I predict a riot - But it just didn’t happen

[Thankyou4calling]

What did you think would happen during the pandemic that just didn’t materialise?

When I saw people clearing supermarket shelves and fighting over a packet of pasta I did think we were in for a long hot summer of rioting and anarchy in the UK.

I’m not saying we’ve seen nothing but we’ve seen nothing compared to how things used to be (race riots, poll tax riots, student riots etc)

The whys are many and varied but I’m interested in the what’s.

What just didn’t happen?

[Eric Mc]

People often expect the worst to happen - on the basis that they have a superiority complex and assume that the "lumpen masses" will lose control of themselves when society is put under stress. It is a form of intellectual snobbery and is quite prevalent here on PH.

It is the same sort of thinking that thought caused the ruling classes to think that the masses would panic and crack when bombs started falling on major cities during World War 2.

As in The Blitz, by and large, in this pandemic most people have behaved properly and intelligently. Yes, here and there there have been incidents of stupid behaviour and even protests - but by and large the population has reacted well and considerately.

[Johnnytheboy]

I expected absolute economic carnage in my sector (office servces) this spring as I assumed lots of offices were going to permanently close. More generally I thought we would be in a deep recession.

I know furlough is ongoing, but business seems to be booming.

[Quhet]

i expected wider-scale economic devastation and potentially to lose my job. I know large swathes of the hospitality industry in particular have been affected but in my role in the development sector things have been just as, and if not, more busy

[dmahon]

I expected the same but £400 billion of new government debt and printy printy has kept a lid on it.

The government have literally been paying the salaries of millions of people for a year. Who could have seen that coming?

[miniman]

I have been consistently surprised at how compliant we have been as a nation. I do wonder whether we will see more protest when the inevitable need to repay the colossal debt really lands with people who seem to think there's unlimited free cash to support jobs.

[devnull]

I fully expected some form of civil unrest, started by the perceived supermarket shortages, fuelled by social media. There is a very fine line between public order and chaos and I am very glad we didn't cross it.

I didn't predict Debenhams to fully close though. That had been stringing along with various forms of support for years and should have closed years ago, but you kind of assume it will just continue. Yeah, the brand exists under BooHoo, but we all know that's just your typical 'sell tat under a trusted logo' tactic like SportsDirect do.

[Johnnytheboy]

Having dealt with them in the past, I assumed Prezzo would have gone by now.

[Monkeylegend]

Eric Mc said:

People often expect the worst to happen - on the basis that they have a superiority complex and assume that the "lumpen masses" will lose control of themselves when society is put under stress. It is a form of intellectual snobbery and is quite prevalent here on PH.

It is the same sort of thinking that thought caused the ruling classes to think that the masses would panic and crack when bombs started falling on major cities during World War 2.

As in The Blitz, by and large, in this pandemic most people have behaved properly and intelligently. Yes, here and there there have been incidents of stupid behaviour and even protests - but by and large the population has reacted well and considerately.

I also think those individuals revel in it when it does happen so they can stand back with a smarmy smile on their faces, stick their chests out and say "I knew that was going to happen"

[Jimmy No Hands]

I expected to flatten the curve in three weeks.

[Drawweight]

My wife has been predicting food riots for the past 3 years on the run up to Brexit.

Hence the cupboards full of tinned food.

I’ve tried reasonable arguments, I’ve tried taking the piss but nothing works.

It’s always ‘It’ll be happening soon, just you wait’

I’ve given up bothering now.

[Monkeylegend]

Drawweight said:

My wife has been predicting food riots for the past 3 years on the run up to Brexit.

Hence the cupboards full of tinned food.

I’ve tried reasonable arguments, I’ve tried taking the piss but nothing works.

It’s always ‘It’ll be happening soon, just you wait’

I’ve given up bothering now.

What you need to do is make a very vocal display of sorting through the tins of soup and throwing out the ones that are now past their use by dates.

You might also want to take a few safety precautions whilst doing this, like wearing shin protectors or a crash helmet.

[phumy]

Just wait until taxes start to creep and creep higher trying to re-coup all that borrowed money, and when we all complain they'll say, did you all think it grew on trees, its got to be paid back somehow.

Income tax
Fuel tax
VAT
etc etc

[Colonel Cupcake]

Monkeylegend said:

Drawweight said:

My wife has been predicting food riots for the past 3 years on the run up to Brexit.

Hence the cupboards full of tinned food.

I’ve tried reasonable arguments, I’ve tried taking the piss but nothing works.

It’s always ‘It’ll be happening soon, just you wait’

I’ve given up bothering now.

What you need to do is make a very vocal display of sorting through the tins of soup and throwing out the ones that are now past their use by dates.

You might also want to take a few safety precautions whilst doing this, like wearing shin protectors or a crash helmet.

To be fair, I think Mrs Drawweight is rather prudent.

It can never hurt to have a decent stash of food for emergencies and tinned produce will last decades.

[joshcowin]

phumy said:

Just wait until taxes start to creep and creep higher trying to re-coup all that borrowed money, and when we all complain they'll say, did you all think it grew on trees, its got to be paid back somehow.

Income tax
Fuel tax
VAT
etc etc

But everyone knows that's going to happen, I don't think people will care as in fairness the gov did step in and bail out many many people! If that means we have to pay that back over the next 20 years so be it. As you say it doesnt grow on trees

[menousername]

Might be worth noting the huge, mostly peaceful, protests against lock down.

Disobedience, no. But think about it. The Govt banned / tried to ban (I have no idea if its currently legal) protests, organisers risked £10k fines, and the media under-reported it or some just did not cover it at all.

Then as noted above the huge debt created to fund people to not work, and protect them from the economic realities of all this.

A whole heap of propaganda-type machinery in play plus a whole heap of yet-to-be-paid-for debt, all to placate the masses.

[Thankyou4calling]

phumy said:

Just wait until taxes start to creep and creep higher trying to re-coup all that borrowed money, and when we all complain they'll say, did you all think it grew on trees, its got to be paid back somehow.

Income tax
Fuel tax
VAT
etc etc

Why do only fools and horses work

Nah na na nah nah

[menousername]

Colonel Cupcake said:

Monkeylegend said:

Drawweight said:

My wife has been predicting food riots for the past 3 years on the run up to Brexit.

Hence the cupboards full of tinned food.

I’ve tried reasonable arguments, I’ve tried taking the piss but nothing works.

It’s always ‘It’ll be happening soon, just you wait’

I’ve given up bothering now.

What you need to do is make a very vocal display of sorting through the tins of soup and throwing out the ones that are now past their use by dates.

You might also want to take a few safety precautions whilst doing this, like wearing shin protectors or a crash helmet.

To be fair, I think Mrs Drawweight is rather prudent.

It can never hurt to have a decent stash of food for emergencies and tinned produce will last decades.

I did this against lots of criticism from the mrs. I got brexit wrong but when lockdown 1 hit and people were panic shopping our only requirements were milk and bread. When I point that out somehow I get a face, not a thank you. So next time it will be rations for one organised man

Recently threw about £20 of tinned soup and bits and bobs out which had gone out if date, and have about the same of tinned veg still good I will donate to a food-bin. All said, fairly content with that outcome.

TBF my company had to set up shop in a few different locations on the continent and relocate a lot of staff just to be able to continue to operate- that focused the mind.

[miniman]

phumy said:

Just wait until taxes start to creep and creep higher trying to re-coup all that borrowed money, and when we all complain they'll say, did you all think it grew on trees, its got to be paid back somehow.

Income tax
Fuel tax
VAT
etc etc

I think this is going to generate more pain than the financial impact.

[amusingduck]

Drawweight said:

My wife has been predicting food riots for the past 3 years on the run up to Brexit.

Hence the cupboards full of tinned food.

I’ve tried reasonable arguments, I’ve tried taking the piss but nothing works.

It’s always ‘It’ll be happening soon, just you wait’

I’ve given up bothering now.

Could be worse, at least she didn't bury them in the woods

https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/fy06bv/tifu...