"It's unfashionable to say so, but we have never had it so good"

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

Founder
Messages
54,682
Interesting article by Shane Coleman in the Times

It’s unfashionable to say so, but we have never had it so good


Let’s be thankful that it’s 2019 and not 2009. A decade ago, Ireland was heading into the worst of the economic and banking crash.

Let’s be thankful it’s 2019 and not 1969, the year the North was about to erupt into bitter and terrifying conflict.

Let’s be grateful it’s 2019 and not 1939, when the world — if not neutral Ireland — was about to become embroiled in a horrendous global war

There are sound reasons, though, for arguing that people in Ireland today have collectively never had it so good. Yes, there are serious difficulties — in housing, in health, with inequality of opportunity — and they must be tackled. However, is it not OK to acknowledge we live in very benign times in an incredibly benign state?
 
It isn’t fashionable, for the same reason only “bad news are good news”.

But the essence of the article is not just true for Ireland, but for (most) of the planet.
I’ll strongly recommend reading Hans Rosling’s Factfulness. A true eye opener...
 
One problem I see is that there's very little time for family life or relationships and when there is time, which is seldom, it tends to get overdone but not in the right way. All this in turn leads to personal relationships worsening, no patience, stress and strain, working late and long hours, etc, etc, and all done in the pursuit of a better life. Me thinks a lot of people need to step back and really have a chat with themselves. However, if everyone have never had it so good then I guess i'm totally out of order. Me personally, i've had my run, made it big, lost it big, made it again and then had that little chat with myself. Best thing I ever did and it cost zilch. Hope I get a few good years out of it from here on in and become one of these "never had it so good" grey brigade guys.
 
Things looked pretty good in 1968 and 2008 and for that matter 1908 though.
We don't know what's going to happen in 2019 so references to hindsight really weaken the argument.

If you want to make the case that people have never lived so long, worked with better conditions etc then that's an objective case that can be made. But let's not kids outselves that Ireland alone could ever had delivered those advances.
Ireland has been well placed to take advantage of the gains in wealth, science, medicine and peace that have resulted from "pax" US (and late 19th century Britain) and now EU.
Really it comes down to us not screwing things up on our side, and playing the strongest hand you can with the cards we've been dealt - something which we've not always delivered on!
 
It could be alot better Its hard to belive heading for 2020 that there is still such a thing as unemployment. That people are still getting paid to do nothing its quite simple really if a single person is getting 200 quid a week for sitting at home, put him out for 20 hours a week cleaning the country up.
 
As a spices humanity has never had it so good, we look at the world through the prism of our own lifes which is a micro second in the earth's history, looking around the world if governments served there citizens instead of themselves the world would be in an even better place, as I always say live and let live, be happy and enjoy the ride as the clock is ticking.
 
I suppose if you ignore the fact that we're in the midst of an anthropocene extinction crisis; that by 2025, two-thirds of the world's population may be facing water shortages; with carbon concentrations in the atmosphere at a record high; and there will soon be eight billion of us sharing this planet and living collectively in a unsustainable way, then yeah, we may never have had it so good.

Of course, that's looking at the bigger picture... here in Ireland, we ONLY have the extinction and biodiversity crises to deal with, plus our much greater than average contribution to all over the above phenomenons.

Yes it's 'glass half empty' in this household! :)
 
galwaypat said:
It could be alot better Its hard to belive heading for 2020 that there is still such a thing as unemployment. That people are still getting paid to do nothing its quite simple really if a single person is getting 200 quid a week for sitting at home, put him out for 20 hours a week cleaning the country up.
Click to expand...

It should be noted that single people aged 18 to 24 living at home are entitled to maximum jobseekers of €107.70 and at 25 €152.80.
Presumably you meant to suggest putting him or HER out to work cleaning up to country - equality on the chain gangs !
 
Below are some figures in today's Indo with regard to long term unemployed in our wonderful country:


More than 700 people have been on the dole for more than 20 years despite major Government efforts to get them back to work.

Figures reveal a total of 8,633 people have been on the Live Register for more than 10 years - representing 4pc of the total.

Of these, 6,407 have been registered for between 10 and 15 years and another 1,503 between 15 and 20 years. The remaining 723 have been on the list for more than 20 years.

They represent under 1pc of the total Live Register, according to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection figures.

A department spokesperson refused to say how long the longest-term claimant had been on the dole or the number on it for more than 30 years for data protection reasons.
 
We've never had it so bad. We now have

  1. Social media following our every move - Likes, Twits, Smiley Faces
  2. Kids can't ramble all day and turn up for dinner at 6pm
  3. If a kid is not born bright, he's told he's on the spectrum and the parents sue the doctor/midwife/state
  4. If a person gets hurt in any way it's a call for 'Is there a solicitor in the house'
  5. Everyone needs a material advantage over their neighbours and friends - cars, holidays
  6. Everyone starts worrying and complaining about not getting a house for themselves cos it's not affordable
  7. Homelessness and begging is now a lifestyle choice
I could go on and on .......
 
elcato said:
We've never had it so bad. We now have

  1. Social media following our every move - Likes, Twits, Smiley Faces
  2. Kids can't ramble all day and turn up for dinner at 6pm
  3. If a kid is not born bright, he's told he's on the spectrum and the parents sue the doctor/midwife/state
  4. If a person gets hurt in any way it's a call for 'Is there a solicitor in the house'
  5. Everyone needs a material advantage over their neighbours and friends - cars, holidays
  6. Everyone starts worrying and complaining about not getting a house for themselves cos it's not affordable
  7. Homelessness and begging is now a lifestyle choice
I could go on and on .......
Click to expand...

There's also a fair few people around who should get out a bit more and get a deep input of fresh air +.
 
elcato said:
  1. If a kid is not born bright, he's told he's on the spectrum and the parents sue the doctor/midwife/state

Click to expand...
Wow, that's some mixed metaphor there!

Maybe you think autism and intelligence are inversely correlated?
Maybe you think autism is caused by doctors?
Maybe you know nothing at all about autism and are just using it as a generic insult?
 
elcato said:
We've never had it so bad. We now have

  1. Social media following our every move - Likes, Twits, Smiley Faces
  2. Kids can't ramble all day and turn up for dinner at 6pm
  3. If a kid is not born bright, he's told he's on the spectrum and the parents sue the doctor/midwife/state
  4. If a person gets hurt in any way it's a call for 'Is there a solicitor in the house'
  5. Everyone needs a material advantage over their neighbours and friends - cars, holidays
  6. Everyone starts worrying and complaining about not getting a house for themselves cos it's not affordable
  7. Homelessness and begging is now a lifestyle choice
I could go on and on .......
Click to expand...
1. I don't use Facebook or Twitter or such things.
2. Mine do.
3. I have a son with learning difficulties (he got it from me) but he's very bright and he'll be fine. It was not the doctors fault.
4. When my daughter fell in a play-zone type place and knocked out one of her teeth I took it as an unfortunate accident and didn't see how they could have done anything to stop it happening. I didn't sue.
5. I don't and neither do my friends or they wouldn't be my friends.
6. Some do, some don't.
7. For some it always was but for most it never was.
 
Purple said:
1. I don't use Facebook or Twitter or such things.
2. Mine do.
3. I have a son with learning difficulties (he got it from me) but he's very bright and he'll be fine. It was not the doctors fault.
4. When my daughter fell in a play-zone type place and knocked out one of her teeth I took it as an unfortunate accident and didn't see how they could have done anything to stop it happening. I didn't sue.
5. I don't and neither do my friends or they wouldn't be my friends.
6. Some do, some don't.
7. For some it always was but for most it never was.
Click to expand...
Purple said I don't use Facebook or twitter or such things,
But you are a Dab hand at google I must say,;)
 
There is a really god book out there called factfulness by Hans Rosling.

To part answer your question ; yes , we've never had it so good. It's true.
I think it should be fasionable to say this becuase it's true. You will have extremes but for the majority of people on this planet life is getting better with regards to income , health and life expectancy and it's getting better every year barring as I said extremes in war torn countries.

The average life expectancy of the world population in increasing
The average houshold income in every country is increasing
We are seeing better health outcomes.
Educational attainment and literacy is on the increase
Life is good although you still have some people that are only happy when they're unhappy.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top