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You must live on a different planet to me then.
Well it would explain why you seem so out of tune with what the rest of us see. Are you stuck on Uranus p'haps? Or possibly just your head is?
Blagsta it is obvious you are conflating your personal experience with the general national experience, they are not the same............
I don't think anyway is arguing that the UK is a nice fluffy place for those at the bottom, but I am least am arguing against your rather simplistic view that the majority of people are worse off than they were in the 70s.
As for those at the bottom I agree we need to do more to help them. I just do not think a socialist/anarchist society (which is what you seem to advocate) is the way to go about it.
Careful, you'll have someone's eye out with that.
(in other words I think you're projecting that on to me)
As I said - some things are better - but the important things like housing, education, childcare etc are worse.
Well the current system ain't working is it?
Move people away from london then.
So build some.
So band them together and start a company and get cash that way.
Because handouts help us all become better people, don't they?
Your problem is that you think someone else is the source of wealth etc, rather than just doing it yourself.
So start one yourself and treat people right. Others won't, you will, so you do it.
Why volunteer when you can make cash for all with it?
So you base your beliefs on books and not experience?
For the impoverished, I wouldn't disagree. But the impoverished aren't the only people in society.
It is true that the system doesn't work - whether you're "working class" or "middle class", you're still forced to work a ridiculously long working week (8/9 hours a day, 5 days a week? Fuck that! :mad: ) for a bunch of money-grabbing fat cats, so you can plough back that money into their coffers. Meanwhile the government try to prevent us from enjoying recreational drug use as safely as possible, continue trying to force us to work harder etc etc.
No wonder people are becoming increasingly depressed - the system is starting to drag us down, and that realisation is becoming all the more common.
Maternity as a career is obviously going to prevent people from working for private profit - it reduces labour input. This is hardly conducive with business interests, is it?
No. but the ability to purchase those things is a huge part of why both parents work, which is what this thread was about.
Remember, and I know this is hard for a metropolitan countrymen, London is not representative of the entire country. Not even of the South East.
So many couples will work so that they can have the foreign holiday, own a house, run two cars (NB this would include the 4x4 for the school run), so that they can shop for the "best" foods, wear labelled clothes etc. I don't disupte that some believe that they "have" to work, but I do wonder if that is just to maintain a certain lifestyle. Not because without it they could not eat of have a roof over their heads.
If you don't work, and aren't seeking work, how do you go about getting money in order to survive??
In my case. It's me that works.
NB I didn't say that my comments applied to all, but perhaps you might like to look at the increase in foreign holidays, DVD purchases etc - unless the argument is that it's a minority which does that.
You cannot blame capitalism for personal choices.
Eh?
You said you doubt work is a necessity for survival - that's blantantly a case of bollocks :yes:
You can't stay on the dole permanently (although many try). The deal is, you have to be looking for work to qualify for JSA. The other alternatives are crime, begging, claiming benefit under false pretences etc etc.
Never said it was tiny minority who could afford such things either. Yes most people can splash a bit of cash now and then to support the people who exploit them 5 days out of 7 with shit pay and horrible hours - but that's a big expense.
Capitalism affects our lives in every aspect. Without long hours and hard work to make a tiny minority insanely wealthy, people have fuck all.
So you support socialism because you're under the illusion it would allow you to not work? A 40 hour week doesn't seem excessive and if you don't like working for fat cats they're is plenty of jobs in the public sector or for small companies.
Society could operate a far shorter working week and still be able to function properly.
I didn't say that and I defy you to show where I did.
I said that it doesn't take two salaries to survive, generally, but that two salaries equates to a higher standard of living which is why people do it.
I'm also not ruling out that in some cases two salary are necessary, however I'd add the proviso that often it is because of the lifestyle choices made by that couple thatthey find themselves needing both salaries.
As I have already sais, we have been a one income familiy for about 10 years. We cope fine, thank you very much. And we live in one of the most expensive areas in the country. We just choose to run one car, rent accomodation and don't holiday abroad every year...
It could, but we wouldn't be able to get all the bright shiny trinkets we like.
Totally agree, we are also a one salary family atm. We don't holiday or if we do its a real cheap thing. Some people won't do that.
Fair enough, I mis-read your post.
Yeah - this interests me! I have friends who would never dress ther kids in scond hand clothes which I think is totally rediculous. And they say they would never give their children secondhand toys etc!
I'd be wiling to accept anything secondhand, so long as it wasn't dangerous. Kids will happily play in a cardboard box as they will on a state of the art rocking horse.. some of the best (And only) holidays I had were camping cheaply in Wales.
Why do people always feel like they have to give their kids 'the best'