PowerSwitch

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... liant.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... bites.html

Research from the National Centre for Social Research shows that people have become less left-wing since the Recession hit.

More than half of us - 54% - think unemployment benefits are too high up from 35% in 1983
Workshy parents are to blame for child poverty, say 63%
Rise of climate change scepticism: 37% say environment threat has been exaggerated - up from 24% a decade ago
Just 29% think same-sex relationships are wrong - down from 46% in 2000
Only 31% want tax rises to pay for health and education, while it was 63% of us in 2002

Well, without sounding like a broken record, I have warned before that the economic Depression we are entering won't lead to a leftwing Revolution but a rise of far-right populst sentiment across the world, including the UK.

And with it will be the death of social democracy. The future is conservative.

Lord Beria3 wrote: And with it will be the death of social democracy. The future is conservative.

The future is fascism.

These attitudes are held by people in jobs who think "it couldn't happen to them".

The welfare state is going to fail them just at the moment they find they needed it after all.

Conservative future is the most hopeful scenario actually (e.g. the Tories running Britain).

The alternative as Ludwig says will be actual fascists taking over. Would be nice to see less hostility to the Tory Party, if anything, they are the main obstable to the rise of far fight fascistic forces in Britain in the coming decades.

Thatcher won...

No she didn't, her social and economic policies are in major part responsible for this mess we're now in.

FFS- A tory future our best hope.....

Country-wide Socialism is a luxury. Once it hits the fan people become more conservative, and think carefully about who they support.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the past we poured money into tax and charity, trusting that it was going to where it was needed.

Sometimes it went elsewhere. Very "elsewhere".

Maybe when people start looking hard at their own circle of friends and helping where it's needed the waste will stop.

For hypothetical example, should old folk be freezing to death whilst the Lambeth Transgender Affirmative Action group get funding for their Mardi Gras ? The obvious answer is "No", but it seems it isn't obvious to some of the people who spend our taxes.

Don't tell me this makes me a fascist.

More than half of us - 54% - think unemployment benefits are too high up from 35% in 1983

Hang on a minute - half of us? Who the feck is 'us'? The unemployed maybe?

And again:

Workshy parents are to blame for child poverty, say 63%

Absolute right-wing drivelling. Anyone wanting to read the telegraph or the mail should be automatically barred from doing so.

Come on people.

Ludwig wrote:These attitudes are held by people in jobs who think "it couldn't happen to them".

everybody thinks this just before it affects them. Right now 54% believe unemployment benefit is too high, tomorrow it might be 50%, next year maybe 35%, but the bottom line is, we can't afford the welfare state.

We've spent all the money.

we can't afford the welfare state

We can't not afford it.

The alternative is?

Privatise the NHS or start charging for schools and I think you'll find that the British people's "inner socialist" will re-emerge.

maudibe wrote:
The alternative is?

No NHS (or a dramatically reduced one), very little unemployment benefit, work houses, soup kitchens, charity..

Catweazle wrote:Country-wide Socialism is a luxury. Once it hits the fan people become more conservative, and think carefully about who they support.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the past we poured money into tax and charity, trusting that it was going to where it was needed.

Sometimes it went elsewhere. Very "elsewhere".

Maybe when people start looking hard at their own circle of friends and helping where it's needed the waste will stop.

For hypothetical example, should old folk be freezing to death whilst the Lambeth Transgender Affirmative Action group get funding for their Mardi Gras ? The obvious answer is "No", but it seems it isn't obvious to some of the people who spend our taxes.

Don't tell me this makes me a fascist.

+1

It also strikes me that there are things that the government should be using our money for and aren't - running energy supply on a not for profit basis, kenneal's home insulatuion scheme... and the stuff they are blowing money on but shouldn't - the olympics, vanity projects generally and pumping more money into bankers pockets.

Personally I want that to stop and WHOEVER does it will be fine by me.

As an aside I have a Finnish friend who is still shocked by old folk dying in their houses in winter, it's virtually unknown in Finland. But then my house uses a lot more energy than his parents place which is about 30% larger

Ludwig wrote:The welfare state is going to fail them just at the moment they find they needed it after all.

That is of course exactly the problem.
IngSoc Socialism doesnt provide a safety net for the worker when he falls on bad times, it provides a feathered nest for the professional claimant.

Mobbsey

Privatise the NHS or start charging for schools and I think you'll find that the British people's "inner socialist" will re-emerge.

NHS health insurance costs every man woman and child in the country £2000 per year.
The cheapest BUPA cover is £350 per year
My Dogs insurance is £140 per year.

I currently have a broken toe, the NHS, the most expensive option, cant see me at a suitable time for at least a week after I actualy broke it. My Vet would have come out for my dog the same night.

Emord

Workshy parents are to blame for child poverty, say 63%
Absolute right-wing drivelling. Anyone wanting to read the telegraph or the mail should be automatically barred from doing so.

The government activly prevented my mum from working, going so far as trying to take us into care.
But I'd argue my mum was the exception, not the rule.

extractorfan wrote:

Ludwig wrote:These attitudes are held by people in jobs who think "it couldn't happen to them".

everybody thinks this just before it affects them. Right now 54% believe unemployment benefit is too high, tomorrow it might be 50%, next year maybe 35%, but the bottom line is, we can't afford the welfare state.

We've spent all the money.

Maybe, maybe not.

However having watched 'Inside Job' last night one thing we certainly can't afford are any more psychopaths running our financial systems.

Maybe if we legislated to ensure that they never get their hands on the tiller again then we could afford better social services.

Then again, pigs might fly.