To wonder why Brits aren't protesting in the streets?

[ponderingpaula]

I used to live in the U.K. and I can't for the life of me work out why the British people aren't protesting the government, given how utterly shafted you have all been by them, and how things have been getting worse and worse over the last few years.

Working people needing food banks and "warm houses" because the costs of living is so outrageous, the nhs is utterly broken unless it's an emergency and even then people have to wait hours for an ambulance, social care virtually doesn't exist now, transport is crap and constantly striking, there have been so many lies it's impossible to count, multiple leaders over a short time, u turn after u turn, prioritising the ultra rich, I mean this is just off the top of my head...

In any other country on earth people would take to the streets to protest or even riot... why don't Brits?

I doubt you'll get an answer to this post but thank you for providing a balanced view.

People are protesting regularly in London and other UK cities. The mainstream media just aren't reporting it.

Because it wouldn't achieve anything and would be hijacked by those who love argy bargy and want it to turn violent.

The recent Cost of Living protest was huge.

As far as I can tell, the only mainstream media reporting it were the Guardian and The Independent.

The issue is not a lack of protests, it's that nobody is hearing about them because they are underreported.

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/01/huge-turnouts-reported-at-uk-cost-of-living-protests#:~:text=Thousands%20have%20gathered%20in%20dozens,seen%20in%20Britain%20for%20years.

Also our elderly citizens have lived through the end of the war in many cases. The risk of blackout is not particularly scary when you’ve already experienced it. I’m a 70’s baby and this stuff doesn’t get me hugely animated either. I can remember constant power cuts in my childhood and we just carried on as best we could.

i think for those who haven’t experienced adversity the thought of lean times is terrifying. I honestly completely understand it but unfortunately Putin walked us into a complete crisis. We had Brexit then Covid then a war on our continent. Times are going to get harder so somehow we have to pull together. I think our monarch dying and the outpouring of grief was a way to show unity. I’m actually proud of people for taking to the streets peacefully to come together. I’d much rather that than donning yellow vests to set fire to things.

If that makes us thick peasants then so be it.

1. Because our illustrious government is set on a path of making protests illegal.
2. Because nothing we did would make a jot of difference.

@RudsyFarmer
You got a problem with understanding my post?
There is a large demographic of the population who, regardless of the shite thrown at them by the The Establishment,will happily doff their caps and accept the status quo. That includes going along scraps of the colonial past and seedy, grasping present Tory government who reinforce this, no matter how much they abuse their position. And watch as our precious NHS is dismantled.

I worked and was a higher tax payer in the UK all my working life lovely. I spent most of my working life building the fucking infrastructure.

Stop voting these self serving clowns in and maybe you might stand a chance.

@Heilalala not trying to downplay the issues but I do think the UK media is the reason it’s always so negative and hyperbolic when these discussions come up. They don’t appear to tell any of us what the situation is like compared to other similar countries. Why wasn’t there more news on all the other currencies dropping against the US dollar? It happened in NZ and there was barely a ripple in the news over it, ditto homelessness- there you will find children homeless because NZ doesn’t have the kind of social housing UK does. Families with two invokes living in a car. You get so much help here but nobody here seems to think so! It shocks me. School meals isn’t a thing in either of the other countries I lived in, only provided by charities when there’s a need.

And watch as our precious NHS is dismantled.

You will always have a struggling system if people refuse to take care of their own health. Most of the NHS is used to treat preventative diseases. If people care about the NHS, they need to care about their own health more.

The NHS is a broken model. It doesn't matter how much money is thrown at it, it does not work. There has to be a change to the model.
People do also need to start taking care of themselves better and their children's health. The amount of overweight or obese children in the U.K. is huge and it really shouldn't be.

Sorry? You’re having a go at me for voting in clowns? Firstly I’m a floating voter so I think your vitriol is misplaced. I will never vote Labour as I don’t believe in their rhetoric. They have a few decent politicians but they’re too busy trying to appease the lunatic fringe. This time round I doubt I’ll vote at all but we’ll see. I’m happy to be persuaded right up to polling day.

@WahineToa I think we're all aware the UK has issues but the global perspective is often lacking and you're right in that the media is to blame for much of that. The negativity is relentless.

The Guardian doesn't give numbers and puts 'huge turnout' in inverted commas to make it clear that's what the organisers claim, not what they're reporting:

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/01/huge-turnouts-reported-at-uk-cost-of-living-protests#:~:text=Thousands%20have%20gathered%20in%20dozens,seen%20in%20Britain%20for%20years.

They managed to fill the Kings Cross forecourt:

www.google.com/search?q=Kings+Cross+forecourt&client=safari&rls=en&sxsrf=ALiCzsaPFVSIkHFgx8ooLaqor1UM73pzwQ:1665998286261&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjS47Gg9-b6AhVAgP0HHbGxB4cQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=874&bih=632&dpr=2#imgrc=NUE5hct9I7nlAM

One of those quoted was alarmed because she was going to have to spend money on fuel bills when she would have preferred to spend it on career development. That's a rather first-world problem, isn't it?

And of course no mention of Putin/ Ukraine or the Middle East at the heart of it. It's as if they think the government has put the prices up deliberately.

Whilst things are increasing in price, we have an irresponsible media that pushes sensational headlines. People are used to this and pay less heed to the headlines and get on with living their lives. Most people I know are still OK. Tightened their belts but still OK. E.g. no foreign holiday next year but retained their standard of living.

When it gets really bad there may be protests but unfortunately, unless the protests turn violent there will be no change. Our political elite are self serving, so be it a Conservative or Labour government it makes little difference to people as the major issues are never dealt with fully e.g. zero hour contracts for long term staff. Minimum living wage not enough to live on due to high housing costs, tax payers being treated as cash cows.

Are you protesting where you live, OP?

Because we've lost the impetus?

I'm from the marching generation. In those days there we unions and people to organise demonstrations. The students used to march too but now that they are building up debt for their degrees they need to get their money's worth.

Whilst things are increasing in price, we have an irresponsible media that pushes sensational headlines

Our media are horrendous. I blame them for most of our issues over the last couple of years. The stirring and hyperbole, the hysteria, the inaccurate science, the click bate headlines. Most of what is printed is complete bollocks, stirs sentiments and stokes resentment. Very little is noted of the rest of the world, unless it is a war or a disaster. I read a lot of European media, and have many European friends. They all have so many issues too, but we never get to hear about them. Governments come and go, or indeed never even get going, and we are none the wiser.

Our media are horrendous. I blame them for most of our issues over the last couple of years. The stirring and hyperbole, the hysteria, the inaccurate science, the click bate headlines. Most of what is printed is complete bollocks, stirs sentiments and stokes resentment. Very little is noted of the rest of the world, unless it is a war or a disaster. I read a lot of European media, and have many European friends. They all have so many issues too, but we never get to hear about them. Governments come and go, or indeed never even get going, and we are none the wiser.

^^ THIS!!

Absolutely a lucrative formula they benefited from during Covid. Not giving that up easily.

I'd love to know which Utopia the OP lives, to not be affected by the covid/Ukraine response.

I'll dig out my passport.

Because you don’t live in the U.K. so presumably are hearing this from the news?
I live in a working class area and know literally no one who is starving, most are being a bit careful but life is carrying on. Yet if you watch the news it appears that everyone has to choose whether to eat or heat their house.

Completely agree re. The media. Do we possibly have the worst in the world for creating havoc generally, doing down our own country for clicks and likes? The media a year ago created a petrol shortage over night with irresponsible reporting, what about the CO2 crisis in the Spring where we would not be able to slaughter animals in abattoirs and create fizzy drinks? What happened to that?
it just one thing after the other and passes and then you never hear of it again.
remember last Xmas where none of us would be able to have brussel sprouts or eat Turkey? Complete nonsense.
I would put money on a new “Turkey shortage” crisis popping up say mid November time once they have all become bored of the CoL crisis and if the weather stays uninteresting.