When will things go back to being not shit?

[Intheclub]

In 2019, everything seemed happier. We were prosperous (on the whole and certainly more than compared to now) and because of that the economy grew. Putting the heating on when it was cold or going out for a meal once in a while was something that was totally normal for the majority. Of course, that isn’t to say there was no poverty and everything was perfect in 2019 - far from it- but it was significantly better than what we have now. There seemed to be far more joy in life, people seemed happier and less worried.

There has since then been two very traumatic crisis - the pandemic and the cost of living. I honestly dread to think the effect this will have on “Gen Z” teens as well as young kids with a worldwide disease meaning they can’t have natural childhood experiences and then (for many) their family struggling to afford even basic essentials.

I don’t know if this is everyone’s experience but I can certainly say that within my own group of friends it’s so depressing. Half of them never want to do anything, usually because of money or after covid they just can’t be bothered. Many of my friends are also struggling with their mental health.

It honestly feels like 2019 was the end of some kind of “golden age” and I honestly don’t see a way of getting back there any time soon. I suspect it will take another generation to come through before the impacts of this all stop having such a strain on the world.

Aibu to ask when, if ever, things will stop being so crap?

basically it works on 20 year cycles, so although things will settle out, it will be about another 8 years before the next cycle, which doesn't mean things will get automatically better but will change

The difference with the recession we are in now is that those in power are scared, they are trying to change the laws to stop strikes as they know, there are plenty of jobs and not enough workers. For the first time in a recession there is low unemployment which is good for the workers and bad for the in power, as the balance of power is reliant on those at the bottom not having leverage

I think the BBC in particular (and the media in general) are once again feeding the narrative of doom and gloom. It is obviously a challenge for a lot of people, but those at the very bottom are actually getting quite a lot of help, as are the elderly. Those in the middle are the ones, I think, who are feeling that their lives have been altered, but only maybe because in general they were pretty good before Covid. Food and fuel was always pretty cheap in the UK, as were white goods and electrical appliances. Housing has always been expensive, but mortgages were cheap. As a pp stated above, we have family in Greece, and they would have plenty of tales of woe to tell, well before Covid hit.

In 2019 it was claimed that the toll of austerity had claimed 130,000 preventable deaths.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/01/perfect-storm-austerity-behind-130000-deaths-uk-ippr-report

Given that death is typically the tip of an iceberg, the toll of misery and hardship presumably ran much deeper.

The difficulty was always there but the rising tide of poverty hadn't hit those with the loudest voices, those who were most likely to vote, those who write to their MPs, those who demand their voices are represented in the media.

Yep. I have a 4 year old now so we just have to deal. Schools are underfunded - but there are good teachers out there. We donate where we can, see friends at free activities where we can, and eat out to help out our local restaurants as we are one of the families who can afford to.

I do agree though that it was going to shit before Covid and I blame the current fuckwits in government. I am beyond angry that people were taken in by Farage and Boris.

I don't care who wins the next election as long as it brings change.

Look up the Yellowhammer report. It was a likely scenario report but they renamed it when the public demanded it be published. All from 2016, pretty much all fulfilled.

If you don’t have money to feed your family/self, turn on heating… money can actually buy happiness. How naive of you.

This. I agree, the people who tell others they can’t be upset about their situation usually are the ones who need to have a reality check about their own situation. I think there’s a total lack of understanding by those who don’t understand the true impact of all of this. Not getting an abroad holiday or eating out less or cutting back is not the same as actually not having any money to feed your family or heat your home. Of course you’re allowed to be sad or depressed or upset about that! This is the case for people in professional jobs too, don’t have savings behind them or have had an unexpected expense or are a one parent household or suddenly the bills became unmanageable through the crisis or circumstances. Yes, it’s a good idea to think about your own mental health and what little steps could help improve that in shit times but it’s also ok to be sad/angry if income doesn’t stretch far enough to feed your family or heat your home anymore. We should all be sad and angry about that.

When we get a Labour government again.

I really hate the life is what you make of it brigade. No, by and large life is what is handed to you.

I retrained and moved across the country for work. I did all those right things people are told to do. Life is still shit because I’m a single working parent on a relatively low wage with no family support.

Don’t like your situation? Do something about it! Is the cry. So I did. I LTB because he was abusive. I retrained because I couldn’t get a job. I moved because we were in a bad area with few opportunities. In essence, I upgraded from utter shit to moderate shit. But shit it still is. I just want things to be normal for a while.

Step away from the news, media and television. It will do wonders for your state of mind.

God these threads bring out the Pollyanna in me!

Covid and lockdown are a distant memory for the majority! The shops, cafes, restaurants and Christmas attractions are crammed.

Most will weather the CoL crisis as they did the financial crash of 2008/9. It's what humans do.

It’s all subjective isn’t it. Covid was shit but since we’ve been allowed to ignore that our lives are fine. I’m progressing well at work, my kids are doing well at school, I haven’t been badly hit by COL thankfully. I think you have a bit of rose tinted spectacles as 2019 was shit with all the political stalemates and Brexit looming, politics was very polarised and nasty.

I think things have been worse since before 2019 - I remember saying to DP in 2017 that I felt we were on the brink of a period of some kind of decline as a society. Covid, Brexit, war and climate change has exacerbated much of the ills that existed: struggling public services, adversarial politics, poor adolescent mental health, and much more, but to be honest neoliberalism, austerity as a deliberate choice, and promotion of policies that centre the individual has also been responsible for this long before this

When they get better, I'm not sure, but voting for parties and policies that consider the collective benefit for society will be a good place to start. I would like our media and politicians to also be honest and call Brexit for what it has been: a disastrous economic mistake with no benefits whatsoever.

I do of course understand that times are shit now for a lot of people and hope things improve soon x

Thank goodness you said this. Things were shit way before 2019.

The inkling of the shitness which was to come was Ed Balls asking for a recount at the 2015 General Election!

10 years minimum starting from the fall of the Tory Government.
I am over 60 now. Was a teenager in the 1970's in a Northern Industrial city and life was crap then. But we had plenty to collectively rebel against and campaign for eg Gay and Womans Rights, CND. We could use music in the form of Punk Rock to channel our anger and it was acceptable to demonstrate in support of striking Trade Unions. So life was also exciting.
I am beginning to worry how I will survive my 70's due to the lack of access to affordable health care and whether my hard earned pension will have to be spent on the heating bill...
Going out now for a long walk in the sunshine.....

I LOVE your user name - am chucking away hahaha

Everything is darker and more authoritarian, I wish I could have stayed in the 80s

I agree. The last two years have made authoritarianism the norm.

This

What's happening now is those who where ok are finding out what life for the rest who haven't been ok for many years, has been like for a long time.
Many in the later group have developed resilience by caring about each other and sharing and pooling whatever they still have regardless of how little it is. Not all of that is tangible.

For us most (not all) are sorry for those who had no idea and are now learning the hard way, but in the longer term it may lead to a better society as large numbers of people wake up to understanding how ordinary people who were doing fine, can be plunged into poverty and despair, and that we need to stop being a segregated society where those doing ok often feel those who aren't somehow deserve it. Most of us didn't.
The fact it's so many means it surely can't stay hidden any more?
We need political change urgently, but in the meantime helping each other as best we can surely has to be the way forward, not waiting for someone else or time to fix things...

He lost his seat by a close margin. Surely asking for a recount was reasonable?

Why thank you 😂

If you don’t have money to feed your family/self, turn on heating… money can actually buy happiness. How naive of you.

Completely agree @DNBU

I can well imagine it's difficult to be happy if you're cold, hungry or are feeling the effect of poverty.

What you mean the one you plunged everywhere apart from the SE of England into even worse financial dire straits?

Never heard of the Poll Tax?

If you adopt the "I'm going to be ok no matter what" attitude, life is a lot easier.
Stay away from the news, focus on what's going right, and be grateful for everything you have.