A question for the older people on the board.

[SonOfSlobone]

When the film was made, the bombs were pretty small and if you were lucky enough to be far enough away, Duck and Cover made some sense. As the bombs got bigger and more powerful, it became less relevant (which is why when we had the drill in Junior High...yes, mid 70's it still was around, we would always add 'kiss your ass goodbye').

I've been cleaning out my Grandma's house and came across a pile of stuff the Government sent out in the 60's. One is an official Evacuation Map for her town...where you lived indicated what shelter you were to go to. Another is a 40 page book on how to prepare your home bomb shelter...complete with an address sticker with a code on it to tell you which pages applied specifically to HER house. It is fascinating reading although terribly useless.

Civil defense it turns out was actually more sinister than we realized at the time, here's why.

In a nuclear exchange between US and Russia, the first strike would aim at the enemy's missiles, so they couldn't fire back. You didn't aim for the cities because you didn't have the capability to do both at the same time.

Then your opponent, if they had any missiles that hadn't been taken out, would aim at your cities, to punish you for having sent out the first strike.

So if you were trying to protect your people, it was against a retaliatory strike. You wouldn't do that unless you wanted first strike capability. So that means that when the government started taking civil defense seriously -- fallout shelters etc. -- we were gearing up for first strike ability against Russia. This really accelerated under Kennedy, Eisenhower wasn't that interested.

BTW, Star Wars missile shield is also a first strike weapon for pretty much the same reason. That's why the Soviet Union hated it so much -- not because they were planning to attack us, but because they were afraid we (Reagan) would attack them.

 

[voyager1994]

In terms of global security and safety, the world is going backwards.

 

[G-Lexington]

Overall, better. Although one might say it's six steps forward and four steps back. But that's still two steps ahead of where we started.

Lex

 

[Ryuukie]

Better. Definitely better.

 

[Adrock-JD]

I'll get back to you as soon as I figure-out how this new fangled thing works.

 

[TickTockMan]

Oregon was the only state that had people die. Do a Google search for Japanese Balloon Bombs; over 9000 were launched, 1000 or so made it to the states. To this day there are many unaccounted for. A buddy of mine found the remains of one here in Colorado about 6 years ago.

I didn’t write as clear as I should have. I don’t really count releasing balloons in a hit or miss way as an attack. When I wrote Oregon was attacked I meant Japan sent in a bomber that dropped bombs in Oregon. The casualties I wrote about were achieved through the balloon bombs. So yes overall almost all of the US, Canada, and Northern Mexico were also attacked, but only Oregon was attacked in an offensive designed to destroy certain things.

Point proven. Y2K, Black Fridays. I've seen the vids. It's very much survival of the fittest. But that also applies on the upswing. Who knows what all has been done in the name of the dollar?

But what I was referring to was a shift in core values, regardless of economy. There was a time that children left the nest. Now it is not unheard of for "children" to stay in the parents home to the age of 30. It was once that the word pregnant was never spoken in the media. Now it is not unheard of to see a 14 yr old in her 2nd trimester. Eating habits- three squares a day around the table with the family is now a breakfast burrito in the car pool lane. Or a cereal straw with a glass of milk. Ask not what your country can do for you? More like here's some stimulus money, go spend. And don't even get me started on health care. But it's not all doom and gloom. Ref. Neil Patrick Harris, could he do what he's done 30 years ago? 50?

Good points.

Personally I think its because people don't parent enough, or they baby their 20, 30, and 40 year old children. Some even do both.

I have often thought about what the world would be like if it were to "start over" in a science experiment.

 

[TickTockMan]

Thanks to all that answered. I find the replies fascinating.

 

[Beanstalk]

Obviously, in many ways things have gotten better. I never cease to be amazed at the pace of computer advance! I remember the day the pocket calculator could actually fit in your pocket (please help me to my walker), and now I can chat for free to friends on the other side of the globe, or post articles to my web site that are immediately accessible for free to anyone on the planet.

But in some very important ways, this world has become colder and darker. I was a child of the 60's (can you hand me my teeth? They're in the jar.) And I remember the glorious freedom of those days. There was a real celebration of diversity. Everyone felt free to do what they wanted, regardless of old standards or cultural expectations. People dressed in extravagant and colorful costumes, celebrating the opportunity to be uniquely themselves. Now the standards of acceptable behavior are getting narrower and narrower all the time. If you are not just like everybody else, you had better get out of town! (I did.) And as for clothing fashions, it is all baggy and black these days.

I remember way back when I was a child (I think that was before the invention of the electric light, but I could be wrong -- my memory is going), and my older brother propounded his theory -- an incredible theory for a child of 12 -- that the length of a man's hair was in direct proportion to his self-respect. Thus, in the Renaissance, men wore their hair long, and the loss of hair, from Samson to prison ingress, has always accompanied a loss of self-respect. Anecdotally, I remember a man who was very successful and arrogant and proud, and wore his hair long and flowing. Then one day all his money was stolen, and he cut off all his hair and decided to return to theological seminary.

Anyway, in many ways, I really think . . . what was I talking about?

More Light!

 

[fetaby]

I didn’t write as clear as I should have. I don’t really count releasing balloons in a hit or miss way as an attack. When I wrote Oregon was attacked I meant Japan sent in a bomber that dropped bombs in Oregon. The casualties I wrote about were achieved through the balloon bombs. So yes overall almost all of the US, Canada, and Northern Mexico were also attacked, but only Oregon was attacked in an offensive designed to destroy certain things.




Good points.

Personally I think its because people don't parent enough, or they baby their 20, 30, and 40 year old children. Some even do both.

I have often thought about what the world would be like if it were to "start over" in a science experiment.

And here we go again! If we all fall down? Would we not all then be on the same level?

 

[TickTockMan]

And here we go again! If we all fall down? Would we not all then be on the same level?

That was kind of my point, would we be? Things like WWI and WWII, The Cold War etc has shaped us. If they had never happened what would life be like.



If we could start a new way of life and watch it like The Truman Show would it mimic us or would it go its own way? If a group of people raised their kids like they were living in the earliest days of man and we could watch, to me that would be fascinating. The down side is I wouldn’t live long enough to know the outcome.

Anyways I think too much about dumb stuff.

 

[fetaby]

Obviously, in many ways things have gotten better. I never cease to be amazed at the pace of computer advance! I remember the day the pocket calculator could actually fit in your pocket (please help me to my walker), and now I can chat for free to friends on the other side of the globe, or post articles to my web site that are immediately accessible for free to anyone on the planet.

But in some very important ways, this world has become colder and darker. I was a child of the 60's (can you hand me my teeth? They're in the jar.) And I remember the glorious freedom of those days. There was a real celebration of diversity. Everyone felt free to do what they wanted, regardless of old standards or cultural expectations. People dressed in extravagant and colorful costumes, celebrating the opportunity to be uniquely themselves. Now the standards of acceptable behavior are getting narrower and narrower all the time. If you are not just like everybody else, you had better get out of town! (I did.) And as for clothing fashions, it is all baggy and black these days.

I remember way back when I was a child (I think that was before the invention of the electric light, but I could be wrong -- my memory is going), and my older brother propounded his theory -- an incredible theory for a child of 12 -- that the length of a man's hair was in direct proportion to his self-respect. Thus, in the Renaissance, men wore their hair long, and the loss of hair, from Samson to prison ingress, has always accompanied a loss of self-respect. Anecdotally, I remember a man who was very successful and arrogant and proud, and wore his hair long and flowing. Then one day all his money was stolen, and he cut off all his hair and decided to return to theological seminary.

Anyway, in many ways, I really think . . . what was I talking about?

More Light!

Bravo, Encore. And if it will help ease your arthritis,

 

[fetaby]

That was kind of my point, would we be? Things like WWI and WWII, The Cold War etc has shaped us. If they had never happened what would life be like. Well, I've heard history has a way of repeating itself.



If we could start a new way of life and watch it like The Truman Show would it mimic us or would it go its own way? If a group of people raised their kids like they were living in the earliest days of man and we could watch, to me that would be fascinating. The down side is I wouldn’t live long enough to know the outcome. In college? Go Anthropology.

Anyways I think too much about dumb stuff.

Nah, it's all in the name of innocent fun.

Would we mimic? Only if we put in what we are. What do we subtract, what do we add? Let the experiment begin!

 

[Yooper]

A backwards move, especially for Americans, is the lack of leisure time.

Most full time jobs only give 2 weeks of annual vacation for the first 5 years or so. And I read somewhere that most people don't even take it all. I'm all for drive and ambition, but if we don't take the time to enjoy the 'fruits of our labors' what's the point?

I'm a product of the 60's too. What happened to the promise that Technology would allow us all to take three day workweeks?

 

[fetaby]

A backwards move, especially for Americans, is the lack of leisure time.

Most full time jobs only give 2 weeks of annual vacation for the first 5 years or so. And I read somewhere that most people don't even take it all. I'm all for drive and ambition, but if we don't take the time to enjoy the 'fruits of our labors' what's the point?

I'm a product of the 60's too. What happened to the promise that Technology would allow us all to take three day workweeks?

Whosaidwhat? Now I'm

MY FEET HURT

It seems with the addition of technology, it's just more to keep up with. Hell, I can't even post in a thread for checking pm's. And don't get me started on phantom cell phone rings.

 

[Yooper]

Tried to find the video for 3 day weeks.

Fail.

But I did find this one!



And this one which is even creepier:

 

[BINOWGAYLATER]

it's better sure - but it's becoming more difficult to deal with all the "progress" for those over 60 -
It was great to "imagine" things like "flip-top" communicators" on StarTreck because they were just science fiction- but now that i i walk around with one - it's different -
How did i get along without one for 50 years? just fine - but there are instances where it saves times -
some of the technology is jaw-dropping awesome - the internet - without question- but i have such hate for things like TEXTING --
I don't have HDTV, a DVR recorder, hell i could barely figure out my VCR . now i cant even get tapes anymore.
i never seen Wii -- or played a video game - i don't have an IPOD -
I'm scared to go shopping for a new radio - because i know i need to get the "new kind" - but the IPOD docking stations scare me - cuz i won't even need to know that..
The X and or Y generations have lost their people skills - if they were ever gonna have any - it's not likely now -
16 year olds cannot tell time by a clock on the wall with numbers around the outside and two "hands" - if it's not digital -theycan't cope.
yeah - it's better - sure - but there are costs !!

oh - and twitter ? I'm truly afraid to even go there and look around -- no no no ..... can't do it - not at this time.

 

[Kyanimal]

My teens and twenties were the 60's and 70's. What an exceptional time that was! "Flower Power", "Free Love", Hippies, "weed", Woodstock, the birth of Psychedelic, "Metal" Music, and, later, Disco!

But, there was also tremendous social anxiety, demonstrations, assassinations, the height of the Civil Rights Movement, riots in our cities, Stonewall, the Cold War, the Vietnam "Police Action", a great uncertainty of where civilization was headed, or even if we would survive!

And, yes, Yooper, I was also at the NY Worlds' Fair, and went through the Futurama. THANK YOU! for that video!

I was also at the Berlin Wall. We have certainly come a LONG way since those days!

Yes, we still have long ways to go. But, I think, and feel, that it has gotten, and is getting, Better, as we work our way into our "real" Future!

Of course ... no matter what ...

Keep smilin'!!
Chaz

 

[BINOWGAYLATER]

don't you just love it when Californian's show their intellectual side.

 

[fetaby]

I think if you consider yourself younger, the world seems to be headed backwards. So when you're older you can reminisce about how bad times were, and how all these hooligans have it so easy now! I had to walk 27 miles to go to school, in 15 feet of snow, mind you, up hill both ways! And look at these whippersnappers, just climbing into their hover cars and relaxing while a stinkin machine does all the work.

 

[Yooper]

I think if you consider yourself younger, the world seems to be headed backwards. So when you're older you can reminisce about how bad times were, and how all these hooligans have it so easy now! I had to walk 27 miles to go to school, in 15 feet of snow, mind you, up hill both ways! And look at these whippersnappers, just climbing into their hover cars and relaxing while a stinkin machine does all the work.

The REALLY older generation is in the same boat (80+).

The advance in technology the last 15 or 20 years has extended the life span so greatly, the 'new' stuff is beyond most of their comprehension.

The Digital TV transition is a good example. It is just now becoming common knowledge that there are a number of very Senior people don't have TV anymore and they don't understand why.

When my Grandmother's old TV finally died, I got her a new one with a Remote Control. She never did figure out how to use it or change the channel without a physical dial on it. She was convinced the world was going to hell in a handbasket.