Benefit Street on Channel 4

[Ban-jani]

I thought it was a shame tbh

It is mate, I am truly of the opinion that people end up like this because of experiences they face, it's always avoidable if people have the correct upbringing and education. Nobodies born a thief, drug addict or benefit cheat.

What's the governments plan...To have inner City Ghetto's cut off from the rest of the country where people the underclass can live? I think it's fair to say capitalism, whilst doing a lot of good, has failed a lot of people.

People in this country are losing their self pride.

Capitalism is by definition an ideology of winners and losers. It's failed so many because that's what it was designed to do; as much as certain governments try to 'tame' capitalism or 'make it work for the ordinary person', it is impossible. The biggest example of this right now is how many people, often highly educated, are lumbered with minimum wage jobs and zero hour contracts. Mass worker exploitation in which the state is complicit.

Well yeah that's true but we don't have true capitalism in this country, we're obviously still too much to the right though.

 

[alfabianchi]

It's a shame that nowadays we are awash with programmes and reports like this, concentrating on one small group who use the welfare state and then passing it off as the face of 'welfare Britain' or words to that effect. Nowhere do we see programmes focusing on the positive effects of welfare provision, nor do we see any which depict the real poverty of people already in work (the largest expense of the welfare state other than the state pension), rather the token lazy scroungers who don't want to work. Nor do we see the injustices meted out by agencies such as ATOS in denying ill health benefits to those who are genuinely unable to work. The effect? To massage public opinion into supporting the dismantling of the welfare state upon which they may one day genuinely rely.

It's a shame calling programmes like this out to be the divide and rule rubbish they are is dismissed with remarks such as 'bleeding heart liberalism'. Because if anything the increased numbers going to food banks and the like show that there needs to be an expansion in welfare state provision, not a gigantic cut.

You haven't been watching BBC3 for the last 4 years then. They have at least one programme on every week about being young and broke, young and pregnant or young and unemployed. There's often loads of really good advice throughout about what benefits people are entitled to and how to use them to improve your situation, instead of becoming stuck in a negative cycle of poverty. Alot of the kids on these programmes want to better themselves, but have never really had anyone giving them a push in the right direction.

 

[nelsons willie]

I didnt watch it but it has started an interesting debate on here. Has anyone got a pic of the bird with the big tits btw so i can bring something to the table.

 

[MaineDAWG2008]

Instead of cash payout benefits we should provide food stamps instead like the yanks do.

Taht way it wont be spent on drugs or alcohol

 

[Ban-jani]

Instead of cash payout benefits we should provide food stamps instead like the yanks do.

Taht way it wont be spent on drugs or alcohol

I'd rather not copy "the yanks" methods of helping the lower classes thanks.

 

[Mustard Dave]

Enjoyed that. Didn't have an angle, just showed it how it is.

Im shocked Macca.

"You enjoyed" watching people in abject poverty. I was ashamed.

Two hundred quid for a day's thieving isn't abject poverty. If they put as much effort into working as they do into thieving and stopped pissing it on smack, they wouldn't be living in their own shit, constantly looking out for coppers and armed nutters.

I enjoyed watching that horrid little chav-rat getting nicked, that did make me smile!

 

[Why Always Ste]

It's coming... It's just knowing when.

The Riots were nothing. We will see mass revolution happening, initially developing from the underclass and pissed off working classes of this country.

The police will abuse to try and maintain control, the media will maintain their role with divide and conquer.

Haven't a clue what the results will be, but I'm sure it will happen with people no longer willing to accept poverty.

 

[Ban-jani]

It's coming... It's just knowing when.

The Riots were nothing. We will see mass revolution happening, initially developing from the underclass and pissed off working classes of this country.

The police will abuse to try and maintain control, the media will maintain their role with divide and conquer.

Haven't a clue what the results will be, but I'm sure it will happen with people no longer willing to accept poverty.

Either that or we could just vote socialism back in?

 

[stonerblue]

It's a shame that nowadays we are awash with programmes and reports like this, concentrating on one small group who use the welfare state and then passing it off as the face of 'welfare Britain' or words to that effect. Nowhere do we see programmes focusing on the positive effects of welfare provision, nor do we see any which depict the real poverty of people already in work (the largest expense of the welfare state other than the state pension), rather the token lazy scroungers who don't want to work. Nor do we see the injustices meted out by agencies such as ATOS in denying ill health benefits to those who are genuinely unable to work. The effect? To massage public opinion into supporting the dismantling of the welfare state upon which they may one day genuinely rely.

It's a shame calling programmes like this out to be the divide and rule rubbish they are is dismissed with remarks such as 'bleeding heart liberalism'. Because if anything the increased numbers going to food banks and the like show that there needs to be an expansion in welfare state provision, not a gigantic cut.

great post 1/2p

 

[Blue Maverick]

Wish they would do a programme on all the tax avoiders and how if they collected it all the fucking deficit would be gone but it's easier just to keep the same shit rolling out about the lower classes to deflect from the real spongers on our great country.