Are we as good as our elders

[Phil]

With this weeks events regarding the fuel strike it got me thinking (yes thats the burning smell) blah blah blah
the second world war and the "keep calm and carry on" motto. In this day and age it just goes straight out of the window. the mere threat of a fuel strike seems to have brought every numpty in the country out. even those of whom are supposed to be more educated than the rest of the general public. Someone is in hospital with 40% burns. nearly every petrol station around me was emptied on thursday and friday. god only knows what people have stored up in their garages or inside the houses and stupid advice given out by people in the government who should have known better.

tbh its not just the threat of a fuel strike that brings these people out, the mere mention of christmas day every year and many bank holidays brings them out of the woodwork. panic buying and emptying the shelves when there is no need at all. most of us have a 24/7 365 petrol station or local shop that open on christmas day for the milk and bread that no doubt gets binned when they overstock "just in case"

thankfully our grandparents or parents had a bit more sense during the war and did carry on.

 

[Phil]

 

[brucelee]

Hi mate couldnt agree more there were people who were doing there shopping at a couple of the major supermarkets near me who couldnt get off the car park because of al the idiots overfilling in panic
the mere thought of being without there car for a day or 2 drives fear into them and panic stations

 

[Knobhead]

If by elder’s you mean parents I’ll never match them.

As for the tradesmen that taught me, then I think I’m equal to the good. And above the normal run of the mill.

View attachment 11550

 

[Silly Sausage]

Good post Phil!

I've just been completely gobsmacked by all these morons queuing for fuel this week, idiots.
Normally, who listens to politicians, not many?, but one of them says go and fill your tanks up etc, when there is a least a 7 day notice of a strike!!!!!!! and what happens.

 

[Silly Sausage]

I got the wife that poster a few years ago, and she did.

House is still a mess, never does any clearing up, solid British spirit!

 

[Adam W]

Following on from what Tony said I think the term 'elders' has been taken out of context - I think it was the bible which said you should 'respect your elders' which I took to mean your parents, but has now been transposed into respecting anyone who is older than you, who in many cases don't deserve the respect they assume they are automatically entitled to.

I can't see many people in the present day coping with things like rationing, air raids with communal makeshift shelters and the constant threat of having your home with flatscreen TV, laminate floors and mod cons all bombed like our parents or grandparents did or would have had to if they'd had them - many people nowadays seem to think the government owes them a living purely because they've 'lived in this country all their life'.
If WW2 were repeated tomorrow I think the government would be voted out at the next general election and we'd probably end up surrendering like the French who couldn't bear losing their fine foods - people nowadays don't seem to want to or know how to 'make do and mend' or eat the same 'mock' food people had to in the 40s.

 

[High Tower]

I think there are 2 sides to this. The first, do we have the resolve, determination and strength to face adversity and social hardship with. Unity and the blitz spirit and carry on regardless like our elders did/do?....No we don't, we're too busy blaming each other, trying to hold each other accountable and trying to sue each other. The other side tho, we are more reliant on fuels, electricity etc, that's not our fault, it's not a weakness it's just evolution. In the 50's a major loss of coverage of telephone services by the GPO would have been a inconvenience, a nuisance at most, in 2012 if the same was to be applied without all the contingencies that are in place, it would be Armageddon like, costing millions to businesses, and impacting thousands.

Do I think we are as good as our elders......No not a bit, they were better people made of better stuff!, but our world is different, we face different things.

 

[DurhamSparky]

classic example of the organ grinding government!!!

"dance monkeys dance"

and it worked...!!!

 

[johnboy6083]

as for the fuel cues, as soonas the government said what they did, anybody who is reliant on fuel had no real choice but to ensure that they had full tanks, as everybody else would do the same. Ive got my little sister staying with me, and i had to drive to stoke from kent to get her, and will have to drive there and back again on tuesday. I really cant afford to othave enouigh fuel to do that. Also i top up whenever i see an empty petrol station, as the other day i qeued for nearly an hour to get some fuel to go pick up my sis. Not good just before a 4 hour journey.
I guess im probably part of the problem, but if i could afford not to use my car for a week, then i would.

 

[AP Electrical]

Panic over fuel shortage is great for the government as they slip in another fuel duty increase.

 

[AP Electrical]

Also why not consider turning the tables, go syphon from a pikeys van.

 

[UNG]

Following on from what Tony said I think the term 'elders' has been taken out of context - I think it was the bible which said you should 'respect your elders' which I took to mean your parents, but has now been transposed into respecting anyone who is older than you, who in many cases don't deserve the respect they assume they are automatically entitled to.

So you only learn from your parents and not from the older tradesmen. The tribal elders of the past were the font of knowledge for the community to narrow this elders thing to only your parents is limiting your knowledge base

I can't see many people in the present day coping with things like rationing, air raids with communal makeshift shelters and the constant threat of having your home with flatscreen TV, laminate floors and mod cons all bombed like our parents or grandparents did or would have had to if they'd had them - many people nowadays seem to think the government owes them a living purely because they've 'lived in this country all their life'.
If WW2 were repeated tomorrow I think the government would be voted out at the next general election and we'd probably end up surrendering like the French who couldn't bear losing their fine foods - people nowadays don't seem to want to or know how to 'make do and mend' or eat the same 'mock' food people had to in the 40s.

The I'm alright jack and the government is not looking after me society we have now has insulated people from the communities they live in, how many people know their next door neighbour to talk to let alone anybody in the rest of the street. The pull together Dunkirk spirit has long desserted this country you can't leave home and leave the front door unlocked these days and expect your home to be as you left it. To get to the point a lot of people don't respect themselves so how can they respect any one else, IMO respect is earned it is not a right the respected members of this forum earned the respect the get through their knowledge and experience

 

[dingledong]

the union said there would be no strikes over easter and still the panic buying goes on ???? madness

 

[RogertheBodger]

Although I have voted for the 'worse' option, I would feel more comfortable with a 'not sure what would happen' option.

I think it is true to say that for most of us, having lived through the relatively peaceful times that we have been lucky enough to enjoy since the end of WW2, we really don't know how we would react, as individuals, or as a nation if such cataclysmic events should happen again. Because we haven't been seriously tested, our true character, or our bravery, are unknown quantitys.

I suspect that we might surprise ourselves.