A random Dutch radio news message: police retirement will outpace police recruitment in the forthcoming years, which will result in police shortages. You can hear/read similar messages about nurses, plumbers, teachers etc. The (predicted) impact of a graying population is – finally – becoming noticeable.
My blog’s title is a reference to the 1972-1985 British comedy Are you being served? That TV show featured delightful characters like Young Mr Grace (“95”), Captain Peacock, Mr Humphries and Mrs Slowcombe.
Like the TV show, these labour shortages are kind of funny (ie, ironic) because these shortages have been predicted for years but issues like austerity (eg, budget cuts) were more important to politicians. It’s another example of the redundancy of Politics. Also see part 1, part 2 and part 3 of my related blogs.
Quite possibly, the next decades will be labelled as the Great Mismatch (eg, between demand vs supply of labour, rich vs poor, old vs young). This will boost inequality between low-income and high-income households. I expect that gated-communities will become the standard of housing for high-income households in many countries. It’s like a reverse-prison in which the rich protect themselves from the poor.
For some time, there is a lingering question on my mind: can I escape this madness and stupidity?? If so, how?? Sweden would provide an escape from the corona madness. No doubt, Africa would give an escape from the Great Mismatch. However, Kenya just started with the corona madness (eg, BBC). How to escape both??
My dilemma involves considerations like climate (no snow), cost of living (moderate), inequality (moderate), language (English). Red states like Florida, Louisiana and Texas spring to mind but the high cost of US healthcare is prohibitive. There’re still some countries on my shortlist. Visiting these before relocating would be nice though.
I’m not sure if an escape is feasible. At times, I’m even starting to question whether my reasoning is sound (ie, self-doubt). I’m not resorting to anger though. Anger only helps the ones in Power (eg, recent Rotterdam riots). I believe in the 1839 adage by Edward Bulwer-Lytton that the pen is mightier than the sword.
The tunnel vision in this mad world (video by Gary Jules) is worrying me. I still hope to take a step beyond.
One Step Beyond (1964) by Madness (a 1979 cover song)
artists, lyrics, video, Wiki-1, Wiki-2
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining by LO unless stated otherwise.
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