Viddler

Good point the Blitz sounds ghastly the three elderly citizens are really engaging I could listen to them for hours. I like the interwoven bits from the Imperial War Museum. Its amazing how much of the make do and dig -grow your own stuff has in fact already been reinvented by people who panic about the planet and would prefer us to have less then address problems though innovation and growth.

I like the way the three older persons don't make the Blitz or austerity sound romantic, it's the young, green fogeys that do that it seems. Wierd that the younger, more cosseted generation are less progressive.

Brilliant interviews in here. At least we have a generation left who will never romanticise the blitz - because they lived through it, unlike David Cameron and his allies in the green debacle who are calling in the 'age of austerity' as though it is a lifestyle we should aspire to.

there are a few examples of severe austerity from history, including the Leningrad blockade also in the 2d world war. Those were times when people had literally nothing and had to survive on boiling leather things , eating dogs and dead children. How far should the humanity be pushed to keep surviving? or are we only talking about being consumption-smart and creative? In times of recession it is fair to speak of lean manufacturing and cost management to allow industries to survive. On the level of individuals it should be a matter of personal preference.

The Home Front at the Imperial War Museum really bought to life the hardships and cruelty of life in London during the war. It's unbelievable today there are some that want us to relive that nightmare. The three East Enders are great and sum it up by saying let's not go back!

Wow. This really brought the blitz to life for me. I live in the east end of London too and it really is striking what a different world it was then. And a smaller world too. Imagine only be able to go as far as Ridley Road market and only being able to buy food in a handful of shops! A must-see for anyone who makes the mistake of idealising such an existence, saying we should go back to such an austere way of life. It's kinda hard to idealise chillblains....

I feel that this lifestyle was necessary due to the sacrifices required when living through such testing times. Do I think we should revert to such an austere way of life? No, because we do not need to. Those interviewed are not romanticising the blitz era... they are glad they are able to leave it behind.

part 1
Austerity... isn’t that the opposite of growth? Of progress? Do we want stagnation? Well, austerity actually would even mean going backwards. Was that ever any good? Do we want to revert to not being able to live freely... eat what we want to eat, do what we want to do, travel where we want to go? I certainly don’t want to, and to be honest, I don’t see the point of it. How would that get us out of the crisis? If we don’t consume, less will be produced. The companies, the economy, will suffer this way, too.

part 2
Besides, the will to strive for greater things has always been a distinguishing characteristic of human nature. That’s what brought us from the cave to skyscrapers. There have been times where we had to cut back, during war, the Blitz period as it was shown in the film. Back then, nothing was available. Today, however, it is! So why not make use of it? We cannot live in stagnation, humans don’t work that way. Nobody can be happy and content in the long run if limited like that. We dream of greater things, that’s what’s so good about us – because we make them come true.

This video is, how can I put it, humorously serious. This is what we are really being told to do believe it or not: to live in austerity as in WW2!

I really enjoyed this film, as PKHunter says, it really brings the Blitz alive. I too live in the Eastend and could picture where the sister lived (just round the corner from where I live now). They made the best of the situation, they had no choice, but who in their right mind would want to live like that in this day and age?
Consume less = Less production = Job losses
Consume more = More production = MORE jobs
I know which I prefer.

the interview is fantastic, i loved listening to the stories of Doris, Jean and Andy from the 'old days'. they give brilliant insight into what life was like only 70 years ago, e.g. just sharing a telephone line was a luxury. it also made me think, the government needs to decide whether they want us to spend to save the economy, or save to save ourselves??... i don't think government knows what it's doing! and this drive for austerity is yet another panicked stab in the dark attempt at policy making. and just like Doris et al had to make do in the war, we're going to make do with disastrously incompetent politicians. more people need to speak out against the nonsense Westminster comes up with.

An imaginative yet persuasive historical parallel between life in WWII and today's recession. I can relate to a lot that has been said even though war rationing occurred 6 decades ago. An eye opening report by Worldwrite!

A really enjoyable piece of work. Fascinating insights from the war-time residents of Hackney, intercut with interesting footage from the Imperial War Museum. The subtext raises a salient issue, namely, the propensity to re-imagine a past through rose-tinted spectacles as a means to restructure the present. This moral crusade permeates conservative political thought across many spheres; it is evident in debates on crime, 'sexual morality' and immigration (as examples), and work such as this that teases out the absurdity inherent in this discourse is to be welcomed.

A politician argues that we the very people paying for his expenses, should not only consider limiting our life styles but should actually live as if we are under attack from an imagined foreign enemy. Hypocrisy?