owen jones: the war isn't between young and old - its the rich versus the rest of us

[bcbm]

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/owen-jones-the-war-isnt-between-young-and-old--its-the-rich-versus-the-rest-of-us-7583986.html

[#FF0000]

It's real easy these days to fall into the generation war mindset, with these old fucks on benefits telling me I'm entitled when I work the way I do and have such a hard time getting unemployment when I'm fired. I know that personally, it's a line that I use a lot -- and it really resonates with a lot of the younger people who are getting into these issues.

And then I realize most of the people I work with are much, much older than I am.

[Die Neue Zeit]

^^^ It's especially easier, indeed, except for the elderly in the fSU and Eastern Europe who have the knack to vote for left parties.

[Left Leanings]

The article in The Independent is well cool.

The difference really is between rich and poor, not the youth and the older peeps. I went to uni in the late 1980s/early 1990s, and found only 3 months employment as a care assistant after graduation. I went through some really heavy shit when I was unemployed, so much so that I became ill, and have been on the sick ever since. I have fuck all chance of getting a job now. But I'm not bothered, cos I have got plenty of free time to devote to politics and campaigning.

I know a young lad who is in his early 20s, and has NEVER had a job, depsite trying and trying. The job centre do fuck all for him, and when he kicked off with them one day and started shouting at staff, they signed him off the dole. He was off Jobseeker's Allowance for well over 12 months, without a bean coming in. When he did eventually sign on again, he kicked off again, and the fuckers called the Police on him.

The kid has never even got to do work experience as part of his final year in school, cos a teacher messed up the allocation of his placement. he has told me all he has in his life in his DVDs and eating chocolate well into the night.

Likewise, there are older people round here being thrown on the dole, or living on a meagre state pension. Many more poor pensioners need to relocate to more suitable accommodation like a bungalow (due to infirmity or disability, for example), but if they haven't a home to sell to fund this, they have little chance of getting a council place, despite supposed medical/social priority.

Young, middle-aged, elderly peeps - all must make common cause and tell the rich where to get off. Hand the resources and money over, and give us all what we need to survive and have a life worth living yeah.

[rednordman]

I know a young lad who is in his early 20s, and has NEVER had a job, depsite trying and trying. The job centre do fuck all for him, and when he kicked off with them one day and started shouting at staff, they signed him off the dole. He was off Jobseeker's Allowance for well over 12 months, without a bean coming in. When he did eventually sign on again, he kicked off again, and the fuckers called the Police on him.I totally hear you on that one mate. Job centers are totally USELESS (had to refrain myself from swearing with that to). Infact, i have heard now that in order to get JSA people have to apply for jobs that they are blatantly not qualified for or suited to. Great new strategy Mr Cameron!:rolleyes:

[ed miliband]

i mean yeah i agree with the point but owen jones is also part of the enemy.

[Left Leanings]

I totally hear you on that one mate. Job centers are totally USELESS (had to refrain myself from swearing with that to). Infact, i have heard now that in order to get JSA people have to apply for jobs that they are blatantly not qualified for or suited to. Great new strategy Mr Cameron!:rolleyes:

Totally, mate.

I have tried to get off the sick yeah. I went to see the Disability Employment Advisor (DEA). She was late back from lunch. When she did have the grace to get back behind her desk, she sat there for ages, and then looked at me with disdain. She said in a really off-hand manner, 'have you got an appointment?', beckoned me over with her hand, and then shrugged her shoulders and said 'what can I do to help?'

She referred me to Remploy, who were to act as job brokers for me. I was told by the DEA they would offer me computer training, and do an in-work benefit calculation. When I got there, the Remploy advisor told me we can't afford to pay for you to do computing, but we cover the basics like 'how to turn a computer on and off, and go on the internet'. Well thanks a fucking lot. Also, she told me the in-work benefit calculation wasn't done on-site, but over the phone. And the advisor did not even know the difference between Income Support and Incapacity Benefit, and the differing amounts peeps can earn up to while remaining on these benefits.

And then - after I had been out of work for well over 18 years - she asked me if I wanted a job as a cleaner. She said it would have to be over 30 hours a week, cos that's what Remploy were contracted to find by the government. But I had made it clear to the DEA before being sent there, that I needed to try and ease my way back into the job market, either through voluntary work, or a job of up to 16 hours a week.

Guess what? Remploy get paid a bonus for getting peeps into work. The job centre is like a shop that has some well-priced, cool stuff in the window. But when you get inside, there's fuck all there except for over-priced tat.

[bricolage]

I don't like just lobbing in quotes but I'll make an exception here because I've always loved this one.

Driven to admit that there is, perhaps, some tension in society, when perhaps overwhelming pressure brings industry to a standstill or barricades to the streets years after the liberals had dismissed the notion as "dated romanticism", the journalist invents the theory that this constitutes a clash of generations. Youth, after all, is not a permanent condition, and a clash of generations is not so fundamentally dangerous to the art of government as would be a clash between rulers and ruled.

[Die Neue Zeit]

If I may interlude into this generational tension here, any mass movement of the working class needs to be led by middle-aged folks, for the sake of promoting even equality of opportunity. Unless it's a token Eastern European pensioner speaking out for working-class politics, "pensioners in poverty" to quote the article may still be a "Hands off my Medicare" conservative pensioner. That's on one end. On the other end is the politically unreliable teenage Student Leftist without much in the way of work experience.

[RebelDog]

If I may interlude into this generational tension here, any mass movement of the working class needs to be led by middle-aged folks, for the sake of promoting even equality of opportunity. Unless it's a token Eastern European pensioner speaking out for working-class politics, "pensioners in poverty" to quote the article may still be a "Hands off my Medicare" conservative pensioner. That's on one end. On the other end is the politically unreliable teenage Student Leftist without much in the way of work experience.

Thats just ridiculous simplification.

1. It should not be led by anyone
2. Age is of no consequence

[kevster03]

Depending on the context, age really is of no consequence. But you don't have to go listening to every kid out there.

Owen Jones is a good writer, you should follow his twitter stream. @owenjones84

[zonmoy]

even in the states job centers are all but useless, as for too many of the programs for the disabled to find work, well the good ones have to find funding all to often from social service agencies that think that the disabled are only fit for being dishwashers.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Thats just ridiculous simplification.

1. It should not be led by anyone
2. Age is of no consequence

Well, put the word "organized" instead of "led" and you still get my idea. You didn't back up your argument that age is of no consequence.