of recycling and used it to cut spend (actually spend should have gone uo to make sure everything was recycled properly). Litter everywhere in the affluent city i live in. People just dump their shit on the ground. Its vile.

House price inflation without wage inflation has just left young people with no ambition becuase they can't afford a decent house. Im in a profession where my age (early 40's) everyone i trained with is sending their kids to private school yet the newly qualifieds are still living in a flat share in their early 30's. They won't be where i am in 10 years without family handouts. Its fucking bonkers and its worked out really well for people
that had excess asset. Meanwhile the rich mummies and daddies are stumping up £300k deposits.

There's summat rum afoot and no mistake.

Well, since the answer I keep seeing on internet fora has become “Guillotines” I’m expecting some rough times ahead.

The discontent will go on as long as Johnson remains PM. Simple as that.

People have had enough. Too many are struggling financially and there are so many ethical concerns about having a lying, corrupt government who seem unable to respect the law and human rights.

Doctors, teachers, barristers, nurses, transport staff, everyone has had enough.

I hope a general strike takes place too.

Ukraine is not the reason for our current trouble. Brexit and over a decade of Tory greed and general mismanagement have put us in this situation.

This has gone beyond political belief at this stage too. As a country we are now a worldwide laughing stock with a reputation for not respecting the law/contracts, hating foreigners and we are slowing falling into fascism. I think if you are someone with basic decency and who cares about democracy, people not starving and properly funded public services for the good of everyone then you should be really angry and worried right now...

I am starting to think with all the ""green" agenda and so many fat cats lining their own pockets that there is some kind of disaster looming that "they" all know about and won't tell us about. Just watch the film 2012... haven't seen it for a while but am sure there were price rises, shortages and riots before all the planetary fun started......................

Forgive the incorrect dates if i am remembering these wrong...

By 2030 no sales of fossil fueled cars allowed.. yet they are still manufacturing them??

Around the same time no use of fossil fuels to heat homes or cook with....

A ban on house coal for fires....

Several countries already have or are about to ban non electric gardening and outdoor tools use....

YET... nowhere am I seeing replacement electricity generating plans being implemented that will cope with the rather obvious surge in use....

And no plans to help those at he bottom of the rungs who have no choices or ability to purchase alternatives...

This, exactly; that is indeed when it fell apart.

@TheGirlOnTheDragon You missed a few inconvenient countries:

Belgium 9.9%
Netherlands 10.2%
Greece 10.7%
Slovakia 11.8
Latvia 16.4
Lithuania 18.5%
Estonia 20.1%

Wow, this govt is always telling us about being world leaders, now we are, I don't think world leading with inflation was what they were after though.

Fat cats have always lined their pockets - I believe the USA came out of the second world war very rich. Thankfully some of it helped to save us.

I think one mistake was Maggie Thatcher going for finance and banking instead of heavy industry. Probably sensible at the time as we don't have iron ore or cheap fuel. Unfortunately the bankers here and in the US got greedy and conned so many people out of so much. So we are where we are - no industry much and no banking as much. So no money.
People can complain about the Gov but it's us that earns the money that goes to the gov. Lately the oil companies have been paying lots of tax from their profits so we aren't soo badly off.

I remember the winter of discontent. Somehow life was less expensive then - eg no central heating much and less car ownership. Basic food, potatoes etc were cheap.
Not sure how things will pan out - hopefully with a gov full of people who actually care about more than just themselves and staying in power.

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Are you concerned about the new Bill of Rights and its impact on the future of your children? Have you wondered what will be next?
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Think about it.
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“Ripping up the Human Rights Act means the public is being stripped of its most powerful tool to challenge wrongdoing by the Government and other public bodies.”
They point to just some examples like the Hillsborough disaster to the right to challenge the way police investigate violence against women.
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Also GDP growth in the UK has been higher than in France and Germany over the last 6 years.

it’s very important to be clear about what the facts are to deal with a problem. We have GDP growth but people aren’t feeling like the money is tricking down.

What is the biggest difference between then and now? Probably the cost of housing, but what other factors have caused poverty?

Low wages.

Absolutely, that still doesn’t change the fact that mass rises would most likely feed into further inflation. I wasn’t making a political point I was making an objective point about what happens when you feed inflation.

That's exactly what we need. Someone to float in and sort it out spit spot 😁

I think taxes on higer earners and luxury goods need to rise. A lot of folk are still doing very nicely in spite of all the doom and gloom.

Libertybear80 · Today 03:57
We keep voting to self harm in the UK. I'm not sure what is wrong with us as a nation but we have done it to ourselves. I feel quite ashamed to be British these days!“

yep. I don’t feel ashamed because I voted to remain in the EU and I didn’t vote for the current rabble. Do feel embarrassed sometimes, though.

I've seen a huge outbreak of covid cases in my area now we've dispensed with the obligation to wear masks.
I'm gearing up for a cold, dark winter. Candles already in stock!

I hope we are tbh. This government needs a kick in the teeth. It’s their fault wages and conditions are so crap. I’ll support any strikes and the problems they might cause. It’s what we need to recognise how important key workers are.

l read the Daily Mail headline with glee this morning. Moaning about all the different sectors striking. I hope we have a national strike. It’s disgusting what’s happening to working people.

As for this I think people will enjoy being able to have a proper Xmas again

Who the fuck is going to be able to afford Christmas?

Sadly, I think we're heading for something considerably worse. I've never felt so hopeless about the state we're in, nationally and globally. Grim and soon to be more grim.

I have to agree with those saying the likelihood of something far worse round the corner is high. It’s only going to take a Russian missile hitting a NATO country for us to get dragged into the war. Plus Covid is on the rise again with some new variants. Add in the other viruses/diseases that are on the march I think things can get an awful lot shutter very quickly.