Won't somebody think of "young people"? (Edit: and No, older people aren't "to blame")

[Billy_wizz]

Buying your own house is I believe an English thing, you know the saying an Englishmens home is his castle. Many europeans rent rather than buy but they have a more controlled rental system as far as I am aware. In hindsight how many home buyers out there would have rented rather than purchase if starting out again?
It used to be that people in council property probably had a lot more security than people buying, no risk of repro and all repairs done. I can still remember the rentman knocking on the door to collect something like £6.00 for the weeks rent and signing our rent book. Up until 1980 councils were not allowed to make any profit from rentals, but then came that dreaded tory government led by Thatcher, she realised one way to beat the trade unions was to allow people to buy their council houses and unfortunately many fell for her plot. Now with a mortgage they had to work or lose their home. But the sting in the tail was when inflation rocketed and people could no longer afford to keep their houses with many just handing the keys back, but if you had kids the council rehoused you anyway.

As labour had bankrupted the country who was going to keep footing the bill?

 

[Spectric]

But at least we had the industries that could have helped, Steel, Mining and ship building. I lived through the Thatcher years and for us baby boomers it was like our version of the blitz. She finished the days when you left a job Friday to start a new one Monday, so many companies fell and dole ques grew with estate agents doors being blocked by the numbers of keys returned.

 

[Billy_wizz]

But at least we had the industries that could have helped, Steel, Mining and ship building. I lived through the Thatcher years and for us baby boomers it was like our version of the blitz. She finished the days when you left a job Friday to start a new one Monday, so many companies fell and dole ques grew with estate agents doors being blocked by the numbers of keys returned.

They where the problem unions had pushed the costs beyond what they could produce and refused any attempts to modernize them so they didn't hemorrhage money you blame Thatcher but she was dealing with the problem she had been left with labours attack on business with there extortionate tax levels causing any business or individual that could move abroad did! But ultimately it came down to who ran the country unions or the government!

 

[doctor Bob]

Never has there been such an opportunity to make money so quickly. The youth enjoy the advantage that no other generation has ever enjoyed, a truly global market that can be accessed from a bedroom. The richest people in the world, made their money in their own lifetimes, something that that could only be dreamed about................................................

Due to social media the young see these get rich quick people and feel like they are missing out. Not realising that life is quite tough for everyone. Very few breeze through unscathed.
As I said previously, I hope my son has bucket loads of happiness and very little stress in his life. I really don't care how wealthy he is or if he owns a house.
The person I'm most envious of is a school friend of mine, so I have known him for 50 years. He has put enjoyment of life ahead of assets, I think he has got it right.

 

[Droogs]

You are very right Dr Bob, a happy life is about who you are not what you have

 

[billw]

Stop letting other people set the limit for your earning potential and start your own business! Or go back to university and get a degree that leads to a job paying 150k a year! There are generally 2 reasons why some get more than others and it comes down to hard work and talent hard work being the most important

I AM at university.

 

[billw]

You are very right Dr Bob, a happy life is about who you are not what you have

Correct.

 

[Jelly]

They where the problem unions had pushed the costs beyond what they could produce and refused any attempts to modernize them so they didn't hemorrhage money you blame Thatcher but she was dealing with the problem she had been left with labours attack on business with there extortionate tax levels causing any business or individual that could move abroad did! But ultimately it came down to who ran the country unions or the government!

I will agree to a point that elements of the trade union movement spurred on by militant did not do industry any great favours...

Of course labour didn't actually support the unions on that, hence why we had a snap general election which was intended to shore up support for Callaghan's government to introduce pay restraint and industrial reform...

But having got wind of it, militant called out strikes to cause government popularity to drop, assuming they could bully the conservatives too as no-one would intentionally destroy British industry.

That was a gross miscalculation asThatcher's solution threw the baby out with the bathwater, and now we're left with a negative balance of trade because most of our volume exporters are gone.

In personal terms:

It's like having your car break down because your mate who you give a lift to work put the wrong fuel in for you, then selling it for scrap, using the money to get taxis, and then realising you have no way to get to work one day.​

 

[Billy_wizz]

I will agree to a point that elements of the trade union movement spurred on by militant did not do industry any great favours...

Of course labour didn't actually support the unions on that, hence why we had a snap general election which was intended to shore up support for Callaghan's government to introduce pay restraint and industrial reform...

But having got wind of it, militant called out strikes to cause government popularity to drop, assuming they could bully the conservatives too as no-one would intentionally destroy British industry.

That was a gross miscalculation asThatcher's solution threw the baby out with the bathwater, and now we're left with a negative balance of trade because most of our volume exporters are gone.

In personal terms:

It's like having your car break down because your mate who you give a lift to work put the wrong fuel in for you, then selling it for scrap, using the money to get taxis, and then realising you have no way to get to work one day.​

Unfortunately labours constant support of appeasement towards the union's gave the union's affective control and a belief that they would always get there own way! It's the workers I feel sorry for as I believe that if the union's hadn't gone to political war using its members as cannon fodder reforms and retraining could of occurred!
The simple truth is that it's rare that people running union's have the business acumen or intelligence to understand that bleeding a business dry will always lead to its self destruction usually leaving the staff as it's biggest loser

 

[Billy_wizz]

Unfortunately labours constant support of appeasement towards the union's gave the union's affective control and a belief that they would always get there own way! It's the workers I feel sorry for as I believe that if the union's hadn't gone to political war using its members as cannon fodder reforms and retraining could of occurred!
The simple truth is that it's rare that people running union's have the business acumen or intelligence to understand that bleeding a business dry will always lead to its self destruction usually leaving the staff as it's biggest loser

Or more worrying perhaps they don't care as long as they've had money first

 

[Spectric]

The thing is that without the unions the company owners would just have got richer whilst the workers got poorer whilst enduring really awfull working conditions. The issue is that the unions got too powerful and before governments worked this out it was to late. Thatchers solution was no different to Hitler, Musolini or any other despot, declare war and destroy rather than sit down, talk and compromise.

 

[Jelly]

if you remove the rewards of hard work and self sacrifice then there becomes no reason for it

That's a good "It stands to reason that..." argument, but it doesn't hold up to well tested theories within behavioural psychology.



Maslow's hierarchy (and Herzberg's two-factor theory) illustrates how humans are motivated by deficiency needs (Food, Security, Relationships, Recognition) up to a point, but when these essential needs are met, growth needs in the form of self-actualisation take over to drive motivation to even higher levels.

If a human is placed in a stable environment where their needs are met, they naturally become increasingly driven to better themselves and achieve mastery of the things that interest them in a positive feedback loop.

Consequently, by creating a society with a robust social safety net, we set up a much greater number of people to make the very most of their skills and talents.

In the study of human factors and reward behaviour this is often described as "the motivation becomes the work itself".

 

[Spectric]

This raises a question that I have often thought about. If you win a sum of money, upto a certain amount it will probably be of benefit in your life. But what happens if you win a huge sum of money? Ok people immediately think great, wonderful and how lifes going to be so much easier but is it. At the moment you get up with a purpose of some form and although some jobs you may not enjoy they still provide motivation and purpose in your life. With so much money what would you actually do, once you have exhausted the spending spree and maybe done a few holidays and are back at home then what. Would you bother to make anything in a workshop or just think I can get the best furniture maker there is to make it for me and you could become like the queen in a bee colony where you expect all your needs to be met by others.

 

[doctor Bob]

This raises a question that I have often thought about. If you win a sum of money, upto a certain amount it will probably be of benefit in your life. But what happens if you win a huge sum of money? Ok people immediately think great, wonderful and how lifes going to be so much easier but is it. At the moment you get up with a purpose of some form and although some jobs you may not enjoy they still provide motivation and purpose in your life. With so much money what would you actually do, once you have exhausted the spending spree and maybe done a few holidays and are back at home then what. Would you bother to make anything in a workshop or just think I can get the best furniture maker there is to make it for me and you could become like the queen in a bee colony where you expect all your needs to be met by others.

It's why I don't do the lottery. Work for me is a life structure, I have proved to myself in the past that without a life structure I can self destruct quite easily. I think I could handle £1m but £150m would be the end of me.

 

[Billy_wizz]

The thing is that without the unions the company owners would just have got richer whilst the workers got poorer whilst enduring really awfull working conditions. The issue is that the unions got too powerful and before governments worked this out it was to late. Thatchers solution was no different to Hitler, Musolini or any other despot, declare war and destroy rather than sit down, talk and compromise.

The union's declared war with there strikes and seeing the deposition between the management and union bosses with management pointing out that the union's wage demands would take the mine from a profit of 10k a month to a loss of 25k a month and the investors wouldn't stand the loss with no likelihood of an increase in the mined product's value, the union came back with not our problem and if we don't get the rise we're all going on strike! Unsurprisingly the mine shut 3 days later !
The union's had reached a point where they believed themselves to be untouchable and there is no negotiating with someone who believes that

 

[Droogs]

@Spectric it is know as the "curse of the lottery" look it up makes very interesting reading

 

[Billy_wizz]

This raises a question that I have often thought about. If you win a sum of money, upto a certain amount it will probably be of benefit in your life. But what happens if you win a huge sum of money? Ok people immediately think great, wonderful and how lifes going to be so much easier but is it. At the moment you get up with a purpose of some form and although some jobs you may not enjoy they still provide motivation and purpose in your life. With so much money what would you actually do, once you have exhausted the spending spree and maybe done a few holidays and are back at home then what. Would you bother to make anything in a workshop or just think I can get the best furniture maker there is to make it for me and you could become like the queen in a bee colony where you expect all your needs to be met by others.

Personally it would allow me to chase perfection on many varied rolls although I know for me the achievement of perfection would be the end in itself and then I would move into something else! Although I'd probably build a sawmill from the ground up first!

 

[Droogs]

water powered or windmill powered

 

[Jacob]

........

If a human is placed in a stable environment where their needs are met, they naturally become increasingly driven to better themselves and achieve mastery of the things that interest them in a positive feedback loop.

Consequently, by creating a society with a robust social safety net, we set up a much greater number of people to make the very most of their skills and talents.
.......

The amazing thing about this is that it still needs to be explained at all. Even if explained as "investing in human capital" people still don't get it.
This sort of attitude is really common: Tory MP forced to deny he said free school meal vouchers 'spent on crack dens'

 

[Billy_wizz]

water powered or windmill powered

Wood chip powered lol wind is to inconsistent and water would be very limiting on site selection