Originally Posted by
BCram
I think the reason for concentrating on the feckless is because if you can turn one feckless school kid into a responsible member of society you take succeeding generations out of the system. I think kids need to be helped by their parents. That help was more available when we were growing up because education in all its forms, academic and practical, was much more appreciated. The changes in our economy when industry lost its way , in large measure because of the riches of North Sea oil, encouraged the change from a manufacturing economy to a service based economy. Maybe you don't all remember the value of an oil backed £ which made it cheaper to buy finished goods rather than buy the materials and make them ourselves.
The trades unions at the time were guys like Arthur Scargill and Red Robbo, and it seems to me that the current union leadership is making the same mistake by fighting the real issue of cost of living, with the wrong approach. They seem to think that getting rid of a Conservative government that is borrowing record amounts to keep the country afloat and replacing it with a left of centre government will fix things.
I don't think that type of replacement will make any difference to the problems we face. Tony Blair led a left of centre government. By bringing loads of skilled immigrants he consigned, unintentionally, at least one generation to a workless existence. Benefits that kept the workless going during what was thought to be a temporary crisis expanded into a lifestyle choice.
Teaching kids that working hard should be a lifetime habit, seems to me to be completely missing today in some sections of society. Rich people, media people and other experts talk about the importance of work/life balance. I think the message should be to encourage the work ethic, as described by Deeranged and Rross.