Recession thread Part XXVIII

[Alberon]

The normal situation for human civilisation is crisis. That's the way it has been all my life. Even the 90s, which is generally held up as reasonably good times had a recession in it.

Change is always coming. The old ways being overturned. The current arrangement is increasingly broken and it will change.

I'm not saying the future is going to be paradise. It isn't. But I also think the end isn't just around the corner. That's not guaranteed, of course, but then again nothing is.

[Catalogue of ills]

I'm really glad I'm not alone in that. My anxiety is beginning to spike again because the future just looks like a dark tunnel. I genuinely can't see how things can improve.

This is exactly it. Whilst I'm not contemplating suicide I am wondering what the point of living is. I've got my wife and child who make me think "no matter how bad things are, I've got them" but then I feel guilt when I look around at the world I've brought my little one into.

I'm angry about everything that's going on. I'm angry that our futures and wellbeing are dictated by a gang of obscenely wealthy psychopaths who'd think nothing of seeing us all dead if there was a few more quid in it for them. What the fuck is the end game? You can look at your bank balance and know you've got more money you can spend in 5 lifetimes yet you do nothing with it?

I'm not okay with the injustices, crimes and blatant lies that are being rubbed in our faces every day. It's obvious that there's one vat of shit with 3 pipes and our choice is only "what colour Conservative do you want".

It seems they're actively going out of their way to hurt the population now. It infuriates me that there's still people out there voting for them and believing they're doing a good job.

I'm tired of this country. I'm tired of the constant hate that's spilled out and the scapegoating. It seems we're a nation running on hate at the moment...but not at the people who most deserve it. If I could afford it I'd look to move to Scotland, Wales or somewhere like Finland.

I spend far too much time worrying about politics and the implications on my and my families lives and its really depressing me.

I find it helps to take the long view. things have been much worse, and yet time and again throughout history people have stood up and fought back, and to some extent pushed back the forces of darkness. We're unlucky in that it hasn't really happened in our part of the world in our lifetime (yet), but history shows us that nothing is ever a done deal. Watching footage of the moment the crowd turned against Ceausescu in Romania is always a good tonic - the level of repression and surveillance was insane, yet people fought back and beat him. I showed that to my kids when they were young, as a lesson in life.

[Twit 2]

My haunting memories of Bucharest in no particular order: the emaciated stray dogs; the grey tower blocks; the flash of red hair of the woman I had gone there to visit; the bullet holes in the square.

[Blumf]

Shit about to get REAL!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/greggs-price-hikes-cost-pressures-092508663.html

The boss of Greggs (GRG.L) has warned prices could rise as sales in big cities lag the rest of its estate while cost pressures increase as customer incomes come under pressure amid soaring inflation.

Chief executive Roger Whiteside said the bakery chain was in "uncharted territory" as supply constraints, the Ukraine war and the sluggish post-pandemic recovery of consumer demand push up costs.

"We see ourselves as value leaders in the food-to-go market, and that market has been forced to put prices up, we are no different," Whiteside said. "But we make sure that the gap between us and our competitors never narrows so that we are always the best value."

Imagine a Britain where all the Greggs are boarded up, Poundbakery now the nations only choice.

[Endicott]

Imagine a Britain where all the Greggs are boarded up, Poundbakery now the nations only choice.

Where I live, a south east commuter town that boasts two Greggs, the upmarket wankers are moving in, despite Johnson trying to encourage everyone back to London. Pret just opened a shop and so did GAIL's.

[Mr_Simnock]

Highest inflation for 40 years, I'm sure the mop headed cunt can get us to a 50 year high

[TrenterPercenter]

It's incredible listening to a load of people saying how fucked they are and shit everything is, and how it is going to get worse and then still the Tories remain on top.  Starmer is shit but still I think the publics minds has been poisoned so much that any attempt at a bold leftwing message would instantly get people tutting Corbyn's - I mean who is voting for the Tories? How are they still so supported as much?!

[Paul Calf]

Ignorant people and greedy people. Ignorance is understandable, especially in a society where education is simultaneously overpriced and undervalued. Everyone is ignorant until they're not. Greed is a cunt's vice.

[Zetetic]

I think a sense of helplessness, and perhaps more specifically the idea of the impotence of government to do anything positive in the world around you, is probably quite important.

[Zetetic]

Something to gesture at here about how all local elections in the UK are overwhelmingly treated as opinion polls for the Westminster government more than anything else, and yet at the same time no one really believes that the Westminster administration is capable of actually changing your bin collection schedule.

[TrenterPercenter]

Ignorant people and greedy people. Ignorance is understandable, especially in a society where education is simultaneously overpriced and undervalued. Everyone is ignorant until they're not. Greed is a cunt's vice.

Lots of people though are greedy but the Tories don't give anything to their greed.  Is there seriously that many people that are in that much of sweet situation that the Tories look good - sure in some places down south but other places. 

[thelittlemango]

It's incredible listening to a load of people saying how fucked they are and shit everything is, and how it is going to get worse and then still the Tories remain on top.  Starmer is shit but still I think the publics minds has been poisoned so much that any attempt at a bold leftwing message would instantly get people tutting Corbyn's - I mean who is voting for the Tories? How are they still so supported as much?!

It's a weird and extremely frustrating middle ground where people at least tend to acknowledge things are shit (although pretty much only if it's hitting their own pockets) but then rather than consider the current ruling party to be to blame they focus on what Labour will do to address it and then the greed comes into play. Looking at yourself literally losing money month after month but not willing to vote for an alternative because Labour as seen as a party of taxing everyone and redistributing wealth to the 'undeserving'. It's maddening.

[TrenterPercenter]

I think a sense of helplessness, and perhaps more specifically the idea of the impotence of government to do anything positive in the world around you, is probably quite important.

this also, the Tories play on this with every Labour leader - they'll do nothing for you, they are weak, they are part of the establishment (whilst creating the conditions that they have to appear to be part of the establishment to be taken seriously), it's all distraction to keep the eyes and anger off them and somewhere else.  How have we let them get away with it for so long I remember having arguments on here with people about Ed Miliband not voting for him, he's not radical enough, but we'd be in a different country now if Cameron never won office.

I'm waiting for the penny to drop with some old Tory crowd that since Cameron these are not your usual Tories, there is something more akin to going on with the press and dodgy monies - likely put into play by the threat of financial reporting and Leveson.  I really do think once we get them out (if we ever do) then we are going to find out some incredibly grim stuff

[TrenterPercenter]

It's a weird and extremely frustrating middle ground where people at least tend to acknowledge things are shit (although pretty much only if it's hitting their own pockets) but then rather than consider the current ruling party to be to blame they focus on what Labour will do to address it and then the greed comes into play. Looking at yourself literally losing money month after month but not willing to vote for an alternative because Labour as seen as a party of taxing everyone and redistributing wealth to the 'undeserving'. It's maddening.

But that's it isn't it too left to win with some not left enough to win for some and all the while the tories and their minions in the press create new psychological ground to exacerbate that divide.  Getting in power on a centrist platform then educating people regarding leftwing views is something at least but of course we won't know until we've voted them in.....but this doesn't really matter because any labour government due to it political machinery and majority of its public back will be much more to the left than the Tories so for me it's moot.  Just get the Tories out, we'd don't stop pushing left when that battle has been won.

[bgmnts]

Sunak shrugging his shoulders and going yeah it's gonna be a tough few months.

Tough for the poorest of the poor by the way, most of his absolute evil bastard ilk won't feel anything at all, beyond a few of their personal slaves killing themselves.

[Bently Sheds]

I really do think once we get them out (if we ever do) then we are going to find out some incredibly grim stuff

I'm fucked if I can find it now, but I read an article this morning about how the postal voting system looks like it's been nobbled in the Tories' favour since the election before last. Private company running the count that happens to have extremely strong links to the government + an alleged lack of oversight by the electoral commission or something. It was equally convincing and depressing and unsurprising. I'm sure there's more of this kind of underhand shit going on we're oblivious to...

[TrenterPercenter]

I'm fucked if I can find it now, but I read an article this morning about how the postal voting system looks like it's been nobbled in the Tories' favour since the election before last. Private company running the count that happens to have extremely strong links to the government + an alleged lack of oversight by the electoral commission or something. It was equally convincing and depressing and unsurprising. I'm sure there's more of this kind of underhand shit going on we're oblivious to...

Interesting and unsurprising. 

I think something that tends to go unnoticed is that since Cameron was elected the Tories changed tack, they moulded a caring face but whilst further to the right economically (I think this is the thing here yes they continued Blairism and Blair was Thatchers creation but eventually this was realised and the party got rid of Blair and was looking to move away from riding on the scorpions back - this is because the party is not it's leader it has masses of people in it that can shape and remove leaders if required.  Blair paid people off for a while built a wall and a moat and was eventually ousted) but also they began dealing in rhetoric and propaganda.

David "teflon bastard" Cameron started the common spectacle of PMQs we see today openly lying, and refusing to answer questions.  He flirted with rightwing and pledged against all sense a Brexit referendum to appease the rightwing press.  All the while a certain Boris Johnson who had already been working on Tory propaganda for previous decade had now moved himself into London Mayor Position making his connections between government, financiers and the press.  Him coming to power is the climax of all of this a two-bit hack now running the country because of his connections.  Of course they are corrupt, once we are rid of them we will be able to reassess how it all was allowed to happen but we have to get rid of them first and there is a massive about of corrupt people in positions of power that are adamant that can never happen.

Just think Labour comes into power with a majority.  Straight away a Labour MP could propose a full Leveson act and have it pass.  Once you build your castles like the tories have you are in big trouble if you ever lose power.

[bgmnts]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/may/19/dont-let-people-off-if-they-steal-food-in-desperation-minister-tells-police-kit-malthouse

20 years for stealing a loaf of bread it is then. Someone in charge of police who doesn't know how crime works.

[Butchers Blind]

How long before the return of the workhouse under a different name?

[jamiefairlie]

How long before the return of the workhouse under a different name?

How about "Amazing" or a similar name?

[Zetetic]

How long before the return of the workhouse under a different name?

I hardly think it's the role of government to provide people with shelter.

[Fambo Number Mive]

In 2020 people clapped for nurses, now people largely shrug and gush about the Royals while they have to resort to foodbanks:

Hospitals are setting up food banks for staff and offering emergency loans for frontline workers struggling with skyrocketing costs.

Six NHS trusts are reported to have either set up food banks or food voucher programmes amid fears huge numbers are struggling to feed their families.

According to The Independent, many more are considering following suit.

Currently Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, Norfolk Community Health and Care, West Hertfordshire, Dartford and Gravesham are known to have set up food banks and voucher services.

They follow Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and University Hospitals Birmingham, both of which have operated food banks for staff for more than two years...

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hospitals-set-up-food-banks-27030897

No doubt some ghoulish GB News pundit will claim that it's fine that nurses have to resort to food banks because "it's a vocation" or "they should marry someone wealthy."

Dystopian.

[dozybugcarrot]

In 2020 people clapped for nurses, now people largely shrug and gush about the Royals while they have to resort to foodbanks:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hospitals-set-up-food-banks-27030897

No doubt some ghoulish GB News pundit will claim that it's fine that nurses have to resort to food banks because "it's a vocation" or "they should marry someone wealthy."

Dystopian.

I would really like the 'it's a vocation' argument to apply to politicians. And for their raises to be linked to nurses wages, you want your wages to go up? Fine, you just have to give nurses a raise. I feel like it should be built into the system that doing the right thing for the citizens of a country is beneficial for its politicians. Instead of the exact opposite situation we have now.