The younger generations have never known suffering

[Pop321]

 

I lived through WW2, but I don't remember much. I remember all the ammo and stuff lying around we used to "play" with as kids better.

Post WW2 was (I think) the only time the UK had the stomach for socialism as well. That was certainly true in my father's case. Fighting alongside proles, he realised how little most had and how much they were prepared to risk to protect our country. Left a lasting impression on him.

People really did come together, rebuild the country, millions of homes, and a national health service off the back of 6 years of awfulness.

 

This exactly.

My grandfather was a barrister. Other grandparents owned a farming estate and later owned a large company that employed literally 100’s in the 1920’s. 

(As an aside Unfortunately neither of my parents inherited because is was family monies to first borne.)

Anyhoo.....both grandfathers fought in WW1 and my fathers eldest brothers in WW2 including one who was fighter pilot and exactly because of what you have suggested they were all socialists. Both my parents (teacher and staff nurse) were socialists.

Rubbed off on me and despite abusing the capitalist system to the max, I am at heart a liberally leftie (albeit a hypocritical one) 

The only thing this older generation, to whom we owe so much, did wrong was that the spoilt their kids. 

Edited October 14, 2020 by Pop321

[jiltedjen]

 

 

The only thing this older generation, to whom we owe so much, did wrong was that the spoilt their kids. 

It’s sad really, the greatest generation followed by the worst. 

 

[msi]

 

It’s sad really, the greatest generation followed by the worst. 

 

A generation, that to be fair, hasn't launched a holocaust, hasn't launched nuclear weapons, and hasn't colonised 2/3 of the planet?

[Locke]

 

I can see IHT becoming problematic for estates £1m+, but let's be honest, if you have that large of an estate, you probably should be paying it anyway.

As a punishment for selfishly saving what you worked for instead of spaffing it on cars and holidays like a responsible citizen?

[richmondtw]

 

True, but in my experience the people who go on about the hardship of WW2 were either born after it, or were a small child during it

You have a slightly different experience to mine then.

I was not around during WW2 but I know I am a zillion times luckier than those who were.  I did not have to experience bombs, the blitz, being in the army, navy or RAF to know it was a much harder time than anyone has now.

Sorry but I am sick of snowflakes whinging all the time when they do not get everything they want in their little lives.  

 

[iamnumerate]

 

You have a slightly different experience to mine then.

I was not around during WW2 but I know I am a zillion times luckier than those who were.  I did not have to experience bombs, the blitz, being in the army, navy or RAF to know it was a much harder time than anyone has now.

Sorry but I am sick of snowflakes whinging all the time when they do not get everything they want in their little lives.  

 

I know that people today have lives much better than in the past.  Medical care, communications, warmer houses, more reliable cars etc.

However it is not unreasonable if in the 1990s two newly qualified nurses could buy house x two newly qualified nurses should be able to now.

 

[Riedquat]

 

I know that people today have lives much better than in the past.  Medical care, communications, warmer houses, more reliable cars etc.

However it is not unreasonable if in the 1990s two newly qualified nurses could buy house x two newly qualified nurses should be able to now.

That latter point illustrates the issue - just what actually makes a "better" life? Can't argue with medical care being an improvement but many of the others I'm less than impressed with. Some simply leave me rolling my eyes (generally when I find things pushed past a level I found perfectly acceptable anyway), others on balance are negative - modern communications, whilst having some advantages for entertainment, seem to have massively increased stress and mental pressure on people.

[Si1]

 

 - modern communications, whilst having some advantages for entertainment, seem to have massively increased stress and mental pressure on people.

I think that's just people keeping up with the Joneses. They missuse or abuse the technology available.

[iamnumerate]

 

That latter point illustrates the issue - just what actually makes a "better" life? Can't argue with medical care being an improvement but many of the others I'm less than impressed with. Some simply leave me rolling my eyes (generally when I find things pushed past a level I found perfectly acceptable anyway), others on balance are negative - modern communications, whilst having some advantages for entertainment, seem to have massively increased stress and mental pressure on people.

Actually I like modern technology but if I had to choose between 1997 technology and 1997 house prices and 2020 technology and prices I would go for the former.

Saying that I don't see why houses can't still be affordable and even more why it is not desirable.

[Riedquat]

 

I think that's just people keeping up with the Joneses. They missuse or abuse the technology available.

Definitely a factor, but it's a very common desire to want to stress yourself out more, sorry, "make the most of your time."

[Riedquat]

 

Actually I like modern technology but if I had to choose between 1997 technology and 1997 house prices and 2020 technology and prices I would go for the former.

Saying that I don't see why houses can't still be affordable and even more why it is not desirable.

I like it for entertainment purposes and loathe the way it's wormed into so many aspects of day to day life.

[Drifty]

 

Actually I like modern technology but if I had to choose between 1997 technology and 1997 house prices and 2020 technology and prices I would go for the former.

Saying that I don't see why houses can't still be affordable and even more why it is not desirable.

Modern technology is only great because you have experience of existing technology and are directly comparing it.

Like in 2004 I was playing World of Warcraft with my teenage friends. Everything was amazing. But when you compare the computer I used to current technology, it sucks.

But I would happily go back to that time with that house price and have no knowledge of what future technology would be.

 

That latter point illustrates the issue - just what actually makes a "better" life? Can't argue with medical care being an improvement but many of the others I'm less than impressed with. Some simply leave me rolling my eyes (generally when I find things pushed past a level I found perfectly acceptable anyway), others on balance are negative - modern communications, whilst having some advantages for entertainment, seem to have massively increased stress and mental pressure on people.

Personally, modern communications/technology has has a massive stress/mental effect on me but probably not in the way you would think.

The stress has come from work where managers and colleagues are stuck in the past using Excel and doing basic analysis (I'm a statistician/analyst by trade). Whilst I use R and trying to firefight work to change whilst management chuck it all back because they just don't have any clue. Not sure if it's just the industry I'm working with or whether its a similar thing everywhere else.

 

[iamnumerate]

 

Modern technology is only great because you have experience of existing technology and are directly comparing it.

Like in 2004 I was playing World of Warcraft with my teenage friends. Everything was amazing. But when you compare the computer I used to current technology, it sucks.

But I would happily go back to that time with that house price and have no knowledge of what future technology would be.

Personally, modern communications/technology has has a massive stress/mental effect on me but probably not in the way you would think.

The stress has come from work where managers and colleagues are stuck in the past using Excel and doing basic analysis (I'm a statistician/analyst by trade). Whilst I use R and trying to firefight work to change whilst management chuck it all back because they just don't have any clue. Not sure if it's just the industry I'm working with or whether its a similar thing everywhere else.

 

I find it depressing that people think that 2004 prices were cheap - they were still high then.

2004 technology in many ways was fine - just a little expensive.

Saying that I agree with what you say.

 

 

[24gray24]

 

You have a slightly different experience to mine then.

I was not around during WW2 but I know I am a zillion times luckier than those who were.  I did not have to experience bombs, the blitz, being in the army, navy or RAF to know it was a much harder time than anyone has now.

Sorry but I am sick of snowflakes whinging all the time when they do not get everything they want in their little lives.  

 

So... You were one of the ones born after the war, so by comparison have never suffered. 

(Incidentally, the ones who did fight in the war didn't compare it to the 1950's; the ones I knew compared it to WW1 and the 1930's and found it far better than both. Also, as a group, they tended to downplay death. I think they'd laugh if they heard these post war boomers boasting how snowflakes have never suffered)

[Riedquat]

 

Modern technology is only great because you have experience of existing technology and are directly comparing it.

Like in 2004 I was playing World of Warcraft with my teenage friends. Everything was amazing. But when you compare the computer I used to current technology, it sucks.

My user name and logo come from playing computer games in 1984... Although I did point out that I like technology for entertainment. OK the original Elite is rather rusty now, but space game wise I still don't think the mid 90s TIE Fighter has been beaten. And moving on to games in general things like chess have been around for long enough and are still going. I definitely think I'd be happier going back to the 80s (the earliest period I can remember in any detail). All the technology I'd actually not want to be without was well established and commonly available then. The biggest offputting factor would be the hairstyles.

[dougless]

 

My user name and logo come from playing computer games in 1984... Although I did point out that I like technology for entertainment. OK the original Elite is rather rusty now, but space game wise I still don't think the mid 90s TIE Fighter has been beaten. And moving on to games in general things like chess have been around for long enough and are still going. I definitely think I'd be happier going back to the 80s (the earliest period I can remember in any detail). All the technology I'd actually not want to be without was well established and commonly available then. The biggest offputting factor would be the hairstyles.

Mullet phobia?

[winkie]

Too much pandering and spoiling kids can make them weak and needy.....disciplining in a fair, constructive way shows love......those that let their kids run wild, don't know where they are or what they do, have no time for them or listen to them, chuck new stuff and money at them to compensate their own guilt feelings are not exactly  loving parents....parenting is hard...life is hard, much harder for both kids and parents today.

[msi]

 

Too much pandering and spoiling kids can make them weak and needy.....disciplining in a fair, constructive way shows love......those that let their kids run wild, don't know where they are or what they do, have no time for them or listen to them, chuck new stuff and money at them to compensate their own guilt feelings are not exactly  loving parents....parenting is hard...life is hard, much harder for both kids and parents today.

Is there an argument that pandering to the boomers with Free Education, free Higher Education, Low wage ratio for houses, Final salary benefits, limited Care costs has ruined them?

[winkie]

 

Is there an argument that pandering to the boomers with Free Education, free Higher Education, Low wage ratio for houses, Final salary benefits, limited Care costs has ruined them?

The boomers have had their day......tomorrow is for the kids, all down to the kids parents.

[scottbeard]

 

Actually I like modern technology but if I had to choose between 1997 technology and 1997 house prices and 2020 technology and prices I would go for the former.

Saying that I don't see why houses can't still be affordable and even more why it is not desirable.

It’s a false dichotomy though - why can’t we have 2020 technology and medical advances and 1997 house prices?  There is no innate reason why we need to trade off one for the other.

[jiltedjen]

 

It’s a false dichotomy though - why can’t we have 2020 technology and medical advances and 1997 house prices?  There is no innate reason why we need to trade off one for the other.

maybe there is causation - people live longer due to improving tech, so houses have to be more expensive as they are being blocked by hoards of coffin dodgers (who didn't have hard lives to start with!) 

so good life = long life = houses becoming less frequent to market due to death

which in a way will sort out a pension crisis as the young will have hard lives and die younger than their parents generation 

[iamnumerate]

 

It’s a false dichotomy though - why can’t we have 2020 technology and medical advances and 1997 house prices?  There is no innate reason why we need to trade off one for the other.

I agree 100%

 

 

maybe there is causation - people live longer due to improving tech, so houses have to be more expensive as they are being blocked by hoards of coffin dodgers (who didn't have hard lives to start with!) 

so good life = long life = houses becoming less frequent to market due to death

which in a way will sort out a pension crisis as the young will have hard lives and die younger than their parents generation 

I think you will find that is not the problem.  Life expectancy has always increased but prices haven't.

HTB, housing benefit, easy credit, low interest rates and I am sorry  to say it* but also immigration are all factors.

 

*Because it sends people crazy.  

[scottbeard]

 

maybe there is causation - people live longer due to improving tech, so houses have to be more expensive as they are being blocked by hoards of coffin dodgers (who didn't have hard lives to start with!) 

so good life = long life = houses becoming less frequent to market due to death

which in a way will sort out a pension crisis as the young will have hard lives and die younger than their parents generation 

That's only a problem if you assume people live longer, but houses aren't built to match.  There have been plenty of occasions in the 20th century when life expectancies increased very quickly, but housing stock was also expanded.

Also, I disagree that the "hard lives" of today's young people will adversely impact their mortality compared to recent previous generations.  Given how many people today (1) don't smoke and (2) work in nice, safety-conscious, well-heated offices (or even now their own homes) compared to the truly physically hard jobs more prevalent in the 1940s-1970s I don't think that holds.

[longgone]

The young will die from mental health problems as they earn nothing and saving is now a waste of time home ownership  chances gone career prospects gone.

conversation with mother about negative rates transpires as I don't care as long as I  can pay my bills and food. What if you lose half its buying power still does not care.

Lol be thankfull you never came out of one like that.

 

[scottbeard]

 

The young will die from mental health problems as they earn nothing and saving is now a waste of time home ownership  chances gone career prospects gone.

And yet the generation who lived through the war, and in the case of the Blitz years of literally people trying to kill them as they slept, generally didn't die of mental health problems.  Those whose jobs were laid waste by recessions or the Thatcher years generally didn't die of mental health problems.

Etc

Every generation has issues to face, and every generation sadly loses some people to mental health problems as a result.  But I can't immediately see how this generation is doomed to death from mental health, especially when today's 30 year olds are likely to live until they are about 90 - and frankly in a 60 year time period things could look very different (and quite possibly much better at many points) just as the last 60 years has had huge ups and downs.