The Golden Generation, It's Coming To An End Now, Big Time.

[Mister M]

 

Quote

 

You are correct, I remember doing it.

Hang on a minute Chekkers, you remember signing on the dole when you were a student?

Weren't you complaining only a few posts ago about the state taking over people's lives, and everyone should show personal responsibility?

Well if you believe that people should take personal responsibility, why didn't you put those words into action and get a job rather than relying on the state for your income?

Edited November 10, 2023 by Mister M

[spilldig]

6 hours ago, El Cid said:

People do put the stae pension on a pedastall, but yet its a benefit that goes to people that have never worked. People that have worked all their life and get the full pension get less than those that have never worked and get pension credit.

I dont say it, the IFS worked it out.

You want it to go up another 40%, I guess you are retired or near retirement?

Did you want to increase taxes to pay for it?

Yes. It should be at least the equivalent of 40 hours at minumim wage each pensioner because that is what the government says the minimum is and that would be about 60% at least on top of what it is now and yes I worked from leaving school at 15 untill retiring at 65 and I'm not even thinking of me I'm thinking of you as well for some reason. I don't care how they pay for it because if they can't pay it then they shouldn't go stating minimum amounts 

[davyboy]

On 10/11/2023 at 17:13, Mister M said:

 

Hang on a minute Chekkers, you remember signing on the dole when you were a student?

Weren't you complaining only a few posts ago about the state taking over people's lives, and everyone should show personal responsibility?

Well if you believe that people should take personal responsibility, why didn't you put those words into action and get a job rather than relying on the state for your income?he was young and

On 10/11/2023 at 17:13, Mister M said:

 

Hang on a minute Chekkers, you remember signing on the dole when you were a student?

Weren't you complaining only a few posts ago about the state taking over people's lives, and everyone should show personal responsibility?

Well if you believe that people should take personal responsibility, why didn't you put those words into action and get a job rather than relying on the state for your income?

he was young and innocent and didn't know the ways of the world

 

[Padders]

The golden generation has gone, Kaput!

I've two very intelligent daughters, both have degrees.

Their funny, gorgeous, (I would say that) and good company, but lack that vital ingredient "Common sense"

My eldest, has been living with me the last 18 months, and it's been 18 months of American Civil rights, worry, tears, the battle of Trafalgar, and many heated arguments about the best way to do long multiplication, it's been like living in a never-ending pub quiz.

But the awful truth is, none of my daughters can wire a plug, nor can they they change a wheel, reattach the chain on a bicycle, darn a sock, make a Pimms, build a bonfire, or mend a broken lavatory seat, and the eldest thinks the Central Heating Boiler is powered by witchcraft.

 

Now the eldest has bought a house, and I've been helping her move, and she's hopeless, all the rudimentary jobs that need doing she hasn't got a clue..

A screwdriver is completely alien, I've had to put all the Ikea furniture together, put a bed together, change the light bulbs, and other simple easy jobs..

 

The kids of my generation could figure things out easily, Making a Bow & Arrow, building a dam, a catapult, a kite, a trolley, a swing, a peashooter, or tinkering with engines all came natural to us..

And we didn't have any kind of sex education, we learnt everything from our pals..

 

Today a new generation of children are emerging into a big wide World, blinking in wonderment at all the million billion things that make no sense. Their fresh-faced little heads will spin. and their stomachs will sink in despair as they realize they know absolutely nothing of any relevance.

Will they be able to get a job as a Hotel chambermaid? No! Partly because they will want more than the 50p an hour currently being paid to Mrs Borat, but mostly because they are not able to change a set of sheets.

Street sweeping requires a understanding of how a brush works, and plumbing. forget it. every job I can think of requires a set of skills that no teenager in Britain has.

 

Its hysterical, bewildering, and upsetting, kids today have to be able to spell "Appreciate" and do the 12 times table by the time they're nine, this is all well and good for those who wish to follow the traditional path to university.. But wouldn't it be a good idea to have schools for those who wish to follow a path to somewhere called the World?

Plug-wiring at 9am, cook your own pie at lunchtime, and double "Wash the pots" in the afternoon.

 

[hackey lad]

18 minutes ago, Padders said:

The golden generation has gone, Kaput!

I've two very intelligent daughters, both have degrees.

Their funny, gorgeous, (I would say that) and good company, but lack that vital ingredient "Common sense"

My eldest, has been living with me the last 18 months, and it's been 18 months of American Civil rights, worry, tears, the battle of Trafalgar, and many heated arguments about the best way to do long multiplication, it's been like living in a never-ending pub quiz.

But the awful truth is, none of my daughters can wire a plug, nor can they they change a wheel, reattach the chain on a bicycle, darn a sock, make a Pimms, build a bonfire, or mend a broken lavatory seat, and the eldest thinks the Central Heating Boiler is powered by witchcraft.

 

Now the eldest has bought a house, and I've been helping her move, and she's hopeless, all the rudimentary jobs that need doing she hasn't got a clue..

A screwdriver is completely alien, I've had to put all the Ikea furniture together, put a bed together, change the light bulbs, and other simple easy jobs..

 

The kids of my generation could figure things out easily, Making a Bow & Arrow, building a dam, a catapult, a kite, a trolley, a swing, a peashooter, or tinkering with engines all came natural to us..

And we didn't have any kind of sex education, we learnt everything from our pals..

 

Today a new generation of children are emerging into a big wide World, blinking in wonderment at all the million billion things that make no sense. Their fresh-faced little heads will spin. and their stomachs will sink in despair as they realize they know absolutely nothing of any relevance.

Will they be able to get a job as a Hotel chambermaid? No! Partly because they will want more than the 50p an hour currently being paid to Mrs Borat, but mostly because they are not able to change a set of sheets.

Street sweeping requires a understanding of how a brush works, and plumbing. forget it. every job I can think of requires a set of skills that no teenager in Britain has.

 

Its hysterical, bewildering, and upsetting, kids today have to be able to spell "Appreciate" and do the 12 times table by the time they're nine, this is all well and good for those who wish to follow the traditional path to university.. But wouldn't it be a good idea to have schools for those who wish to follow a path to somewhere called the World?

Plug-wiring at 9am, cook your own pie at lunchtime, and double "Wash the pots" in the afternoon.

 

Truth 

[Guest]

Brilliant Padders again.

Not only very funny and entertaining,  but absolutely correct too.

At least,  us oldies can give ourselves a pat on the back because we could do everything back in the day.

 

[RJRB]

As regards pensions,what I have never got my head around was a measure ,I think introduced by Gordon Brown.

That is allowing those who had built up a pension pot to then raid it to finance whatever they liked without leaving sufficient investment for their retirement.

I appreciate that the more savvy would be prudent,but what about the feckless.

I view this as short term thinking on the part of both the investors and the Government.

[Anna B]

On 08/11/2023 at 22:51, Chekhov said:

I have often though the present generation of retired people really are the Golden Generation.

They are the luckiest generation to have ever lived and, particularly if the Nett Zero zealots have their way (restricting us all from travelling), they may possibly be the luckiest generation who will ever live.

Do they realise how fortunate they are ?

 

Many bought their house before the prices sky rocketed, meaning they not only owned a house but would have been able to down size and trouser a tidy sum. They even got MIRAS (Mortgage Rate Interest Relief At Source), i.e. the government let them claim some of the mortgage interest off their tax ! In fact over a million were able to buy their own council house at  a massive discount !

 

At a time when when life expectancy was rising significantly, but the retirement age had not yet caught up, most were able to retire at only 65, and the women even younger at only 60. Some were even able to take early retirement on a full pension (my own Dad did, very wisely) but even those who worked to the "full retirement age" would have had, on average, about 25 years of retirement. Think about that...... 25 years, and much of it in good health ! How many people could expect that now ? 

 

OMG ! Pensions ! Many, particularly in the public sector has index linked, or, even better, final salary pension schemes. It's almost unbelievable isn't it ! Even those on just the state pension have had the benefit of the Triple lock which ensures that, relative to other generations, pensioners have been getting better off.

 

The health of this generation is better than any before, and they are the first generation to have state paid for healthcare from cradle to grave. In fact it is entirely possible what is available on the NHS will actually start to reduce over the coming years, thus they were able to use the NHS at its most generous.

 

OK it was only available to the brightest, but, wait for this (it's almost like fantasy land) : free university education ! Get a degree with no huge debt ! ? ! In fact there was even a student grant to assist with living expenses.

Did that really exist, surely not ? ! ?

 

The Golden Generation were able to take advantage of air fares coming down and their wealth going up, to do unprecedented amounts of travelling. Even "working class" pensioners often jet off to Spain for months during the winter, something unthinkable even 20 or 30 years ago. Cheap and/or unlimited travel may not last much longer thanks to Nett  Zero fanatics, and, rather selfishly, some retirees are actually pleased about it (e.g. here) ! Even motoring looks set to become much more expensive, in fact some academics are even suggesting petrol, household energy, meat and flights should be rationed.....

 

A bit more arguable I accept, but significant for many, including me. They were living most of their lives before Health & Safety overkill and general fear of everything took hold and started limiting so much of life's little freedoms (and not so little ones as well).

And they could say pretty much what they wanted, nor did they have to worry if their little joke about "an Englishman a Scotsman and an Irishman" would have them branded a bigot. Lastly, they could get into a drunken snog without worrying unduly they would later get accused of sexual assault......

 

Added (courtesy of Jack Grey), they never had to fight a war, and most of them missed the call up for National Service, plus they had MIRAS.

 

Yes, lucky is not the word, exceptionally fortunate would be closer to the truth....

Indeed. But societies are supposed to move forward and get better, not go backwards. The things these baby boomers benefitted from were fought for and won after the second world war, a time of austerity, when we were heavily in debt, and almost bankrupt.

 

If we could afford it then, we can afford it now.

 

It's all a question of priorities and what the government decides to spend our taxes on. These were Labour governments fighting for a better life for the people of this country and they succeeded in making the lives of the average Joe much, much better. 

 

People have short memories and subsequently allowed the Conservative party to get the upper hand by voting for them, largely based on broken promises and lie after lie. The Tories are ultra crafty and ruthless power grabbers by any means. If we've learnt nothing we've surely learnt this.

 

They might lie shamelessly about it, but the Tories' priorities are very different, and it's certainly not for the benefit of the ordinary people, folks! Your taxes have gone up the the highest level in history but they have simultaneously dismantled all that was good post war, and starved the ordinary people of necessary resources via none stop cuts to funding in every area. The money has been redirected the into the pockets of rich cronies, friends and already wealthy. Their latest gambit is to cut inheritance tax. Now who do you think benefits most from that?

(Forget that it now costs £4,000 a month for a care home or care provider at home, which will take the entire cost of a baby boomer's house, so nothing left to leave.)

 

Thus the oft heard truism of 'the rich get richer, while  the poor get poorer.'

 

So let's not blame the 'golden generation' but put it squarely where it belongs. With the   successive  Conservative governments.

   

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Anna B

[*_ash_*]

49 minutes ago, Anna B said:

Indeed. But societies are supposed to move forward and get better, not go backwards. The things these baby boomers benefitted from were fought for and won after the second world war, a time of austerity, when we were heavily in debt, and almost bankrupt.

 

If we could afford it then, we can afford it now.

 

It's all a question of priorities and what the government decides to spend our taxes on. These were Labour governments fighting for a better life for the people of this country and they succeeded in making the lives of the average Joe much, much better. 

 

People have short memories and subsequently allowed the Conservative party to get the upper hand by voting for them, largely based on broken promises and lie after lie. The Tories are ultra crafty and ruthless power grabbers by any means. If we've learnt nothing we've surely learnt this.

 

They might lie shamelessly about it, but the Tories' priorities are very different, and it's certainly not for the benefit of the ordinary people, folks! Your taxes have gone up the the highest level in history but they have simultaneously dismantled all that was good post war, and starved the ordinary people of necessary resources via none stop cuts to funding in every area. The money has been redirected the into the pockets of rich cronies, friends and already wealthy. Their latest gambit is to cut inheritance tax. Now who do you think benefits most from that?

(Forget that it now costs £4,000 a month for a care home or care provider at home, which will take the entire cost of a baby boomer's house, so nothing left to leave.)

 

Thus the oft heard truism of 'the rich get richer, while  the poor get poorer.'

 

So let's not blame the 'golden generation' but put it squarely where it belongs. With the   successive  Conservative governments.

   

 

It's not worth arguing with you as you are too set in your ways, but in reality there is little difference between the governments. 

People wanted more things and got them in these 'golden days of Labour' more money, less hours, more tea breaks, but ultimately there is always someone poorer wanting to do a job somewhere in the world. 

Where all the day to day stuff we buy in the shops is made, just moves from one place to another place depending who will make it for the cheapest price. It's a simple as that. 

There is as much blame on us for wanting cheap things, as there is to blame this or that, or any government here.

 

 

[Guest]

38 minutes ago, *_ash_* said:

It's not worth arguing with you as you are too set in your ways, but in reality there is little difference between the governments. 

People wanted more things and got them in these 'golden days of Labour' more money, less hours, more tea breaks, but ultimately there is always someone poorer wanting to do a job somewhere in the world. 

Where all the day to day stuff we buy in the shops is made, just moves from one place to another place depending who will make it for the cheapest price. It's a simple as that. 

There is as much blame on us for wanting cheap things, as there is to blame this or that, or any government here.

 

 

Speak for yourself.  I never want to buy cheap things but these days,  that's all there is.     I'm sure I'm not on my own. 

There was much more to it than your second line suggests.   We didn't invest and we didn't lead in new industries and technologies.   We did nothing to replace what we lost.

Unfortunately,  we are still carrying on the same today despite the new green industries offering a path which we ignore.