I see that the Cameroid’s nudge unit is in top gear. The latest target is the elderly. It seems that this group is now the pariah of society – a selfish generation who haven’t the decency to pop their clogs and leave their worldly goods (especially their houses) to the younger generation.
Anyway, it seems that the advice to live a few years longer and avoid loneliness is to work on beyond retirement age. Frankly, I’ll be doing that not to avoid loneliness (I am perfectly happy to abide in my own company) but because I cannot afford to do anything else.
That said, this decision will have nothing to do with the nudge unit, which cant butt out and keep out as far as I am concerned. My decisions will always be personal ones and I will not be influenced by a think tank at Number 10.
He added: “We know smoking is really bad for you. But much worse are things like social relationships.
Perhaps this explains why my Gran managed to smoke like a chimney until she was 93. She lived alone but always managed to be talking to one neighbour or another. If she wasn’t doing that she would be knitting away with arthritic, nicotine-stained fingers and a fag dangling from her mouth. She outlived her husband by twenty-odd years. Longevity is in the genes, I suspect.
A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said Mr Halpern was not making specific policy suggestions but simply emphasising the “clear connection” between social relationships and physical and mental wellbeing.
More junk science. There is no such “clear connection”. Like other introverts, I am more content alone than with groups. Sure, from time to time, it’s nice to meet up with like minded folk, but I don’t need it and I doubt I’ll shuffle this mortal coil early without it.
Officials also denied Mr Halpern was urging elderly people to down size after he told the conference that “we do have enough houses… it is just essentially they are lived in by older people”.
So where are they supposed to live, then? Ah, yeah, that’s right, the cemetery…
“We do have enough houses.”
Is he talking about private property?
I dunno. Neither does he most likely.
I’m just thinking he has no right telling old people in private property what to do. He says “We” like the property belongs to the government.
I know. We covered this one at the turn of the year when we were told that all those old folk were hoarding bedrooms. These people have no concept of private property.
Perhaps they will start compulsory euthenasia for elderly white people, so large families of enrichers can be granted their homes. I’m sure it could be spun as anti-racism or protecting the (coloured) children or something.
The establishment would hardly be held back by ethics, would they?
it’s messed up. on the one hand they don’t want us drinking or eating “too much” alcohol or salt or whatever, but if we actually listen to them and we live to a ripe old age, we have to do so in the smallest amount of space, causing the least amount of inconvenience…
I have been trying to find out more about the so-called charity The Intergenerational Foundation”. Fake Charities website has no details yet. These are the people who first came up with all this nonsense. Isn’t it strange that the CINOs (Conservatives In Name Only) should be all over this.
ANDY5759:
In answer to your question, I did a bit of investigating last autumn. You can find out more about the Intergenerational Foundation’s ‘mission’ in my first entry on the subject (more on the topic coming this week), which someone commenting at The Snowolf located:
http://churchmousec.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/elderly-people-living-in-their-own-homes-how-dare-they/
Longrider:
Thanks so much for this — once again you’ve inspired some posts from me, to be summarised at OoL. I’ve cited this one, incidentally.