To think Rishi is right - the government cannot be everything to everyone?

[Cuppasoupmonster]

Don’t get me wrong, the Tory government hasn’t tried to be anything let alone everything.

But I think he was right when he said there’s too much reliance on the state to provide for each and every issue the public face.

We could free up a lot of funds by taxing big corporations properly, cracking down on non doms etc. But even then, I’m not convinced the socialist utopia of generous benefits, a five star NHS, cheap and available high quality public housing, instant mental health support etc that is often discussed on here could ever be financially viable.

AIBU?

YABU only because I don’t see why Rishi should get any credit for stating the fucking obvious.

I found it incredibly patronising.

No one is asking for the state to do everything.

He is a patronising twat of a PM.

Most people do.

Rishi is just finding ways to make you and others think badly of other people while distracting from his shit show.

Well, people have been encouraged to be financially self indulgent ever since the Blair years. Cameron then came along to pay lip service to austerity but there was no real incentive to implement it at the level of individual households. Perhaps some correction in outlook is needed - not to 'save' the economy but to address the fact that media promoted hedonism, pleasure seeking, thill seeking consumerism has corrupted us as human beings and we need some form of detox from it to rise back to grace.

^This

FFS.

Seriously.

If anyone wanted us to be financially “hedonistic”, it was those who deregulated the financial services sector so that banks could peddle credit much more easily. That wasn’t Blair.

The banks loved it because they could make even more money.

But I think he was right when he said there’s too much reliance on the state to provide for each and every issue the public face.

Yeah just sounds like an absolute shirking of responsibility to me.

This is the same Rishi Sunak who was filmed bragging about taking resources and funds from socio-economically deprived communities and using it to further enhance already affluent areas. So when he says "the government can't do everything" what he actually means is they'll do pretty much anything to protect the wealthy, their donors, bankers and tax-dodging corporations but when it comes to everything else "sorry, our hands are tied".

Where did I say that?

It's just a line to soften us up before services are cut again. Nobody needs libraries (unless they need somewhere to warm up).

I don't think it's fair that governments can fuck things up for people and then get to walk away with no consequences

He's right that a govt can't do everything for everyone. But what they do should be fair.

Rishi was completely out of order during covid for excluding 3 million workers from the covid support schemes. I remember him saying then "we can't help everyone", but that's pathetic. If he's handing out thousands in support to some people, then it should have been across the board to everyone HE stopped from operating their businesses and working, rather than him coming up with flimsy and illogical exclusions meaning over 3 million got bugger all!

It's the gross unfairness that gets me, with Rishi being the arbiter of who's worthy and who isn't!

BTW there is enough money

There was a lag of several years between financial liberalization and people no longer feeling ashamed to max out their credit cards for silly things which they could do without. The feel good era provided one blueprint after another to help normalize financial irresponsibility.

Exactly in the same way he made out that the 3 million HE excluded from covid support were either rich or tax evaders! Neither are remotely true. He's very good at using lies and slurs to excuse his overt discrimination.

I hope people start to realise who he really is. He mostly got away with the 3 million excluded during covid, mostly because of incompetent opposition who couldn't understand the unfairness/illogical rules, and believed his lies and half truths about why people were excluded.

Government choices affect people's lives though.
They can't be everything but what they do affects us.
Or what they don't do.

The real issue is that Western economies have all been so desperate to attract big business and have had such low corporation taxes. The big economies have been competing amongst each other to attract said corporations. Companies don’t pay that much tax but their workers do. Similarly, governments globally are scared to lose the billionaires who they see us providing jobs etc. Politicians are simply scared of freaking the market out as it quickly spirals out of control. We saw exactly this happening with Truss’ mini budget. So the governments think they can’t actually do that much. Even if Labour comes into power if we are still in recession where are they going to get the money from? It is a fine balance between taxing the rich and the rich leaving. If most of the developed world has gone billionaire/rich person friendly then what can governments actually do?

I am actually furious about the way in which libraries are being unapologetically repurposed. FFS, do it in shopping arcades instead. Outside of educational establishments, we have barely any widely accessible places left which promote our literary and cultural heritage.

some of that may be true but most people are sensible and try and save.

However wages have stagnated and housing costs have crept up as a proportion which leaves less to save. I came out of university and had to repay tuition fees which left less to save.

Again, you fall into the trap of blaming individuals when they’re trying to work with the hand they’ve been dealt. Plenty of my peers have saved thousands if not tens of thousands and struggle to get on the housing ladder. I only know one person who was irresponsible with credit and their parents bailed them out.

Most people aren’t stupid. Give them credit ffs and stop assuming the worst.

0.1% or 0.01%? There is quite a difference and you mention both.

Also not quite sure you understand ‘loopholes’. They are not universal. There is not a global ‘cure’ on account of ~the very complicated~ tax laws being specific to each country.

Governments could work together to counter the power of corporations who actually need stable countries to invest in, otherwise they can kiss goodbye to their profits.
that’s why the EU is so powerful and a driving force behind Brexit which sought to destabilise the EU.

Sounds a bit like your cheating violent alcoholic husband telling you 'Well, sorry I'm not a PERFECT PERSON.'

Countries could collaborate and I am sure that plans were afoot to do that just before Brexit.

It was a damn sight better than it is now that's what I remember.

This government do stuff that makes things worse - then says "but your on your own dealing with it!"

Most people- middle to high earners included- are currently scared to put their heating on and wondering how they will afford food. And the message our prime minister chooses to share is that the government cannot do everything for people 🙄
I do believe that a basic standard of living is something that the government should facilitate for people.
Sitting back and doing nothing, while energy companies claim record profits, and people die of cold, is not OK.

It was a million times better.

We didn’t have three prime ministers in the time it takes to grow my fringe out, for starters. And neither did we have a Labour prime minister who crashed the economy simply by opening their mouth.