Apathy In The UK.

Our lives have been programmed to conform by mass consumerism, the TV and the Internet. We are all too busy doing one of the above to care about caring about stuff. That was the plan from tptb and it has worked for them aside from the recent riots of course. I myself, despise the system and despise the fact that we are all inprisioned by our governments. But I cannot change this on my own and I do not have the ability to start a mass movement. You show me a movement that is organised and looks like it has a chance of success then I will follow it and do all I can to help. You show me a crowd of lazt #s that just want to have a good fight then please leave me out of it.

reply to post by Kram09

..... but in terms of the apparent apathy towards the Diamond Jubilie what do you want people to do exactly?

I don't want them to do anything in particular - it's up to people to do as they see fit.
My point is that it's just another sign of the general apathy and malaise that seems to be prevalent within society at present.

Sure some people may have a party, I assure you there are none planned here, or they may go to the pub - but it's just an excuse to get pissed and it'll be nowhere near on the scale of the Silver Jubilee celebrations.

I seem to recall a general fondness and affection for The Queen back in '77 as well as a passionate feeling of anti-royalty from others.

It's the passion in anything that is missing nowadays.

And whilst there were a few celebrations for the wedding last year, again, it was nowhere near the level of 35 years ago and to be honest, the impression I got it was more because people felt that fed up with all the crap that's going on that they just needed an excuse to have a bit of a party - and that's a pretty damning indictment of society today.

......also the Olympics is a case of the country rapidly going down the tubes but hey let's have a massive party! Keep dancing everybody!

I've always enjoyed the Olympics as a sporting spectacle but I think these Olympics are an insult to the rest of the country outside of London and it's environs.
Whilst we are beginning to feel the full effects of the austerity cuts billions have been spent on upgrading the already wealthy and affluent Capitol and the surrounding areas.
London will look like a modern, prosperous and vibrant city whilst the rest of the country is going to rack and ruin.

But again, people just sit back and accept it and allow themselves to be distracted by the pageantry and sporting excellence of it all.

Yet the government can ride roughshod over us all and for all intents and purposes do what it wants with little complaint from the general public, save some grumblings and mild anger which after a while is soon forgotten or meekly accepted.

This government is taking us back to something akin to a Victorian like society along with all the injustices and inequalities that went with it.
But all the vast majority do is have a little moan and then go back to Jeremy Kyle etc

It's truly pathetic and it saddens me.

Me too.

But it's the total indifference that angers me the most - the 'I don't understand politics so I just ignore it' or the 'it doesn't affect me so I don't care' or possibly worst of all the 'there's nowt I can do about it' attitudes really boil my blood.
FFS, have some passion, have an opinion - try to take some control over your life and influence things that do have a direct bearing on you, your life and that of those around you.

reply to post by Freeborn


Excellent post OP

That is the sad nature of England these days people couldn't care these days I mean when was the last time you really talked to your neighbours or had a meal with them? doesn't happen no more society is screwed in general.
only a few people act like they did in past generations the pride in this country sucks.

Maybe they are paranoid, shy, stuck up or too busy with x factor but the fact is that good old British way of looking out for our own is gone and part of the history books

Man I could talk for hours about the stories I've heard of how people did things yesteryear love my local history (being a mackem an all) but hate the ways of today it's hardly British anymore

Errrrrrr......No, can't be arsed !

Peace

do i remember 77 well i was 11 to and just found punk ive never stopped rebelling since .i remember the pistols being kept of no 1 in the charts rod stewart got it by default .still have that cup & coin from school .i am scottish so any excuse for a party but but i am bringing along my swastika well the royal familys name is saxon coberg gotha not windsor philips sisters are married to natzis & harry dresses like one .do as thou wilt then .i think all the apathy is from the fluride in the water & mouthwashes . there is a campaign going to get the pistols to no 1 in the download chart this time round . god save the queen shes not a human being david icke made a few quid on that one

TV & technology zombifying the minds... MSM trying to chill us out by exerting that the world is going to # so it's better just to stay indoors with a few tins of beer and worry about your own little shell. Plenty of people round here still have strong views, but they won't do anything about it. The older generations say "X is wrong, Y is wrong, but I can't do anything about it, it's up to you - the young ones." whilst the young ones say "I'm going to the pub."

Royalty and the media... an ugly mix. Both are untouchable. The media try and tell you what to do and try and make you feel guilty for not doing it. "Not enough hours in the day" advert, nice the first time round, makes you think you're a worthless piece of crap from then on. Blackberry adverts. "He's got, she's got it, you're a loser because you haven't!". TBH I don't really give two #s about the Queen. If it was Dianna up there, I'd probably be celebrating - she was someone you could relate too. But the Queen? Nah. I'm approaching 30, never have been able to relate to grandma queen and probably never will.

It will be "lovely" for old people to embrace the jubiliee. They'll watch the Queen walk slowly around, be given some flowers, then go and sit on a chair on a balcony and watch things before probably dozing off. If it was one of the younger lot, I'm sure it'd be more of a spectacle the rest of us would be enthused to be involved with.

I understand your apathy point, but individuals have more and more problems piling up on them. In all fairness, I want MY life to start working out before I go off celebrating random things that really don't matter to me and just support someone who's had it all, lives in one of various castles or palaces and - well, just hasn't affected my life one single bit apart from being a face on the coins I spend. Don't get me wrong, I approve of what she does, how she acts as a "marketting campaign" for Britain. But the outdoor swimming pool that will be open on a hot sunny summers day this weekend is far more appealing to get involved with.

Maybe I just don't have a decent enough grasp on why I should be celebrating the jubilee. My neghbours are outside and I can have a beer with them whenever I want, the jubilee is hardly an exception.

That said, the Queen IS visiting a local place, at the end of June. I'm tempted to go and watch her pass by or whatever, but the jubilee weekend is done by then. I think your strongest point OP is the red tape involved in doing things these days, setting stuff up. But that's actually because very few people are correctly informed about this. You can get a street closed pretty easily, and you can legally cover your party for no more than 30 pounds with a temporary events license, but of course, no-one will find these things out unless they go searching for them.

I'm sure it'll be a thrilling weekend for young kids and older adults. For us 20-30 somethings, it's not my fault the pub and titties are far more interesting

At least in London there's some backlash. Here in the US it's worse then you can possible imagine. Instead of rioting because of the Patriot Act, NDAA, and NDRP, people actually embrace it. Americans hold big brother close, they like his smoldering warmth. The classic excuse is, we need more national defense, from all the terrorism. What terrorism? They will then say some bs terrorist plot. Not one single terrorist attack has happened in the US since 2001.

The American people are a work of art. Once born, you are vaccinated with 200 times the mercury you can take at that weight, then you are sent through the... education process. A process which strips your individuality and turns you into a dead soul conformist obedient worker. Make sure they have plenty of fluoride too! It's a human farm, and people love it! Make sure you keep these animals watching American Idol and football. Keep alcohol supplied, make them dumber then ever, and make sure they reach military age. Also, make sure cannabis is illegal, wouldn't want anybody waking up to the big red and white dick that's getting jammed in their assholes everyday!

reply to post by Freeborn


Off Course the mass media will hype it up, the royal fame being one of the 13 ruling bloodline families will get a hype up. Man every awaken soul must dispise them. The cabal holds all of us back, but they are running out of time, man lets not forget Williams wedding grooming him to be the nwo boss. Sorry champ not from this fearless awaken soul. Man the cabal is worse than the old bad et's that they serve. As they do it to their own people. Of realizing that we are all one connected to Gaia mother earth.

I see the apathy too. I like the Queen and I remember the 1977 jubilee and punk, and I wish we had street parties, just for the sake of them. (Maybe we need a bloody big war?)

I've bought dozens of red white and blue plants to spice up the garden for the day, so I'll shove them out the front and neighbours will think I'm a Royalist or English, or whatever. I just want to do something, everything's so boring and it's getting worse. Where's the community spirit these days? Wave a flag, any flag. Wave an ASDA bag if you haven't got a flag.

Originally posted by slinkey10

Originally posted by Freeborn

Nice post, sad but true.... However, my view on this - yeah the majority (Sheeple) whatever you want to call them are apathetic. The system (Media, guberment, taxes etc) has worked perfectly to shape the society we now live in. I think most people are more concerned (rightly so) with paying their bills, forgetting their slave jobs that they go to and staying afloat - who cares about an outdated monarchy anyway; I mean seriously, how can you have a true meritocratic society when there is a Royal Family who are "born" into privilege.

The other angle is that we live in a police state and people are to scared to protest; protest= you are labelled a terrorist. (Google "the use of soft information on CRB's") or see this blog richardbaum.mycouncillor.org.uk...

This is so true, most people are kept in line by the system where you go to school, go to uni and get in debt, buy a house and get in debt, work for the rest of your life to pay for the vastly over priced house and keep your head down to keep the wolf from your door, all the time paying a load of taxes.

This is compounded by the dumbing down of our society where kids no longer read books, or hav any capacity for critical thinking but get all their information from wikipedia and the X-factor. This seems to have resulted in the disenchanted young people who's only outlet seems to have be looting and violence. They are just following the bankers and politicians lead when they steal and the violent culture of music, TV and war when they commit violent acts. They are not equipped to object to what is happening in any intelligent way. Sadly I think this is what our leaders probably want.

reply to post by Freeborn


I only have one thing to say to you Freeborn...

reply to post by Muckster


Quality mate.

Played The Bollocks album so much I'm amazed we didn't wear it out.

It blew everything else I'd ever heard away......and it's as fresh and relevant today as it was back then, perhaps even more so.
Now that is a fine testament for a piece of music but it's also a sad reflection on society.

I was too young to see The Pistols back in the day but I did get to see them on their Filthy Lucre Tour back in '97 and they were outstanding.

Whilst me and my friends listened to everything that was even remotely linked to punk, bands like The Vibrators, Ian Dury &The Blockheads, Johnny Thunders, The Ramones etc all of whom released records in '77, but The Pistols were THE band and for us the only bands that could ever get anywhere near them were The Clash closely followed by The Damned and The Stranglers.

This music helped shape and define us, it affected the way we saw the world and how we interacted with it, it became a part of who and what we were, and indeed still are.

I certainly don't want to derail the thread and turn it into a music thread, there are some excellent music threads over in what used to be BTS, but I think it's worth posting some more of the music that means so much to me and many like me.

The Clash went on to record some truly amazing material and one of, if not THE, greatest albums of all time - but they maintained that punk ethos to the very end.
Still one of my personal favourites.


The Damned released the first 'punk' album in '76 but their album Damned Damned Damned wasn't released till the following year, saw them for about the sixth or seventh time not so long passed and they can still cut it.


Some people say The Stranglers weren't punk, those people simply didn't get Punk then.
Not their greatest song but this performance had such a dramatic and lasting effect on me, almost an epiphony moment for me.....it wasn't until the advent of YouTube that I realised that J.J. and Hugh swapped instruments just for this TOTP show.


The thing for me that oh so striking even today is the passion and force in the lyrics, the music, the attitude and the overall feel that it generates.
Each one of these bands had something unique and different to the other's but you could feel the underlying current that runs through them all.

Bollocks to the neighbours, I'm going to dig one of my vinyl copies of The Bollocks album out, along with The Clash, Damned, Damned, Damned and Rattus albums, not the CD's, and play them back to back and as loud as possible.

reply to post by Freeborn


the bands you've mentioned, they bring back the memories. punk mate of mine wore a (fake) leopardskin bumflap
for the better part of 10 years, it was a sight to behold! still get a giggle out of it now.

i suspect the proliferation of self interests have made the crap (imo) chewing gum shows more popular. fame is within reach if you have talent! i would say whatever floats ones boat on this one though. i mean, without these weapons of mass distraction, what other options would there be for the masses? without all the tv shows catering to the various tastes, i suspect the internet would be quite slow so lets celebrate the celebrations and hurrah for faster loading of pages whilst kids copy dance moves and the missus asks if her butt looks bigger than the next top model!

i wish queenie all the best with her celebrations, however it's not really for me. i'd rather rebuild an engine than sit around pissed with funny hat, though under the right conditions, i'm up for that.

regards fakedirt.

Maybe some of us have got better things to do with our time - Like working towards a republic, & getting rid of this antiquated concept that just because your ancestors oppressed the peasants & stole all the land, it gives them the right to keep doing it.

This is the 21st century FFS - It's time to abolish the monarchy, with all of its wealth & privilege, & use the money saved to strengthen the economy & provide more jobs & housing. That way people could earn a wage that would allow them to be able to afford to heat their homes in the winter & eat. (not have to choose, as many 1000's of families do.)

There are many 1000's of homeless people in the UK, but the Royal family are happy to live in palaces, & huge Estates. - Actually, I suppose that's why the queen claims to be in touch with "her" people. Hundreds of thousands of them also live in "Estates." - Wonder if she'd like to do a holiday house swap with some of them for a couple of weeks?

Naw, thought not!

reply to post by Brian w


If you think this is a pro-monarchy thread well I suggest you've completely missed the whole point.

ETA

But I guess on the plus side you are displaying a little bit of passion and that is to be encouraged.