England. NEETs. Is this true?!?!

[noel]

Just read this article.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1245359/

From an English perspective... is this a fair assessment?

Cheers.


=o\

Noel

[checkSide]

Hi Noel.

This is a very interesting article. It is extremely accurate in its description of NEETS and British society present day.
Although it doesn't tell the whole story of the causes, there is certainly some truth in the article's explanations.

I live in South Wales where the traditional industry was coal mining. After the coal mines were closde in the 1970's, very few opportunities have existed for the majority of the local labour market. This has led to a couple of generations of unemployment and the growth of the NEETS.

Studies have shown that these NEETS also suffer from lower self esteem and self worth. Lack of self respect etc. due to being unable to find a place in society where they feel needed, or worthwhile. This has contributed to the angry, unpleasant nature NEETS are associated with.

IMHO.

Cheers.

[JamesFoster]

I think there are many causes of this.
1. A huge welfare state means that no-one has to go hungry or without clothes.
2. Social housing means that these people eventually get their own property. Obviously teenage mothers get their flat soonest.
3. The NHS means everyone gets free healthcare.
4. The destruction of working class jobs in areas such as mining, steelmaking, shipbuilding, car/chemical/textile factories etc.
5. The abolition of the old apprenticeships in skilled trades.
6. The breakdown of millions of familes. This often results in boys joining gangs and girls becoming baby machine sluts like their mothers. These kids have often grown up without a father.
7. The drugs issue. Crack cocaine, crystal meth and skunk are all relatively recent problems in the UK.
8. The belief that half of children should go to University. In practice most of these institutions are the old polytechics and rarely lead on to a good job. The government should have put the money into vocational training instead.
9. The lowering of standards in schools leading to millions who can't do the three R's.
10. The justice system is regarded as a joke. So there is little deterant to anti-social and criminal behaviour.

Basically this underclass are just like the older underclass. They are only qualified to take a minimum wage job in McDonalds or Tesco. Their lifestyle of smoking skunk, drinking, shagging slags and claiming benefits supplemented by selling skunk, shoplifting etc is a more attractive option. Before the 1930s people would only go to the poorhouse as an absolute last resort.
I think England and the rest of Britain is doomed. We don't have much industry. We don't export many goods and import so much. Instead we have millions of people working for the state. These people will then get a very generous final salary pension scheme. In addition to which we having an aging population who are very expensive to support in terms of pensions, healthcare and nursing.
The working class has been destroyed. Many have bettered themselves. But many have also sunk and became the underclass and the state pays these people to breed. Things are not good for the middle class either. The labour government have taxed them til they squeak. And many middle class people will lose their jobs because the work is increasingly being offshored to India etc. This has happened with many IT jobs, and will happen to accountants, architects, engineers, solicitors. And the state cannot do anything about it because the Labour gov.t has bankrupted the country. The national debt will double to £1.4 trillion from 2008-2013. And some people still try and blame immigrants from the Third World for every problem in this country.

[noel]

James...
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your considered thoughts on this serious social problem... one that applies to most of the G7 economies.
The reason I linked to this article in a TSF thread was that the teenagers described in it were very similar to the kids I knew at the poolhall.
Bring back poolhalls!!!

Or... as one commentor said...


" There's always Australia ."


=o\

Noel