OT: I Remember When

[Puke]

Originally posted by TerranC:
Sick as in sick at people reminicing about the old days and what seems to be saying screw the future:

Or

Sick as in look at what our world has turned into in short little 100 years?

*sigh* Nobody even knows the answer anymore.

oh, how modern of you. i lament the old days when wars were fought on horseback, and you killed people by hacking their limbs off. i wish we still fought each other to determine who's god was stronger, rather than for economic might. the world sure was fun back when communications were only as fast as a ship could sail, and before the FDA regulated 'meat' processing plants.
people were SO much more altruistic back then, when the world was green and our hearts were free.

this is a great thread, people here are excercising optimism about the past. you can either look at it as cynicism for the future, or you can take a lesson in identifying what is good in life.

or maybe im just playing the devil's advocate, since the thread got me down.

[Thermodyne]

Damn, I remember when there were no PC’s. I remember taking physics with a slide rule. I remember watches without batteries. I remember 38 cent gas and cars with some guts under the hood. Four dollars a case for beer, good beer, not rotgut. Casual sex without the threat of an incurable STD. But I also remember men dropping dead in their 40’s from heart attacks. And I remember antiwar rallies and race riots. I remember a shanty town on the mall. And I remember a very hot-cold war. I remember gas lines and stations with no gas. I remember a melt down at Three Mile Island. I remember burnt out aircraft carriers returning from the South China Sea. I think we are better off today and that the good old days weren’t all that good

[dogscoff]

and cars with some guts under the hood.

Ewww... What, did you hit a deer?

[ September 30, 2002, 09:00: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

[Gryphin]

Puke,
Reguarding this thread getting you down:
My interpretation is that most of the wars including the Crusades were for economic power. Even the American Revolution was motivated by the merchant class who stood the most to gain from it.
On a positive note:
As for regulating meat: Did you ever read Sinclare Lewis's description of the meat packing industry in the US? I have forgotton the name of it.
Positive note:
Comunications as fast as a ship:
Remember how many people died at the Battle of New Orleans 3 days after a peace treaty was signed.

It is my Optimistic Cynical positon to quote,
"Times Change, People Don't"
I do feel the quality of life improves. The people who talk on cell phones in a restaurant, well, I don't know about them.
I feel people still take as much leasure time as they would have 200 years ago. Work a holics existed back then as they do now.
In short: The pase of life has not increased. Our capacity to fill it has.
Disclamer: I could be way off base here. I just choose to belive all of the above os true.
Life Gets Better.

[Puke]

Originally posted by Gryphin:
Puke,
Reguarding this thread getting you down:
My interpretation is that most of the wars including the Crusades were for economic power. Even the American Revolution was motivated by the merchant class who stood the most to gain from it."

indeed, most religions were invented for social or economic gain. of course that is the motivating factor for any military conflict you could name.

On a positive note:
As for regulating meat: Did you ever read Sinclare Lewis's description of the meat packing industry in the US? I have forgotton the name of it.

Positive note:
Comunications as fast as a ship:
Remember how many people died at the Battle of New Orleans 3 days after a peace treaty was signed.

what the heck is positive about that? that was some gruesome business (in both your examples)! or did you mean that we are better off now than we were before? All of my previous comments were designed to give the impression that modern society is leagues ahead of where we were 'before,' and all of the leave-it-to-beaver glorification of recent history should be taken with a grain of salt.

It is my Optimistic Cynical positon to quote,
"Times Change, People Don't"
I do feel the quality of life improves. The people who talk on cell phones in a restaurant, well, I don't know about them.
I feel people still take as much leasure time as they would have 200 years ago. Work a holics existed back then as they do now.
In short: The pase of life has not increased. Our capacity to fill it has.
Disclamer: I could be way off base here. I just choose to belive all of the above os true.
Life Gets Better.

it sounds like were talking the same language, here.

[Gryphin]

Puke,
Yes, I meant that with near instant comunications we can avoid events like The battle of New Orleans.
And I miss understood your intent. I do feel the qualty of life has gotton better despite some of the negative things.
So, yes we do seem to agree

[geoschmo]

Well, I am glad you two got that settled. Now why don't you guys hug and get out of here so the rest of us can get back to complaining.