Boomer life according to the economist
Discussion
borcy said:
Agreed so many problems go back to lack of levelling up over decades. If we as a country don't start to do something about it, the problems will just get worse.
Good job the country is doing so well to sort out the problems then..... Oh....
Public Accounts Committee said:
The Government is unable to provide any compelling examples of what Levelling Up funding has delivered so far.
The PAC’s report finds that, of £10.47bn in total funding from central government, which must be spent between 2020-21 and 2025-26, local authorities have been able to spend only £1.24bn from the Government’s three funds as of Sept 2023. Furthermore, only £3.7bn had been given to local authorities out of the total allocation by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) by December 2023.
borcy said:
Agreed so many problems go back to lack of levelling up over decades. If we as a country don't start to do something about it, the problems will just get worse.
Agree 100%....but where is the incentive for those in power to do something about it?
- Politics and government are centred in London and has proven to be very SE-centric.
- The majority of senior politicians spend most of their time in/around London, even if their constituency is elsewhere (our MP lives in south Oxon, we're rarely graced with his presence)
- A disproportionate # of big-corporate head offices are in London / SE
- A disproportionate # of wealthy/influential families are in the SE
...so from the day-to-day viewpoint of those who are in or who have access to power, everything looks rosy. Those saying otherwise are just whingers and poor people - they don't count. Yes, they'll make the right soundbites, but the right policies never really follow-on.
It certainly is an interesting world at the minute - I can think of several ways to improve certain products that I've bought over the years, but it's not cost effective to mass produce them in the UK and the minute I outsource production to China they will rip off the IP and undercut me.
I have a lot of experience in the financial world, but also tinker with 3d design and printing in my spare time. Plus obviously I'm into cars and more specifically "improving" them (modifying).
But where's the incentive to innovate?
I have a lot of experience in the financial world, but also tinker with 3d design and printing in my spare time. Plus obviously I'm into cars and more specifically "improving" them (modifying).
But where's the incentive to innovate?
Condi said:
I don't disagree with any of that, but the point still stands than as a country/on average the UK is doing very poorly for productivity. This has repercussions for government plans, tax take, etc etc.
London is only about 15% of the population, 85% of the country is not seeing the same increase in productivity.
Averages are used to mask the problem. Its a massive issue, that outweighs anything else the UK faces by a country mile. This isn't a recent decline, its been going on for 40 years.London is only about 15% of the population, 85% of the country is not seeing the same increase in productivity.
havoc said:
borcy said:
Agreed so many problems go back to lack of levelling up over decades. If we as a country don't start to do something about it, the problems will just get worse.
Agree 100%....but where is the incentive for those in power to do something about it?
- Politics and government are centred in London and has proven to be very SE-centric.
- The majority of senior politicians spend most of their time in/around London, even if their constituency is elsewhere (our MP lives in south Oxon, we're rarely graced with his presence)
- A disproportionate # of big-corporate head offices are in London / SE
- A disproportionate # of wealthy/influential families are in the SE
...so from the day-to-day viewpoint of those who are in or who have access to power, everything looks rosy. Those saying otherwise are just whingers and poor people - they don't count. Yes, they'll make the right soundbites, but the right policies never really follow-on.
*probably two or maybe three more big political brexit type shocks before the main parties seem to notice or think about this.
OoopsVoss said:
That depends on where you live in the UK. London actually outperformed Germanys GDP growth since 2008 - which is no mean feat given our correlation to Financial services. Our problems are - massive regional inequality / decline AND non-diversification of economy. Not that we don't have the capacity to generate growth.
Unfortunately that does not help the average Joe.Those factors are put towards the public as a crude nominator, a measure which does not fit anyone.
If you wish to think that through correctly, compare Income groups before taxes and after. You'll see that data is hard to come by.
Bad tongues deem that being done on purpose.
NickZ24 said:
Unfortunately that does not help the average Joe.
Those factors are put towards the public as a crude nominator, a measure which does not fit anyone.
If you wish to think that through correctly, compare Income groups before taxes and after. You'll see that data is hard to come by.
Bad tongues deem that being done on purpose.
Sorry, what? Are you using Google translate?Those factors are put towards the public as a crude nominator, a measure which does not fit anyone.
If you wish to think that through correctly, compare Income groups before taxes and after. You'll see that data is hard to come by.
Bad tongues deem that being done on purpose.
It's not a solution, the data is an observation of FACT. It's a terrible data point that suggests the country is unhealthy. Obviously you don't make London poorer, you upgrade the rest of country or grow regional hubs. Talk of moving stuff out of Lonodn isn't the correct approach. You borrow at least £500billion and invest it properly in 2 or 3 other areas. Probably North Anglia, North East and maybe SW. Its a big scary number that few can comprehend, but its not that big if done properly.
Rather than focus on inequality seems most of MSM is obsessed with moronic debates around Brexit or Boomers etc; anything asinine to avoid the truth.
OoopsVoss said:
NickZ24 said:
Unfortunately that does not help the average Joe.
Those factors are put towards the public as a crude nominator, a measure which does not fit anyone.
If you wish to think that through correctly, compare Income groups before taxes and after. You'll see that data is hard to come by.
Bad tongues deem that being done on purpose.
Sorry, what? Are you using Google translate?Those factors are put towards the public as a crude nominator, a measure which does not fit anyone.
If you wish to think that through correctly, compare Income groups before taxes and after. You'll see that data is hard to come by.
Bad tongues deem that being done on purpose.
It's not a solution, the data is an observation of FACT. It's a terrible data point that suggests the country is unhealthy. Obviously you don't make London poorer, you upgrade the rest of country or grow regional hubs. Talk of moving stuff out of Lonodn isn't the correct approach. You borrow at least £500billion and invest it properly in 2 or 3 other areas. Probably North Anglia, North East and maybe SW. Its a big scary number that few can comprehend, but its not that big if done properly.
OoopsVoss said:
Sorry, what? Are you using Google translate?
It's not a solution, the data is an observation of FACT. It's a terrible data point that suggests the country is unhealthy. Obviously you don't make London poorer, you upgrade the rest of country or grow regional hubs.
Not really. No reason to apologize It's not a solution, the data is an observation of FACT. It's a terrible data point that suggests the country is unhealthy. Obviously you don't make London poorer, you upgrade the rest of country or grow regional hubs.
The press delivers negative headlines, most people judge on headlines. heck many don't read further, reaction on more paywalls. How is the UK with newspapers? Do you still print those?
Data you like:
Twitter said:
Minimum wage in California was $1.65 in 1973.
Minimum wage in Pasadena California is $16.93.
A cheeseburger in 1972 was $0.33 (20%) of the minimum wage.
A cheeseburger today is about $3.49 (21%) of the minimum wage in Pasadena California.
A Twitter now x-corp debate about the 1972 MC Donald prices. Minimum wage in Pasadena California is $16.93.
A cheeseburger in 1972 was $0.33 (20%) of the minimum wage.
A cheeseburger today is about $3.49 (21%) of the minimum wage in Pasadena California.
We have more money and don't use it for sensitive stuff, like new rails, more schools, better methods. The biggest erosion is at a very personal level. in the '50 of the last century People learned how to adjust valves from a manual. Today you get a warning not to drink battery fluids.
turbobloke said:
ake the £3 trillion (min) for Net Zero 2050 and make better use of it six times over.
Its just a number. We tend to place value to high numbers.turbobloke said:
?
We don't have that number available or anything like it, without mayem - it's Densa not Mensa.
A state just prints more of it. We don't have that number available or anything like it, without mayem - it's Densa not Mensa.
No other country can as their money is limited to just one country.
The US $ is the only currency used by several countries.
Money gets old and needs to be replaced, but in digital times you don't need to print anything.
NickZ24 said:
turbobloke said:
?
We don't have that number available or anything like it, without mayem - it's Densa not Mensa.
A state just prints more of it. We don't have that number available or anything like it, without mayem - it's Densa not Mensa.
No other country can as their money is limited to just one country.
The US $ is the only currency used by several countries.
Money gets old and needs to be replaced, but in digital times you don't need to print anything.
Prolex-UK said:
Born in 1959.
I do feel sorry for the youngsters growing up now as the world does seem less stable.
I don't think it is much harder. When younger I got a micro credit, me and a mate talked a county manager in overdrawing an account we made for the intent. I do feel sorry for the youngsters growing up now as the world does seem less stable.
It did not work out.
Nowadays the banks have more cash to distribute, there are more banks, venture capital, crowd funding, you need plans (business and marketing) and have a bank which lends you say 15%, then a fundraiser event and you have a shot.
The kids have it harder as they could not play as we did, they used video gaming. So no reason to feel sorry.
Prolex-UK said:
Born in 1959.
I do feel sorry for the youngsters growing up now as the world does seem less stable.
Same year for meI do feel sorry for the youngsters growing up now as the world does seem less stable.
You don't remember the Cold War?
The IRA bombings, watching "When the wind blows"?
I was terrified of a nuclear bomb going off as a kid. Then the IRA bombings as a young adult, especially as I lived in a garrison town.
Add to that the miners strikes and all the others. Poll tax riots.
Must admit that I had largely forgotten about most of the above until I watched This Town on iPlayer recently.
Slow.Patrol said:
Prolex-UK said:
Born in 1959.
I do feel sorry for the youngsters growing up now as the world does seem less stable.
Same year for meI do feel sorry for the youngsters growing up now as the world does seem less stable.
You don't remember the Cold War?
The IRA bombings, watching "When the wind blows"?
I was terrified of a nuclear bomb going off as a kid. Then the IRA bombings as a young adult, especially as I lived in a garrison town.
Add to that the miners strikes and all the others. Poll tax riots.
Must admit that I had largely forgotten about most of the above until I watched This Town on iPlayer recently.
Slow.Patrol said:
Prolex-UK said:
Born in 1959.
I do feel sorry for the youngsters growing up now as the world does seem less stable.
Same year for meI do feel sorry for the youngsters growing up now as the world does seem less stable.
You don't remember the Cold War?
The IRA bombings, watching "When the wind blows"?
I was terrified of a nuclear bomb going off as a kid. Then the IRA bombings as a young adult, especially as I lived in a garrison town.
Add to that the miners strikes and all the others. Poll tax riots.
Must admit that I had largely forgotten about most of the above until I watched This Town on iPlayer recently.
Dad was in army... So lived all over world.
None of it bothered me or my siblings.
Probably childhood ignorance
Feel more at risk from putin xi and trump now TBH.
But to the point I made all of what you mention was out of our control
Prolex-UK said:
Feel more at risk from putin xi and trump now TBH.
I grew up in the 70s and 80s (more 80s), so may have some rose tints about the cold war, but I agree.Back then there was one very very big risk but it was virtually unthinkable to any semi-sane leader. MAD, literally. Even the IRA phoned a warning through - they weren't as psychotic and indiscriminate as the latest breed of terrorists seem to be.
Now the geo-political dynamic is very different, Russia is led by someone who literally doesn't give a s
t about anyone, and there's a whole load of petty despots and tyrants-playing-populist all over the world, all the while Britain is a second-rate player still trying to big itself up.Xi is rational - but he definitely has eyes on becoming the pre-eminent superpower in the world. And probably sees Trump as a useful idiot in helping him there.
Putin is a (very successful) petty tyrant clinging onto power in a second rate country which unfortunately has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world and possibly the most capable cyber-war capability in the world. And he also sees Trump as someone who can be manipulated.
Trump...f
k me, Trump is a psychological, political and social car-crash who may once again become "leader of the free world". The mess that the Tories have made of the UK while spaffing money at all their mates and donors is nothing to what Trump can achieve if he gets control of both Houses.havoc said:
Prolex-UK said:
Feel more at risk from putin xi and trump now TBH.
I grew up in the 70s and 80s (more 80s), so may have some rose tints about the cold war, but I agree.Back then there was one very very big risk but it was virtually unthinkable to any semi-sane leader. MAD, literally. Even the IRA phoned a warning through - they weren't as psychotic and indiscriminate as the latest breed of terrorists seem to be.
Now the geo-political dynamic is very different, Russia is led by someone who literally doesn't give a s
t about anyone, and there's a whole load of petty despots and tyrants-playing-populist all over the world, all the while Britain is a second-rate player still trying to big itself up.Xi is rational - but he definitely has eyes on becoming the pre-eminent superpower in the world. And probably sees Trump as a useful idiot in helping him there.
Putin is a (very successful) petty tyrant clinging onto power in a second rate country which unfortunately has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world and possibly the most capable cyber-war capability in the world. And he also sees Trump as someone who can be manipulated.
Trump...f
k me, Trump is a psychological, political and social car-crash who may once again become "leader of the free world". The mess that the Tories have made of the UK while spaffing money at all their mates and donors is nothing to what Trump can achieve if he gets control of both Houses.
Nevertheless, if it comes to boom time, boomers will still get it.
And when bedtime comes, do sleep well
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