[Politics] When did this country become so cruel?

[macbeth]

beyond sickening. but also not a one off, a coffee shop for the homeless in liverpool has also had their windows put in three times in the past too weeks. why?



something deeply, deeply wrong with the psyche in this country. imagine this thread will rapidly end up in the bear pit but a serious debate needs to be had as to why the mentality of so many seems to be be built around the idea of ensuring nobody gets any sort of help for free. proper ‘suffering builds character’ stuff.

personally i think this ‘i’m alright jack, so screw everyone else’ attitude was really fostered in the 80s, but four decades worth of headlines about ‘benefit scroungers’ etc., since then have ensured it has stood the test of time. meanwhile the gluttony of the 1% is more boundless than ever.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Perhaps it would be worthwhile finding out who did it before speculating about why they did it ?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Brave lady. I hope someone can help her dig it up, and bring some top soil in. There are some really horrible people around who just want to spoil things, like kicking car windows in as they walk past, torment homeless people on the streets, and beat up kids.

What sad horrible lives they must lead to want to destroy others work and lives.

 

[rool]

Don't think it's just the UK.
Here in Brazil young people have started to attack young children in schools with knives because of some game which I have no idea about. Last week 4 children were killed by a guy with an axe in a nursery in Santa Catarina and yesterday a 13 year old attacked students with a knife in Goais.
Threats were made yesterday to a school in my city about a knife attack but thankfully didn't materialise.

 

[rogersix]

Perhaps it would be worthwhile finding out who did it before speculating about why they did it ?

their name wont affect their motive

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Q. When did this country become so cruel?

A. It didn't. It's just scum being scum. Far far outweighed by decent people. Just like anywhere else really

 

[BN41Albion]

Q. When did this country become so cruel?

A. It didn't. It's just scum being scum. Far far outweighed by decent people. Just like anywhere else really

Is the right answer (not that that makes it acceptable of course)

 

[Horses Arse]

Thatche

beyond sickening. but also not a one off, a coffee shop for the homeless in liverpool has also had their windows put in three times in the past too weeks. why?



something deeply, deeply wrong with the psyche in this country. imagine this thread will rapidly end up in the bear pit but a serious debate needs to be had as to why the mentality of so many seems to be be built around the idea of ensuring nobody gets any sort of help for free. proper ‘suffering builds character’ stuff.

personally i think this ‘i’m alright jack, so screw everyone else’ attitude was really fostered in the 80s, but four decades worth of headlines about ‘benefit scroungers’ etc., since then have ensured it has stood the test of time. meanwhile the gluttony of the 1% is more boundless than ever.

Thatcher's children. She planted the seeds, promoted the selfish, created benefit dependants. No surprise we are where we are now.

 

[A1X]

"There's no such thing as society"

 

[macbeth]

Q. When did this country become so cruel?

A. It didn't. It's just scum being scum. Far far outweighed by decent people. Just like anywhere else really

maybe. maybe i see it that way because familiarity breeds contempt. but, having lived elsewhere in the world for quite a while, both in richer countries and poorer countries, i can honestly say that there seems to be a very unique obsession in this country with ensuring that nobody gets help without having to suffer for it. maybe that’s totally wrong and i just know some nasty people, but that has been my experience. absolutely no sense of community, and a perpetual ‘stiff upper lip’ attitude which designates asking for help as a sign of weakness. i have never seen this anywhere else.

 

[Hotchilidog]

maybe. maybe i see it that way because familiarity breeds contempt. but, having lived elsewhere in the world for quite a while, both in richer countries and poorer countries, i can honestly say that there seems to be a very unique obsession in this country with ensuring that nobody gets help without having to suffer for it. maybe that’s totally wrong and i just know some nasty people, but that has been my experience. absolutely no sense of community, and a perpetual ‘stiff upper lip’ attitude which designates asking for help as a sign of weakness. i have never seen this anywhere else.

I think you are spot on. Punching down is this country's specialty now. Empathy and helpfulness are seen as woke weakness.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

maybe. maybe i see it that way because familiarity breeds contempt. but, having lived elsewhere in the world for quite a while, both in richer countries and poorer countries, i can honestly say that there seems to be a very unique obsession in this country with ensuring that nobody gets help without having to suffer for it. maybe that’s totally wrong and i just know some nasty people, but that has been my experience. absolutely no sense of community, and a perpetual ‘stiff upper lip’ attitude which designates asking for help as a sign of weakness. i have never seen this anywhere else.

I think your experience of 'this country' is probably atypical to most people's experience. Most of us know a few bad people. But most of us know way more decent people

 

[rogersix]

the class sytem; we are all thatcher's children, now

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

beyond sickening. but also not a one off, a coffee shop for the homeless in liverpool has also had their windows put in three times in the past too weeks. why?



something deeply, deeply wrong with the psyche in this country. imagine this thread will rapidly end up in the bear pit but a serious debate needs to be had as to why the mentality of so many seems to be be built around the idea of ensuring nobody gets any sort of help for free. proper ‘suffering builds character’ stuff.

personally i think this ‘i’m alright jack, so screw everyone else’ attitude was really fostered in the 80s, but four decades worth of headlines about ‘benefit scroungers’ etc., since then have ensured it has stood the test of time. meanwhile the gluttony of the 1% is more boundless than ever.

Nasty episode but it isn't 'the country'. It isn't me. I disown it.

I appreciate you're upset and angry. I personally consider it useful to put myself in the mind of the scum that did this.

It certainly shows determination and planning so the scum clearly imagines they have an agenda.

Perhaps it is the argument that if you don't have a job, get a job. If you don't have a well paid job, get a better paid job. If you can't be bothered to do either then it is counterproductive for others to provide hand outs. So they shouldn't.

Any other suggestions than 'mindless' vandalism?

 

[GT49er]

Perhaps it would be worthwhile finding out who did it before speculating about why they did it ?

Not really. Just find them, name and shame them (I don't think the law will be interested).

 

[herecomesaregular]

There was always a Dickhead Percentage throughout time. However, this percentage does seem to have gained in size somewhat in recent years?

 

[Shorehamseagull]

The irony is by doing it and the publicity it will get, people will feel sorry for her and support her cause. Ultimately meaning she’ll do more good.

Another part of the messed up world is that there’s a possibility she’s orchestrated this herself to do just that. I don’t know if that’s nuts or clever.

 

[macbeth]

I think your experience of 'this country' is probably atypical to most people's experience. Most of us know a few bad people. But most of us know way more decent people

look i’m not saying it’s a nation of scumbags or that we’re naturally any worse or better than anywhere else. but i think we are a product of the environment. i want to have this discussion without it turning into a political mudslinging match, but honestly the way people on welfare have been demonised over the past 30 years or so is why we are here imo.

it’s a problem because even ‘decent’ people, who i know are generally very kind and caring, will be repeating newspaper headlines about ‘benefits cheats’ verbatim. obviously that happens elsewhere, but it dominates the political landscape in this country in a way that it really doesn’t elsewhere.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

maybe. maybe i see it that way because familiarity breeds contempt. but, having lived elsewhere in the world for quite a while, both in richer countries and poorer countries, i can honestly say that there seems to be a very unique obsession in this country with ensuring that nobody gets help without having to suffer for it. maybe that’s totally wrong and i just know some nasty people, but that has been my experience. absolutely no sense of community, and a perpetual ‘stiff upper lip’ attitude which designates asking for help as a sign of weakness. i have never seen this anywhere else.

It’s just too much of a generalization. I too have lived abroad (several times) and have met good and bad everywhere. The sense of self reliance is much greater in Asia for instance but so too is the sense of community. There are even big regional differences within the UK. My experience is not necessarily reflective of some greater truth and nor is yours. A lot of people will use this incident to confirm a pre existing bias though and the thread will go around and around in circles. As has also been said there are great examples of community everywhere and also individuals who will try to piss on it. That’s life.

 

[dazzer6666]

There was always a Dickhead Percentage throughout time. However, this percentage does seem to have gained in size somewhat in recent years?

Maybe gained publicity rather than size.......