A social revolution?

hethmar

People will always state the downside of the 50s/60s - yes we were poor, yes when my dad had a major industrial accident there werent any handouts - we lived on what we could - and dad was back to work in 6 months albeit blind in one eye and with injuries that lasted a lifetime. These days that sort of accident would be a free ride for the rest of your life. So people will say things are better now - unmarried mums arent stigmatised - but there will always be something unfair in society. I remember the hushed whispers when one girl who got herself "in trouble" walked past - nowdays a baby is a trophy that nearly every 13 year old thinks is their right plus the council flat and benefits that follow.

Boys went into National Service and came out with a wider view of the world and some discipline which would last them a lifetime.

On balance, things were much better back then - we didnt crave for the next consumer item, we were pleased to sit and play cards with all the relatives - nowdays kids dont even know who their relatives are half the time.

Im just very glad that was the time of my childhood and teenage years.

Darth_Marty

Im 33 and even I remember "better times" the thing is how much of these memories are tainted by childhood memories and an innocence that only experience makes you lose?

That said, and ive made many mistakes during this credit mad decade myself, id love a simpler life and more family values now.

The question is will we ever get them and if so how?

caveman38

I too was bought up in the fifties and enjoyed every bit of it and would wish to return to those days from a moral and social point of view.
What I think a lot of you are forgetting is credit and buying things you couldn't afford was just the same then but on a smaller scale.
My first 3 cars were all bought on HP. My mother bought my clothes using Provident Cheques and when I visited my nan, the Tally man called every saturday morning.

Davesnave

markelock wrote: »

the world has moved on, and experiences from 20, 30, 40 years ago aren't as relevant in todays society. after all, back then I could buy a house for £5k!

I think as a society we are greedy, but temper that with aspiration. I've improved on my parents, and hopefully my children will improve on me. I look forward to that day infact.

How will your children 'improve' on you? Do you mean they may be able to amass more wealth than you, or is it about reaching a higher degree of happiness & fulfillment? Do you think the two are related?

I'm glad that my kids have so far been successful in achieving their goals, but I'm more pleased that they're happy within the lives they've made, independent of me. If they improve on my performance, then they'll be happier and have touched the lives of more other people in a positive way. I don't mind whether they do that from a yurt or a mansion.

Lotus-eater

Davesnave wrote: »

How will your children 'improve' on you? Do you mean they may be able to amass more wealth than you, or is it about reaching a higher degree of happiness & fulfillment? Do you think the two are related?

I'm glad that my kids have so far been successful in achieving their goals, but I'm more pleased that they're happy with the lives they've made, independent of me.

I hope my kids have loads of sex with different people, learn to play the guitar and piano, be in a rock band, be a hippy and live on a boat, basically everything I wanted to do, but never did

If not that, then like Dave, I just hope they are happy...and don't live with me too long..

Pobby

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I hope my kids have loads of sex with different people, learn to play the guitar and piano, be in a rock band, be a hippy and live on a boat, basically everything I wanted to do, but never did

If not that, then like Dave, I just hope they are happy...and don't live with me too long..

Not commenting on the first bit... lol. However I spent many years in a rock band, being a bit of a hippy but as to the last I get sea sick:o

WTF?_2

kennyboy66 wrote: »

Did'nt really notice the blitz spirit in the early 80's when mass unemployment was created, or when there were major riots in many cities.

What really surprises me is the astonishing passivity of people these days apart from a tiny, tiny minority on the fringes (animal rights activists & islamic terrorists).

That's a deliberate effect of government policy.

Dumb down the media and make sure 'the right message' is given for all topics, teach kids only what they need to be good workers/consumers, foster an environment where responsibilities and rights are removed 'for your own safety' and let the government look after everything.

Against that, only the most motivated people are going to stand up. Which will include 'people with a cause'.

hethmar

caveman38 wrote: »

I too was bought up in the fifties and enjoyed every bit of it and would wish to return to those days from a moral and social point of view.
What I think a lot of you are forgetting is credit and buying things you couldn't afford was just the same then but on a smaller scale.
My first 3 cars were all bought on HP. My mother bought my clothes using Provident Cheques and when I visited my nan, the Tally man called every saturday morning.

Ditto with us - but the difference is your mum and nan would have died of shame had they not paid that tallyman when he called. You probably had the occasional week like us when mum would tell us kids to lay on the floor, not speak and not answer the door when he knocked - but she would make damn sure she had the money the following week.

markelock

Davesnave wrote: »

How will your children 'improve' on you? Do you mean they may be able to amass more wealth than you, or is it about reaching a higher degree of happiness & fulfillment? Do you think the two are related?

I'm glad that my kids have so far been successful in achieving their goals, but I'm more pleased that they're happy with the lives they've made, independent of me.

Hopefully they'll have learnt from me, and grow intellectually and emotionally.

I do hope they learn from some mistakes I have made, I do hope they amass more money and assets than I have (although I will attempt to give them a good start with this), so that they have more choice in terms of what they do, when they do it etc etc.

I wouldn't relate wealth with happiness, although if you offered me a million pounds right now, I would probably raise a smile;)

carolt

Thinking about this thread while out this morning, I realised that while I don't expect any particular social changes to come out of this, one change I hope may come, or come more speedily than it might otherwise have done, is a move towards greener solutions - Obama is in favour of putting some of the billions of public infrastructure money into green projects, and hopefully other nations will follow on this too - I think even Gordon's warbled about it vaguely. But given today's news re gas shortages, and recent fuel price uncertainty, it has to be the way forward on economic as well as environmental grounds; not to say politically too, to stop our countries being held to ransom by a small group of oil/gas rich nations whenever they see fit.