British man fears freezing to death in his own home: LBC

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Independent
13 Dec 2022 12:35
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The repercussions brought by British and Western sanctions against Russia are getting out of hand.

British household in Upminster, United Kingdom. (Bloomberg)

A man on a call with British channel LBC bawled as he spoke of his suffering, fearing that he will "freeze to death in my own home," The Independent reported.

The segment intended to address elections, projecting the political war between the Tories and Labor - however, it turned into a humanitarian crisis with the caller venting that he doesn't care about either party - he is cold and sick: "I don't care about labor, I don't care about conservatives; I care about my own survival."

In a depiction of hyper-individualism in the UK, the caller cries loneliness and extreme social secludedness: "I came down with the flu, trying to get help from the doctors, trying to get antibiotics to stop the infection - it was a nightmare. I've been on my own for 9 days. I'm in my home, I'm freaking cold - I'm distressed. I have nobody knocking my front door, I have nobody checking in on me."

In another portrayal of the failure of state institutions to supply for its citizens' basic needs, the caller said that he turned to the local council, charity, and the food bank - but "everything is a closed door."

LBC caller sobs in interview over fears he will freeze to death in his home

‘I’m freezing cold, I’m distressed, I have nobody knocking on my front door, nobody checking in on me,” Philip in Tiverton said https://t.co/9N5ufmZ6yn
— Socialist Voice ⭑ (@SocialistVoice) December 12, 2022

He said, "I turned to charity - the local charity here, the food bank to help, and my local council - everything is a closed door and - uh, this is so irrelevant to me. What's relevant to me and many many other people listening, I'm sure, is today's environment is how we're going to survive. I don't care about labor, I don't care about conservatives; I care about my own survival.

"I've been on my own for 9 days - I'm going to freeze to death in my own home."

NATO war has drained Europe's resources

NATO's war in Ukraine has not only drained its military resources and brought Europe into a stark financial crisis, but it has also - seemingly unapologetically - hiked up energy and food prices, making the cost of living unaffordable for millions.

In the United Kingdom - which is currently dealing with the worst inflation in decades, falling into a hard-hitting recession - families are starting to feel the cold. The majority of British families are not sure they can afford a Christmas dinner this year, while others are resorting to dog food to survive. Other families, in addition, are skipping meals to make ends meet. Earlier this month, UK Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt noted that the increase in energy costs brought on by the Western sanctions on Ukraine cost the UK economy £140 billion.

In late November, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg insensibly stressed that even though sending financial and military aid to Ukraine is draining Europe and is coming at a high cost for Europeans, the West must continue delivering aid to Ukraine.

Watch: The UK is witnessing the largest drop in the standard of living in 66 years

Within the same month, the Bank of England raised interest rates to 3%, increasing from 2.25% - the biggest increase since 1989. Forecasts from the bank predict that the UK will be enduring 40-year-high inflation, reaching 11% during the incumbent quarter. However, Britain has already entered a recession that may last up to 2 years - even longer than what it endured during the 2008-09 financial crisis.

Other Western banks are responding similarly to the high inflation rates, including the United States, which has also been failing its economy and social protection by hiking interest rates.