To think people should chill with the hysterical doomsday threads

[elzober]

Before the pile on about minimising the difficulties people are having, I'm not saying there aren't serious challenges going on at the moment from climate to the cost of living. There's no denying any of that and I hope this crappy government will redeem themselves and take steps to help people.

But talk of apocalypse and the collapse of society is pretty OTT and I keep seeing the tin hat brigade commenting about their various conspiracy theories too.

It's a bit hysterical when you think there are people from from developing countries with hyperinflation, war on their doorstep and armed militias who had to flee to places like the UK for safety.

yeh, totally. Some things are (almost) unprecedented - cost of living, heatwave - but poverty levels are about the same as ever (much better for pensioners) over the last 20 years. A lot of countries are trying v. hard to reach net zero emissions to prevent temps rising further - so climate emergency is not inevitable. Cost is living is due to Ukraine - which will hopefully be resolved soon (??). Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, things are looking much better. I feel like everyone should read this book which gives a more global perspective.

I don't think people have any idea how bad it is and how bad it's going to be

We are THE MOST RIDICULOUS country for stoicism and shrugging

Literally people who are on their uppers will go to the library/community Center and say 'can't complain' to the fact they can't afford food or heating after working for 50 years

Really, what will it take for people to realise THOSE CUNTS took all the money, made themselves exponentially richer at great cost to YOU !

The gap between rich and poor is wider than ever before

OK, let’s examine that. By what conceivable measure will there be no Brighton in 50 years? What are you claiming will happen to it?

You are hopefully not going to pretend that rising sea level will affect such a steep town that’s already so far above high-tide level, so what disaster are you referring to?

By which measure? GINI has been dropping for a decade in the UK, so it can’t be based on wealth inequality.

Also, who’s been taking your money, and how? The taxes and benefit system in the UK is redistributive and progressive, so that actually passes funds down, from higher earners to lower, so how do you think your money has been taken?

i was told at school nearly 50 years ago, London would be under water by now.

But no, there’s more of you fuckers there now than ever.

end of dayz oh my dayz.

Oh fuck off with this 'the poor will have an easier time' bullshit. The squeezed middle will have their heating on a bit less. The poor won't have it on at all. The squeezed middle will buy cheaper cuts of meat. The poor will make a can of beans last two meals.

Some will.

Some will continue to buy a takeaway some cans and five scratch cards on pay day and then wonder why they run out of money two days later.

YANBU. People are far more adaptable than these threads give credit for.

Communities will pull together, individuals with drive and ability emerge, and good things happen. It will be uncomfortable for a while, even miserable but it'll pass.

Jesus Christ @ImWell do you really think that? I'm shocked.

So is this just a poor bashing thread then?

Yes. Because won't somebody please think of the high earners? 🎻

I always think these apocalypse type of threads are full of bots.

Well someone has to buy all those holiday homes.

Not a conspiracy theorist at all but it is worth remembering Russian troll factories are great at starting/responding to threads, sowing dissent and whipping up panic.

Unicormb did you read whenwillthemadnessend's post? I don't think she's saying what you think she's saying.

In the recent past, people lived thru ww1, a pandemic, a financial crash, ww2 with battles so horrific people were melted and the people were eating each other, in people were put on a train to be incinerated.
But atm we have record travel, most sectors are booming, what we don't have is the means to put our heating on 30c and some food stuff are missing from supermarkets. Oh, and Asda's budget range is basically poison.

Life is about perspective, the current cosseted generation has very little.

There is one thread going on about the apocalypse, they are a bit like the nuclear war threads of a few months ago.

Er..well we are entering a new age of Great Power Conflict and that's the broader picture to these currently minor inconveniences. Sucking up those is one thing, worrying about being impacted by war in a more visceral sense (not to mention climate change, something that is again connected to the wider geopolitical landscape) doesn't seem to be too overwrought in the current situation to me

I think the use of the word "chill" is not very helpful here. It's pretty patronising and undermines an interesting argument.

What, that some people on low incomes make bad decisions on spending that make their situation worse?

Yes, I do. Don’t you?

The inability to forego immediate pleasure for longer-term gain is one of the key drivers of worse outcomes, so it’s neither surprising nor controversial.

Interestingly, it may be possible to imprint / teach delayed gratification to children quite early on in life. We’re experimenting now on our two children, teaching it to one and not the other, to see if there’s a notable difference in propensity to delay rewards afterwards.

@tobee I find thr use of 'apocalypse' and 'collapse' equally unhelpful. It's pretty extreme and undermines people's resilience

Exactly my take on it. It won't be comfortable, but it's not end-of-days.

Sadly I some old folk may suffer hypothermia and some may die. I remember this was not uncommon in the 60's - on the other hand, single glazing was the common thing then so perhaps double glazing will make all the difference.

Yes, very worth while to bear this in mind.

I agree about those words too @elzober

Dishwashers take less energy that constantly washing dishes by hand.