Is there any hope?

[A500leroy]

I don't know if it's just the UK at the moment but everything seems utterly depressing, it's seems there's no glimpse of anything ever getting better ever again, but is any hope on the horizon?

Is there any truth in those in power coming for our money and curtailing our freedoms?

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

In this life you make your own hope.

We all need to navigate around feckwittery that is liberally dispensed by politicians of all flavours.

But, yes, it's like plaiting fog at the moment.

[Chris Stott]

Avoid mainstream media… it’s a constant stream of negativity… most of which has little actual impact on your own day to day life and there nothing much you can do about it anyway.

[Rick_1138]

I play with my son and build gundam models

It helps.

It does all seem a constant tirade of life's st, vita for us and it won't be, which, as I do my 43rd go round tye sun, is just bks as I know from many previous administrations.

[ben5575]

A total lack of leadership and any form of vision. To quote somebody from the BBC, KS is the person everybody in a room would ignore if he came in and shouted fire.

As a parent of 19/16 yr olds, it is extremely difficult to find reasons why they should stay in the uk.

[moles]

No it wont get any better. Your best years are behind you.

[gotoPzero]

I moved to Scotland last year, its a much nicer quality of life. Yes taxes are a little higher, but you get so much more back.

It was a tough decision to move and its not perfect but I don't regret the move. Every time I go back to England I am shocked how quickly things have gone down hill.

[Al Gorithum]

There are probably billions of people worse off than you (and me), so try to keep things in perspective if possible mate

[butchstewie]

A500leroy said:

I don't know if it's just the UK at the moment but everything seems utterly depressing, it's seems there's no glimpse of anything ever getting better ever again, but is any hope on the horizon?

Is there any truth in those in power coming for our money and curtailing our freedoms?

Don't look in NP&E or watch the news and go outside for a bit.

Seriously.

It'll do you the world of good

[Terminator X]

A500leroy said:

I don't know if it's just the UK at the moment but everything seems utterly depressing, it's seems there's no glimpse of anything ever getting better ever again, but is any hope on the horizon?

Is there any truth in those in power coming for our money and curtailing our freedoms?

You will own nothing and be happy. People used to call us tin foil hatters.

TX.

Edit - agree on not watching the news. I've not looked at it since COVID.

[Muzzer79]

A500leroy said:

I don't know if it's just the UK at the moment but everything seems utterly depressing, it's seems there's no glimpse of anything ever getting better ever again, but is any hope on the horizon?

Is there any truth in those in power coming for our money and curtailing our freedoms?

People are very short term-ist, perhaps surprisingly so.

In the media, negativity sells and positivity doesn't. That's a fact.

Things will improve and in some areas are improving, it's just that nobody either acknowledges it or talks about it.

Likewise, some things are getting worse and will not improve - it's just a fact that everyone focuses on that.

Make the best of your situation is my advice - don't spend time worrying about things you have very little effect on

[Bathroom_Security]

I think its cooked as the young people say and we are seeing a gradual decline and fall of western society, not sure where it ends or how to escape it.

Opportunities for the lower income earners seem poor, I think they have got used to about a decade of low interest credit and being able to afford multiple foreign holidays, a VAG car on finance, all while interest rates and inflation were relatively stagnant and we have now seen that put to bed and its bitten people. So they feel the pressure financially and blame immigrants and want to vote reform.

I still think its possible to forge a decent life here, buy a house away from the dregs of society, have a little sports car or something, few holidays away etc. But it takes a couple each on £100k+ in the South of the UK and a bit of patience in life. And as the old duffers say, avoid buying Starbucks and avocado toast (what they are really saying is to look after the small change and not spunk it up the wall so the bigger sums of money look after themselves).

Oh and avoid looking at social media and news. I dont even read the BBC anymore. PH is about the only social media platform I visit. And life is better for me for doing so. Hard to not click on the Rachel Reeves thread, that one makes my piss boil.

[Hants PHer]

A500leroy said:

I don't know if it's just the UK at the moment but everything seems utterly depressing, it's seems there's no glimpse of anything ever getting better ever again, but is any hope on the horizon?

Is there any truth in those in power coming for our money and curtailing our freedoms?

I hear you, but I take issue with the words 'everything', 'utterly', 'anything ever' and 'ever again'. With respect, you're being hyperbolic.

It's true that we are governed by fools, whatever their party allegiance, but I argue that the UK remains one of the best places in the world to live.

Perhaps I'm extremely lucky, but here's my everyday experiences: the vast majority of people I interact with are between pleasant and lovely. The climate is benign and varied. There is generally law and order, and little threat of violence or serious criminality. The state is fairly supportive of most with disabilities/needs and the NHS is good to excellent most of the time. Job opportunities are there if you're flexible. There's great beer, cars, music, sport, food, shops, scenery and much more besides.

Crucially, most of us have friends, family and colleagues that are mostly good to be with and they'll fill our lives with joy and love if you let them, whatever the government does.

Avoid social media, PH apart (!), get out and do stuff and don't watch news programmes. And here's a little tip for each day: do something nice for someone, perhaps even a stranger.

[Crumpet]

I’m in deepest, darkest Africa at the moment and I said to my colleagues earlier that even though there’s poverty everywhere, everyone always seems happy, and that western wealth and consumerism really wouldn’t do them any favours. There always seems to be a common bond between everyone, like they’re all in it together. I don’t really know how to put it.

I’m not sure that provides an answer to the OP but it suggests that wealth and material possessions are not the key to happiness and that the standard 9-5 slog in miserable weather probably isn’t helping. It also feels that family, community, friendships, a common identity and social cohesion are absolutely critical for happiness - they’re all missing in modern England.

I see everywhere with work and spend half my time out of the country. I think I’m on about 150 countries now, and England (and parts of France) is probably the absolute worst for rate of negative change - socially and structurally, it’s falling apart.

That being said, if you have money and the means to live somewhere nice in England then it’s still one of the better places. You just need to live in a bit of a bubble. But 75% of England is a thoroughly depressing dump, it’s no wonder mental health is an issue!

[Hoofy]

Chris Stott said:

Avoid mainstream media it s a constant stream of negativity

Because the "alternative" media paints a much better picture.

Avoid listening to anyone about politics and news etc. That's the only way. Focus on what you can do to make your lot better.

[chemistry]

A500leroy said:

I don't know if it's just the UK at the moment but everything seems utterly depressing, it's seems there's no glimpse of anything ever getting better ever again, but is any hope on the horizon?

Is there any truth in those in power coming for our money and curtailing our freedoms?

There's hope, but the fact is that for the large part, Western society is in decline. We've borrowed too much and avoided many difficult decisions.

I think we're moving from the "Good times create weak men" phase into the "Weak men create hard times" phase of the cycle and it's going to be increasingly rough for a generation or more.

[Furbo]

A500leroy said:

I don't know if it's just the UK at the moment but everything seems utterly depressing, it's seems there's no glimpse of anything ever getting better ever again, but is any hope on the horizon?

Is there any truth in those in power coming for our money and curtailing our freedoms?

If you were born before about 1985, you have lived as an adult through what is widely thought to have been the best time to be alive in human history.

Things are not as good now in the UK, but the story is the same in many other parts of the world.

But if you have your freedom, you can speak freely to other people and have enough loose change....

No fk this optimism bks. It's st and becoming stter.

[thebraketester]

A500leroy said:

I don't know if it's just the UK at the moment but everything seems utterly depressing, it's seems there's no glimpse of anything ever getting better ever again, but is any hope on the horizon?

Is there any truth in those in power coming for our money and curtailing our freedoms?

If you are relying on others (especially a government) to make your life better, you’ll die waiting.

[cliffords]

It does feel like the decline in not linear . It more like compound decline . At 60 years old wife and I have been discussing how to live in another country recently,and taking some advice. Neither of us would have contemplated this even three years ago .

[hidetheelephants]

gotoPzero said:

I moved to Scotland last year, its a much nicer quality of life. Yes taxes are a little higher, but you get so much more back.

It was a tough decision to move and its not perfect but I don't regret the move. Every time I go back to England I am shocked how quickly things have gone down hill.

A little higher? We've had the same diddies in charge for 18 years and the wheels fell off long ago, the exact same chronic problems exist as down south and they're consistently blamed on Westminster. Smug twerps claim Reform can't happen here because of some weird form of scottish exceptionalism but it's pretty obvious from polls that they are happening here just as in England and Wales. The simple answers for complex problems are attractive to a 3rd of the electorate, the impossibility of delivery is of no import. May is likely to be a repeat of the english council elections, a load of mouthbreathing idiots replacing the existing seatwarmers.