Youth Disenfranchised Because

[SarahBell]

http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=172623

@pennypower

@adamshawbiz

Chance to get your thoughts on economy/housing across

[LJAR]

They are poorly educated and priced out of the market to avoid them having to compete with others for jobs.

[Self Employed Youth]

I would have to work 32 hours to cover my benefits...

If I worked full time, after transport costs I would be some £40/week better off. That buys you 13 pints.

I have to work 3 hours to buy a pint of beer. I brew my own for less than 20p a go.

What can you do with £40 a week? Go to the cinema and have a burger in wetherspoons. For 40 hours hard graft?

Fruits of your labour and 'practically nowt' comes to mind.

If I worked one hour I would earn £5 before travel costs are taken into account.

If I worked 8 hours I would earn £5 before travel costs are taken into account.

Roll on Universal credit! (But it could have disasterous effects upon the black economy)

[mightytharg]

I would have to work 32 hours to cover my benefits...

I think you mis-read the thread title. It is "Youth Disenfranchised Because" not "Youth Grateful Because".

Boast about all the hand-outs that you get via extortion from us on another thread.

[200p]

"Why do you think we have mass youth unemployment? "

The answer is technology. There are simply not enough jobs, and too many people.

It used to take days by horse and cart to get to London. Now it takes a few hours, and you don't even have to travel - get the message to London in seconds at a click of a mouse.

I laugh at people rushing about in cars, with their furrowed brows. Stressed mums on their phones, rushing from shop to shop.

We're stressed more than ever, yet we as a group more productive than ever. We should have more time and be wealthier. Yet we have more rules and regulations, and fines if you don't do this, or do that.

Own a asset that cannot be printed or a job that technology cannot replace. Make money in the next boom when the demand is up for "X-related-bubble" and more jobs created to meet the demand, and sit tight during the recession.

This set of youth just got unlucky, wrong place at the wrong time - but they'll learn more during the hard times, and reap more during the better times that will follow.

[Self Employed Youth]

I think you mis-read the thread title. It is "Youth Disenfranchised Because" not "Youth Grateful Because".

Boast about all the hand-outs that you get via extortion from us on another thread.

What job do you do that is so important?

I worked in the food production industry after graduation (paid for my own education) for 6 months and did enough work to feed two men for life.

Try living without food.

I've done research into the synthesis of anticancer drugs.

I was self employed from being 11 to 19.

I lost my 'work ethic' around about that time.

Handouts, don't make me laugh, this is a soviet state and income is determined by family size and geographical location, work does not come into it.

The benefit system is perverse, I agree. But it is not me whom has made it financially unviable for myself to work.

The majority of the year I work, but I claim dole also when applicable.

[@contradevian]

I would have to work 32 hours to cover my benefits...

If I worked full time, after transport costs I would be some £40/week better off. That buys you 13 pints.

I have to work 3 hours to buy a pint of beer. I brew my own for less than 20p a go.

What can you do with £40 a week? Go to the cinema and have a burger in wetherspoons. For 40 hours hard graft?

Fruits of your labour and 'practically nowt' comes to mind.

If I worked one hour I would earn £5 before travel costs are taken into account.

If I worked 8 hours I would earn £5 before travel costs are taken into account.

Roll on Universal credit! (But it could have disasterous effects upon the black economy)

I bet you are duel fuelled too, so you get hammered twice at the "penal rates of servitude rate", for being a low energy user!

[Self Employed Youth]

I bet you are duel fuelled too, so you get hammered twice at the "penal rates of servitude rate", for being a low energy user!

My gas rates are the most expensive. I don't use my heating, I just use gas for heating water. My annual bill for gas and electric is just under £280, most of the electricity is at 23p/kWh rather than the ~10p it falls to if your a high user.

A pensioner gets £80 in credit directly applied to their bill and the £200 winter fuel grant + cold weather payments (if eligible).

Each child a person has yields £60 a week in CTC, then there is child benefit. etc. etc.

Like I said, work has little/no bearing upon income.

If we had true capitalism I would be miles better off, as there would be an incentive to work, and I'd be out there grafting.

A hell of a lot of people would be a lot worse off, often the likes of whom, who would readily slag me off.

[alexw]

What job do you do that is so important?

I worked in the food production industry after graduation (paid for my own education) for 6 months and did enough work to feed two men for life.

Try living without food.

I've done research into the synthesis of anticancer drugs.

I was self employed from being 11 to 19.

I lost my 'work ethic' around about that time.

Handouts, don't make me laugh, this is a soviet state and income is determined by family size and geographical location, work does not come into it.

The benefit system is perverse, I agree. But it is not me whom has made it financially unviable for myself to work.

The majority of the year I work, but I claim dole also when applicable.

You should learn to ignore mightythargs posts as I have, because he is either a troll, a c***, or a psychopath who has zero empathy for others. Replying to trolls just feeds them, c**** should be ignored in general, and you cannot reason with a psychopath.

[A.steve]

Chance to get your thoughts on economy/housing across

If I were a youth today, I'd be disenfranchised for a number of reasons, but they can all be summarised by a 'lack of opportunity'... but, before we go thee, I'd like to think literally about what "disenfranchised" itself means.

If someone is "disenfranchised" - literally - they've revoked their right to suffrage. I doubt many have actually revoked their right - but I can certainly understand why a rational, informed, educated person would set little store by suffrage. What passes for democracy in Britain is a farce where subjects are expected to 'back' one of the candidates - none of which have any genuine convictions, but rise to such lofty stations through party politics - itself an irrational tribalism obsessed with the fallacious distinctions of yesteryear. The system seems to exist only to validate career politicians rather than to empower the public. If one is fundamentally opposed to the our current political infrastructure where, for example, detested scum-bags hide in safely gerrymandered seats - in the full knowledge that the demographic they've abused are geographically precluded from voting against them... who would expect our democratic sham to embraced by anyone who isn't suffering from senile dementia?

In a broader context, perhaps the relevant observation is that society as a whole no-longer believes in anything. Gone are the religious convictions that drew congregations to Churches; Gone too, to a large extent, is the substance behind the socialist versus capitalist and anarchist versus fascist debates of bygone times. Gone, too, is any credibility to the idea that one succeeds by working hard and applying one's self... from honest conduct and productive activity... considerable evidence points to the contrary. Today, you'd better have rich parents - and they need to be far richer than they'd have become through endeavour. The future holds scant opportunity - and that which does exist is likely to be apportioned by nepotism not merit. The intelligent reaction is to refuse to put in any effort and avoid being exploited.

Edited January 6, 2012 by A.steve

[leicestersq]

Where I work, they need more people. Most of it goes overseas, not due to higher wages, but the cost of regulation and taxes that need paying. Reduce this stuff companies have to deal with, and they will take on young people again.

[@contradevian]

If I were a youth today, I'd be disenfranchised for a number of reasons, but they can all be summarised by a 'lack of opportunity'... but, before we go thee, I'd like to think literally about what "disenfranchised" itself means.

But did they ever have any opportunity? Even in the days of manufacturing, it would be a lifetime in a dead end job, or worse blown to bits in a war. The saving grace of the dead job in the immediate post war period would at least be a house bought and paid for in a few years, whereas now its a dead end job and renting forever.

I agree that the intelligent reaction is avoid being exploited.Even self (un)employment is a form of exploitation, just hoovering up the scraps left behind by corporates. Its probably why I notice the "yoof" of today only becoming illuminated by iPhones and celebrity trivia, or lost in the latest computer game.

Edited January 6, 2012 by "Steed"

[A.steve]

But did they ever have any opportunity?

On some occasions there's been 'hope' for the youth... For example, I understand that during WWII, assuming the worst conscripted postings were avoided, the youth found themselves demonstrably invaluable to society, empowered and confident... with a great peer support network. Similarly, the youth of the 60s had optimism on their side as, by weight of numbers, their agenda swayed society. Even for my generation - the youth of the 80s - we were still inclined to believe that gaining qualifications (merely by investing determination and time) and then working hard would yield dividends. Today's youth isn't valuable; isn't the dominant demographic - and is liklely under no illusion that the world might be there for their taking.

Edited January 6, 2012 by A.steve

[AC44]

If i was young today, I would complain/scream at the top of my voice and the same time i would continue continue looking for one opportunity...

I would complain to my MPs about the outsourcing and would complain about all the British industries that were sold off to the highest bidder..

I would also get all my friends/mates and do what took place in Israel some months ago.

And then if there were no opportunities in UK, I would look to move somewhere else (Australia/Canada/Germany/Scandinavia/USA/China)....

[EUBanana]

Rent and tax, if you include indirect tax, by my reckoning adds up to about 60-75% of my gross take home at least, and I'm pretty much on the median wage. And that doesn't include bills and food yet.

When you look at actual petty cash, stuff for me to accumulate capital/blow on iCrap, it's probably 20% of the gross at best. And I'm luckier, far luckier, than many.

The government is the enemy, it really is. I would claim everything I'm entitled to (unfortunately almost nothing) and do my level best to keep as much of my wealth out of their grasping mitts as I can.

[wonderpup]

You should learn to ignore mightythargs posts as I have, because he is either a troll, a c***, or a psychopath who has zero empathy for others. Replying to trolls just feeds them, c**** should be ignored in general, and you cannot reason with a psychopath.

Tharg was bailed out by taxpayers, being part of the financial elite makes that ok, apparently.

[AC44]

Rent and tax, if you include indirect tax, by my reckoning adds up to about 60-75% of my gross take home at least, and I'm pretty much on the median wage. And that doesn't include bills and food yet.

When you look at actual petty cash, stuff for me to accumulate capital/blow on iCrap, it's probably 20% of the gross at best. And I'm luckier, far luckier, than many.

The government is the enemy, it really is. I would claim everything I'm entitled to (unfortunately almost nothing) and do my level best to keep as much of my wealth out of their grasping mitts as I can.

indeed..we are all just a commodity.

House is an investment and the gov has allowed it be so. We are just the cows to be milked. And none from the politicians has any guts to recognize this.

on one hand the gov says that they want us to save and on the other they lower the IR and they tax savings as much as they can. It feels like playing a game where the opponent makes the rules..

[Oh Dear]

As a society we invest very little in our current 'youth'. Gone is a quality, free education (on both counts); gone are the job opportunities for many. Their parents have experienced free education, cheap housing, wage inflation, early retirement and index linked pensions, a tough daily grind for many despite this.

A few 'youth' will make it big, but very few. What are half of them going to do with two years average wage pre tax debts comming out of university with a media studies degree? Their only hope is to inherit (unless house prices fall dramaticaly relative to wages), work in a low paid job for the rest of their lives or sit on benefits.

[mightytharg]

You should learn to ignore mightythargs posts as I have, because he is either a troll, a c***, or a psychopath who has zero empathy for others. Replying to trolls just feeds them, c**** should be ignored in general, and you cannot reason with a psychopath.

That's a bit strong isn't it?

You can see the repressed pride in the scroungers post about his work in the past. And I can empathise with the poor sap who has to work 30 hrs to pay his benefits.

I can also solve his problem. If he works AND brews his own beer, his £40 will buy him 200 pints. He'll be swimming in beer!

He can regain his pride and no longer be a burden on his fellow man.

HTH

[mightytharg]

Tharg was bailed out by taxpayers, being part of the financial elite makes that ok, apparently.

Sorry about that, and thanks for the money.

[Self Employed Youth]

Sorry about that, and thanks for the money.

If you got paid for messing up, then surely it would make sense to pay me to do something useful.

Or allow me to be somewhat better off for earning money honestly through manual labour?

If you got paid to mess up, then surely I should get paid more on the dole for not messing up, than you.

I pull 6.5k on the teat of the state. How about you?

[mightytharg]

I pull 6.5k on the teat of the state. How about you?

You really don't want to know.

The point is neither of us should be ripping off the tax payer. I have said I'm sorry.

[ZeroSumGame]

You should learn to ignore mightythargs posts as I have, because he is either a troll, a c***, or a psychopath who has zero empathy for others. Replying to trolls just feeds them, c**** should be ignored in general, and you cannot reason with a psychopath.

Dunno. I really enjoy Thargie's posts. Especially when his mum lets him stay up beyond 9 p.m. on a non-school-next-day night.

Actually, seriously, don't feed moronic trolls !

[Self Employed Youth]

You really don't want to know.

The point is neither of us should be ripping off the tax payer. I have said I'm sorry.

I haven't got much of a choice.

I'm going to have a pop at being an handyman providing services to the elderly this year amongst other things, try and get off of benefits.

If I make a loss I'll have at least provided a service and I'll always be able to go back to the drawing board.

What are you going to do?

It bugs me that I am actively priced out of doing productive things. Doesn't compute. Suicidal for the state.

[scrappycocco]

need a transfer of wealth from the oldies through a serious high inheritance tax and land value tax because old people don't spend anything, they own loads of property and kids that inherit aren't usually productive.....then sink the lot into providing sustainable jobs for young people who will spend spend spend....before all this though get rid of the career bureaucrats and scumbags leeching off the state, put them on hard labour.....the two eds should be working down the mines for a start...

Edited January 6, 2012 by scrappycocco