Grenfell Tower, the NHS & football - has the world gone mad?

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Over the summer I have caught a few news stories which have made me think but there are some which make me realise how daft some can be!

The big one is the Grenfell Tower fire - a human tragedy. We were all shocked to see a tower block ablaze & stunned by the speed that it spread. The loss of life was indeed shocking. It was the behaviour of surviving residents, “friends” & the media in the days & weeks following that started to affect my sympathy. Loss of many lives in a single incident is always news but the reaction to this incident seems over the top. Millions of pounds have raised to help survivors. Contributions of food, clothing & furniture have poured in. Notting Hill Carnival raised even more money for survivors & this morning the news reported that a special football match will be staged to raise more funds. Now this is all very noble but is it right? A month ago a family in Greater Manchester died in a house fire, a mother & three young children. The father survived. Let’s hope he had insurance because there has been no appeal for help, no rush of national sympathy although the mayor did make a statement "“Dreadful news coming out of Bolton today. My thoughts are with the family, their friends and the whole community.” Well, that should go a long way to make the father’s life better!

I have not heard of similar assistance to victims of plane crashes, coach crashes & the like although I’m sure that there may be compensation payments made by anyone found culpable. If my house burned down my friends would help but the local community would shrug & expect my insurance to pay. I would expect nothing else.

I do have an issue with the behaviour of survivors & their families & friends who took it upon themselves to march on the council offices & make demands of the council within days of the fire. A few days previously police had been helping these people, now the same policemen were being shouted at & threatened by them. A major incident involving death can take years of investigation yet some of these people wanted answers within days. It is just not reasonable.

There are many things to consider regarding the cause but as I see it at the moment the reason the fire spread was due to a chain of events each of which would not be considered unsafe. I think it is the expectation to be helped, not just re-housed but re-housed in a comfortable house within yards of the area to be near their work. Many people commute at great expense from outside London, getting up at 5 in the morning day after day. This is because many cannot afford to live in London at all. To live a few miles away & take a bus to work would be a luxury!

The NHS, we are told, is on its knees & getting worse. Brexit has not helped as many of the staff are immigrants who may well decide to return to their home countries. Then I see a news article that the NHS is cutting the age of women who can receive IVF treatment. They interviewed a rather indignant woman who was saying that the age should not be cut. I agree with her - the age should not be cut, the whole program should be! Just what the hell is the tax payer doing paying for women to have babies??? I thought that the NHS was there to make ill people better, not pander to peoples desires to change lifestyles. Having children is (usually) just that, a lifestyle choice. One can live a full, healthy life without having children although one can feel a regret that they cannot conceive. I have a family member in that position even after IVF (which she paid for). The argument that it can affect one’s mental health doesn’t wash. If it did, I should go to the NHS as not having a Ferrari in the garage leaves me unfulfilled - would they let me choose the colour?
The NHS also does plastic surgery, gender modifications & other non essential work. No wonder there is no money for sick people!

Football.
Neymar now plays football for Paris St Germain. He gets paid 600,000 euros a week after tax. Football is a game. A player’s responsibility is limited. Many people play football for fun, unpaid. This man will earn in a week more than some in a lifetime.He does not run a corporation or employ thousands on people. He kicks a ball about. I cannot justify this level of pay for anybody! Who pays his wages? The football fan. Well, more fool them!

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In short,yes ,the World has gone mad.Priorities have shifted in the wrong direction.

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Congratulations! You have put into print what I have been saying to family and friends for months. And on all three subjects.

We live in a 24/7, blame culture world backed up by the ‘nanny state’ so it’s only natural that people demand instant answers and solutions when s**t happens. The NHS is a prime example of that - become obese and you expect gastric bands etc, smoke and you expect life saving cancer treatment, take drugs and you expect to be put in a rehab clinic. Where is the personal responsibility?