Our time.the best of times?

[thaibeachlovers]

17 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

I don't think "our time" was the best of times, at least not for me.  I worried too much about financial security and couldn't get laid as much.  Now it's all good.

 

Speaking of the "good ole days," I spoke to an African-American friend in the US about that years ago and he flatout said "It sure as heck wasn't that good for us!"

True regarding the African Americans in the US, but this thread is about us as individuals and not societies as a whole, which would make it all far too complicated for here.

I don't think the North Korean peasants have had an enjoyable life for my entire lifetime and it ain't gonna get any better for them anytime soon.

[transam]

My youth was a blast....Had sod all, didn't matter, friends were the key, you know, face to face friends, having a laugh, doing daft stuff.....Fond memories...

[Brunolem]

23 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I think you would have a very hard time convincing me that life is better today than when I was growing up.

Then- good jobs were easy to get, no computerisation or mobile phones, decent series on tv instead of crappy reality shows, children had real friends, not pretend ones on social media, and they played outside, no PC stupidity, the world wasn't going to blow up because of global warming, society was far more equal, the 1% hadn't been heard of, I could fix my car myself.

Now- childhood ( and adult ) obesity is a massive problem, illegal drugs are a massive problem, terrorism is a massive problem, disease is becoming drug resistant and previously rare diseases are becoming common, money is the be all and end all, social media is a curse on society, faux celebrity is a curse on society, globalism is causing massive unemployment in western countries and near slavery in poor countries, mass tourism is destroying exotic destinations, cars are horrid look alike things without personality and impossible to fix ourselves, the poor are becoming poorer while the 1% grab everything.

 

I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Wonderful!

And if I may, you forgot one thing: mountains of debt, everywhere, as far as the eye can see!

Students are in debt to pay for their education, their parents are in debt to pay for their home, their car and about everything else, corporations are in debt to play on the financial markets and push their shares up, municipalities, states, nations are in debt to pay for unsustainable entitlements.

Meanwhile, the younger generations who are stuck to their multiple screens, are unaware that they are gonna inherit these mountains of debt.

Once they will wake up, they also might regret the 60s and 70s, even though they were not there to enjoy it...

 

[toofarnorth]

11 minutes ago, transam said:

My youth was a blast....Had sod all, didn't matter, friends were the key, you know, face to face friends, having a laugh, doing daft stuff.....Fond memories...

I agree transam , in the '60s a few friends we all had motorbikes we all got pi$$ed and the local paper was full of jobs . Interview then " Would you like a cup of tea or coffee, when can you start ? ".  No ipodding no 100 friends on Sit on my face book.  Only one thing missing but plenty of that at retiring in Los.

[Jip99]

6 hours ago, MaeJoMTB said:

More Jethro Tull ..... Living in the Past.

 

 

It wasn't all that great,

large chunks of boredom were involved when I was a kid

limited access to sex when I was a lad

long hours working when I married (and still limited access to sex)

 

Now, I have limitless entertainment, every second of every day, can listen to almost any music from any part of the world past or present.

OK, so the future isn't looking so great for many kids in the west, but my son in Thailand has a far better time now, than I did when his age in the UK, and the prospect of a life of plenty.

 

As you get old, you tend to forget all the shit you endured when you were young.

 

Agree.

 

Rose-tinted glasses are often involved in retrospective observations.

 

I hate nostalgists; nothing wrong in nostalgia per se but I cannot understand people who want to turn back the clock and re-live their lives in the 60’s/70’s etc

 

Sure, I have had some great times in the past and I have wonderful memories of them. However, I have no desire, or need, to go back and do it again.....the memories are sufficient.

 

The best time of my life is now.

 

If it was not, then that is my fault because “now” is the only thing that I have any control over. 

[transam]

16 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

I agree transam , in the '60s a few friends we all had motorbikes we all got pi$$ed and the local paper was full of jobs . Interview then " Would you like a cup of tea or coffee, when can you start ? ".  No ipodding no 100 friends on Sit on my face book.  Only one thing missing but plenty of that at retiring in Los.

The sad thing to me is that youngsters born in the high tech age know nothing about the fun we had with sod all..

[VBF]

Some great comments in this thread....but someone's got to post it......

 

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by VBF

[Suradit69]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I think you would have a very hard time convincing me that life is better today than when I was growing up.

There was much that was good and much that was not, just as there is today.

 

When I was young the public swimming pools were closed at times during the summer because of the fear of the spread of polio. My mother was diagnosed with a type of cancer that would be easily treatable today. People feared some diseases then that people now have forgotten about.

 

Women were just beginning to be emancipated from being "just" housewives with little identity aside from their husband's. And that liberation was mostly because so many women had to go to work outside the home to replace all the men who had been drafted to fight in  the Second World War and Korea ... which destroyed much of Europe and Asia ... and many of those men never returned or came home disabled. I had a brother who served in Korea and whose life was screwed up forever because of that.

 

Much of the world still fell under colonial rule and exploitation and when the hand-over to independence finally came, the stupidity with which it was done was as devastating as had been colonial misrule.

 

 Equal education, employment, health care and access to the most basic standard of living was generally denied to anyone other than whites, whether in western countries or the aptly named Third World. Poverty and despair were endemic. but out of sight meant out of mind and the major purveyors of news were certainly not going to spend time letting you see how crappy life was for many.

 

When I was in grade school we practiced getting  under our school desks in what I suppose was meant to shield us in case of a nuclear attack launched by the Cocommunist Menace. 

 

We watched shows on TV that drove home the notion that Russian spies were infiltrating America and wanted to take away our freedom. Sounds silly now, but to kids these threats weighed on our minds.

 

remember iron lungs??

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Yes, I get the idea. The world was you and you were the world and it was wonderful for you so it must have been grand for everyone.

 

Hard to say if anything has really improved. but things weren't all that marvelous in the past although we were better able to enjoy the bliss that was ignorance of what life was like for anyone living outside our personal bubble.

Edited November 8, 2017 by Suradit69

[Thaidream]

And what shall we face in the future:

 

-Massive unemployment as industry continues to replace people with robots...

-More poverty as the haves continue to get richer off the backs of those who have little

-Continuous wars as leaders continue to frighten their electorate and build  more weapons

-An uneducated population as educational opportunities lack due to rising costs

-More  authoritarian elected governments as people become  more frightened by immigrants

-Driverless cars which are incredibly boring and expensive.

-Huge long term health issues as peoples continue to become more isolated because of social media and obesity.

 

-Worldwide Revolution as citizens finally realize all of the above is caused by corrupt governments and the inordinate shift of wealth to the 1% depriving the 99% of life, liberty and happiness.   There really were good old days!!!

 

-

[MyFriend You]

7 hours ago, faraday said:

Anyone remember being able to buy the 2 cigarette pack of Park Drive?

Disgusting things!

Four cigarette packs in USA in the sixties

[MyFriend You]

Although I agree, I always say I was born forty years too Early...............the present and future is, and is going to be, exciting technology wise, I'd like to live to see the first man/woman land on Mars.

[MaeJoMTB]

21 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

And what shall we face in the future:

 

-Massive unemployment as industry continues to replace people with robots...

-More poverty as the haves continue to get richer off the backs of those who have little

-Continuous wars as leaders continue to frighten their electorate and build  more weapons

-An uneducated population as educational opportunities lack due to rising costs

-More  authoritarian elected governments as people become  more frightened by immigrants

-Driverless cars which are incredibly boring and expensive.

-Huge long term health issues as peoples continue to become more isolated because of social media and obesity.

 

-Worldwide Revolution as citizens finally realize all of the above is caused by corrupt governments and the inordinate shift of wealth to the 1% depriving the 99% of life, liberty and happiness.   There really were good old days!!!

 

-

All BS.

Lots of happy unemployed on welfare, I worked 30 years  for nothing, my former wife took it all off me, on welfare I  would have at least had housing in my own country.

Poverty, not many poor people in the UK without a home and a satellite dish.

Wars, can't see the UK going to war with anyone soon, and even those are fought by volunteers.

Education, years wasted on pointless learning.

Authoritarian governments, we all seem to be happy in Thailand, so they can't be that bad.

Driver-less cars, a complete non-event.

Huge long term health  issues, nobody forces you to sit in a chair and force feeds you all day.

 

The problem with old people, they judge the world from what they wanted.

Time  brings change, it's usually not worse, merely different, embrace the difference. 

And none of us will really have to face it, we'll be dead.

 

I don't want to go back to a world where I can't travel the world, listen to any music, read any book, watch any movie and bang a 20 year old woman when I want. You can keep the past.

 

 

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[Thaidream]

When one is bitter- he cannot see the past for what it was and can never see the future for what it will be. Sometimes the truth hurts .....

[timendres]

56 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

And what shall we face in the future:

 

-Massive unemployment as industry continues to replace people with robots...

-More poverty as the haves continue to get richer off the backs of those who have little

-Continuous wars as leaders continue to frighten their electorate and build  more weapons

-An uneducated population as educational opportunities lack due to rising costs

-More  authoritarian elected governments as people become  more frightened by immigrants

-Driverless cars which are incredibly boring and expensive.

-Huge long term health issues as peoples continue to become more isolated because of social media and obesity.

 

-Worldwide Revolution as citizens finally realize all of the above is caused by corrupt governments and the inordinate shift of wealth to the 1% depriving the 99% of life, liberty and happiness.   There really were good old days!!!

 

-

-Massive unemployment : Jobs shift, some disappear, new ones are created. The classic "buggy whip" argument.

-More poverty : The standard of living of most of what was once the Third World is rising rapidly (China, SEA, et.al.)

-Continuous wars : Nothing new here

-An uneducated population : Seems there are more Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees than ever before

-More  authoritarian elected governments : Again, nothing new here, just different stories

-Driverless cars : I would have killed for one on the frequent 10 hour drives to visit family. Personal driving will still remain an option for those who enjoy it.

-Huge long term health issues : People are living longer than ever with a higher quality of life, although threats are on the horizon (such as drug resistant bacteria)

-Worldwide Revolution : A fantasy at the moment. The constant focus on how well the 1% are doing ignores the ever increasing quality of life of the 99%. The 1% phenomenon is more the result of a globalized economy, and the scale it delivers, than it is the deprivation of the 99%. Difficult to motivate the oppressed masses with their house, car, big screen TV, computer, mobile, endless food and entertainment, quality health care, and Internet connected lives. There is no question that there are still large populations out their who are not enjoying this quality of life, but it seems every decade more move up.

 

The real challenge going forward is maintaining what is the modern equivalent of the "life of a king" compared to just a couple centuries ago, while dealing with the limited resources that our planet has to offer. If we can bring every world citizen up to what is rapidly becoming a common, worldwide quality of life, within a sustainable model, that will be quite an achievement. You will then see worldwide revolution when someone tries to take that away.

[Thaidream]

Sorry but you are incorrect-

 

-Unemployment will rise as robotics is used more and more in industry- in fact it  is such a future problem that Some Western Governments are toying with the idea of the Government providing an 'income' to large segments of the population who they know will never be able to find new jobs.  Within the last 10  years - as manufacturing jobs have disappeared the growth has been in service industry and call center jobs- all of which pay very low wages and in some cases- not a living wage.

- Yes- more poverty- take a look at the US and UK both which have alarming rates of poverty and in which large numbers are on welfare which does not provide a  living wage. People are not starving but they are not getting better.  There has been an increased standard of living amongst many Asian countries -simply because the West has moved many of their manufacturing jobs to Asia. However, long term this will end with robotics and the fact that for these manufacturing jobs to exist and prosper- someone has to buy the goods. In addition, there are huge inequities in income distribution in  Asia with the major portions of the population uneducated and poor.

-Uneducated and Undereducated populations are becoming the norm  as the costs of a Western education are well into the mid five figure range.  My daughter recently got her Masters Degree at the University of SoCal and she owes the US Government around $200,000 for 6 years of education. It will take her 20 years to pay it all back. She is one of the lucky ones- there are many who cannot even qualify for College because of  untenable situations in High School which limits learning.  In addition, what good will having higher education do if there are not enough jobs that need to be filled.

-The 1%  versus 99% is not a myth but a reality and it is mostly been caused by greedy corporations who refuse to pay adequate wages to the 99% while rewarding CEO's and executives  with huge salaries not consistent with actual company growth. In addition- these same companies send their manufacture offshore and park huge amounts of funds offshore to the detriment of any  expansion in their home countries. The Apple I-phone is made in China at a very low cost and then brought back to America and sold at a huge profit.  It could be made in America at a higher cost giving many thousands of Americans jobs but with less profit margin.  It's not being done because of pure greed.  Unless there is a change from the concept of 'greed is good' and rewarding already wealthy shareholders- the drain of jobs will continue. 

 

In addition- many countries tax regimes reward the wealthy with added ways to cut taxes and take all kinds of business loopholes which are never available to the common man.

 

Most governments in the World are made up of those who are already wealthy and they will never relinquish that power unless it is taken from them. If they were smart- they would see that their continued existence as it is now and will be in the future is not sustainable.  Why do you think that Donald Trump has become President and Brexit exists?  the common man realizes they are being used and played and they are looking for a way to attempt to get back the life they once had when business and Government actually cared about people and not wealth and money. At some point in time in the future unless the common person sees that they have a future and a chance to advance- there will be revolution because the current situation in the World is not sustainable.

 

I won't even get into healthcare and Big Pharma other than to say- that healthcare is a human right not a commodity to be based upon an individual's income or ability to pay. Europe is much more advanced than America in this area and America could learn much from the U.K; France and others  on how to provide universal healthcare for its  people.

 

This thread is about the 'good old days' and I truly believe that societies 50  years ago were much better generally speaking.  I am well aware that this is not universal since people of color were discriminated against and poverty was at high levels especially in Asia. Societies made great strides through the 50's-70's improving people's lives and establishing and enforcing laws that banned discrimination and sought justice.

 

  However, at some point- what changed was the concept of globalization and the  technology revolution as well as the introduction of 'making money from air'- such things as derivatives; securitization and selling of mortgages and social media. None of these things create any real jobs for people but push up prices and are schemes by the wealthy to become more wealthy.

 

As a World society- we need to really examine  how we want the future to evolve- there is still time to recognize the perils and change the future before it comes.

 

 

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by Thaidream

[MaeJoMTB]

30 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

As a World society- we need to really examine  how we want the future to evolve- there is still time to recognize the perils and change the future before it comes.

No need to worry, the chances of a high tech future are looking increasingly unlikely.

[NanLaew]

6 hours ago, Thaidream said:

And what shall we face in the future:

 

-Massive unemployment as industry continues to replace people with robots...

-More poverty as the haves continue to get richer off the backs of those who have little

-Continuous wars as leaders continue to frighten their electorate and build  more weapons

-An uneducated population as educational opportunities lack due to rising costs

-More  authoritarian elected governments as people become  more frightened by immigrants

-Driverless cars which are incredibly boring and expensive.

-Huge long term health issues as peoples continue to become more isolated because of social media and obesity.

 

-Worldwide Revolution as citizens finally realize all of the above is caused by corrupt governments and the inordinate shift of wealth to the 1% depriving the 99% of life, liberty and happiness.   There really were good old days!!!

 

-

Yes, I agree, the future's buggered.

 

But since we probably won't have much of a presence in it, let's get back to reminiscing...

 

 

[Ulysses G.]

I met Little River Band around this time (maybe a year or two earlier). They were new to the states and stayed in the hotel I worked at in Miami. They were humble and friendly. They offered me free tickets to their concert and I was not even interested, because I had never heard of them before - what a dumb-ass. 

[tingtongtourist]

12 hours ago, MaeJoMTB said:

No need to worry, the chances of a high tech future are looking increasingly unlikely.

How do you come up with this theory?

 

The multinationals are pushing through the high tech future, and who can stop them?

 

 The last 20 years has been purely about greed and they being obsessed with cutting out labour and making people work for less.

(Except for management and directors-of course)

They have long ago taken over the food production industry and they are branching out into everything they can and axing labour in every industry.

 

And our governments stood by to long with the excuse "they are the biggest employer" but this being the big midtake as will soon only be the biggest employer of robots an automation.

[MaeJoMTB]

7 minutes ago, tingtongtourist said:

How do you come up with this theory?

The multinationals are pushing through the high tech future, and who can stop them?

Hard to predict the future, high tech, and stone age seem equally likely to me, but the future has always been unpredictable.

Let's face it not many Muslim countries are high tech, and that's the way the EU is heading at the moment.

 

In 1900 London their big worry for the future was where to keep the horses, and what to do with all the horse pooh.

30 years later, horses were history.

In 1970s tomorrows world was predicting starvation, an ice age and personal helicopters, almost 100% wrong.

 

Concerns about robots taking all the jobs .............. pointless.

Edited November 9, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[Ulysses G.]

3 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Concerns about robots taking all the jobs .............. pointless.

Maybe, but that is what most people think is going to happen. Technology will make many human beings useless. Luckily, I won't be around.

[bazza73]

We are engaged in cooking ourselves. Accountants and economists rule the world currently, and they have no understanding of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

All the evidence is there. Melting of polar ice-caps and glaciers, release of carbon dioxide and methane tied up in permafrost, steadily rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, increased frequency and violence of storms, be they hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones. Within a century, I'm predicting Bangkok will be underwater.

The proposition that everyone on the planet can have the same standard of living as the wealthiest population is pure BS. The Hunger Games is looking more like fact than fiction. We don't have the materials and food production to satisfy that proposition.

The haves will pour more and more resources into protecting themselves from the consequences of climate change. The deniers will delay any effective action.

I won't be around to see it. As Julian Lennon sang, "We're so enchanted with how clever we are".

[steven100]

maybe I can get a job oiling the robots ....

[MaeJoMTB]

17 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

Maybe, but that is what most people think is going to happen. Technology will make many human beings useless. Luckily, I won't be around.

When I was 50, if you had asked me about my future, it would have involved me, my English wife, our country cottage and our grandchildren. Now (10 years later) I married to a Thai lady half my  age, living in Thailand with new children.

 

I can't even predict 10 years in advance .................. enjoy today, and maybe the next week.

Edited November 9, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[tingtongtourist]

14 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Hard to predict the future, high tech, and stone age seem equally likely to me, but the future has always been unpredictable.

Let's face it not many Muslim countries are high tech, and that's the way the EU is heading at the moment.

 

In 1900 London their big worry for the future was where to keep the horses, and what to do with all the horse pooh.

30 years later, horses were history.

In 1970s tomorrows world was predicting starvation, an ice age and personal helicopters, almost 100% wrong.

 

Concerns about robots taking all the jobs .............. pointless.

I think man can deal with most problems as they come along but automation? 

You say "taking" all the jobs, but its already happen in a big way.

Australia in the news the other day, shut down the very last car making plant cos (i guess) they dont wanna pay wages and connot compete with automated tech used in other countries.

Some countries now level a tax on company who uses robot with the funds supposed to go for welfare of unemployed but where you think the money will really go?

 

This world really just like one big monopoly game. One player have everything and the game must stop unless the winner cancels debt or gives the others money to continue

 

They will realize this one day people will go back to bartering their own produce and services to avoid tax and cutting out the greedy middleman.

 

Then they will be crying "no growth" in economies as the rich have no customer to buy the goods

 

[MaeJoMTB]

7 minutes ago, tingtongtourist said:

I think man can deal with most problems as they come along but automation? 

You say "taking" all the jobs, but its already happen in a big way.

Who cares?

I ain't ever working again, and I'm having the 'best of times' right now.

Now back to 'youtube' and Rory Gallagher playing Moonchild to relive the  70s!

(Something I couldn't have done 5 years back, everything is online now)

Edited November 9, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[transam]

38 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Who cares?

I ain't ever working again, and I'm having the 'best of times' right now.

Now back to 'youtube' and Rory Gallagher playing Moonchild to relive the  70s!

(Something I couldn't have done 5 years back, everything is online now)

Yes it is on line now which is why the new generations have become house bound, couch potatoes, fat, useless..

I recall a youthful highlight was going to a record shop, meet up with mates and the birds, listen to a record in a booth before buying...Just a minor thing but was fun and got us out the house...

We even had many dance halls with live bands nearby for the Saturday night out that cost pennies, all regular face to face stuff...

Thankfully as l got to be an old guy and l still think much younger than my years, not gone all miserably like many folk l meet, and thoroughly enjoy thinking about what l got up to way back then..

[Berkshire]

21 minutes ago, transam said:

Yes it is on line now which is why the new generations have become house bound, couch potatoes, fat, useless..

 

Funny but that's what the older generation complained about when radio first came out, and then television.  I'm sure you can remember the criticisms your generation received from the old folks when you were growing up...if you can remember back that far. 

[transam]

19 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Funny but that's what the older generation complained about when radio first came out, and then television.  I'm sure you can remember the criticisms your generation received from the old folks when you were growing up...if you can remember back that far. 

You maybe surprised at what ol' Trans can remember..

You are very wrong about my parents too, thankfully l take after them..

[Berkshire]

2 minutes ago, transam said:

You maybe surprised at what ol' Trans can remember..

You are very wrong about my parents too, thankfully l take after them..

I wasn't necessarily talking about your parents, just the older generation in general.  I suppose I'm in that generation now, but I try not to criticize every little thing the young folks engage in because I remember that I too was young once.  We all tend to believe that our generation did things better, true or not.