Will things ever get easier for the common man?

JayBrun

ruggedtoast wrote: »

..The fact that most of you couldnt be bothered to even work more than three days a week back in the 70s just about says it all...

The only three day week I can recall was when the miners were on strike resulting in power cuts.

If you have any intention to honestly debate these issues you need to explain how you construe this as meaning 'most of you couldnt be bothered to even work more than three days a week'.

tescobabe69

JayBrun wrote: »

The only three day week I can recall was when the miners were on strike resulting in power cuts.

If you have any intention to honestly debate these issues you need to explain how you construe this as meaning 'most of you couldnt be bothered to even work more than three days a week'.

I was working when the three day week was operating, we worked Mon/Tues/Wed and got the dole for Thur/Fri/Sat (the dole was based on a six day week) my normal wage was so low I actally ended up better off on a three day week.

JayBrun

I'm not sure whether ruggedtoast would approve of that or not.
Your income went up but in his words you could only be botherd to work 3 days a week

JayBrun

Pennywise wrote: »

People in this country don't have the option to vote for sensible long term solutions. The major parties never offer the option. It's not the people, it's the politicians who are only in it for the short term glory of political posturing. Given a proper choice, I'm sure that the people would indeed vote for the long term answers, even if that meant short term pain. Politicians are too scared - that's why they never offer what the people really want.

I'm of the view that we get the politics and politicians we deserve.

If a majority of the voting population wanted what could be categorised as long term policies for the general improvement of society as a whole then the politicians would be inclined accordingly - if only to get themselves elected.

Most voters take a very short term view which is heavily biased in their favour.

Going4TheDream

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Golly, you're all just so penniless. All of these plump, rosy cheeked boomers I see driving around slowly in their nice cars, gliding up the drives of their large astoundingly overpriced houses while hardworking families cram themselves into rented tenements nearby must be a figment of my imagination.

As must all the stats about the huge intergenerational wealth transfer that has taken place from young to old.

The fact that most of you couldnt be bothered to even work more than three days a week back in the 70s just about says it all.



Selfish boomers making Glastonbury even more rubbish. Earlier this year.

Im sorry I wouldnt normally be so forthright but I cant work out if you are either a troll or a very bitter and twisted person who has a grudge for some reason about anyone who seems to have got on with their life and made a success of it.

It seems to be a vindictive hatred and nastiness that you obsessively spout. If it were an ethnic group that you were talking about, and not a group of people born within a certain generation it would be classed as racism, but the vitriol is still as offensive.

Yes it is hard out there, but its hard for the vast majority of people, young and old alike, but most of us are knuckling down and getting on with it doing what we can to make it better for ourselves, our families and our future and not hating or putting down everyone who has something we may desire ourselves.....

Perhaps you should try doing the same?

dtsazza

Pennywise wrote: »

People in this country don't have the option to vote for sensible long term solutions. The major parties never offer the option. It's not the people, it's the politicians who are only in it for the short term glory of political posturing. Given a proper choice, I'm sure that the people would indeed vote for the long term answers, even if that meant short term pain. Politicians are too scared - that's why they never offer what the people really want.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

I recognise that party flexibility isn't perfect. But I also remain convinced that if there truly was a 70-80% (say) consensus on a particular issue, which also happened to be politically prudent (a rare combination), we'd have a major party supporting that soon enough. And more likely the other major parties would follow suit, as there'd be little reason to follow a policy line which was both impractical nd unpopular.

I don't really believe that people would vote for long-term prudence. They might say they do if you phrase the question that way, but if you ask them about specifics (e.g. do you think we should reduce library funding in order to bring the national debt to zero over a couple of decades), I suspect few would sacrifice short-term boosts for long-term solutions.

JayBrun

As is common throughout this thread, many find it easier and convenient to blame others ie politicians or babyboomers as the case may be.

kabayiri

Pennywise wrote: »

People in this country don't have the option to vote for sensible long term solutions. The major parties never offer the option. It's not the people, it's the politicians who are only in it for the short term glory of political posturing. Given a proper choice, I'm sure that the people would indeed vote for the long term answers, even if that meant short term pain. Politicians are too scared - that's why they never offer what the people really want.

Not just politicians...

Post 2000, I worked on the automation costings for a new plant, to make something many of use on a regular basis.

The capital up front was significant sure, but importantly the plant would make money.

The plan was rejected by the bean counters who preferred a 'financially viable' option making the goods in Asia. They preferred the faster returns available by using cheap labour.

Short termism is endemic here.

MacMickster

Pennywise wrote: »

People in this country don't have the option to vote for sensible long term solutions. The major parties never offer the option. It's not the people, it's the politicians who are only in it for the short term glory of political posturing. Given a proper choice, I'm sure that the people would indeed vote for the long term answers, even if that meant short term pain. Politicians are too scared - that's why they never offer what the people really want.

This has certainly been the case for many years now.

In the past the major political parties had a vision of how they wanted the country to be run. They offered their vision to the public, hopefully convinced enough of the electorate to share that vision and if so got elected.

Now we only have professional politicians, educated in the same schools and universities and with little experience of life. They no longer have a vision. Now it is all about getting elected. They therefore fight for the centre ground, with policies decided by focus groups. Once elected they immediately forget their manifestos and look towards getting elected the next time. Consequently they all offer slightly different shades of the same thing, leaving the electorate with no real choice.

kabayiri

MacMickster wrote: »

....
Now we only have professional politicians, educated in the same schools and universities and with little experience of life. They no longer have a vision. Now it is all about getting elected. They therefore fight for the centre ground, with policies decided by focus groups. Once elected they immediately forget their manifestos and look towards getting elected the next time. Consequently they all offer slightly different shades of the same thing, leaving the electorate with no real choice.

Imagine if we all had economic conditions similar to those enjoyed in parliament.

We'd all have pensions on terms everyone would envy.
Our holiday entitlement would be fantastic.
The salary and expenses would be brilliant.
If circumstance meant we lost our job the goodbye payment would ease the transition.
Oh, subsidised canteens and bars would make those long working hours more bearable too.
There would be no talk of outsourcing your job to someone from the East.

Yep, it seems like these politicians can engineer a damn fine attractive economic environment.....when it suits them!