Under Seige. I feel completely exhausted.

[Deleted member 26715]

Sorry to say it but compared with them you live in Heaven.

Yes I agree with you, but you tell my subconscious that because it won't believe me

 

[Milzy]

I feel completely drained. Our lives seem to be under constant siege from everyone else, politicians, criminals, developers, lobbyists. It's just exhausting to constantly be alert to the next threat, to constantly be ready to respond to their every move, to constantly be trying to anticipate their next move. Some examples.

Our council tax will be over £3000 next year - we only see a tiny fraction returned to us as services provided. Bin collection is particularly woeful.
The SNP and Greens have just increased our income tax by over £800 between the two of us, over and above what we would pay if we lived in England
Our investments and possessions are under constant criminal attack
Our internet details and bank accounts are under constant cyber attack
Our potholed and cratered roads look like the result of months of artillery siege
We can only buy aubergines and courgettes on the black market
The peace of our back garden is about to be destroyed by changes to Edinburgh flight paths
Our views and green spaces are under constant attrition from developers
Our diesel car, bought in good faith for its high mpg and low emissions, now appears to be the latest target of the environment lobby, I hear that some London authorities have already started to raise penalty charges against them.
Even our bird feeders are under constant siege, from grey squirrels - they've destroyed several so called squirrel proof feeders so far, we are constantly having to visit garden centres to try new ones.

Is there no end ?

Love this post. It's like the ultimate victor Meldrew. My council tax is 1/3 of yours maybe move to England, its obviously better in many ways.

 

[marinyork]

Love this post. It's like the ultimate victor Meldrew. My council tax is 1/3 of yours maybe move to England, its obviously better in many ways.

Sounds exactly like council tax rants I've heard by people who live the other side of this city. They pay more council tax but have the best schools, very low crime, a better maintained environment and various other benefits that they don't 'see' through paying council tax.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

[QUOTE 4670082, member: 9609"]That's the problem - 'Middle Classed' too many expectation [/QUOTE]I only have one expectation, shoot rolls downhill & I'm at the bottom

 

[screenman]

[QUOTE 4670082, member: 9609"]That's the problem - 'Middle Classed' too many expectation - I jacked it all in with 50 quid in the bank, live on road kill and charity shops - couldn't be happier.

Anyhows, the fogs lifting, the suns coming out, and I'm off out on the bike, I will pick up a pheasant somewhere on route.[/QUOTE]

You do have the use of a new Merc though.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Whether you all like it or not it isn't easy being white, middle aged, middle classed (stretch for me) heterosexual, man in this country, granted it should be but I can assure you it's not.

It's p*ss easy.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Compared to?

What my life was like before I became a white, middle aged, middle classed (stretch for me) heterosexual, man in this country

 

[robjh]

What my life was like before I became a white, middle aged, middle classed (stretch for me) heterosexual, man in this country

I suppose of all those characteristics, the first is the one you're least likely to have changed (although Michael Jackson showed it could be done)

 

[Drago]

Compared to?

Being dead?

 

[Deleted member 26715]

From that list, which bits did you change?

None that I have control over.

 

[fixedfixer]

EDIT forgot to add Reivers Quote "You are very likely to be still correct in you original post - the OP must be a higher rate payer to suffer the £800 increase due to scotland keeping the threshold at 43K So he is very likely to be paying at least £7400 in income tax 4200 in NI and 3000 in rates = 1200 per month".


Add to that, fuel duty, VAT, tax on insurance, the list goes on. But I'd rather live here that many other places in the world.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

It says that, but the real ideology is "plausible deniability of using outdated equipment and exploiting workers more than the electorate would allow the public sector to do"

out local council bought brand new state of the art side loading waste lorries just before the privatised service was started. Now they are shot, less efficient vehicles which are much cheaper are being procured, and collections cut to fortnightly.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Anyway back on topic, yes I know compared with the millions that die each year & those that have to really fight to just to stay alive the anxiety & stress felt by reasonably well off people in the UK should be & in some ways is, trivial. But none the less it is real to us, I asked @Flick of the Elbow earlier if he was in his mid 50's as this is where I am & life does appear to be getting harder, I still have aged parents, I have children & grandchildren, I personally have very little pension saved up, I have had to use all my earning & more in the past just to get through life. Whether you all like it or not it isn't easy being white, middle aged, middle classed (stretch for me) heterosexual, man in this country, granted it should be but I can assure you it's not.

well you see, the thing is, it is easier being a white, middle aged, middle classed (stretch for me) heterosexual, man, than to be almost any other thing in this country.

Being a white, middle aged, middle classed (stretch for me) heterosexual, man myself I 'get' where you are coming from. And apart from no grandchildren and dead aged parents I share much of your experience. But really though?

No.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

What my life was like before I became a white, middle aged, middle classed (stretch for me) heterosexual, man in this country

Serious question... has it actually got harder or are you just more anxious about it whereas before you weren't? Anxiety about the future does seem to be a middle-aged bloke sort of a thing.

 

[screenman]

Serious question... has it actually got harder or are you just more anxious about it whereas before you weren't? Anxiety about the future does seem to be a middle-aged bloke sort of a thing.

I must have passed through middle age, I am not as anxious as I used to be. I am not sure what defines middle class though.