[Closed] Things are a bit shit for many

Shall I open another bottle of wine? Work at 12, but kids need getting to school

It's too soon, for me at least.

I think I'm able to understand why my dad spent so much time shouting at the telly when I was a kid in the 80s.

I too always have a spare bed for destitutes.

EDIT: Damn you Autocorrect.

Friday 13th.

Will remember this one.

I don't know molgrips, my wifes managed to put a smile on my face - married to a Filipina banker and thus we both know how shit it can be for people back in the Philippines and how much she earns in comparison - but friends and relatives band together to look out for each other. She finds this place scarier than home because we don't have the culture of doing that.

So maybe we can start here.

Fraternity between individuals my friends, no matter what political or religious background you may be.

Don't need it, tomorrow I will go and ride with my group of mates, we will laugh, take the piss and rip some turns. Politics is irrelevant in those moments, because friendship is better without it.

I imagine things are a bit more shit for many more than those of us on STW. It's OK for labour to bang on about climate change (which is massively important) but it's not a vote winner amongst those who can't afford to heat their hovels or eat properly.

I said to my lad a bit earlier, "just look after the people you love and care about as best you can mate and share the love a bit wider when you can".

Bugger all else to be done really.

I need to get out on the bike soon and get proper muddy and uncomfortable. Always makes me feel better!😁

I imagine things are a bit more shit for many than those of us on STW.

Of course.

I know that this may come as a surprise considering some of the things I've said in the past, but I like people and understand that I'm in a much better position than most.

I just get bouts of ****ing deep misanthropy.

I don’t know molgrips, my wifes managed to put a smile on my face – married to a Filipina banker and thus we both know how shit it can be for people back in the Philippines and how much she earns in comparison – but friends and relatives band together to look out for each other.

Not everyone has friends and relatives. I don't know how I'm going to be able to walk down Queen St past all the homeless people that now fill the doorways of what used to be Cardiff's main shopping street. Time to look up some homeless charities. If that bastard gives me a tax cut I'm giving it all away.

That's why the UK is a scary ****ing place for some people Molgrips.

We don't have the tight family and friendship bonds that a lot of people do in the Philippines.

If we were destitute in her country we'd have dozens of different roofs that would be offered to us by family, distant relatives and friends. From what I have gathered, most people have this support network.

We're a distant, aloof, cold country with broken social bonds that relied on the state to make up for this. Well, if we are going to get hit by years of Tory attacks on the social safety net - let's look after each other and try to develop the same warmth.

In my experience, in that sort of situation offers of help come from the most unlikely of places and the ones you thought were safe bets let you down.

I don't know, I need to show you round my other halfs former world Cougar - how people look after each other and put up with the most testing of family.

We're bloody cold, you don't realise it until you've spent time abroad with locals.

Not everyone has friends and relatives. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to walk down Queen St past all the homeless people that now fill the doorways of what used to be Cardiff’s main shopping street. Time to look up some homeless charities. If that bastard gives me a tax cut I’m giving it all away.

Homelessness has gone crazy under the Tories. A lot of the new people on the streets because of Universal Credit according to a radio program the other day.

@ctk, there seems to have been a boom in Leeds of late. Sad to see.

We’re a distant, aloof, cold country with broken social bonds that relied on the state to make up for this.

Yes, but the reasons for this have been embedded for the last few hundred years of history. You can't change fundamental aspects of culture like that, but you can change government policy.

There's two sides to everything. Tight family bonds can just as easily be oppression. A strong local support network only works if no-one moves from their place of origin. This is fine if everyone just lives in the same place and does the same thing their family always did, but not everyone wants that.

You're talking about a restructuring of society.

I'm not suggesting you can Molgrips, what I am suggesting is we can start here and among our friends in real life.

I texted my oldest friend tonight, who spent her late teen years when we were young - sleeping on her grans sofa, reminding her that she's always got a place at mine if need be.

We've always had that agreement, that we could crash at each others - but I feel like tonight is a night where that needed to be reinforced.

Also I'm a bit shitfaced.

I have been to the Philippines a couple of times in the past 2 years, the homelessness problem there is far far far worse than the uk. Drive through Manila or Cebu and they are everywhere, families even living on the central reservation of busy roads, children being brought up in the direct line of exhaust fumes. Go from Cebu airport to the ferry port and you pass miles of makeshift tents at the roadside.

It is the "Dick Wittingham" effect, they all think they can come from the provinces to the city's and get jobs in call centers and make a fortune, but they don't have the education for it so they turn to crime, prostitution and drugs. They may have beds to go to back home, but that will mean losing face, they just won't go back and look a failure.

It is really a shocking thing to see, absolutely horrible, but maybe worthwhile to realize that could be our world.

As a nation they don't really have the financial power to do anything but chip away at the problems, We are choosing to head in that direction, absolute madness. Of course in the UK the winters will probably kill far more, so the tories won't have to put up with scruffy people living on the streets in such numbers.

I may declare independence in my little part of Devon.

Who would like to come and live in the Independent State of Lickham Bottom?

After this result, I think I may head to the shops and just ensure I buy plenty of things I can pop in to the food bank. I think things may be worse for me, but others are going to be hit hard. Lets not forget about them and actually how many people come together to help out others. Our government may forget about them, but I sure as hell won't.

Yep.
Had I not used all my annual leave then I would really fancy a day in a pub.
Kind of a wake for my optimism.

I celebrated the election result with a donation to my local homeless charity - I'm much much luckier than most.

A lot of my mates are jubilant today. They’ll still be my mates tomorrow. Now where’s that Irish passport.

Fraternity between individuals my friends, no matter what political or religious background you may be.

Most people do that it’s only a very few that don’t.

Most people do that it’s only a very few that don’t.

I disagree. I think that is highly dependent on which part of the country you are from. It’s very easy for people to end up with few people to turn to in this country, with no friends and mostly dead relatives. Divorced middle aged blokes etc.

It is the “Dick Wittingham” effect, they all think they can come from the provinces to the city’s and get jobs in call centers and make a fortune, but they don’t have the education for it so they turn to crime, prostitution and drugs. They may have beds to go to back home, but that will mean losing face, they just won’t go back and look a failure.

There is an element of this, problems like that are fairly common when you have a limited budget for development though unfortunately.

The losing face part is definitely a downside as well.

I disagree. I think that is highly dependent on which part of the country you are from. It’s very easy for people to end up with few people to turn to in this country, with no friends and mostly dead relatives. Divorced middle aged blokes etc.

Agreed but it is very few still.

if someone here ends up destitute because of the Tories then they’ll always have a bed at my place should they wish

Great. Thanks for the offer. Will you help me with my drug habit? Will you still be my friend when I piss on your sofa? When I sell your telly for a fix? Will you do a quick operation on me cos there's a waiting list at the local hospital that Boris promised to build? Will you be friends with all my other mates who come round to crash?

Or are you just making excuses, putting the blame on the victims and not on the architects of our brolen society?

Great. Thanks for the offer. Will you help me with my drug habit? Will you still be my friend when I piss on your sofa? When I sell your telly for a fix? Will you do a quick operation on me cos there’s a waiting list at the local hospital that Boris promised to build? Will you be friends with all my other mates who come round to crash?

Or are you just making excuses, putting the blame on the victims and not on the architects of our brolen society?

I understand your point that individuals can only take/do so much for others and I did vote Labour through gritted teeth because of this, that and it was pointless voting Lib Dem in McDonnells seat.

I would say though, that Labour pissed it’s opportunity to help people up the wall - partly by pushing for too much too soon - and thus this is partly the result of ideological naivety.

There’s only one thing you can do to stop getting depressed about it and that’s to help out where you can.

Im sorry this election has hit a nerve with you DrJ - and that people like me, Binners and outofbreath have probably pissed a lot of people off with the “I told you so” attitude - please understand that we do care - it’s just this was an anger and misanthropy inducing slow and predictable train wreck for us.

I would say though, that Labour pissed it’s opportunity to help people up the wall – partly by pushing for too much too soon – and this is partly the result of ideological naivety.

100% agree, they should have just stuck with helping the welfare state and left out all the other stuff - way too extreme to ever get elected. They'd probably still come unstuck over Brexit though...

raybanwomble

I lived in Thailand for 10 years, and there's a similar attitude there to the one you describe in the Philippines - families and friends look out for each other (they looked out for me as well, whenever I needed a hand there were multiple offers).
That's a kind offer you've made.

molgrips

If that bastard gives me a tax cut I’m giving it all away.

Good man.

Yeah.

What charities are you guys giving to? Any Labour think tanks worth donating to that are opposed to momentum as well?

Need some ideas.