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We (As a Society) Peaked in the 90s

chris.pagecord.com

81–90 of 131 posts

Re: We (As a Society) Peaked in the 90s

#81
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes of course I am. This is the best possible time quite literally. Barely any conflict. The entire world, including 'poor' countries, are getting richer. Like the world of 2100 is going to be F'ING amazing. We are making our way to a post scarcity world and it's amazing. All the negative news you hear everyday are just distractions from what's actually going on.

> Barely any conflict I feel like you might not be paying much attention.

The last century was characterized by two mega wars that killed tens of millions and social changes / revolutions that killed tens of millions as well. This century is off to an AMAZING start. Perhaps unprecedentedly good in world history.

And of course before this century, resource scarcity, lack of modern medicine, etc meant a grueling life of farmwork, living in a hovel, and being sent off to random wars. Now people complain because they can't get a 1500 sq ft home and garden. Come on guys be real.

Not to mention brutal state violence being commonplace , punishments being swift yet often unjust, etc. of course even previous conflicts used to show a brazen disregard for life. Thirty years, 100 years of war, etc

Re: We (As a Society) Peaked in the 90s

#82
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I too loved that song as a kid, but it's from 1985. It felt like the right song for that era too!

True! But so indelibly linked to the 1997 election, and all the promise and promises of the incoming Labour government.

Exactly. I think everyone in the UK of a certain age would just think New Labour if they heard that song.

Also made a bit of a comeback with the Starmer govt, after it was played at the election announcement and tapped into the 90s revival with Oasis & Britpop coming back in vogue.

Re: We (As a Society) Peaked in the 90s

#83
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Barely any conflict I feel like you might not be paying much attention.

The last century was characterized by two mega wars that killed tens of millions and social changes / revolutions that killed tens of millions as well. This century is off to an AMAZING start. Perhaps unprecedentedly good in world history. And of course before this century, resource scarcity, lack of modern medicine, etc meant a grueling life of farmwork, living in a hovel, and being sent off to random wars. Now peop…

This is true but being able to afford a home, close to where you can find work and develop your social status further, is a pretty important part of life so not particularly surprising kids are miffed about that.

Re: We (As a Society) Peaked in the 90s

#84

Your perception of the best decade is correlated with your age https://today.yougov.com/society/articles/53769-what-are-the...

I've seen a few people point this out in this thread, but, seriously? There's a generation that are going to say the 2020's were the best decade? I think that suggests: 1) Things are getting worse from decade to decade and, 2) If you weren't alive in an earlier decade you don't know how great it was. (Personally, I saw the creek start running with shit when cable TV exploded and at the same time trash AM talk-radio b…

But this implicitly assumes everyone experiences the 2020s in the same way which is not true. Yes it's a shitshow for many people but for an a not insignificant proportion the 2020s are pretty great.

Re: We (As a Society) Peaked in the 90s

#85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup that's the thing: it's not only people who lived that era who do wish they could live in it today. I never wanted to live in the post-WW II late 40s/50s: maybe the sixties though. For honestly the late 40s and 50s looked incredibly dull. Just dull: movies were dull, acting was dumb, music was mostly pathetic save for a few exceptions. The boomers really lived the absolute dullest, naive, era and nobody fantasizes…

I'd be curious to see the 20's since it seems like that was it's own like big breakout time culturally.

Yeah I think part of the limitations of these conversations is the constraints on how we look at time. The arbitrary boomers/gen x/millennial categorisation. When what seems to make more sense is big cultural societal changes. Which would fit into thinking of the history arc as 1920s > mid-1960s/1970s > 2000s

Re: We (As a Society) Peaked in the 90s

#87
post #40
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes of course I am. This is the best possible time quite literally. Barely any conflict. The entire world, including 'poor' countries, are getting richer. Like the world of 2100 is going to be F'ING amazing. We are making our way to a post scarcity world and it's amazing. All the negative news you hear everyday are just distractions from what's actually going on.

Is this satire?

No not at all. The world is way better off today than at any time in the past. This is objectively true and we can all feel it everyday we don't die of dysentery, sepsis, etc.

Re: We (As a Society) Peaked in the 90s

#88

Yeah it was great if you weren't gay.

There was also rampant bullying of millions who weren't white, rich, straight, a celebrity, and/or neurotypical in 80's-90's America. That was also the era when Epstein, Trump, and pals allegedly raped "models" (12-17-yo's) with impunity. Similarly, society enabled Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Jimmy Savile, and ...

Re: We (As a Society) Peaked in the 90s

#90
post #70
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kids these days can't even play outside by themselves, let alone explore alone or be unsupervised miles from home with no adults like we could when I was a kid in the 90s and 2000s. What else can they do other than use social media? The creeping infantilization of the youth has robbed them of any chance for socializing or fun that exists outside of a screen.

Are you sure it's not the other way around? That all of this is happening because of social media, phones, etc?

I'd say it's more likely thanks to more cars and better news coverage, now you hear about every kid being attacked/abused, while in past this was not so widely available knowledge playing into parents fear
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