Reccession ..... Calm Down & Carry On

[SK1NT]

Wish people would stop moaning about doom and gloom, is life really that bad on an individual basis. For those who have existing loans / mortagages money is cheap to borrow and gives you more in your pocket, yes other items have gone up but it is swings and roundabouts.

Are people really that much worse off?

The whole thing is being talked up by the opposition and the doom and gloom merchants in the media.

Live life for today and spend it while you can!

I had this same view about 3/4 years ago... but boy have i changed it.

Life is tough... So so tough... and i feel for those lesser fortunate to myself.

I was at a thriving company for 9 years and got made redundant in 2010. I was shit scared about finding a job however I was one of the few lucky ones to get another job. There have been probably 1000 redundancies in my old company in 4/5 years. I have an elderly friend who got made redundant at 60... still has a mortgage and cannot get a job (her redundancy was the bare min) she is at her wits end and is awful to see. She's not going to beat one of the thousands of young graduates that are fighting for that one job.

I am on ave maybe slightly above ave wage and yet i am putting in £2 woth of petrol in at times. I am buying a loaf of bread for £1 and a £1 pack of pate to last for 5 days lunches at work. I do not go out. I have cold showers and baths... and yet i am on decent wage. I am by no means feeling sorry for myself. I just cant believe what a struggle it is for me how are the minimum hr workers dealing with it. The single mums, people that cant work through illness etc.

Even with the low bank of england base rates, mortgages rates are still creeping up over 5% and thats if you can even get one.

The petrol prices are killing businesses. Food is increasing. Gas and Electric is just at incredible prices now.

I dont think Labour nor Conservatives could have done too much to avoid the woldwide finanical turmoil we find ourselves in. However those f***ing tories and their f***ing budget have not helped anyone other than the rich few one bit. I know it is cliche but the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer... This is the tory government and the ever increasing wealth divide.

I wish everyone all the best in these tough times.

Arkwright as i said my view was a little like yours 4/5 years ago. For you to have such a small minded view at this current time makes me simply think you and yours are very priveldged and good luck to you. Just realise what struggles others are going though. They are out there... in ABUNDANCE

 

[GreersElbow]

i read service sector was 1.2%. from what i've read recently, and today, all other indicators point to improving economy. only the ONS numbers (and the OECD based on preliminary assement of ONS number) have read the tea leafs this way. -3% on construction is apparently being openly questioned by analysts asking if the ONS has done its sums right. they just dont see it, the contraction in consturction and apparently its notoriously under-reported. i read hear a few posters saying things are good, in construction too.

so at this point it looks like a "techincal" recession (an arbitary and self imposed term in the first place), it will be interesting to see in future if this is recorded as the recession that never was, as data is revised upwards. this is no defense of the governments policy, which seems to be treating deficit reduction as an end in itself not a means to an end, and has no idea on how to improve the economy while coming out with lots of Brownesque little tweeks and tinkering rather than a strategy.

May possibly be 1.2% either way, certain sectors grew others fell. Which happens, it doesn't entirely mean a recession. I also agree that there is no strategy, appears to be on the spot decision making.

 

[Albumen]

Useless rich cock.

 

[dingodan]

Don't worry folks, everything is going according to plan.

 

[HH Brighton]

Sadly life isn't designed to be easy, just for the record I'm self employed and work 7 days a week, going to the Amex is a luxury item in my life. All I am saying is that there are opportunities, yes not fantastic but they are opportunities.
On pensioners, yes like every walk of life some do struggle but at the same stage millions are on final salary pension and own there own properties, why else is SAGA a doom industry, because billions of pounds are tied up in pensioners pockets. On single parents, I previouslly said that sadly there are many exceptions, however parents should be more accountable for there children both financially and socially.
We live in a society where we where encouraged to over spend and borrow and now are paying for it, I know times are tough but what choice does the government have but to cut if not we will be paying for our greed of the 80's, 90's and noughties for the next 100 years, what a legacy to pass on to a child and future of the country. Running a small shop it is hard and I've had to cut margins to increase turnover, maybe I'm wrong but sometimes less is more and we need to take any opportunties out there.
With reference to me being a wanker we are all entitled to an opinion however just because mine is not the same as yours I don't think you should express an opinion on my personal habits.

Me me me me me me me me me !!!!

 

[SK1NT]

Remember.......


WE'RE ALL IN IT TOGETHER


like f*** we are...

 

[Arkwright]

I had this same view about 3/4 years ago... but boy have i changed it.

Life is tough... So so tough... and i feel for those lesser fortunate to myself.

I was at a thriving company for 9 years and got made redundant in 2010. I was shit scared about finding a job however I was one of the few lucky ones to get another job. There have been probably 1000 redundancies in my old company in 4/5 years. I have an elderly friend who got made redundant at 60... still has a mortgage and cannot get a job (her redundancy was the bare min) she is at her wits end and is awful to see. She's not going to beat one of the thousands of young graduates that are fighting for that one job.

I am on ave maybe slightly above ave wage and yet i am putting in £2 woth of petrol in at times. I am buying a loaf of bread for £1 and a £1 pack of pate to last for 5 days lunches at work. I do not go out. I have cold showers and baths... and yet i am on decent wage.

I really feel sorry for single mums, youngsters out of education that are 1 out of 1000 people going for a checkout job. It is tough... and i know that i am still a fortunate one.

Evern with the low bank of england base rates, mortgages rates are still creeping up over 5% and thats if you can even get one.

The petrol prices are killing businesses. Food is increasing. Gas and Electric is just at incredible prices now.

I dont think Labour nor Conservatives could have done too much to avoid the woldwide finanical turmoil we find ourselves in. However those f***ing tories and their f***ing budget have not helped anyone other than the rich few one bit.

I wish everyone all the best in these tough times.

Arkwright as i said my view was a little like yours 4/5 years ago. For you to have such a small minded view at this current time makes me simply think you and yours are very priveldged and good luck to you. Just realise what struggles others are going though.

I've already said on this thread that I'm self employed and far from priveldged, work 7 days a week and from good Working Class stock.

I totally agree that utliites are far too high and general running costs are just ridiculous (my electric bill is £500 per month) my only saving grace is low interest rates (5% mortgage I'd look for a new lender). However moaning gets you nowhere, my little Post Office was closed and replaced by a watered down version and we just wanted to sell up but we just got on with it and made changes. I know it's a cliche but there are green shoots, I still stand by the "Live life for today and spend it while you can", you can't have all work and no play and spending is good for the economy.

All I am saying is instead of being the Voices of Doom let's try and look at the positives and collectively get this Country out of the mess that it finds it's self in.

Priveldged, I wish I earned above the average wage lucky you.

 

[ALBION28]

It's a great story, but the unemployment rate in Sweden is very similar to here, and they have (albeit much lower than here) sizeable national debt.

You will always have unemployment unless you go for a system where the state employs those who cannot be employed elsewhere. Last time I looked Swedish unemployment was 7.7% which is much lower than here. In addition they have a system of semi-employment to obtain your benefit i.e community work. The national debt remains nil. They did not join the Euro which helped them run their own show. Anyhow my actual point was that consensus politics is far better than the confrontation the UK prefers. With consensus politics you build your nation together rather than prioritise one group over another. It will never happen here I fear.

 

[SK1NT]

I've already said on this thread that I'm self employed and far from priveldged, work 7 days a week and from good Working Class stock.

I totally agree that utliites are far too high and general running costs are just ridiculous (my electric bill is £500 per month) my only saving grace is low interest rates (5% mortgage I'd look for a new lender). However moaning gets you nowhere, my little Post Office was closed and replaced by a watered down version and we just wanted to sell up but we just got on with it and made changes. I know it's a cliche but there are green shoots, I still stand by the "Live life for today and spend it while you can", you can't have all work and no play and spending is good for the economy.

All I am saying is instead of being the Voices of Doom let's try and look at the positives and collectively get this Country out of the mess that it finds it's self in.

Priveldged, I wish I earned above the average wage lucky you.

This is the point. I count myself lucky to have a job and a slightly above ave wage and yet i am still struggling. This only makes me feel more for the people less fortunate.

Sometimes Awkwright it isn't as easy being positive. Im sure there are people out there that have been rejected multiple times. At what point will the positivity be knocked out of you.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Having just re-checked the S&P graph, the US stock market peaked in Sep 1929. It did not reach that level again until August 1954. I appreciate that this is only one indicator of recovery but a sobering statistic all the same.

The US participation in World War 2 from 1941-1945 would skew the figures somewhat. Boom and bust is cyclical.

 

[Dandyman]

No, we have the largest national debt outside of the US because of the careless and reckless economic strategy applied by the current opposition in attempting to tackle the effects of the worldwide economic crisis. (Not because of it)

UK National Debt, according to the IMF, is lower than that of Italy, Japan, Portugal, Greece, and Ireland among developed nations and lower than it was at several points over the last two hundred years.

That said we still fail to collect enough tax and spend money on political viagra like Trident rather than proper long-term investment projects so it's no surprise that capitalism latest crisis has caught us out.

 

[HOFNSKIN]

We are now all victims of the Bullingdon Bully Boys.

The LibDems will have a lot to answer for by the time of the next General Election.

 

[sten_super]

UK National Debt, according to the IMF, is lower than that of Italy, Japan, Portugal, Greece, and Ireland among developed nations and lower than it was at several points over the last two hundred years.

That said we still fail to collect enough tax and spend money on political viagra like Trident rather than proper long-term investment projects so it's no surprise that capitalism latest crisis has caught us out.

I don't really want to get involved in the politics of this thread, but are you really trying to say that the level of the UK national debt isn't that bad because it's not as high as that in 1 EU nation in crisis (Greece), 2 nations on the precipice (Italy and Portugal) and one nation that coined the phrase 'lost decade' (Japan)?

 

[BadFish]

I've already said on this thread that I'm self employed and far from priveldged, work 7 days a week and from good Working Class stock.

I totally agree that utliites are far too high and general running costs are just ridiculous (my electric bill is £500 per month) my only saving grace is low interest rates (5% mortgage I'd look for a new lender). However moaning gets you nowhere, my little Post Office was closed and replaced by a watered down version and we just wanted to sell up but we just got on with it and made changes. I know it's a cliche but there are green shoots, I still stand by the "Live life for today and spend it while you can", you can't have all work and no play and spending is good for the economy.

All I am saying is instead of being the Voices of Doom let's try and look at the positives and collectively get this Country out of the mess that it finds it's self in.

Priveldged, I wish I earned above the average wage lucky you.

The trouble with positivity is that it often masks the facts of the particular situation we are in. No one will get out of this mess by ignoring the facts that are staring them in the face.

 

[Dandyman]

I don't really want to get involved in the politics of this thread, but are you really trying to say that the level of the UK national debt isn't that bad because it's not as high as that in 1 EU nation in crisis (Greece), 2 nations on the precipice (Italy and Portugal) and one nation that coined the phrase 'lost decade' (Japan)?

I'm saying the original statement was not true. The level of debt is serious but lower than it has been at various times over the last 200 years generally after various wars. The Iraq war, which was supported by Cameron and his chums, is of course one of the many reasons for the current level of debt.

 

[beorhthelm]

...The Iraq war, which was supported by Cameron and his chums, is of course one of the many reasons for the current level of debt.

there are of course many individual reasons, but the overriding one was 8 years of policies which required spending more than received in tax revenue, in the vain belief that some economic alchemy had been discovered. turned out it was a boom same as all before.

 

[Beach Hut]

It is all Brown's fault, never again should the nations money be trusted to a jock

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

It is all Brown's fault, never again should the nations money be trusted to a jock

And the current gvt have the responsibility to get us out of the mess. Two years down the line and they have FAILED on a massive scale.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Every nation is in the crapper at the moment, why do the opportunistic left think that we would be a prosperous and vibrant economy of they were still in the chair!!??!!..... more coffee smelling required....

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

What a load of rubbish...... you need some coffee smelling sir...... Turkey is doing much better thanks as is Poland (almost totally untouched) and I believe there are quite a few countries in the East and South America.... when you use EVERY check your facts. The only trouble many countries are having because they are linked to other countries of which the UK is one of the prim culprits.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

After the shambolic Labour under Brown I had high hopes for Cameron and Osborne but they have been a crushing dissapointment. It looks like the 2nd quarter this year will also be negative growth and over the last 18 months the UK has had growth of - 0.1% , a longer and deeper recession than the great depression of the 1930's.

Osborne's policies after 2 years ARE NOT working and the fact Ed Balls has been proved to be right is even more galling. As it is only 30% of the cuts have come into effect so the danger is now that Cameron and Osbornes policies could push us into a long economic depression and a lost decade(s) as per Japan. It is also becoming clearer by the day the rich and getting richer and the underclasses which now include middle income families are being destroyed.

I think a revolution may be on the cards as so far people have been very tolerant but patience is starting to wear very thin now.