The world is going to sh*t, where will it end?

[ilscuro]

There's no denying it, the world is in a mess, the latest Cyprus fiasco is the thin end of the wedge, i believe it's going to get messy real soon.

I've been lucky enough to always work since i left college, but the reality is, in the last 6 years i've had no pay rise, and unless i'm mistaken neither has anyone else, yet in those 6 years the cost of living has soared, there will come a point in the future, and i'm almost there, where pot A (my income) will be less than, pot B (my living expenses) so how the hell do i go forward then?

My employer says they are only just surviving so it's extremely unlikely i will get a raise at any point, worse case i could lose my job, but it's costing me more and more to survive, in the past i've done more than one job to earn extra income, but as i get older this is not as easy to do, i imagine most other folks are in the same position, what are your views?

[burner1]

Personally, I think the following (or at least some of them) are going to happen in the not too distant future:

The population will create massive civil unrest as more people realise we're all getting screwed over by the corporations and the government.

Our banking systems will collapse... not just ours but most western dollar/ Euro based ones - that could well be the catalyst for the above.

Obama will stick his nose a little too far into the Israel saga, which will then put China and Russia on a war footing.

Obama will pre-empt a strike on Iran or NK, or both - again leading to a conflict with China and Russia etc.

[Rhinoz]

I've not had a payrise for the last 4 years and 2 years ago they increased the hours I worked so in reality I actually took a pay cut.

The government really are taking the piss with the amount of money their taking off us, don't forget they increased VAT which effects everyone.

I feel really let down when I see the government wasting money like there's no tomorrow, we are trillions in debt and yet they make some really unwise decisions regarding what the money we all put in pays for.

[ilscuro]

And if reports are to be believed 350,000 Romanians/Bulgarians are due to land here over the next 5 years, imagine the impact that will have on housing, jobs etc.

[burner1]

And if reports are to be believed 350,000 Romanians/Bulgarians are due to land here over the next 5 years, imagine the impact that will have on housing, jobs etc.

I've already got into the habit of keeping my wallet in my front pocket as opposed to the usual one at the back mate.

[ilscuro]

I've seen first hand the problems with Romanians in Italy, even in the small village i come from, which was crime free previously, i won't go in to detail but i hope the same doesn't happen here.

[si-amigo]

When you talk about the cost of living, it depends on what your opinions of "living" involve. I think we all have a lot of luxury items that aren't necessary. All of us on here have computers and smartphones, most of us will have at least 1 of the games consoles, digital cameras and satellite TV on a 42" or above tv. All of those items carry costs in one form or another and are nice but not necessary for daily life.

Once you find that you can't afford to keep running your phone contract, broadband or cable TV contracts is when it becomes a real squeeze.

[burner1]

When you talk about the cost of living, it depends on what your opinions of "living" involve. I think we all have a lot of luxury items that aren't necessary. All of us on here have computers and smartphones, most of us will have at least 1 of the games consoles, digital cameras and satellite TV on a 42" or above tv. All of those items carry costs in one form or another and are nice but not necessary for daily life.

Once you find that you can't afford to keep running your phone contract, broadband or cable TV contracts is when it becomes a real squeeze.

I'm of the opinion that if you work, you should be paid a fair wage that's at least in line with inflation and on top of that, I begrudge paying extortionate amounts on such things as my heating and electric whilst the companies that run them amass huge profits. In this day and age, is it right that we should, living in a part of the world that's supposed to be progressive, live hand to mouth?

[ilscuro]

I stay in a lot more now mate probably go out for a couple of pints only on Saturday, so i would say broadband, console and tv are essential items for my staying home daily life, i think i would go mental sitting at home without those anyway lol

[beansontoast]

A lot of it, probably all of it is due to capitalism.

[beaconboy]

This country is fucked ! There are too many people taking money out of the pot and nowhere near enough putting any in !
....There are thousands of people fiddling the benefit system to its full extent . a few years back in my mothers street there were 3 guys claiming disability benefits when all 3 were fit for work and members of their family claiming carers allowances for the cunts ! if that happens in one street how often must it happen all over the country ... we pay 1 million pounds a week in child benefit for children that live abroad ?? only 1 in 3 cars have road tax ? and the amount of houses and flats being used as a way of claiming more benefit when people don't even live there is amazing !! And there are many many many more ways to fiddle the system
All these government cuts and taxes are making even the working population struggle , so god knows how the unemployed are coping ! .....more and more will turn to crime but unfortunately the police forces are being cut to the bone so most crime will go unpunished and as most prisons are running at full capacity the one's that do get caught will only get fines ,that they dont bother paying and they then decide that crime does pay ! ....Its a vicious circle !

RUN AWAY RUN AWAY

[si-amigo]

Thats partly why people lack social skills these days, no-one goes out any more, they stay at home on the net, gaming or watching tv. Same with the obesity problems in society. The traffic on the roads around school run times is horrendous. 20 years ago when I went to school there was 1 girl who got dropped off and picked up, and thats because she had spina bifida. I walked 3 miles to school, or I got the bus. These days kids get ferried everywhere and hardly anyone walks to anywhere further than their own corner shop.

[ilscuro]

I choose to stay in to save money, i don't lack social skills, i find every time i leave my house it costs money, it's just my way of saving.

[burner1]

This country is fucked ! There are too many people taking money out of the pot and nowhere near enough putting any in !
....There are thousands of people fiddling the benefit system to its full extent . a few years back in my mothers street there were 3 guys claiming disability benefits when all 3 were fit for work and members of their family claiming carers allowances for the cunts ! if that happens in one street how often must it happen all over the country ... we pay 1 million pounds a week in child benefit for children that live abroad ?? only 1 in 3 cars have road tax ? and the amount of houses and flats being used as a way of claiming more benefit when people don't even live there is amazing !! And there are many many many more ways to fiddle the system
All these government cuts and taxes are making even the working population struggle , so god knows how the unemployed are coping ! .....more and more will turn to crime but unfortunately the police forces are being cut to the bone so most crime will go unpunished and as most prisons are running at full capacity the one's that do get caught will only get fines ,that they dont bother paying and they then decide that crime does pay ! ....Its a vicious circle

I don't doubt that mate, but in comparison to the amount of multi million pound corporate organisations that have legally utilised off shore holding accounts to bypass our tax system whilst the government turn a blind eye, it's a pittance.

They're supposed to be dealing with this issue according to the budget, but I'll believe that when I see it lol.

[si-amigo]

I choose to stay in to save money, i don't lack social skills, i find every time i leave my house it costs money, it's just my way of saving.

I didn't mean you mate, I meant the younger generation who's only social interaction is talking trash down their Xbox mic to a complete stranger.

[Zoots]

These days kids get ferried everywhere

This.

Where I live it's a fairly close knit community. NO ONE lives far enough away that they have to travel to school by car, but they do. Every day. And the traffic is a nightmare. Yet even some of those lazy cunts can't get their kids to school on time. Live maximum half a mile away and can't get their kids to school, in a car, before 8:50. That's what we're dealing with here anyway. Lazy, bone-idle scroungers.
I'm not saying boot your kids out to school on their own when they're at primary school, just get off your fat arse and walk with the fucking kids to school?
Breath fresh air, talk to people, smile ffs. If not for themselves, for their kids. Miserable scroungers with miserable kids. One long continuous sulk.

[MsDG]

Fuck me... drama rama or what?

The country is not going to shit, we are just going through shit times. If you think this is bad you should have tried sitting in the dark in candle light playing connect 4 whilst having to flush the bog with dirty bath water (from three people sharing the same bath water)... and that was only 40 years ago.

40 odd years before that adolf was just starting to get fed up with bloody immigrants etc... as for bloody cyprus, their own history is full of complete fuck up's.

Its just a cycle that goes around. Enjoy the good times, get your self setup and in a good position to enable you weather the next bad times. You can start once this one is over.

Until then.... stiff upper lip, we're British!

[B.I.G.]

This.

Where I live it's a fairly close knit community. NO ONE lives far enough away that they have to travel to school by car, but they do. Every day. And the traffic is a nightmare. Yet even some of those lazy cunts can't get their kids to school on time. Live maximum half a mile away and can't get their kids to school, in a car, before 8:50. That's what we're dealing with here anyway. Lazy, bone-idle scroungers.
I'm not saying boot your kids out to school on their own when they're at primary school, just get off your fat arse and walk with the fucking kids to school?
Breath fresh air, talk to people, smile ffs. If not for themselves, for their kids. Miserable scroungers with miserable kids. One long continuous sulk.

You could also put some of this down to both parents having to work nowadays and a child getting dropped off on the way.

[Zoots]

Some of it, yes. But as I say, close knit around here.
Those of us that work are seen as snobs.

We both work, and both drive there but the kids don't get driven to school, they get walked there.
It's all about a bit of effort in most cases, really.

[burner1]

This.

Where I live it's a fairly close knit community. NO ONE lives far enough away that they have to travel to school by car, but they do. Every day. And the traffic is a nightmare. Yet even some of those lazy cunts can't get their kids to school on time. Live maximum half a mile away and can't get their kids to school, in a car, before 8:50. That's what we're dealing with here anyway. Lazy, bone-idle scroungers.
I'm not saying boot your kids out to school on their own when they're at primary school, just get off your fat arse and walk with the fucking kids to school?
Breath fresh air, talk to people, smile ffs. If not for themselves, for their kids. Miserable scroungers with miserable kids. One long continuous sulk.

It's been like that here mate. I always walked my kids the half mile to school come rain or shine but I would see someone up the road actually drive their way there... ffs, the roads here are a pain at the best of times so it didn't make sense to me lol.

I did like an idea the school came up with though and that was a morning 'school bus' where a few of the staff would start at a point about a mile from school and kids could join the walking 'bus' as it passed their homes. Quite a few joined in but I still took mine as we enjoyed it.