The death of society as we know it

An interesting read - and it does worry me that Australia is tending to follow the trends of US/UK in ostricising and punishing those who can least afford ... ie, Newstart not increasing in 20 years, yet many who are considered "to old" to work in their late 60's, and cannot get jobs, are forced onto Newstart as the pension age is increasing ... and then the pension itself is a mere pittance ... and the rising cost of healthcare ... yet the rich are simply getting richer

This is How a Society Dies

 

An excerpt, "When I ask my European friends to describe us — Americans, Brits, who I’ll call Anglo-Americans in this essay — they shake their heads gently. And over and over, three themes emerge. They say we’re a little thoughtless. They say we’re selfish and arrogant. And they say that we’re cruel and brutal"


Oh puuuuleeeze ! What utter BS nonsense. The fear mongering, socialist left agenda is totally insane.

 

These days 50+ is the unemployable age ...

 

It appears Umair Haque isn’t coping well with the Corbyn election loss.

 

'America and Britain aren’t just collapsing by the day…they aren’t even just choosing to collapse by the day. They’re entering a death spiral, from which there’s probably no return.'

If anywhere is in a death spiral it is Europe. The ignorance of Umair Haque is astounding.

 

I think it's nonsense.

We're not selfish. Just want everything.

Arrogrant? Huh, I'll snub my nose to that vierw.

Cruel and brutal? I'll comment on that after I set a trap a couple of dole bludgers walking past.

 

I actually agree with him. Society in the West nowadays is very much about gimmee ... and politicians are elected on platforms of "what's in it for me" ... not about what is the greater good

Only have to look at the failing middle class as the divide between rich and poor increases ... young people in the US dying because they cannot afford type one insulin while the owners of the pharmaceutical companies that produce insulin are wondering how they can survive on less than $10,000/day

 

No amount of essay can gauge how good a society based on data collected from subjective polling. Media can just as easily manipulate and condition a society to be self deprecating and reject any attempt at a national identity or culture.

Honesty and integrity at assessing the situation is required, relevant data, not just emotive or poetic words. For example, judge a society by the social safety net it has set aside in its national budget. Then, judge the society by the aggregate budget for charity it has set aside in its private sectors to gauge the kindness it has. Finally, look through the lenses of the rest of the world by its eagerness to adopt a 'get in or bust' attitude to join that society as a practical test of how desirable it is from an outsider's point of view.

 

A counter position to Haque.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...086e72-1532-11ea-8406-df3c54b3253e_story.html

 

I agree as well. I suspect it what people want to see, "conservatives" see everything as okay and do not accept that they are to blame for anything. religious types don't care about this world because there is a better world after this.

this pretty much describes a lot of people on this forum with respects to anything that isn't about them:

 

Not always.

Friend in mid-50s volunteered as a Lifeline counsellor. Did a few courses, then a few more. Interest sparked, she eventually enrolled in a University degree in Counselling, studied externally as she lived in a regional area.

Graduated aged early 60s. Got a job in her field and is now aged 70 and still working full time.

 

Nice

 

Here’s an interesting read

The Poorest 20% of Americans Are Richer on Average Than Most European Nations | James D. Agresti

 

You forgot the Racist card

.........its no wonder socialist lefty ideology is getting the flick....


Why capitalism trumps socialism | The Spectator Australia

 

....and what’s an absolute disgrace are the people that have the audacity to come on this forum to investigate ways on how they can fund their own retirement....how dare they

 

what straw man are you having an argument with.

 

Yet your entire post before is not a straw man of conservatism?

 

This thread was actually started as an attempt to have some intelligent and detailed discussion about the direction society is taking when we neglect and vilify our most vulnerable ... but the usual bolshie, gimme, I want, far right get on and try and turn it into a slamming match

Hope you uncaring Twats are happy with yourselves

 

Similar story A friend told me about their friend in NZ in his twenties unemployed, went on the work for the dole and had to do some telemarketing. Got very good at it and was offered a job with a heat pump company, which he took on. He then bought one of their franchises, then a second franchise. 13 years later sold both franchises for 30 odd million and went back to what he enjoyed doing.
Now drives a $400,000 Lamborghini and a nice house to live in now.