European Union Forums

[Laurentine]

Rates of suicide, murders and heart attacks will go up as the economy continues its downturn, experts warn.

The predictions are based on an analysis in the Lancet of economic changes and death rates in 26 EU countries over the past three decades.
How can we avoid suicides? What must the government do?

[Faw_Peter]

That's awful! People are so desperate that don't value even their lives, they are just sick and tired of fighting everyday to survive. Now, with this recession, to live is much harder than ever.

[tricker]

will suicide stupid people and the workaholics! that only Europeans can do! Yet the crisis is over the companies will return to usuall way of work and life above! What nonsense! in such cases do not see the difference between humans and animals! ooooooooo. no .... see! animals are never give up until they fight to the last gasp for their life while people end their own life with their own hads!

[Nathan]

when people will start to price their life,to understand that is only one and that should be lived in a right way ..... our grandparents last war, disease and hunger but not thought to take their lifes ......... and someoane for a financial crisis does ... tell me is not a foolishness?

[Steven]

as the economy returns of its decline let's hope that we will not get to count the bodies ... would be the most tragic crisis from history

[Faw_Peter]

France Telecom employees over 20 have committed suicide in a year and a half! The management company France Telecom has to face a sensitive issue. Employees commit suicide one after another: from 20 last year and a half. Now their colleagues have triggered protests throughout the country, accusing the bosses that did not know you "manage" stress that we endure workers because of restructuring. Moreover, some have left behind suicide tickets farewell, in which professed to have given that have never suffered insecurity at work, where they heard only cut jobs and reduce wages. Others have denounced the leadership "for terror" and "exhausting schedule.

[Faw_Peter]

Another suicide shakes France Telecom ! The 24th event in 18 months. An employee of 51 years fell from a bridge near Annency, in southeastern France. Number of suicides in the company rose as 24 in the last 18 months. In a farewell letter, the man accused of stress at work, like many of the cases so far. Or two weeks ago, the French Minister of Economy met with Director of France Telecom, which asked him to stop the restructuring by the end of this year, a desperate measure to stop the wave of suicides.

[Lear]

How can We avoid suicides?
We must change our way of thinking. Our social - economic system demands from people a kind of behaviour which 'guarantee' survival & success and - what is the most desireble - admiration. This system provides a chance for everyone, but it also creates - statisticaly (in mass) - a kind of labirinth in our minds. We act like system wants us to react on its basic assumptions. So we work - not becouse they force us to work harder, but becouse we want it individually and independently. Second thing is an award - carrot; global marketing and advertising system shows us (in a great flash of insight) what (possibly) we will have if we conform to the system and be obedient (we call it being rational). Eventually, in my opinion, suicide in this respect is a tension between how we would like to live and desire of a shown vision of welfare and happiness that we will reach (someday) if we conforme to the demands of the system.
Those tragical accidents wouldnt have taken place, if we - as a labour ("non-capital class") - had had a distance to the system and its anty-human values. We must remember that nothing happens without reason - if your manager claps your back better don't think he likes you...

[M.Helen]

You're absolutely correct my friend .... but as all of us know, it is easy to advice, but it is more often very difficult to get in action in the first place. Not all people posses the necessary attributes or a strong character in order to react or move easily from one situation to another ... and for these people it is usually easier to assign than to fight, as they don't see the light at the end of the tunnel ...

[Lear]

In Poland, where I live, we have got a saying: "What was first? An egg, or a hen?"
According to this, we may say: "those suicides are side-product of modern corporate - style managment based on high efficiency and effectivness".
Looking at global changings in the structure of property (ownership), we might also say, that the system of corporates is going to dominate (if it isn't already) throughout the world.
So we have got three options: assign, find a way to live with it or react aginst it.
Becouse Future may look bleak we should react. If we are in the tunnel, than our frinds should react, if they are lost in a mist, their frinds should react... and so on.
There is no need to advise anybody. The problem is in being aware and having courage to act. If I were there and saw that my frinds is going "downward", I would try to stop him or help him. Becouse I am aware, Becouse I understand that my work there isn't worth enough to sacrifice my or anybody life for it.
I understand that somebody is trying to "simplify" my life to a simple form of rat. And nobody deserves it.
If those people haven't had people who could react, I guess OUR life is less than a dust thrown in the air.
I know that it is easy to talk. Especially, if we even don't know their actual situation.
But what I wanted to say in the last post, is that: "What was first? An egg, or a hen?".
I guess in those situation - sick system. Presumably they earn a lot of money - they had been working very hard, so what would be another reason?
All of us here have answered becouse something terrified us. And talk is a first step to action.
Remember, fire starts from sparks.

[Big_Becka]

I agree, Lear. It is not even people who earn a lot who suffer this. People often measure their worth by their job and what trappings of wealth they own. It has become common place to spend leisure time shopping, or improving the house. I think people are forgetting how to live life without spending a lot of money

Even worse, in recent years people have taken out a lot of debt to pay for a large house, a BMW, expensive furniture and holidays... Once they lose their job, they face losing their home and posessions, and having the social disgrace of becoming bankrupt and going to court. Many men fear that their wife and children will leave them, because they have failed to provide a stable home.

I hope that peoples' values will change as a result of this recession: that they will see that there is more to life than buying rubbish!

[Lear]

You said it excellent, Big_Becka!
I'm not shure whether this recession brings us to major changes in peoples' values (this sometimes takes decades, even ages), but we are becoming more and more resistant to all those marketing tricks, experts say. What I would like to add, is that people have taken debts becouse they are forced (by banks and other lending institutions) to do it. Banks would love to see all of us indebted - deeply but not enugh to be bankrupt. And this is the sick systen I told about.
So I would like to join You in Your hope for values "development" and "that they will see that there is more to life than buying rubbish".