The eighties were better ?

mtk

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1 No property tax
2 No means testing of dependent spouse for old age contributory pension
3 Jobs were for "life "
4 Defined benefit pension schemes were the norm
5 You could buy a house in Dublin on an average Salary
6 Unemployment benefit had a pay related benefit.
7 no need to do degree to have a chance of a decent job in say one of the banks
 
The wife was at home so all the cooking, cleaning, lunches, uniforms were done
The dinner was on the table at 6 o'clock
Men went to the pub
Men could play golf every Sunday

Feckers had it soo good!
 
Given the story currently back in the media they certainly weren't better for women...

Well regarding our guardians of the peace.......plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose

I certainly had a wonderful time in the 80s....
 
The wife was at home so all the cooking, cleaning, lunches, uniforms were done
The dinner was on the table at 6 o'clock
That sounds like my house. Not in the pub much though and golf is a good walk ruined. I liked the 80s. Life was simpler for sure. My kids seem to like 80s music, movies & games(via RetroPi).
 
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Watch the start of the Commitments, as a reminder of how grim things were. If we compare ourselves to the US the gap was a huge gulf in the 80's, now not much at all. OK we now have lots of first world problems, but at least there's hope & opportunity for those who want to have a go.

Even This post will be deleted if not edited immediately said "the poor will be with us always". In Ireland if we could make decent headway on the homeless issue, the rough sleepers, and the health service then we could probably get over the rest (like Gardai needing a bit of shaping up..). Financial equilibrium, nearing full employment, much improved and improving infrastructure (other than social housing), lots of reasons to be fairly happy.
 
Watch the start of the Commitments,
I believe that was made in 1991 - and it was a little over done .

5 You could buy a house in Dublin on an average Salary
a. you needed a job
b. opening a joint savings account so you could wait in line for a mortgage was the first thing you did after getting engaged.
c. there was an 18 month waiting list for a telephone

6 Unemployment benefit had a pay related benefit
- and near crippled the country

The wife was at home so all the cooking, cleaning, lunches, uniforms were done
The dinner was on the table at 6 o'clock
This was considered outdated even then

no need to do degree
Taking out bank loans, at high interest rates, to pay for your university fees.
 
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I was a child and teenager in the 80's. I would be a child again for any money.

The 80's were great if you were a heterosexual man with a job but for most women, children, the disabled or marginalised, the LGBT community etc. things are much better now.
Then of course there was the mass emigration, very high taxes, grim semi-derelict towns and cities, criminal architecture, criminal economic policies, strikes, power cuts, criminal corruption, terrorism, staggeringly high flight costs, rubbish roads, drink driving... oh, and it was perfectly legal to rape your wife but against the law for two adults of the same sex to have sex.
 
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The 80's-were-better-my-undersized-ancient-speedo-decorated-This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language.

1.The AIB Home Loan rate was seldom below 19.75%. The bank charged high rates because they could. Nobody stood up the banks then. They used excuses like there is a demand on money or a no demand on money to increase rates. The rate rose by 2% to 4% and came down by 0.01% whenever.

2.Most married couples had one car (at best), bare enough houses. We had a 2nd hand bicycle with car languishing in garage because we couldn't afford to run it.

3. The 80's had recession periods that make the recession just over appear like a docile doddle. Unemployment was high. House prices were rising like bejazus. Gazumping took place every morning and then every consecutive evening. Buy a house in Galway, you needed to crawl to the banks and a mortgage that compared to the national debt.

4. Petrol Shortages every month with long queues for those who could afford to run a car. You filled out an income tax form every year and were hounded within an inch of your life for the 0.50p back-tax you owed. You bought your PRSI stamps in the post-office and hoped you didn't get mixed up with Agricultural, Domestic, Wet-Time Insurance Stamps. Lose your full SW stamp card and the Special Branch were on your case.

5. The singletons had flats/bed-sits that would rival Calcutta slums. No protection for tenants. Moan to the landlord and you were immediately given a one-way ticket out the gap.

6. Managers in most jobs had little or no cop-on, never mind training. They could "supervise" in any way they wanted. 'Tis no wonder the unions membership prospered. I for one will never forget those days.

7. Lounge Bars that were sprung up in the 70's increased and surviving quaint pubs were turned into carpeted oversized sitting rooms to facilitate the up-turn of more women visiting bars who were just liberated from Babycham. The price of the pint escalated too. Pub Quizzes became popular with every second question on some Brit soccer team.

8. Thelma Mansfield drove a mini car with an exhaust pipe that farted loudly ever time she hit the accelerator. Well she had to get the extra attention somehow.

9. Package Holidays exploded to facilitate nearly everybody. You hadn't lived unless you booked a 2 + 1 break in Spain's Santa Pondlife.

10. We had Wanderly Wagon, Manuel in Fawlty Towers, Jimmy Magee, but we were saved by Frank Hall's Pictorial Weekly. Newspapers cost the same as a stamp.

. . . . . and am I pining that we should return to the 1980's style of living? . . . . . Not on your bloody life . . . . Tis a New Year and already I am succumbing to Purple's posts.
 
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20% betting tax and you had to go to a grubby bookie’s office. Nowadays you can bet at negligible margin with other punters on the Internet. Losing money is certainly a much more friendly process these days:rolleyes:
 
I remember the Phoenix Magazine describing income tax rates in the eighties, which ascended from what I think was the “agony” tax rate right up to the “mudderajaysus” tax rate.
 
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