OT : That bitch Zimmerman is gonna fight DMX

[Eagle Road]

His point was that everyone always thinks society has massively declined since their youth, when it's really just perception and selective memory.

This is really brilliant marketing by Zimmerman. He's working the patriotic, xenophobic 'murica angle. Plus, he's already got the hardcore racists in the palm of his hand.

I'm not surprised at all that people are buying his paintings.

I know what he was implying, and too a degree on some things, I buy it. I just don't remember worthless people being called celebrities like they are now.

[Drama Queen]

...but you tend to agree with him?

That's just old man speak. People have enjoyed bread and circuses since the beginning of civilization.

The metaphor "bread and circuses" is most often used to describe a general decline in a society.

[IronEagle]

That's just old man speak. People have enjoyed bread and circuses since the beginning of civilization.

The media is different now than during the beginning of civilization. Used to be you had to see something in person or hear it word of mouth. Than, you could read about it. Then it was possible for mass dissemination of printed material. Then it was possible for mass dissemination of audio. Then mass dissemination of moving pictures. Then radio, TV, cable/satellite TV and now the internet.

I believe a lot of the reasons people think society has declined are not because they are old but because people get exposed to a lot more things than they used to. Also the current state of our mass media with YouTube videos, etc. allows more things a mass media outlet.

Some of this might have been filtered out when there was less media outlets available. For example, a lot of stuff which goes viral now never would have been seen beyond the fraternity house walls before the internet and smartphones.

But yeah, sensationalistic stuff like the Gladiators and bullfights existed long long ago.

[Eagle Road]

Although I agree with the media part, I have to admit, the more I think about it Terp may be right. Sure there have always been the attractions to train wrecks.

Hell even Bonnie/Clyde and Dillinger were to a point "celebrities". I guess what I am alluding to more than that is the decline of certain skills that you will never see in society again.

You guys live in or close to some of the cities with most awe inspiring architecture in the whole country, stone and brick buildings that were constructed by craftsman who trade secrets are dead and gone, never will you ever see a new building that has that "value" to it.

Look at hand writing, by any stretch of the imagination, it's dead, half of the people, probably more than half can't write a sentence in cursive.

The English language has been pushed, pulled, and morphed into something I can barely recognize at times.

I just remember when I was small there were things that were "special" on Sunday's you wore your best, you got "dressed" for dinner, nobody wore jeans to a wedding.

I am just as guilty on some of these items as others, not saying I am perfect, just saying I kinda miss some of those things, and really don't think that as fast as everything moves today, we will ever see them again.

Flame away, I'm done reminiscing.

[JDuggernaut]

People getting famous for nothing/terrible acts

is not just an American fad. It has happened, to some extent, for millennia and around the world. For instance, this guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issei_Sagawa

Or this lady

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locusta

[Greenstealth]

Man acquitted of murder vs drug addict felon wannabee murderer who barks in his tracks. Where do I pay?

[Drama Queen]

I guess the bigger question is: Can a society decline? If so, then it maybe it's not always old geezer speak.

[Corkey_for_President]

My soon-to-be 81 year old father LOVES to say:

Although I agree with the media part, I have to admit, the more I think about it Terp may be right. Sure there have always been the attractions to train wrecks.

Hell even Bonnie/Clyde and Dillinger were to a point "celebrities". I guess what I am alluding to more than that is the decline of certain skills that you will never see in society again.

You guys live in or close to some of the cities with most awe inspiring architecture in the whole country, stone and brick buildings that were constructed by craftsman who trade secrets are dead and gone, never will you ever see a new building that has that "value" to it.

Look at hand writing, by any stretch of the imagination, it's dead, half of the people, probably more than half can't write a sentence in cursive.

The English language has been pushed, pulled, and morphed into something I can barely recognize at times.

I just remember when I was small there were things that were "special" on Sunday's you wore your best, you got "dressed" for dinner, nobody wore jeans to a wedding.

I am just as guilty on some of these items as others, not saying I am perfect, just saying I kinda miss some of those things, and really don't think that as fast as everything moves today, we will ever see them again.

Flame away, I'm done reminiscing.

"If it were the good ol' days, I'd probably be dead by now."

We have made TREMENDOUS progress in many aspects of life as well as sliding backwards in many others.

[TerpEagle]

The media is different now than during the beginning of civilization. Used to be you had to see something in person or hear it word of mouth. Than, you could read about it. Then it was possible for mass dissemination of printed material. Then it was possible for mass dissemination of audio. Then mass dissemination of moving pictures. Then radio, TV, cable/satellite TV and now the internet.

I believe a lot of the reasons people think society has declined are not because they are old but because people get exposed to a lot more things than they used to. Also the current state of our mass media with YouTube videos, etc. allows more things a mass media outlet.

Some of this might have been filtered out when there was less media outlets available. For example, a lot of stuff which goes viral now never would have been seen beyond the fraternity house walls before the internet and smartphones.

But yeah, sensationalistic stuff like the Gladiators and bullfights existed long long ago.

I think exposure and access to information are the biggest differences.

EDIT:

And those are things that constantly grow as society advances in size and technological sophistication.

[TerpEagle]

Although I agree with the media part, I have to admit, the more I think about it Terp may be right. Sure there have always been the attractions to train wrecks.

Hell even Bonnie/Clyde and Dillinger were to a point "celebrities". I guess what I am alluding to more than that is the decline of certain skills that you will never see in society again.

You guys live in or close to some of the cities with most awe inspiring architecture in the whole country, stone and brick buildings that were constructed by craftsman who trade secrets are dead and gone, never will you ever see a new building that has that "value" to it.

Look at hand writing, by any stretch of the imagination, it's dead, half of the people, probably more than half can't write a sentence in cursive.

The English language has been pushed, pulled, and morphed into something I can barely recognize at times.

I just remember when I was small there were things that were "special" on Sunday's you wore your best, you got "dressed" for dinner, nobody wore jeans to a wedding.

I am just as guilty on some of these items as others, not saying I am perfect, just saying I kinda miss some of those things, and really don't think that as fast as everything moves today, we will ever see them again.

Flame away, I'm done reminiscing.

Sanskrit, Egyptian hieroglyphics and Latin are dead or useless languages for all intents and purposes. Those languages were molded into many of the languages spoken today. Things change. Good, bad, indifferent?

Reading and writing on paper is being replaced with high volume digital content. Letters that took days to deliver are now emailed/texted/tweeted in seconds. People that live far apart and/or haven't seen each other in years catch up with each other on Facebook. Interaction is fast and easy, but is it as personal, appreciated and well thought out? Good, bad, indifferent?

Travel across continents and oceans that used to take days/weeks can now happen in hours. But planes are heavy polluters. Good, bad, indifferent?

Infant mortality in the US has dropped from over 55% to less than 8% since 1935. Life expectancy in the US is up from just under 70 in 1960 to almost 79. The United states has the highest median age in history and baby boomers make up over 25% of the US population while healthcare costs keep rising. Good, bad, indifferent?

Things change. It's not all good, but for the most part, at least in the US, things are better than ever before - contrary to the fire and brimstone that people want to spew.

[Eagle Road]

Sanskrit, Egyptian hieroglyphics and Latin are dead or useless languages for all intents and purposes. Those languages were molded into many of the languages spoken today. Things change. Good, bad, indifferent?

Reading and writing on paper is being replaced with high volume digital content. Letters that took days to deliver are now emailed/texted/tweeted in seconds. People that live far apart and/or haven't seen each other in years catch up with each other on Facebook. Interaction is fast and easy, but is it as personal, appreciated and well thought out? Good, bad, indifferent?

Travel across continents and oceans that used to take days/weeks can now happen in hours. But planes are heavy polluters. Good, bad, indifferent?

Infant mortality in the US has dropped from over 55% to less than 8% since 1935. Life expectancy in the US is up from just under 70 in 1960 to almost 79. The United states has the highest median age in history and baby boomers make up over 25% of the US population while healthcare costs keep rising. Good, bad, indifferent?

Things change. It's not all good, but for the most part, at least in the US, things are better than ever before - contrary to the fire and brimstone that people want to spew.

If that is all true, and I'm not saying it isn't, then why so many people out begging on street corners, how come so many unemployed, what percentage of kids grow up in families that are broken?

Yes, I agree, the technology is great, I'm just wondering if the trade off is unbalanced.

May I ask what year you were born?

[TerpEagle]

If that is all true, and I'm not saying it isn't, then why so many people out begging on street corners, how come so many unemployed, what percentage of kids grow up in families that are broken?

Yes, I agree, the technology is great, I'm just wondering if the trade off is unbalanced.

Poverty dropped significantly after WW2 and then has cycled for the last 60 years. Same goes for unemployment.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/11/poverty-in-the-50-years-since-the-other-america-in-five-charts/

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate

As far as broken families, I think there are multiple reasons for more single-parent households. Economics play a part - greater gender equality doesn't force women to remain married in a bad situation. And for many people, the nuclear family is not as valued. I don't deny that it's problematic is many cases.

I'd say the biggest different though between then and now for all of that is exposure. There are more people now and we're more interconnected. It's also selective to think only of the bad things that you see in today's world and to only remember the good things from before.

[Eagle Road]

Poverty dropped significantly after WW2 and then has cycled for the last 60 years. Same goes for unemployment.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/11/poverty-in-the-50-years-since-the-other-america-in-five-charts/

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate

As far as broken families, I think there are multiple reasons for more single-parent households. Economics play a part - greater gender equality doesn't force women to remain married in a bad situation. And for many people, the nuclear family is not as valued. I don't deny that it's problematic is many cases.

I'd say the biggest different though between then and now for all of that is exposure. There are more people now and we're more interconnected. It's also selective to think only of the bad things that you see in today's world and to only remember the good things from before.

I realize that those of us who lived in the 50's, 60's 70's probably do remember those times looking though rose colored glasses.

But that is a lot different than never having lived in those years at all. People that where born after say 1980, really have no clue as to how life was then, any more than I would try and guess what life was like in the 30's.

I just seem to remember people being more courteous to one another, more trusting, had more pride in their work and their worth.

[harls]

I realize that those of us who lived in the 50's, 60's 70's probably do remember those times looking though rose colored glasses.

But that is a lot different than never having lived in those years at all. People that where born after say 1980, really have no clue as to how life was then, any more than I would try and guess what life was like in the 30's.

I just seem to remember people being more courteous to one another, more trusting, had more pride in their work and their worth.

As long as those people were white chistian males.... while the days gone past were better in some ways they were much worse in others.

[Melchior]

I realize that those of us who lived in the 50's, 60's 70's probably do remember those times looking though rose colored glasses.

But that is a lot different than never having lived in those years at all. People that where born after say 1980, really have no clue as to how life was then, any more than I would try and guess what life was like in the 30's.

I just seem to remember people being more courteous to one another, more trusting, had more pride in their work and their worth.

Well, relatively speaking, people's work was worth a lot more back then.