View Full Version : Anyone else anxious about this election....
Phoenixess
12-12-19, 20:31
Im literally rattling my leg cant stop shaking think its nervous energy turned into excitement i really have no idea what will happen :ohmy:
nomorepanic
12-12-19, 20:46
Nope not at all - nothing ever changes so why worry
MyNameIsTerry
13-12-19, 03:10
It all depends on how your anxiety works. Mine was affected by things such as this but I've sorted those elements out long ago and it no longer does. But it's about the foundations of anxiety; change & uncertainty. And this election is quite an important one due to the EU referendum (which was an even bigger vote).
But as Nic says so much doesn't actually change around us and on goes the usual BS that is Parliament with all that changes is the colour of the party who is moaning at the failings of the other one.
ankietyjoe
13-12-19, 09:36
Nope not at all - nothing ever changes so why worry
Except for this election, which is actually pretty sinister.
The Tories are in, the NHS is fvcked. It IS different this time.
Once I realised the way things were heading, I had real trouble sleeping last night. I know life goes on, but this time I'm scared.
ankietyjoe
13-12-19, 09:46
I can't understand why people don't see what's going on. This isn't about conspiracy theory, they're not even hiding what they're about to do very much.
I'm staggered at the lack of awareness.
It really does feel like the proverbial turkeys voting for Christmas.
ankietyjoe
13-12-19, 09:59
As a good friend of mine said recently -
"It's like commiting suicide in order to outwit an imaginary assailant"
The NHS is already in bits and on the verge of collapse. I'm afraid gradual privatisation by stealth will be advanced as the bitter pill to save it.
ankietyjoe
13-12-19, 10:17
The NHS is already in bits and on the verge of collapse. I'm afraid gradual privatisation by stealth will be advanced as the bitter pill to save it.
It's in bits because of chronic underfunding by the Tories. It has been dismantled piece by piece and presented as an entity that needs saving. The Brexit deal pushes through policies that ensure that there will be no trade opposition to US health insurance companies coming in and picking the meat off the bones.
If you understand how the US health system works, you'll understand that they haven't even started fvcking with the NHS properly yet.
You all need to be ready to pay a grand a month to keep your kids healthy, but not as healthy as they would have been under the old NHS.
It's in bits because of chronic underfunding by the Tories. It has been dismantled piece by piece and presented as an entity that needs saving. The Brexit deal pushes through policies that ensure that there will be no trade opposition to US health insurance companies coming in and picking the meat off the bones.
Absolutely. That was the intention from the beginning. The NHS is now seen as "unsustainable" in its current form and a "new" model will be needed. The door is now wide open for all and sundry :lac:
It's the callousness of it that does my head in.
Further education is another sector that the Tories have absolutely decimated - it helps that it's not as glamorous as cute kids or elite universities. As a result of this, a significant number of my capable and talented colleagues are being laid off five days before Christmas and it's breaking my heart.
So that's it, is it? Fascism today, Fascism tomorrow, Fascism forever!
I hate to say it, Frank, but I think you might actually have a point this time.
In that case, I think I might renounce my citizenship!
MyNameIsTerry
13-12-19, 11:44
Frank,
You need you be wary of letting this feed your fear.
Sir, in case you haven't noticed, #notmygovernment is trending on Twitter right now, and they've all come to the same conclusion I have: WE ARE DOOMED.
MyNameIsTerry
13-12-19, 11:51
The NHS is already in bits and on the verge of collapse. I'm afraid gradual privatisation by stealth will be advanced as the bitter pill to save it.
Started under PFI. The interest on that has been killing the NHS for ages.
I do think the NHS needs protecting from forces though and should not be the political football it always has been.
One problem in this election was there was a danger of this whether your voted Tory or Labour. If the US gets it's trade deal into the EU under the same terms as last time, and we are no longer members, it will be up to the EU to give us an opt out of that deal (something no other CU has) when it comes to the clauses about opening up nationalised industries including health (EU states get an opt out...but that won't be us anymore if a 2nd ref voted for Corbyn's CU deal if he didn't get his special opt out that the EU won't allow the other CU's to have). This issue was just ignored in the debate yet was one big reason why we were opposed to TTIP last time.
Better to enshrine some local UK laws to protect it from such agreements so we can't sign up to stuff like that without law change.
I'd probably say screwed rather than actually doomed. Life may very well be measurably worse, but it will still go on.
MyNameIsTerry
13-12-19, 11:55
Sir, in case you haven't noticed, #notmygovernment is trending on Twitter right now, and they've all come to the same conclusion I have: WE ARE DOOMED.
Frank, I said that because you are far from objective on these issues. Of course people have opinions like that. Opinions will be ranging from Boris being Mr cute & fluffy to currently sacrificing cabinet ministers on an alter in No 10. Do you think people didn't say stuff like this before the internet existed? Remember, there a lot of tribal people in politics and the internet is just a big torch shining a light on the soapboxes of old. Ask the miners of the 70's what they thought when they were facing the police across picket lines.
Ask the people in traditional industry towns who watched their employers ship off out of the country leaving them all on the dole for years.
As someone who is triggered in his anxiety by things like this you are Googling the worst case cancer stories of the HAer. How is that going to help your anxiety? It will make your anxiety worse because your reactions to it are seen through the prism of anxiety.
Started under PFI. The interest on that has been killing the NHS for ages.
I do think the NHS needs protecting from forces though and should not be the political football it always has been.
One problem in this election was there was a danger of this whether your voted Tory or Labour. If the US gets it's trade deal into the EU under the same terms as last time, and we are no longer members, it will be up to the EU to give us an opt out of that deal (something no other CU has) when it comes to the clauses about opening up nationalised industries including health (EU states get an opt out...but that won't be us anymore if a 2nd ref voted for Corbyn's CU deal if he didn't get his special opt out that the EU won't allow the other CU's to have). This issue was just ignored in the debate yet was one big reason why we were opposed to TTIP last time.
Better to enshrine some local UK laws to protect it from such agreements so we can't sign up to stuff like that without law change.
Ah yes, but at that time NHS funding was far, far higher and staff were still being recruited, not axed. To reverse the damage in time stated by Tories isn't realistic or viable. We need action right now, this min. And incredible sums of funding. Today.
Thus the inexorable slide into more and more private hands. The sacred NHS cow will become the cash cow. Look at how large chunks of the Welfare State have been sold off. Ditto for education system. Tory ideology has always been to shrink the "State" to the size of a pea.
But at least the banks and large corps will be happy! :lac:
MyNameIsTerry
13-12-19, 12:24
Ah yes, but at that time NHS funding was far, far higher and staff were still being recruited, not axed. To reverse the damage in time stated by Tories isn't realistic or viable. We need action right now, this min. And incredible sums of funding. Today.
Thus the inexorable slide into more and more private hands. The sacred NHS cow will become the cash cow. Look at how large chunks of the Welfare State have been sold off. Ditto for education system. Tory ideology has always been to shrink the "State" to the size of a pea.
But at least the banks and large corps will be happy! :lac:
Yes, the death by a 1000 cuts was invisible then whereas now it is being actively pushed towards it.
More investment is definitely needed. But change is always good as long as it's aimed at improvement for the service and not paying money to execs, politicians and their "interest groups".
Enshrine protections in law under something that can't be changed by a simple majority (Royal Charter?) and take their motivation away.
Also, bring social welfare into line with health. That has been a mess from the start as private companies get to shaft everyone for poor service and no one in government is listening. Just putting it under one minister is not enough.
For me the question is always at what point do we stop chaser cheaper stuff? Cheaper means cuts, cheaper means less pay, cheaper means companies looking to outsource to cheaper economies. At some point this trend has to halt. Brexit shows this up nicely with the potential for tariffs. But if you want more pay, you pay more for stuff. Companies will always look to pass costs on.
Whilst it has been nice to see less tax or the common man there is a point where it becomes unfeasible. Tax the rich and stop companies underpaying tax but also we have to face the day coming where bribing us with tax reduction won't be possible anymore if we want the services. I'm happy if we put up taxes for health & social care as long as it is ringfenced to actually get there rather get syphoned off or end up being used to pay for management consultants (my experience of these guys is they charge a lot and just write up reports stating what your own staff have been telling you for years).
Yes, the death by a 1000 cuts was invisible then whereas now it is being actively pushed towards it.
More investment is definitely needed. But change is always good as long as it's aimed at improvement for the service and not paying money to execs, politicians and their "interest groups".
Enshrine protections in law under something that can't be changed by a simple majority (Royal Charter?) and take their motivation away.
Also, bring social welfare into line with health. That has been a mess from the start as private companies get to shaft everyone for poor service and no one in government is listening. Just putting it under one minister is not enough.
For me the question is always at what point do we stop chaser cheaper stuff? Cheaper means cuts, cheaper means less pay, cheaper means companies looking to outsource to cheaper economies. At some point this trend has to halt. Brexit shows this up nicely with the potential for tariffs. But if you want more pay, you pay more for stuff. Companies will always look to pass costs on.
Whilst it has been nice to see less tax or the common man there is a point where it becomes unfeasible. Tax the rich and stop companies underpaying tax but also we have to face the day coming where bribing us with tax reduction won't be possible anymore if we want the services. I'm happy if we put up taxes for health & social care as long as it is ringfenced to actually get there rather get syphoned off or end up being used to pay for management consultants (my experience of these guys is they charge a lot and just write up reports stating what your own staff have been telling you for years).
You make good points, Prof T.
But cutting through all the obfuscation and distraction, the one thing that WON'T sadly be addressed adequately is the monstrous inequality in society. We know the poor and vulnerable will as always be hit the hardest - including MH... and that is the tragedy here. Would Labour have changed all that? Perhaps not. But nearly 10 years of Tory "austerity" has reduced many parts of UK society to Third World status.
MyNameIsTerry
13-12-19, 12:51
You make good points, Prof T.
But cutting through all the obfuscation and distraction, the one thing that WON'T sadly be addressed adequately is the monstrous inequality in society. We know the poor and vulnerable will as always be hit the hardest - including MH... and that is the tragedy here. Would Labour have changed all that? Perhaps not. But nearly 10 years of Tory "austerity" has reduced many parts of UK society to Third World status.
True. There is no argument for austerity anymore and sadly the Tory spending is pretty poor.
A strong opposition is really needed. In my limited time voting I always see new governments start out well enough after another party is ousted but after the first 5 years they start to slide into sleaze and mediocrity. It's time for a change in party but sadly that's hard to see right now. I can see a few years form now Boris will have made a mess and everyone is unhappy yet has no one to vote for to boot them out. That lack of threat to them just means the Moggs of the world can laugh all the way to the bank.
The cottage hospitals were excellent. That sell off was going on before New Labour and just continued into Cameron's tenure. And now we have them asking if the public can join schemes to take in strangers because they haven't got any beds because...they closed all the cottage hospitals :doh:
(however, Brexit now becomes a lovely big shield for more austerity as the government can point to the economy forecasts to say they need to be cautious. They will sit on their coffers now with the excuse they need to see what happens)
As for mental health, maybe that depends where you are? It was pitiful in my city under Labour in Blair's time. IAPT coming in helped greatly otherwise you waited 12 months to be seen. But then IAPT was a plaster and not a proper attempt at cure. Great if you have mild anxiety, not so great if you don't fit the rigid pathway of x sessions of CBT. I often view IAPT the same way I do a new government unemployment list, a nice way to shift the figures around so it looks good on some ministers report.
I'd probably say screwed rather than actually doomed. Life may very well be measurably worse, but it will still go on.
No, I think doomed is right. They have no environmental policy.
MyNameIsTerry
13-12-19, 13:49
No, I think doomed is right. They have no environmental policy.
Well, we are signed up to some and aren't we hosting the next big summit soon? Do you mean they put less priority on it than other parties?
Well, we are signed up to some and aren't we hosting the next big summit soon? Do you mean they put less priority on it than other parties?
Even better, their leader didn't even bother showing up to the climate change debate! They sent an ice sculpture instead.
MyNameIsTerry
13-12-19, 15:17
Even better, their leader didn't even bother showing up to the climate change debate! They sent an ice sculpture instead.
Well if they won't show up I'm all for the HIGN4Y treatment (remember the tub of lard?) :yesyes: Probably makes as much sense as the real thing too...
If only we had had an alternative election special with Spitting Image puppets instead. That I would have watched! At least everyone now has a reason not to invite Jo Swinson :roflmao:
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