GDP drop of 0.7% in the second quarter.
Discussion
Blue62 said:
Seriously, where is the evidence for this, other than in the pages of the Daily Mail? I know plenty of decent young people who want to work and are willing to work, I also come across a few dead beats, but after 20 years in the hiring business and more recently volunteering with local schools and colleges with career advice and support, I can honestly report that little has changed in terms of attitude. It might pay us all to stop and consider what kids today (and yesterday) are force fed through advertising as they are encouraged from an early age to 'consume'. My generation were never quite so exposed and the issue goes wider than parenting, society is a reflection of itself. There is an emerging school of thought that suggests we would do better to focus on what we need as opposed to what we want to improve the quality of our lives, maybe the time really has come to reassess what it's all about.
I accept that was a rather Mailesque view, but I do know (and have encountered) many people who have that attitude. Completely accept your point about advertising and society, but that isn't happening in a vacuum. It happened because we allowed it to happen. Those of us who watched it develop did nothing to stop it. As you state, there does seem to be a developing backlash, and it's interesting to watch it develop. I read and listen to web based stuff that's undoubtedly viewed as fringe by many on here and the narrative seems to be as you state - disengage from advertising and mass media notions of standard of living and instead focus on quality of life. Much more local and based around friendship and experience rather than "stuff". Quite what that goes to GDP I have no idea.Ozzie Osmond said:
I'm delighted to say this gives another opportunity to bash New Labour. 50 years ago it was the duty of the common man to PRODUCE - coal, steel, ships, cars etc - and create wealth. By the 1970s the common man was bored with that and preferred to go on strike. Through the 1980s there was some rebalancing with UK starting to pick up and by the end of Major's government it was in pretty decent shape.
Under New Labour the new duty of the common man was to CONSUME - which meant to borrow as much as possible and spend as much as possible. And if you didn't have a job the government would give you some money anyway so that you could play the game. The approach to life thist encouraged at the bottom of UK society will take decades to cure.
The only cure is to turn off the tap. Which in real-world terms means reducing the level of the state safety-net. Benefits as a lifestyle choice must end. Disability benefit as a solution to lack of income must end. Generous early pensions for public sector workers must end. Early retirement as a solution for incompetent public workers must end.
BOOOOORRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGUnder New Labour the new duty of the common man was to CONSUME - which meant to borrow as much as possible and spend as much as possible. And if you didn't have a job the government would give you some money anyway so that you could play the game. The approach to life thist encouraged at the bottom of UK society will take decades to cure.
The only cure is to turn off the tap. Which in real-world terms means reducing the level of the state safety-net. Benefits as a lifestyle choice must end. Disability benefit as a solution to lack of income must end. Generous early pensions for public sector workers must end. Early retirement as a solution for incompetent public workers must end.
Any chance of you ever saying something original again? You'll be blaiming Blair for the World Wars next.
I was hoping one day I might be able to come on here and not see a tired, recycled, blame-new-labour-everything-on-earth rant.
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