This is the main underlying problem behind what is happening in the world today:
Fiat money - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Everything is based on imaginary money, and the pillocks that leant out this non existent money are reaping what they have sown. We all bought into the dream, our houses increased in value, based upon no solid resources to back the increase, lots of people bought nice things and didn't have the money to pay for it so they borrowed more imaginary money. Now those rivers of non existent money are drying up so there is less to spend, and we are just at the bottom of the chain.
I don't really think there are many more DIY'ers out there than before, i think we are just getting to see the results of their attempts on this forum and getting an imbalanced view that everyone is at it.
As for the foreigners coming taking our work, well i wouldn't blame them, as Colour says, who wouldn't jump at the chance to earn 2 or 3 times you salary somewhere else, guys went to Germany, and the Middle East to earn dosh and didn't complain. The trouble is and i generalise here is that us Brits are very good and going abroad to work and exploit other countries, but ooh we get annoyed when anyone comes to our country and does the same.
The world is a small place these days and we are effected by so many things happening in other countries that 20 years would have no influence on us at all.