Sympathy

[Nick]

ANd some big boots

[Uncle Mort]

Meanwhile back on topic.

I cannot feel any sympathy towards this bunch.

"An office job would be too boring, although not doing a job at all is boring, that's how I ended up on the drink."

"I don't do nothing...  I should have stayed at school and got all my exams, but I never done them.

Hopefully in five years time I'll have a big fancy house, if I get the right job."

"Sometimes I go to school"

[Nick]

It's shocking stuff! Are they completely thick, or just habituated to a life on benefits?

[Snoopy]

Nature or nurture ~ Does it matter? The cure is what is needed. We know what the complaint is.

[Uncle Mort]

Both I'd imagine.

Trouble is that they become not so much unemployed as unemployable. What is the cure?

[Barman]

Both I'd imagine.

Trouble is that they become not so much unemployed as unemployable. What is the cure?

I'm all for National Service or a similar thing for the unemployable...

Get them picking veg, sweeping the streets, painting stones white... anything but sit at home watching the telly and laughing at the rest of the working population... 

[Snoopy]

It starts with life expectations, education (which has been royally fvcked for years now) has a great part to play.
Blair was right when he said "Education, Education, Education" but he did damn all to make it any better.
BUT Education has to be about more than the three R's (although they would be a help) I was educated by Teachers, Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Policemen and the local Park Keepers. None of these now dares to touch a child let alone correct it. Park Keepers have dissappeared forever. Policemen seldom get out of their cars, Aunts and Uncles "don't like to interfer" or take the kid's side and laugh at his/her "little ways" and teacher's worst threat is a 15 minute detention (and what kid wants to go into the playground when its pissing down or freezing anyway). Suspension from school ~ don't make me laugh. By the time the little scotes have beeen reinstated on appeal they have become untouchable and know it. From then on they do as they like. AND if the appeal isn't upheld they are equally happy as they don't have to go to school.

Bring back the cane!  

[Uncle Mort]

I'm all for National Service or a similar thing for the unemployable...

The eldest lad William was in the army for three and a half years so it probably isn't the answer.

[Snoopy]

I'm all for National Service or a similar thing for the unemployable...

The eldest lad William was in the army for three and a half years so it probably isn't the answer.

I expect he was bullied stupid in the army ~ he looks the sort that would have been. We DIs used to try and weed them out in the first two weeks ~ mostly they were easy to spot.

[Barman]

I'm all for National Service or a similar thing for the unemployable...

The eldest lad William was in the army for three and a half years so it probably isn't the answer.

Three and a half years when he wasn't sitting in front of the telly then...?

[Uncle Mort]

I expect he was bullied stupid in the army ~ he looks the sort that would have been. We DIs used to try and weed them out in the first two weeks ~ mostly they were easy to spot.

Wouldn't it have been better to have stopped the bullying?


(I know, I know ~ stupid question)

[Snoopy]

Easier to kick 'em out. Couldn't watch them all the time. The minute "lights out" sounds the trouble starts.

Most of the bullying, in my experience, came not from the NCO's (although you always get one or two) but from their so called mates. Any defect or "oddity" from a wart on his arse to a big nose or sticky out ears and he was in for it. He either fought back and won or didn't and lost.

NCOs soon learn that to attempt to defend such people will make matters far worse for them.

Safer for all to have them returned home as "psychologically unsuited to military life"

[Grumpmeister]

Nature or nurture ~ Does it matter? The cure is what is needed. We know what the complaint is.

National Service may be a non starter given that we are currently in 2 wars in the middle east.  It wouldnt be that hard for someone to say NS would be a breach of their human rights as they could be sent there.

Something similar could be done though, there is any amount of community grunt work that these people could do in order to keep recieving their benefits. One thing that comes to mind, given the government's current buzz about carbon emissions and the environment would be to have them sort through landfills in order to seperate material that could be easily recycled. A couple of weeks of that and I'm pretty sure they would be looking for other work.

[Barman]

Nature or nurture ~ Does it matter? The cure is what is needed. We know what the complaint is.

National Service may be a non starter given that we are currently in 2 wars in the middle east.  It wouldnt be that hard for someone to say NS would be a breach of their human rights as they could be sent there.

Something similar could be done though, there is any amount of community grunt work that these people could do in order to keep recieving their benefits. One thing that comes to mind, given the government's current buzz about carbon emissions and the environment would be to have them sort through landfills in order to seperate material that could be easily recycled. A couple of weeks of that and I'm pretty sure they would be looking for other work.

Indeed... it doesn't have to be called NS or run by the military (although I'm sure there are a few retired RSMs that would love to be involved)...

They key thing is that the feckless that simply don't want to work are forced to do something for their dole money...