To think the country is b*gg*r*d, and life as we once knew it is over?

[RejectedFleece]

Just that really.

France have just nationalised their energy company 😀
There is hope!

@RagzRebooted

AIBU TO BE SHOCKED BY THIS INCREASE?! http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/4583262-aibu-to-be-shocked-by-this-increase

The economy will adjust, the sun will still rise, life will go on.

Perhaps this will be the new "live, love, laugh" decal. They can stick it in A&E waiting rooms & outside food banks.

Just as a reflection on this thread, people, who dont seem that bothered, are trying to focus mainly on whats happening for them at a personal level, if they're ok they think its ok and 'we' will weather through. Theres lots of stories about their mortgage rates, or their neighbours debt habits, etc

There is little recognition of the wider implications for society,, our children, the vulnerable, the elderly, our public services, our wider economy and our political influence on the global stage.

No, not really. It’s still one of the best countries in the world to live in, with a relatively wealthy and healthy population, high literacy and life expectancy, the rule of law, and a decent educational system.

It’s still a country that I and millions of others have chosen to emigrate to, and are now happy to call our home.

Wealth and income disparity remains broadly similar to our neighbours, we have freedom of conscience, association and belief, and have a healthy, full democracy.

It’s a wonderful country. Of course it has its faults, and things can always be better, but the same can be said of anywhere. I love the equality of opportunity here relative to my native France, the way that you don’t need to know the right people to get a good job and find success.

I genuinely think SOME people in severe dire straights would welcome a 21st century version. Secure accommodation, no worries about heating bills, and three meals a day.

I do think the "good days" are over. I believe we will see a drop in living standards for every generation from now on. We have gone beyond peak oil and have failed to properly invest in nuclear or any other energy source. We should hit peak food production in the next few years and we have all kinds of issues with soil degradation, a lack of biodiversity and due to the peak oil issue a lack of fertilizers. Globally we are screwed and I can only imagine we will continue to fight over oil, food and water whilst less developed nations suffer first.

As for the economy, the amount of quantitative easing that has taken place since the 07-08 crash was always going to have repercussions. It has fuelled rising inequality and propped up the housing market (not at any real benefit to poorer or younger people).

We are heading into a perfect storm and I think the next few years will be incredibly difficult and many of the poorest won't be able to adjust.

I get where you are coming from, OP.

For me, the 'something is different' feeling is pretty much summed up by this image

There never has been a species that lasted forever, we have already outlived the previous top predators, we are probably on the downward curve.

Just like all the hard times that have come before this will pass.

The seventies resulted in electricity being turned off.
The eighties resulted in mass unemployment.
The nineties resulted in the housing crash.
The noughties resulted in the banking crisis.

We will get through this. Every decade has massive fluctuations. In five years this will be a distant memory. It's the way it always goes, everything has just come all at once.

Artificially low?

Or we had access to beneficial food trade deals which we now cant access. Plus the extra costs of travel and transport caused by extra red tape and delays. Losing staff to brexit meaning gaps in services which cause overall cost increases.

As for the economy, the amount of quantitative easing that has taken place since the 07-08 crash was always going to have repercussions. It has fuelled rising inequality and propped up the housing market (not at any real benefit to poorer or younger people).

yep

I love the equality of opportunity here relative to my native France, the way that you don’t need to know the right people to get a good job and find success.

I so wish this were true. Its still much much much easier if you know the right people. Its very much not what you know it's who you know.

Is there a reason that you can’t gain the skills to earn enough on fewer hours?

Plumbing, bricklaying, becoming a manager of a bar or a supermarket; there are all sorts of jobs available that will let you earn well above the minimum wage.

Having lived through bad times more than once I believe it will be very unpleasant for many of us, but will improve at some point
Where possible we need to try and budget better, lower expectations and help those less fortunate

Have you worked in France too to be able to compare? Nepotism is absolutely rife there, far, far worse than in the UK.

It’s driven in part by how hard it is to let anyone go; no-one wants to take a risk on hiring without a personal recommendation.

Those advantages are without question. The point I think of the OP, not talking for them, is that we have as a country on all levels regressed.

Thats not what any country or society aims to do, you continue to grow in all ways, not just financially. Our literacy rates are down for children, MH incidents are higher, we have worsening cancer rates

We might do 'better' in those stats than X country but thats not the point, we are not doing better than we used to, we have deteriorated.

The "glory days" were not something that blessed the lives of a massive chunk of the population.

The point I think of the OP, not talking for them, is that we have as a country on all levels regressed.

Exactly

Well that was an incredibly patronising post.

Perhaps consider it's not exactly easy to retrain when you work full time, have a child to pay for plus obviously all the other ever rising bills. Many people don't have the time to study at the ou (once they've done an access course) and more so then ever probably don't want to take on massive debt.

I earn more than minimum wage as it happens, but we need people to do lower paid jobs (which mine is!) If everyone retrains what happens? Does the hospital not get cleaned? Do your children not go to nursery? Does your ambulance not get despatched?

You've massively missed the point which is completely unsurprising given your obvious condescending attitude.

Nah, it’s just a run through of the 80’s early 90’s.

Lived through it as a teenager in a very poor family and it was hell. Will live through this as an adult thankful I don’t have children to worry about & try to protect.

For every boom there’s a bust, and after that it will get better again.

That's fine, but someone still has to do the low paid 40 hour week jobs. So someone will be suffering the same problem, just not the PP. We can't up skill everyone and move everyone on low paid jobs into better paid ones.
This always pisses me off as the answer to everyone's money problems on Mumsnet. Even if the 'solution' works for the individual, it doesn't negate the fact that you can't support a family on minimum wage. Without the benefits system topping up min wage income, we would be screwed.

Yes coz plumbing and bricking is so easy, no skill at all, I mean those working class oiks manage it, come on Cat get off your arse and pick up a trowel.

It's not about everyone earning high wages (how does that even work) it's about why wages have changed in decades, more being pulled into paying higher taxes & ridiculous housing costs.

haven't