to think many years of safety and comfort have left the UK population complacent and smug.

[Nimbostratus100]

I see it over so many topics.

People who never seem to find it conceivable for a moment that they could be a refugee in someone else's country next year - anyone who lives long enough is as likely to find themselves in a refugee situation as anyone else.

People seem to think it is clever and independent minded to turn down emergency alerts on their phone, because we never have natural disasters here, do we. Yes we do, there is geological evidence of massive tsunamis over the southern UK, of unknown origin, but there are various theories of where they came from, and they could certainly come again. Other natural disasters also possible, especially floods and wild fires, as we saw the start of last summer

Montgomery, we are due to have the biggest ever explosion in peace time Europe at some unknown date in the future.

Terrorism, toxic industrial accidents, gas release, air raid, we are not magically immune

Homelessness, so many people so sure it will never happen to them, cos they don't drink, or gamble, or whatever, these things cause a tiny percentage of rough sleepers

You don't have to look very far on these threads to still see evidence of the indignation that we had to go into lockdown, a little bit, for a short time, a couple of years ago! As if we were somehow more immune than the rest of the world

AIBU to think that the UK population as a whole suffers from the delusion that we are somehow magically protected from the misfortunes of the rest of the world, and that our incredible good fortune in remaining safe and secure for nearly 80 years has blinded us to the fact that we have simply been very lucky, and there is no guarantee that this will extend for another 80 years, and we really need to treat people in bad situations with more compassion, and be more prepared to deal with bad situations ourselves?

Amene to that.

Absolutely agree with you.

I think most people know anything's possible but don't want to spend their lives hand-wringing so make the most of the good times while they can.
Keep calm and carry on and all that.

Well yes, but we can still enjoy our lives at the same time?

I don’t think ignoring the possibility of bad things is unique to the UK. Look how many Ukrainians were convinced Putin wasn’t actually going to invade. And it’s not like Ukraine has had an easy time of it historically.
It’s just human nature I think.

There's definitely complacency but as pp said, we have to just carry on for now and hope that if the worst does happens we will deal with it then. I'm not a what if person anymore.

Montgomery, we are due to have the biggest ever explosion in peace time Europe at some unknown date in the future.

What is this bit about please? All I can find on Google is some volcanic rocks in North Wales?

I don't feel complacent and smug, I feel continually terrified about the prospect of war and climate change. I find it hard to enjoy life anymore because of this, it's always in the back of my mind

This! Aren't you a wee ray of sunshine op?!

You're probably right but blimmin heck I couldn't live thinking like that. I do feel very very fortunate to live here though I must say.

What do you suggest we do instead? Live in constant fear?

I feel very fortunate to live here, and I enjoy my life, and I don't worry too much, but I do get frustrated at the attitude on here so much of the time that we don't need to show normal compassion, or take reasonable precautions, cos we are so much better than anyone else

www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-ss-richard-montgomery-information-and-survey-reports/ss-richard-montgomery-background-information

no, show compassion to refugees and rough sleepers, and take advantage of early alarm systems when offered.

Montgomery is the wreck of a second world war ship in the Thames Estuary, which contains an unknown amount of unstable explosives, which might blow up tomorrow or never or any time in between, which cannot be predicted or cleared up, and may be a damp squib, or the largest ever explosion in peace time Europe

I grew up in the 1980s when the threat of complete nuclear destruction was a real possibility. Frankly, I much prefer being somewhat complacent to living in a state of constant fear. Yes, bad things can and do happen, but we cannot control any of the issues you mention - and as such, living our lives in as happy a way as possible is the best we can do. Doom-mongering helps no-one.

I agree. War, famine, vulnerability to climate changes, sickness - these are all what’s actually ‘normal’. The last 80 years or so have been the anomaly in civilisation, in the west at least.

Management
While the risk of a major explosion is believed to be remote, it is considered prudent to monitor the condition of the wreck.

Surveys are carried out by the MCA on a regular basis to ensure that any changes to the wreck, or its immediate environment, are discovered quickly.

It is clear from the results of these surveys that the hull is subject to the prevailing environmental conditions and is showing evidence of gradual deterioration, however, the wreck is considered to be in a stable condition.

Some remedial work to trim the rigging and such from the masts (above the water line) was undertaken in October 1999, with the aim of reducing stress levels.

This doesn’t seem to be something to loose a lot of sleep over for most people.

This thread is interesting- usually when people post they are worried about war/nuclear attacks/another pandemic etc they are told they a)are fear mongering b)have an anxiety disorder.

I spent my childhood and teens convinced we'd all die in a nuclear war; it was a very real threat at the time. I'm not going back to having something like that at the forefront of my mind again. We fought wars so we wouldn't have to live in fear.

People aren't all completely oblivious or obsessive preppers, though, OP. I think most people have found a sensible balance.

I was an adult and a parent in the 80s so I remember those scary.times too. I don't think the OP is suggesting that we live in fear just that we give more consideration to people for whom war and famine are a current reality, refugees for instance.

It's quite possible to be compassionate and care about difficult situations that others find themselves in without needing to list all the possible calamities that may befall the UK. I'm very aware of how lucky we are in the country. That doesn't mean I'm 'smug' and don't support others? The two things are not related. You can be aware of your own blessings and still be compassionate for others.

I've no problem with us taking refugees from countries that have been hit by natural disasters, or even countries invaded by neighbour countries. I'm a lot less sympathetic to refugees from countries that have been war with their neighbours on and off for decades and where both sides show no intention for hostilities to cease. Especially when the war is on religious grounds.

Homelessness, so many people so sure it will never happen to them, cos they don't drink, or gamble, or whatever, these things cause a tiny percentage of rough sleepers

That's not actually true. The vast majority of rough sleepers have substance abuse and/or mental health issues.

I do get sick and tired of people who don't even try to help themselves, they spend their lives wasting opportunities given to them, and then when they find themselves facing the consequences of their actions, they claim the world is against them and "it's not fair".