Why is the UK and some of its people the way it is?

[FattyAirways]

I'm talking about every time I visit my local, deprived town centre, i'm bound to come across someone mentally unstable, youths causing issues, walking around with their hands down their trousers, talking in stupid voices like they're 'ard. It's the same when I venture out into the city centre. People have little respect for each other and the surroundings. I walked through a park and someone had ripped up the daffodils and thrown them everywhere.

There's barely a night goes past without someone drunk walking past my house shouting in the early hours and sirens blaring.

In the places I know well of on the continent, this just would not happen.

So, where is the UK going wrong?

Theres no consequences for their actions. Therefore people do what they want and to hell with everyone else.

When there is not much of a future for people and a lack of societal progress, things degenerate quickly. And a government that is full of selfish, bratty, lazy, entitled children.

If these are our role models who represent us then how can we expect people to behave any better than them?

Surely all countries have pockets where people are badly behaved. I know that Paris, new York, and LA certainly do. Are you sure that there are loads of countries where this isn't a thing in very deprived communities?

poor mental health, the lack of inpatient long term care facilities.
i'm not sure the prison system is suitable with drugs and alcohol routinely being smuggled in vs detox treatment and employment skills and maybe even relocation??
lack of suitable employment.
it's everywhere

It's complex. They don't care because they have nothing to really care about. It stems from the families they grew up in, the peers they hang out with and not having any good role models. It's very depressing. Takes a lot of outreach work to fix it.

This isn't my experience of the UK.
I have experienced certain areas of US cities that match your description, certainly in San Francisco. Also isolated incidents of mentally unwell individuals and vandalism throughout the world.

This type of disenfranchisement is only going to get worse unfortunately.

I’m sure it does exist in other countries but my theory is large council estates rather than small mixing people in with others where everyone has the same outlook on life and go to the same schools, multiple generations of families that have never had jobs and it generally being seen as “uncool” to get in in life.

Are the places you know well on the continent genuinely equivalent to where you live, in terms of demographics, income, population density etc etc?

Lack of visible police, and enough police to enforce the law.
Alcohol is too easily available to buy.

Mix of appalling education system, inter- generational poverty and deprivation, no opportunities, no social mobility, poor role models, lack of industry, lack of opportunity….failing public services, lack of investment in young people’s services, the list could go on and on.

There are absolutely places in most countries, where mental illness and vandalism and disengagement is very similar to that you describe in your local town and city.

You probably just don't visit them on holiday.

In the places I know well of on the continent, this just would not happen.

I would take a guess at the likelihood that you don't hang around similalrly deprived areas when you are in other countries. Deprivation and disadvantage breed disengagement - if you have no place in society you have no investment in it either. So where did the UK go wrong - I'd start with 13 years of cuts and lack of investment in people and infrastructure.

I'm not convinced there is worse behaviour, but there is less care for the mentally ill and the worst homelessness now I have seen in my life, which can lead to drug addiction and antisocial behaviour.

There's not doubt that has got so much worse in the last few years - I was fairly used to seeing it in central London though it has also skyrocketed there, but in recent years I have sometimes seen 3-4 obviously genuinely street-sleeping homeless people in the short walk down the high street from the tube to my house in what is supposed to be a leafy suburb. It's utterly wrong so many people should end up in this position in a rich country - there are literally no longer enough 'patches' in central London to accommodate all the rough sleepers. 🙁

I agree it’s very complex, usually stems from lack of parental guidance/love/respect/boundaries. Possibly leads on to addiction/mental health issues. It’s quite sad really, a lot of unsavoury adults were let down children once.

Depends on where you live in the U.K. The majority of places are absolutely fine, but obviously deprived places are going to be different. Combination of lazy parenting, no boundaries put in place by those involved in their lives, no consequences for poor behaviour. I just think guidance as to what’s right and wrong begins at home. If that’s lacking, then the results are what you describe unfortunately.

I think it’s complex, but I sometimes wonder if it’s due to lack of parenting. I think that parenting is undervalued in this country. Adults aren’t considered to be economically active unless they’re working, and being a stay at home parent is often scorned at. I think kids need more love.

100% this!

In the places I know well of on the continent, this just would not happen.

Which ones out of interest?

YANBU though.

It’s caused by poverty and it’s associations with poor physical and mental health that has been affecting these communities for several generations.

Everyone wants to race to the bottom. If they can’t have it - why should anyone else - even if they’ve worked for it. We are a short termist political country driven by the politics of envy. The short term solutions means no real investment happens so it’s easier to blame someone else. There is no support to break the poverty cycle - or the inclination - as the politicians wash their hands.

🙄

Crap parenting is a massive problem. No rules, no boundaries, do what they want , when they want.
Funny how i have 3 teenagers who don't strut around causing trouble because they've been taught better.

People, who'd struggle to look after a goldfish, procreating. And so it goes on.

100% agree - it’s so odd. We literally have no respect for our environment or each other. There is v little sense of community or respect for wildfire / authority / city centres etc. We are one of the richest countries in the world but we act like a second tier country that is in massive decline (excl London and parts of Home Counties). That is why high streets and centres are dying - people going to far out places where trouble can’t follow. having lived in Australia, I think the police here need to be way better funded and in all honestly armed. They take no sh&t out there and cops are everywhere. I never ever felt afraid . It’s not fair on them to deal with it with just pepper spray. If I had a choice and kids were ok I’d move abroad in a heartbeat.