I left this country in 1969. When I returned in 1977 I could not believe the way it had changed.  Throughout the early part of the eighties the strikes by the miners and, in 1986, the printers were horrendous.  I could not believe that the secondry picketing and accompanying violence was legal. They were bringing the country to its knees.  When Margaret Thatcher broke the Unions it was obvious that, financially, the country was in a mess. There was only one reason that a Government would sell off profit making businesses and housing stock and that was asset stripping in order to bring in money.  Today's Government has chosen to increase the National Debt in order to raise much needed cash.  Which was the best option?

Taxes on fuel do not just affect the motorist, but increase the price of every single thing that we buy.

It is also obvious that things have to change.  We have few assets left to sell.  We expect the NHS to deal with every health problem you can imagine, regardless of cost.  This is starting to run down.  Mental Health care is now in the hands of the community accounting for many of those that sleep rough on our streets.  We give help to anyone that comes to our shores, regardless of their input to the community or work force, but cut down on the care of our own disabled and elderly.  There is a limit to our resources.   Taxes rise, but fewer people have decent incomes as the jobs are spread out or or farmed out to India etc.  Equality for women, although necessary, has diluted the job market even more.  The necessity now for both partners to work has caused problems with children and child care.  The media have made the parents fear so much for their childrens safety that, until they are in their teens, the majority are not even allowed out to play.  They are driven to school and have little road sense and few social skills.  It is no wonder that when they finally find freedom that they rebel, getting drunk on the streets and into trouble.

I won't start on what I think of our ties with Europe, or I will fill the page.

   

It appears we are getting back to 1970-80s. Apperantly there were more strikes last year and this since the 1980and we havnt got a Mrs T to sort it out.
We do have children playing out here but then I live in the country.

Where I am right now in Essex a nice area,there are no children playing,where I live in Reddish there are no children playing,later at night the streets at home are used by the youth,who sometimes are drunk and verty rowdy,nobody does anything.It is so sad for the genuine young of today they are tarred now.
William I think evac posted that he/she left in the 1970s and 80s and I am sorry to say but I dont remember the strikes this year being anything like the 70s/80s,no three day week.No William no Mrs T to sort it out,nothing to sort out is there ,they have everything they wanted.

Teri I do agree that children prefer to play the Pc and games on it now,its the way they have become here too.

Quality forever sacrificed on the altar of short term profit. How sad it is too see how many businesses close because of unreasonable demands. Phoenix, you would be amazed how many old British machine tools are still doing stirling work down here, in spite of rough handling. But one by one industries are closing becouse of strikes, demands for higher pay, rising costs, falling productivity and lack of foresight. Whole companies have closed, been sold to Indian and Chinese owners and packed off to their new locations where they are set up, refurbished and re-manned by people who need to work. The African Bus Company, after about 50 years of operation now makes buses in Calcutta and ships the buses back to the same premises where they used to be made. Dunlop Indusrial Rubber used to operate in the town where I live until they all went on strike about ten years ago. They were warned that unless they returned the company would have to close as it was marginal anyway and they could survive neither a protracted strike or penalties for non delivery. When the company closed the "workers" returned and demanded their jobs back. On being told that there were no jobs they did the normal African thing and burned a few tyres, stole whatever they could and beat up a few policemen.

I would not have thought there would be shortsightedness in Britain like that, but I suppose that when one can get almost as much money for being out of work as employed then what is the point of working.  the surprising thing is that the government seem unaware of what is happening.
We do love PM's Question Time, it's better than Only Fools and Horses!!!

J+J

Mac to revert to your post regarding children playing in the street, I would like to say that for many Germans children playing in the street are much too noisy. I live in a quarter where there live mainly senior citizens. Last year two families with children moved in and when the children painted with chalk on the pavements they were told that this was not allowed. In the meantime they are very seldom playing in the street - I don't know where they play now.

True, but nowadays people don't any longer "enjoy" children's noise. You ask me who stopped them, one of my neighbours - an about 80 year old lady.
When I was a child old people looked out of the window to have a distraction, nowadays they watch TV.

I do agree William its so sad whats a bit of chalk,or a childs playing noise,if you can hear it at 80 then you know you are still alive ? and that can only be good.When I was a kid chalking on the street the old ladies used to give us sweets and we ran to the shop for them.Of course we always cleaned the chalk off.HAPPY DAYS !

John,I see the queen had stripped Mgabi (not spelt right)
of his honorary knighthood........I didnt know he had one !