Our time.the best of times?

[bazza73]

6 minutes ago, transam said:

I know about Tudors....

Very unwise to mess with Henry VIII. Perhaps you were tangling with his descendants.

[MaeJoMTB]

13 minutes ago, transam said:

I know about Tudors....

Off to Youtube to listen to some 'Ten Pole Tudor'.

[Pat in Pattaya]

I agree with you, but an odd post to put up on here. Go out and have a beer.

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Completely wrong, 50 years ago 30% of the world population  were white, now we're down to 15%.

Asians 60% (includes India), black 20%, white 15%, (including Hispanics and Jews) Arabic 5%.

Most of the increase is Asians, African population has hardly changed in the last 100 years.

 

Here's one prediction I can make for the future, there won't be any white people in it.

Racial suicide  caused by white liberals bleating on about the future and refusing to breed.

Insanity!

 

As a technical matter, I'd always wondered where India should be as a race (would include Pakistan and Bangladesh as well).  They're not really Asians (or "Mongoloids"), although I understand they're called Asians in the UK.  They're probably considered more Arab in the USA.  That would change your distribution numbers quite a bit if they were considered Arabic.  But I get your point that the whitey numbers are on the decline.  Probably even more so because mixed-race (half white) people are not considered white...or are they?  Anyways, just pondering...

[sanuk711]

12 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

They're probably considered more Arab in the USA.  That would change your distribution numbers quite a bit if they were considered Arabic. 

NOOooooooooooooo not Arab ....we are the 7-11 people, not the 9-11 people............................

 

[simple1]

20 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

As a technical matter, I'd always wondered where India should be as a race (would include Pakistan and Bangladesh as well).  They're not really Asians (or "Mongoloids"), although I understand they're called Asians in the UK.  They're probably considered more Arab in the USA.  That would change your distribution numbers quite a bit if they were considered Arabic.  But I get your point that the whitey numbers are on the decline.  Probably even more so because mixed-race (half white) people are not considered white...or are they?  Anyways, just pondering...

 

To contribute to your pondering...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_race

Edited November 9, 2017 by simple1

[Berkshire]

7 minutes ago, simple1 said:

 

To contribute to your pondering...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_race

That's quite a lot to ponder...

[MaeJoMTB]

1 hour ago, Berkshire said:

As a technical matter, I'd always wondered where India should be as a race (would include Pakistan and Bangladesh as well).  They're not really Asians (or "Mongoloids"), although I understand they're called Asians in the UK.  They're probably considered more Arab in the USA.  That would change your distribution numbers quite a bit if they were considered Arabic.  But I get your point that the whitey numbers are on the decline.  Probably even more so because mixed-race (half white) people are not considered white...or are they?  Anyways, just pondering...

I agree, I would class Indians as a different race from Asian, but I have no say in the process.

As for mixed race, Obama classed himself as black.

Lots of Jews class themselves as white (but they're Arabic)

Go figure? 

Edited November 9, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[nausea]

Our time, the best of times? As a 50s working class kid my childhood had its charms but it would be pushing it a bit to say it was the best of times full stop, rose-coloured glasses and all that - more "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times". Would be pretty exciting to be a kid nowadays, with all the new technologies, and again, as in my younger days, we seem to be living in a "discrimine rerum" - a turning point in human affairs.

[i claudius]

I have read the last 10 pages and it seams most think that we had the best time as it was so much easier to find work and we had "real lives" and lots of places where we could meet up and have a laugh.eg discos and pound for pound things were so much cheaper.
However as an oldie now its a good time with free phone calls home .skype and lots of tv and the interenet. But i think our generation have had the best of both worlds

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[bazza73]

On 11/9/2017 at 1:26 PM, MaeJoMTB said:

Completely wrong, 50 years ago 30% of the world population  were white, now we're down to 15%.

Asians 60% (includes India), black 20%, white 15%, (including Hispanics and Jews) Arabic 5%.

Most of the increase is Asians, African population has hardly changed in the last 100 years.

 

Here's one prediction I can make for the future, there won't be any white people in it.

Racial suicide  caused by white liberals bleating on about the future and refusing to breed.

Insanity!

 

Depends on how you look at it. If one pairs the data of women giving birth against level of education, it's inversely proportional.

Africans probably have the same birth rate as Asians; however, the death rate of children in that continent due to starvation and disease is far higher.

If it's a choice between giving one child a good life, against having five or six kids who will never get out of poverty, I know which one I would choose.

[MaeJoMTB]

1 hour ago, bazza73 said:

If it's a choice between giving one child a good life, against having five or six kids who will never get out of poverty, I know which one I would choose.

I chose to have five or six kids with good lives.

[bazza73]

1 hour ago, MaeJoMTB said:

I chose to have five or six kids with good lives.

According to you, there has been no contact with four of them. You also don't know whether they are yours, according to your ex-wife. So how would you know how good their lives are?

Five or six? That reminds me of the expression "a little bit pregnant".

Excuse me if I find contradictions in what you are posting. Perhaps I am overly analytical.

[bert bloggs]

All i know is that as a youngster i had a wonderful time and as an oldie i am still having a wonderful time ,so having lived in both times , i would still choose to be young when i was ,its nowhere near as good for youngsters now ,

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎11‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 2:10 PM, Brunolem said:

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...

 

Soooooooo true.

Far as I remember uni was free, but not many bothered as most work didn't need a degree, unlike almost everything does now. Way it's going, will have to have a degree to be a garbologist!

Other than a mortgage ( affordable fixed rate ) I don't think many were in debt and one income was enough for most families.

The stock market just didn't occur for most, and my childhood was more radio than tv with it's insidious advertising. The only "trendies" were bodgies and woogies, and males mostly wore short non styled haircuts, unless a crew cut was styled.

 

The BIG difference is that now it's all about money and fear to control the population. If they're all trying to get rich and talking to imaginary friends they ain't planning trouble, and fear of "terrorism" is straight out of 1984.

People were mainly low middle class in my neighbourhood, but probably happier than now in more expensive houses with more expensive cars, and underwater with debt.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

All i know is that as a youngster i had a wonderful time and as an oldie i am still having a wonderful time ,so having lived in both times , i would still choose to be young when i was ,its nowhere near as good for youngsters now ,

You must have a better body than mine then. I could have a better time if I were able, but old age is bitch.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎11‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 2:56 PM, i claudius said:

I have read the last 10 pages and it seams most think that we had the best time as it was so much easier to find work and we had "real lives" and lots of places where we could meet up and have a laugh.eg discos and pound for pound things were so much cheaper.
However as an oldie now its a good time with free phone calls home .skype and lots of tv and the interenet. But i think our generation have had the best of both worlds

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i think our generation have had the best of both worlds
True, true, true.

I was lucky to grow up before tv and live long before digital, but get to use digital now I'm too decrepit to enjoy physical activity.

If I woke up 60 years younger tomorrow I'd hate it.

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Soooooooo true.

Far as I remember uni was free, but not many bothered as most work didn't need a degree, unlike almost everything does now. Way it's going, will have to have a degree to be a garbologist!

Other than a mortgage ( affordable fixed rate ) I don't think many were in debt and one income was enough for most families.

The stock market just didn't occur for most, and my childhood was more radio than tv with it's insidious advertising. The only "trendies" were bodgies and woogies, and males mostly wore short non styled haircuts, unless a crew cut was styled.

 

The BIG difference is that now it's all about money and fear to control the population. If they're all trying to get rich and talking to imaginary friends they ain't planning trouble, and fear of "terrorism" is straight out of 1984.

People were mainly low middle class in my neighbourhood, but probably happier than now in more expensive houses with more expensive cars, and underwater with debt.

It is 1984 indeed because the powers that be know that their system is on its last legs.

They can think of only two ways of escaping the consequences of what's to come: from inside or from outside.

Since they aren't sure, they are working actively on both!

Inside, they are surely but quietly extending their net over the population, by means of constant surveillance, especially when it comes to internet, but also by means of a brutal militarized police, all with the help of paid for media, a.k.a. presstitutes.

Outside, they are on war footing, ready to pounce either on North Korea, Iran, Russia or any country offering an easy way for an offensive that will regroup the brainwashed masses behind their criminal leaders.

 

The system will go on for a bit more time, and then it will be either 1984 (North Korea lifestyle for everybody) or Mad Max (Afghanistan lifestyle for everybody).

 

Place your bets!

 

 

[tifino]

 

I'll bet that Valkyrie fails

[i claudius]

Brunolem
I do not know if it will work out the wsy you say but i do believe that in the not to distant future the world is going to be a very bad place.mankind cannot just go on reproducing the way we do .and there is going to be real trouble between the havs and the have nots

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[giddyup]

42 minutes ago, i claudius said:

Brunolem
I do not know if it will work out the wsy you say but i do believe that in the not to distant future the world is going to be a very bad place.mankind cannot just go on reproducing the way we do .and there is going to be real trouble between the havs and the have nots

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It's happening now, the have-nots mass migrating to the more affluent countries.

[Gruff]

There is a lot of doom and gloom for the future but i think people are often overly pessimistic. As a couple of examples people used to say that with developing countries getting cars instead of bicycles there would be terrible pollution. However the reality is that those cars they are now getting emit a fraction of the pollution than cars 20 years ago. We have more hydro , solar and wind technology and these will be available to developing countries also. Rather strange 10 to 20 years ago Bejing was all bikes no cars and London all cars, no bikes. We have a reversal and the future is very hard to predict.

 

With regard to population changes and fears of Muslim over powerng, the world overall is becoming less religious  as science provides a lot more explanation and there is more cultural integration I believe religions worldwide will begin to slowly decline in popularity (as they have in the West)  and the threat from Religious exrtemists will also decline.

 

So many comments on here about everything being so much more expensive now but is it really. Surely in comparison and taking into account inflation, motor vehicles , air transportation, electrical and technical goods must be massively  cheaper now.

[swissie]

On 9.11.2017 at 6:45 AM, transam said:

Sure, the Dinosaurs used the planet until the planet (nature) did it's thing...The planet (nature) will do it's thing again, could be nature or man made stuff that ends humanities rein....We ain't been here long enough to know which way it will go...

They may have been around for 170 million years but I don't envy them. What a boring life!
- The plant eaters eating plants and reproducing.
- The meat eaters eating plant eaters and reproducing. Wow! What a life!

We have it so much better. Unlike Dinosaurs, we can always head for Pattaya when boredom gets too much to bear.
Cheers.
PS: As some keen observers of the Pattaya-Scene insist: The Dinosaurs may have gone extinct, but not the Neanderthals. Just look around in Pattaya!
Frighteningly this view is occasionally shared by female bar staff. So far I am fine, they only address me with "Kwai".

[swissie]

I was born into the "right time frame of history" and into the "right" country.

- I never had to shoot at other people, because my government found it necessary in the national interest (war).
- I was never hungry.
- I always had a roof over my head.
- I always found a job, when I needed one.
- I was never poor.
Would have been different, when I would have been born before "my time frame" and another country. I was lucky.
The kids of today may not spend their lives in a such a pleasant "time frame" in the future, I am afraid.
Cheers.

[MaeJoMTB]

5 hours ago, Gruff said:

There is a lot of doom and gloom for the future but i think people are often overly pessimistic.

Don't care, I won't be around to see it!

[MaeJoMTB]

6 hours ago, Gruff said:

So many comments on here about everything being so much more expensive now but is it really. 

Return air fare from Chiang Mai to China 4,000bht .............. has it ever been cheaper?

[taipeir]

Every life has ups and downs but I would agree that life was much simpler when I was growing up in Ohio. USA in the 50's and early 60's. Unfortunately, many of us were drafted into the  US Military and sent to Vietnam and many did not come back. I was lucky because I survived and had the opportunity to discover Thailand which at that time was so laid back and beautiful it felt like paradise.  I set my goal to retire in Thailand one day and made it. Unfortunately, everything that I disliked about the US and its lifestyle has come to Thailand.   Many Thais are stressed out for the same reason Westerners are- lack of money and lack of opportunity.  When I first came to Thailand- I would have never expected road rage but growing up in America I never saw it either.  You also knew who your banker was; your doctor was like a friend; and the economy was in  balance between the haves and have nots,  Today, the reverse is true- the wealthy control everything and the common person struggles to live.

 

In addition, the Western World has become coarser with a lack of decorum- the use of vulgarity is everywhere and there is a lack of common decency.  IMHO- Thailand needs to stop following the economic model of the West which I believe is an abject failure and follow a more self sustaining model of  existence.

 

Much of the good old days were better because people were less self centered and there were actual role models to emulate and schools taught ethics and adherence to a golden rule. In addition, parents actually backed up this type of education instead of challenging it in today's culture.

 

Today, there are few role models to follow whether in the West or in Thailand. Even the Clergy has shown they have been corrupted and the movie industry filled with disreputable people and drug addicts.  Sports have become a commercial business first and filled with self centered athletes who espouse hedonism instead of devotion to their team and its supporters. In addition, the common person can't even afford to see a sporting event and in some countries have to pay to watch an event on television.

 

At least in Thailand, we have a long standing culture that still adheres to some form of a cohesive society and adherence to at least nominal politeness.  It is definitely under assault but there is some hope that the Thai people will choose a simpler way of life than those in the West have chosen.  Many times- I believe the basic Thai philosophy of - Mai Pen Rai- is the best because it frees the mind of a lot of  unnecessary stress and worry or as they say in New York-  'forget about it'!

 

 

 

Many of the problems you mention existed into he past and were much worse e.g. clerical child abuse. They were simply covered up and ignored.

 

Vulgar words weren't heard in the media but people still spoke them anyway.

 

Racism was rife.

There were civil rights abuses and open discrimination even in the US and UK.

 

Many left school at a young age because of financial reasons. There was no subsidised or free college. Many of my older relatives and their neighbours certainly had limited choices and had to work fairly tough manual labour jobs whether they liked it or not.

 

Also not all countries in the West were prosperous or free . Much, probably MOST of Europe is in a vastly better state economically and socially than 50 years ago.

 

I've read for many Americans it was a golden age of prosperity in the 50s and 60s .

 

Many in the UK also had it good in the 80s and 90s with strong pound and economic expansion. I think this colours peoples perceptions of the world from those places enormously (for most of the world THINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN BETTER).

 

I grew up in the 80s thus have sharper childhood memories than some. We did have a lot more outdoor time then compared to kids today. We already had video games but I think the real main difference compared to now was parents weren't as controlling or worried about leaving their kids unsupervised.

 

For my I felt bored as well for periods during my adolescence and in school which was very regimented and not creative.

 

The economy wasn't great and jobs were scarce and poorly paid. My parents had fear of losing their jobs. There was a real concern about nuclear war in the early to mid 80s (subsequent news came out that the world came very close to an accidental nuclear war at that time!).

 

HIV was discovered , initially it was unclear how easily it was transmitted and in the school's kids would pretend to infect each other with HIV and spray each other to cure it.

 

My kids growing up in Asia seem happy , the main difference is highly urbanised environment and yes strong competitive pressures in education.

 

For jobs these days, the 'always on' of the internet is a drag BUT it also opens up the opportunity for people to do different businesses or work freelance or from home.

 

I also have no time for nostalgia in general I think it's a very bad habit to get into and frankly can get boring for the listener (beyond a certain point that is).

 

 

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[taipeir]

I loved growing up in the eighties the last real decade of more innocent type fun. No one had a computer in their house,  and no cell phones yet but a lot of gadgets started to come into our lives and the music!!! The best! 

We had video games in the 80s already..Atari console...then spectrums , Atari PC and commodore 64 and then Amiga. Lots of middle class people had simple home computers.
We programmed simple games on them too!
By early 90s most people probably had a PC e.g. Amiga.

The big difference between the and now was the internet and smartphones.

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[bert bloggs]

19 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You must have a better body than mine then. I could have a better time if I were able, but old age is bitch.

My wife says i have the body of a God , unfortunatly its Buddha .

actually its not to bad  and having a wife much younger than me is a bonus , mind you both my Falang wives were  younger than me lol

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, taipeir said:

Many of the problems you mention

I also have no time for nostalgia in general I think it's a very bad habit to get into and frankly can get boring for the listener (beyond a certain point that is).

 

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Most deleted for space reasons and answered below

 

Many of the problems you mention existed into he past and were much worse e.g. clerical child abuse. They were simply covered up and ignored.

True. The post war years in Ireland were terrible for abuse by priests and nuns which went on for decades.

 

Vulgar words weren't heard in the media but people still spoke them anyway.

Not in polite society.

 

Racism was rife.

There were civil rights abuses and open discrimination even in the US and UK.

Not in all countries, but definitely in the US and certain European countries

 

Many left school at a young age because of financial reasons.

More likely because it was easy to find work and school was horrible back then. All rote learning and corporal punishment- horrid teachers.

 

There was no subsidised or free college.

And fair enough too. Why should tax payers subsidise the stupid courses they study in uni now?

Only degrees that led to a good income studied.

 

Many of my older relatives and their neighbours certainly had limited choices and had to work fairly tough manual labour jobs whether they liked it or not.

True, but at least there were jobs. I had jobs I hated. Life sometimes sucks, boo hoo.

 

Also not all countries in the West were prosperous or free . Much, probably MOST of Europe is in a vastly better state economically and socially than 50 years ago.

It's all completely unaffordable and tears to come. Look at Greece ripping off the EU for years.

 

I've read for many Americans it was a golden age of prosperity in the 50s and 60s .

Yes, unless you were black or Hispanic. Even poor whites had it very bad.

 

Many in the UK also had it good in the 80s and 90s with strong pound and economic expansion.

The 80s????? Wasn't that when strikes were destroying Britain? It's never recovered.

Thatcher was the worst thing that ever happened to the poor of Britain.

 

We did have a lot more outdoor time then compared to kids today. We already had video games but I think the real main difference compared to now was parents weren't as controlling or worried about leaving their kids unsupervised.

True

 

For my I felt bored as well for periods during my adolescence and in school which was very regimented and not creative.

I went to a so called "top" school and it was awful. I wasn't bored though, as I didn't just sit around waiting to be told what to do. Some people are incapable of self motivation.

 

The economy wasn't great and jobs were scarce and poorly paid. My parents had fear of losing their jobs.

Not in the country I grew up in. Any fool could get a job, but not always well paid.

 

There was a real concern about nuclear war in the early to mid 80s (subsequent news came out that the world came very close to an accidental nuclear war at that time!).

Not a concern of mine at all. Other side of the world.

The world is always at the possibility of destruction from an asteroid. No point worrying about it.

 

HIV was discovered , initially it was unclear how easily it was transmitted and in the school's kids would pretend to infect each other with HIV and spray each other to cure it.

Massive amount of misinformation about that. Only really transmissible if not using a condom or injecting drugs with dirty needles, so self inflicted if having casual sex or using illegal drugs.

 

For jobs these days, the 'always on' of the internet is a drag

Hmmmm. I never have a problem turning it off, but I'd never do a job where I was a slave to the machine.

 

I also have no time for nostalgia in general I think it's a very bad habit to get into and frankly can get boring for the listener (beyond a certain point that is).

My life was way better back in the 70s than since, so why wouldn't I love nostalgia? I love 60s music etc. No "smart" phones, no spy cctv everywhere. I could fix my own car, enjoy driving. Plenty of jobs and didn't have to have a degree. What's not to love?

I learned that no one cares about anyone else, which is why I go on forums where I can, within reason, say stuff I wouldn't to an actual human being.