Has U. S. society/culture deteriorated beyond repair?

[pat grimshaw]

Ninja, i would include the Catholics in with your WASP generalisation

 

[Enduster]

The good old days never existed IMO. And the moaning about how generations are doomed...my mom heard that back in the 60's.

Agreed. Same as it ever was. The oldsters whine about those whippersnappers walking on their yard. Convenient memory about how they used to walk 14 miles to school, in the rain or snow, uphill, both ways. *snore*

If it's too loud you're too old.

 

[Enduster]

Yes, the U.S. has really gone down in more ways than one. Yes, it's beyond repair, and will never again be what it once was, and may well collapse totally.

Upbeat, positive, and uplifting, as always I see.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

this a olders a gens ans youngs a gens all same twat
made a from same twat

internet 2 repeat like same 24 folk live on it

dat mean like population usa plots like 50 folk only

anyway

how many lands a go da usa past 500 yrs?
willins ans not - hint NOT include lot a folk

there go

sumthang ta waste tie on folk nose fa eva already

this was nice

happy porn day

thankyou

 

[KariRandall]

One thing for me..as I said before, when I hear about the good old days...they were only good if you were a WASP.
For everyone else,they pretty much sucked.

That was covered by me way back in post #48.

I saw that talk show when some black guys was spouting that line, and there is some truth to it. There were a lot of blacks in music and athletics that would disagree. During the 1950s and 1960s as integration was blooming doors were opening. By the 1970s African American culture was going mainstream. No it is not done yet, but in the second half of the twentieth century progress was made.

In case you forget we did have a Roman Catholic President in 1960 from one of the wealthiest families in America. And, I do recall a Roman Catholic VP of Pepsi living in our neighborhood when I grew up. "The good old days" are whatever you made of them. Stop trying to blame someone else for your personal failures. I for one was active in politics and had one tight bubble butt that was in demand. It was party time, and I made the most of it! Those who whined got what they deserved - nothing. Life is what you make it.

Now we all get the corporate gray of the 21st century with people walking around staring at the little plastic boxes in their hand looking for amusement from their software. Time just goes by, no one is living anymore.

I am married, I live in my own world with friends of my own choosing, and watch the average American giving away their freedom as they beg some anonymous corporation for a life. I hope I am wrong. Best to the 99ers/Occupy Wall Street. Americans have taken what they have been given for so long, I hold little hope for them to stand up on their own. Meanwhile at our house. The party goes on. It is all a question of attitude. We will succeed because we believe we can.

 

[RobinGoodfellow]

1) LIfe is not as bad you think it is...

2) Why is it everyone always thinks that life sucks compared to how they THINK it was as a kid? From Socrates on down, everyone has always complained that life is getting worse. You know, despite longer, healthier lives, despite having more choices, and even despite that most of what humanity has set out to do we've done.

People far too easily confuse the world they knew as a kid with what was actually happening at the time, and then attach nostalgia to it. Then they honestly believe the nostalgia over the actual memory. When they get older, they seem to forget the struggles or put them in a rose-colored light, and so....we get people that forget just how hard things really were.

Some people just have an inability to look back and see what honestly happened...

RG

 

[seven2go]

Agreed. Same as it ever was. The oldsters whine about those whippersnappers walking on their yard. Convenient memory about how they used to walk 14 miles to school, in the rain or snow, uphill, both ways. *snore*

If it's too loud you're too old.

Here we go.......
You're OLD enough to not sling around that worn out cliche.......

The point of the whole thread is many kids have no "chores" required of them anymore and if they do the PARENTS aren't making them carry through. Mowing the grass was just an example but true nevertheless.
There are kids who actually LIKE to be busy with things that DON'T have anything to do Xboxes and such.
I think of all the young people who staff fast food joints and work in grocery and retail stores. Glamorous no........productive and good life experiences yes.
They are developing good work ethics and I hope THEY are the ones who will wind up running the world.

 

[RobinGoodfellow]

Institutional Privilege - you might want to explore the concept.

Biggest load of BS ever invented in order to explain why some people fail. With the majority of scholarships geared specifically towards minorities going unclaimed, I'm really annoyed at people who claim "not enough money" for why they don't go to college. You really want to see more blacks succeed? Quit picking on the nerds, stop looking towards athletics and rap for instant success, and stop calling people "Uncle Toms" that want to get out of the urban sprawl that they are living in. Better yet, don't wear party dresses and sagging pants to a job interview and then call the interviewer "racist" for not hiring you; sour grapes do no one any good.

And then somewhere along the line realize that everyone has had to deal with discrimination on some level; I know white males that have not been hired simply because they were white males. Diversity issues are a part of it, but so are those with a feminist agenda or simply don't like white people.

You can claim "institutional privilege" all you want; it just doesn't hold water...

RG

 

[KariRandall]

1) LIfe is not as bad you think it is...

2) Why is it everyone always thinks that life sucks compared to how they THINK it was as a kid? From Socrates on down, everyone has always complained that life is getting worse. You know, despite longer, healthier lives, despite having more choices, and even despite that most of what humanity has set out to do we've done.

People far too easily confuse the world they knew as a kid with what was actually happening at the time, and then attach nostalgia to it. Then they honestly believe the nostalgia over the actual memory. When they get older, they seem to forget the struggles or put them in a rose-colored light, and so....we get people that forget just how hard things really were.

Some people just have an inability to look back and see what honestly happened...

RG

Let's try something easy for all to understand. This is what the back seat of a Cadillac Brougham looked like in 1982 the year I was born.

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

This is what what the back seat of a Cadillac Brougham looks like in the 2012 model. Got it?

Right, we just threw away a design we had since 1916 for the beauty that is Cadillac today! ​

 

[Treborf]

No, that's not a sign of cultural deterioration.

For one,you've given one example and there's no reason to believe it can be generalized any further than your neighborhood. For your consideration - I saw two young men mowing and trimming their lawn Thursday evening. What does that tell you about American culture? Absolutely nothing, just like your observation.

Do. Two: America doesn't have a work ethic problem whatsoever. See http://***********/7zn22z6. America has many problems indeed, but people not working hard enough is not one of them. If anything, it's the opposite. For the past few years, the major issue in the country has been that there are millions of people willing and able to do plenty of work, but no work for them to do (aka unemployment).

Three: that's just a shallow measure of cultural deterioration. Consider that we've overcome segregation, and that violent crimes are at their lowest levels in decades, and that gay people have been integrated into the mainstream, and that we've had women's lib, and that this country used to practice fucking SLAVERY. Considering all that, I think our society can rebound from a couple of teens skipping their weekend chores.

 

[bankside]

Failing to make Cadillac Broughams any more is like failing to make polyester leisure suits any more.

First of all, a Cadillac has never been a Bentley.

Secondly, in the year you were born, KariRandall, this conversation would have occurred in block text on a computer "BBS"on a black-and-white screen using something called a 300 baud modem that was the size of a small desktop scanner with two rubber cups on it that you actually had to jam the telephone headset into. There would have been only a few tens of thousands of people with the technical capability to set up the equipment. And it would have cost five to ten thousand dollars, before adjusting for inflation.

Today, in contrast, and grossly oversimplifying, my computer is currently connected wirelessly at 19 750 000 "baud" using technology so smooth and transparent that I have largely forgotten how it works and so cheap that I have a few computers of varying ages kicking around doing odd tasks in the house. I have to think carefully to remember how many.

A fair portion of that technology was invented in the US. And I can use it to access world culture including US culture. I have a music store in my home. I have a department store in my home. I have a research library in my home.

A Cadillac Brougham is a small price to pay for that advancement.

 

[FREDDIE187]

My humble opinion as an astute observer from afar.

YES! (and it gives me no pleasure to say so)

Furthermore, America seems to be determined to continue with the self destruction.

 

[pat grimshaw]

^ Oh, The humanity!... no...no...The vanity!

 

[unclaimedblessing]

Add road rage to my previous list.

Additionally, last night a Rolling Stone reporter was a guest on Bill Maher's show. He did an indepth report on the Apple factory in China. They employ over 400K Chinese and literally work them to death. One man died after working 37 hours straight.

The Apple company has hundreds of millions in profit, yet they,the Chinese Government and the American consumer don't give a rats ass about the heinous working conditions. It was only about 10 years ago that the public was ready to crucify Kathy Lee Gifford when it was reported that she owned/endorsed a childrens clothing line that was produced by almost criminal "Sweatshop" child labor in Latin America.

The lack of public interest and continued purchase of Apple products clearly indicate a decline in American concern which definitely impacts on our society and culture.

 

[KariRandall]

No, that's not a sign of cultural deterioration.

For one,you've given one example and there's no reason to believe it can be generalized any further than your neighborhood. For your consideration - I saw two young men mowing and trimming their lawn Thursday evening. What does that tell you about American culture? Absolutely nothing, just like your observation.

Do. Two: America doesn't have a work ethic problem whatsoever. See http://***********/7zn22z6. America has many problems indeed, but people not working hard enough is not one of them. If anything, it's the opposite. For the past few years, the major issue in the country has been that there are millions of people willing and able to do plenty of work, but no work for them to do (aka unemployment).

Three: that's just a shallow measure of cultural deterioration. Consider that we've overcome segregation, and that violent crimes are at their lowest levels in decades, and that gay people have been integrated into the mainstream, and that we've had women's lib, and that this country used to practice fucking SLAVERY. Considering all that, I think our society can rebound from a couple of teens skipping their weekend chores.

No one except you is discussing segregation. Obviously, it was a social step forward.

Tell you what. Next time you drive past that house where the fellows were maintaining that yard see if you can find out what that house is worth, and what their income was is, because I will bet you what was built as a middle class house now takes an upper middle class income to maintain.

Our tract house went on the market in 1951 with 1200 square feet, three bedroom, one bath, $11,750. Today, the house itself is probably worth $100,000, but the property, walking distance to the Pacific Ocean and gay Surfrider State Beach is worth over a million bucks. I rest my case.

Yes, we inherited the house, but we need a hefty income order to keep what was the middle class only 60 years ago! By the way, we wash our own windows, no signs on the grocery store bulletin board from teens wiling to do the work. Too busy with their new Playstations I guess!

 

[RobinGoodfellow]

Let's try something easy for all to understand. This is what the back seat of a Cadillac Brougham looked like in 1982 the year I was born.

Er....And this has what to do with so-called "institutional privilege"?

[Just Because: I'm not saying that racism doesn't exist, just so-called "privilege"...]

RG

 

[KariRandall]

Er....And this has what to do with so-called "institutional privilege"?

[Just Because: I'm not saying that racism doesn't exist, just so-called "privilege"...]

RG

I have no idea what your post means, but I will dumb mine down. Used to be a Cadillac was a big luxurious automobile, not a pick up truck, and not an SUV. There was enough room in the back seat for two kids to play with room to spare. The classic Brougham roof line had been around since 1916. If you had read the the link I provided about the Brougham roof line you would realize it was classic styling used in many automobiles before everything looked like a fucking Toyota and the back seat was about the size of a woman's purse!

We set the standard, then we forgot everything we knew. Now you can not tell a Toyota from a Taurus, and that is because of greed and a lack of willingness to show creativity in what we Americans do. Please, you morons, this has nothing to do with segregation, it is how we view life and style.

Brougham style roof line, 1964 Lincoln custom limo.

Piece of shit Toyota, cookie-cutter roof line. An 8 year old could create this.​

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

folk already know fa eons>
usa bunch a tulips no idea wot a doins

same fa rest planet lables go fa lands ans populations happy take ta no life boat option

so why waste time spit out wank wot folk repeat fa eva ?

economoics lot a shit
idea of people lot a shit
same story every fuckin day

if da millions of tulps world ova wear da titles no can figa wot do ta redirectins da ERROR of wank

then go figa how get tageda ans get on with it

man is man luv talk but shit same place century afta century

no wonda it call high societys

pewwws

thankyou

 

[KariRandall]

And, finally, I use as an example the postings in this thread as examples of the deterioration of U. S. society and culture, and take the win in this thread.

 

[MoufOfKhaos]

You can't win, unless superior inanity is the prize.

And if that's the prize you want to claim, you'll have to fight a couple of people on here for it.