I was wondering if you feel that the world has become a better place or a worse place than it was in the 60's. I wasn't around back then (I wish I was though) but I feel that the world is getting progressively shittier as each year passes. Not the world as in the earth itself but as in us humans who inhabit it. But nevermind what I have to say, I'dd rather hear what you guys (and gals) have to say about it.
It's worse, we are in a recession, the earth has gotten more overpopulated and destroyed, more amazon rainforests are being decimated, people are getting nastier and greedier.
I would say the earth is as it has always been. Mass media brings problems to our door in a way that wasn't possible before the internet and TV was in every home. It's easy to focus on the negative when it is so prevalent. But what we have now, as we have always had throughout history, are people that have the challenge to change and overcome their present situation and say, ENOUGH. Increased media (not news media, just media in general) availability has made it a lot easier for people to get distracted, get comfortable, get lazy, and get passive. But before it was the prevalence of media it was adherence to the status quo, or societies pressures to conform. Now more than ever society embraces the individual (although not necessarily individuality). What we are fighting largely now is our own laziness and need to be catered to and never inconvenienced. But through all this you have people going out and making a difference anyway. It may not be news at 7 headlines, and they may not be giving bus tours around the Haight-Ashbury anymore; but there are so many programs available for people to go out and help their fellow man. As an example: The government may have ignored the disasters in the gulf coast, but organizations such as Hands On and AmeriCorps didn't. People are giving up their entire lives to go down and help rebuild. And while Fidelity may be helping invest in the genocide in Darfur, there are groups like FidelityOutofDarfur and various other divestment organizations that are living through the web and their volunteers to get the word out to the people. The world isn't better, and the world isn't worse. Everything is in it's place, as it has always been. Amidst the tragedy and disappointments of even the most "lost generation" there are still those people who refuse to be told that they can't change the world.
Didn't you read the posts? It's definitely worse. and don't just read posts, read the newspapers - there is important stuff there. I guess you are asking if we personally feel it is better or worse. Okay then, I feel that is worse in all terms, but in especially the government caring about its people.
Well I'm only young too but the Netherlands are surely going down hill these last 2-3 years, I don't know what it was like here in the 60's and 70's other then from stories from older family members, but I know what it was like in the mid and late 90's, and thats still a huge difference with now. They're trying to make laws for everything, all the useless stuff you don't need a law for, they're really taking away people's privaty, as in.. recently they're not allowed to listen to all mobile phone conversations even if they have no reason. I don't like the way things are going but there just don't seem to be enough people, the majority seems to just be scared and want all this extra 'safety', which is more of a .. cage. I mean, I protested on serveral locations with people, got my story in the newspapers.. but there's not really anything else I can do that doesn't require masses of people. Either way, its probably worse here now then then, I think..
That's awful. I always thought of Amsterdam as a safe haven. At least for pot smokers. But that's just asinine. I don't really like governements (although I'm only familiar with the US government.) I don't trust them. :T
Worse much worse than the 60s. Government is more and more big brother every year. You can't even turn around without someone watching your every move these days. There seems to be a lot of violence these days as compared to then. The education system that we have in place is failing our kids with this push to medicate every child that doesn't stare at the teacher like a zombie and act like one to. Then toss out the kids that don't fit the mold of upper class society. When is enough enough? Sorry for the rant just my feelings at the moment.
i want to have something like Woodstock 69 you something to gather all us young kids together and do something ive talked with a few people we are planning it out its gonna be called silverstock and its gonna be in Oregon. i was just wondering what you older people think of it and if you got any suggestions
There have been some improvements in American society since the 60s. There's more racial and sexual equality, the draft is gone and there's more freedom of speech. On the other hand the population is out of control, the cost of living is in an upward spiral and we've become more materialistic, greedy and plastic than ever before. Back then we were concerned about pollution but there was no talk about global warming or a new ice age. "Look at mother nature on the run in the 21st century!"
I believe it has gotten worse also, especially with weapons out of control. Where I am at, it isn't even safe to ride the city bus anymore and it was not like this even in the 90's.
It's kind of like that in Boston. People get shot and stabbed on the buses and trains once in awhile. But we still ride the subways and buses because we have to (for those of us that don't have cars.) I feel "safe" on them though. Unless the junkies who want to rob you get a hold of you. :\
Man, that's a heavy question. I have lived at the base of Mt St Helen's for that last 35 years and my world hasn't changed much. I do enjoy having the internet however. We were full of spirit in the 60's and early 70's. Thought we could change the world. The only thing that we could clutch and hang onto was not letting the world change us. I cannot say that I have experienced a better or worse world as we live in darn near seclusion. We still own and operate our co-op/farmers market that we have for many many years, it doesn't give us much bread but we don't need much either. It's not that I don't care about what is happenning in our world today, it's just that I'm old now and any of you youngins are welcome to try your hand at it.
although im young and still pretty blind to the worse parts of life i think that in all the world is going downhill at an unbelievable rate. Iraq is a mess, that whole part of the world is crumbling. The third world is in a rut that no one seems to even notice anymore. Were not going to realise before its too late, the very trees providing us with oxygen are being slaughtered each day.People need to rise up and stop this before it gets out of hand. I wish that there was some way for me to help but here in ireland i seem to be the only "hippie". Theres so much that we could do if we joined together but society doesnt seem to care about the world anymore, people only care about having a big car, nice house and 2.5 kids. Things like this are really starting to worry me because just like us the world is only going to get one life and we need to care of it. Peace
I think it is about the same, one thing is people seem to be more sheep like now a day's, they seem to just go along with what goverment says, and seem to want goverment to lead them around, and that is a bad thing, you really can not trust them, they are in it for themselves, they do not care about the people, and people should take of themselves and not rely on dishonest goverment to solve their problems. We need to band together again and get goverment out of our face. Peace
no doubt its gettin worse ,, and do u know why ??? it's because that america wants to put the world in its hands and control it ( I MEAN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT NOT AMERICAN PEOPLE ) coz i think american people dont know how the other american government face is looks like or they saw only 1 inch of its face in the last 5 years ( and thats a short time to do something thats changes the world ) i know what is the american government plan is, and what they are lookin for but thats a long long story... i know am young to tell u these things but come on am a kuwaitie kid and thats mean (i live near the american goverment projects) and we see the real picture from here a couple joints make me high to see the world from a high place thats how i recognized THE REAL STORY so dont tell me that i dont know shit cuz this is the real story....
