Are you glad you were born years ago?

[RikDao]

My understanding of "basic economics" tells me it ain't the farmer, but the vast array of middlemen who are the problem.

I don't think you'll find much interest among British farmers in trucking a few lorries of their grain out to a Somali market in the hopes of making a sale.

'Middlemen' have always been what drives international commerce.

Wow. Your astute comment makes perfect sense on the face of it, but, umm, anyway, I was saying that prices are high not so much because of the farmer...

(Interesting and ironic that you chose Somalia as an example, as it's surely one of the poorest countries around).

[fishbrando]

Kids being born today have a much better chance of space travel or reaching the singularity and basically gaining immortality: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/e-zimmer-can-you-live-forever/

Being born around the internet era (1995 and on) would have been nice. The world became a lot less stupid then.

• Info lookup became easy
• Ordering online meant no more standing in line at the shopping center
• Staying in touch became easy without massive long-distance bills
• No more dealing with the stupidity of classified ads
• Dating (especially internationally) became much easier
• The cell phone became ubiquitous, GPS navigation meant no more getting lost
• Sharing information about travel meant no more getting scammed
• Business review sites eliminated the need for that forest-destroying yellow pages book
• Product reviews = no more lemons
• No more having to buy overpriced yearbooks

[chicowoodduck]

Oh my Buddha, what with the current state of global warming we are all doomed!

Live life like you got none left and be thankful for being an old fart....?

[asdecas]

It's difficult to understand how the west has managed not to collapse when I think about the high quality individuals who have left the 'nanny state' to enjoy life in Thailand. Every where I go in Thailand I meet these guys, highly educated, highly qualified, high achievers, high contributors; the movers and shakers the west so desperately needs and must be hurting on account of their absence.

Even though not in the west, and perhaps not been in the west for a number of years, they have their finger on the pulse, they understand the problems, they have all the answers - they know precisely who to blame. They are a sad loss to their home countries.

But then they do at least quietly sneak home to 'nanny' when they need her.

You're absolutely right, and another mystery is why so many of these high net worth entrepreneurial individuals from the best universities wear wife beaters; are they, like the business socks worn with open-toed sandals, some sort of sign of recognition in the higher echelons of freemasonry?

[humqdpf]

I would have preferred to have been born 20 years later for the following reasons:

Healthcare and nutrition was much worse when I was a kid - I am several inches shorter than my younger siblings due to this. Mortality was much higher and there was nothing for people with chronic diseases.

People only bathed twice a week (showers were unknown - only baths). There was no central heating. Pollution was bad and I and my older brother had chronic chest infections. This was not helped by the fact that almost everyone smoked and passive smoking was the norm.

Education was wildly authoritarian. As a result I hated education until I reached thirty and went to college and did a degree.

Racism was the norm - sectarian attitudes were acceptable.

Criminal justice was bizarre and really bad - rape, child abuse (sexual and physical) and spousal abuse were seldom prosecuted. There was no contraception in my country and abortion was considered murder. Single mothers were incarcerated in the Magdalen Launderies and this was enforced by the police. Corruption was the norm in certain circles. Priests could sexually molest children and get away with it - if there was a complaint, it would be hushed up and the priest moved to another location to continue molesting children.

Women could not stay in their civil service job (and in some companies) if they got married. Gay people were prosecuted for any homosexual acts. Couples who lived together "in sin" could expect to lose their jobs and be shunned by the community and their families.

Yeah, it was really peachy! (Irony alert!)

[i claudius]

It's both funny and tragic to read comments bemoaning the fate of Europe from those who've clearly somehow forgotten the darker times in it's recent history. Do you really think things were better when millions were slaughtered during two great wars, and fascism threatened to take over the whole continent?

As most of us were not born then I was talking about when we were young,in the 50s and 60s etc but then perhOs you are in your 80s and fought in the war? Terrible time ,but not my time

[Aussieroaming]

No..

[seancbk]

I'm glad I was born when I was, but I would have liked to have been born 20 or 30 years later.

As it is there is still a slim chance that if I keep myself from dying, I could be amongst the first people to enjoy virtual immortality.

[Rancid]

Funny that most generations think that the past was always better. However this time we are right.

The places where I lived in Oz were so much better, pristine and uncrowded than they are now. I could ride a pushbike without a helmet, ride dirtbikes in the local sandhills, V8 cars were cheap and you could fix them yourself. Oz has become a fascist Nanny State. Even had my Vegemite confiscated by the jackboots at the airport, and was stood up against a wall in front of my scared young kids and body searched.

When you'd go to dinner people talked to each other instead of all texting other people. No computer games to distract boys and dumb them down at school, we played outside.

Visited Thailand in the 80s, much cheaper, cleaner and better than now, it really was the wild west and a lot of fun. The current visitors have no idea.

Economically the oligarchs are now stealing it all in the west. Wages are lower, unemployment will be rising, opportunity is much lower. Food is being converted to cancer forming GMO, compulsory vaccination is rising, they are even looking at banning cash.

I think our kids will have a much harder time of things than we did, so plan with them the best ways to stay ahead.

[bark]

Yep. i worry a great deal about the world my son will grow up in. As his dad, the best i can do for him is to adequately prepare him the best i can.

I hope that includes buying him a bullet proof vest. And know that when someone says Duck, its not about a bird.

[Jonathon]

The greatest thing for me is being able to manage with a map and a compass(or not) and make or repair something with basic tools rather than becoming dependent upon devices that one day might either cease to function or simply get lost. Of course there are many similar examples.

Hopefully I can pass that knowledge to my kids and ensure their survival in an uncertain world.

[bark]

My understanding of "basic economics" tells me it ain't the farmer, but the vast array of middlemen who are the problem.

I don't think you'll find much interest among British farmers in trucking a few lorries of their grain out to a Somali market in the hopes of making a sale.

'Middlemen' have always been what drives international commerce.

Wow. Your astute comment makes perfect sense on the face of it, but, umm, anyway, I was saying that prices are high not so much because of the farmer...

(Interesting and ironic that you chose Somalia as an example, as it's surely one of the poorest countries around).

I think he was talking about Somalia in East London England or Manchester, Chelsea, or anywhere else in England.

[Kabula]

Absolutely! When I was a young boy, there were no divorces in our village. Women had the most important jobs, raising and educating children in the home to be polite and good citizens. All the neighborhood children played on farms, swam in the ponds and rivers, skied, ice skated, fished, hunted in our backyard's and picked apples that are four times larger than you find in the grocery stores today. There were farms in Connecticut every 2 miles and cows, crops and orchards as far as you could see. Today most are gone. Most had the same job till they retired. A middle class home could be built on an acre for $25,000. No crime to speak of and seldom saw a cop. If we did he was friendly and helpful. He was dressed in blue, not black and did not drive a tank! He carried a pistol, not a machine gun! I often think about those special days.

[dotpoom]

Yep. i worry a great deal about the world my son will grow up in. As his dad, the best i can do for him is to adequately prepare him the best i can.

I have often thought about this question and feel much the same as yourself. When I first came to hear of this group that are causing mayhem all over the world at the moment I couldn't believe how savage some people could be to other human beings (I'm aware it has been like this down through the centuarys) ...but for me the last straw was when it was reported that what appeared to be normal kids were joining up with them through "Social Media" it was almost beyond my belief. Out of all the group's in the world.....why want to be a part of ....beheadings....torture....rape....murder..etc., etc., etc. When we were kids , for kicks we knocked on people's doors and ran off quickly. Then when I started to drink I pawned my Dad's pushbike for money and got the beating of my life for it....now look at today ...along with kids being bullied into suicide through the same social media.

I really have no desire to see what developes in the next, let'say....25 years.

[akentryan]

Better than being born yesterday

[Toscano]

Yes , I'm glad to be old !!! I was born in 1937 , shortly before WWII . I was lucky my family lived in a rural area , so we didn't suffer the blitz inflicted on cities . My father was considered too old for active overseas service , served as an army RTO officer in Britain . There were anxious moments , but a wonderful sense of comradeship during the war . Post war years were blissful . When I was married my wife and I lived on £5 per week for everything . I have had a wonderful life and done almost everything I could have wished to do . Thailand is fortunately a backwater to the world where nothing much happens , a warm climate and low cost of living . I am horrified by what is happening in the rest of the world ; the wars the US has created aided by Britain and Europe , Iraq , Afghanistan , Libya , Syria and Ukraine . I have traveled widely in Europe and now see it over run by migrants who will never be assimilated , the bombing in Paris and Brussels . I shall soon be 79yrs , though gypsies have predicted that I will live to 93 , I hope not , I should be happy to die tomorrow . My grandmother lived at a time when people died of influenza or appendicitis , she lived through two world wars : so I dare say she may not have seen the world as the wonderful place she grew up in . I worry for my children and particularly grandchildren .

[gandalf12]

The world is becoming a war zone, not in the traditional sense but just the way people act on a daily basis

[BritManToo]

It's both funny and tragic to read comments bemoaning the fate of Europe from those who've clearly somehow forgotten the darker times in it's recent history. Do you really think things were better when millions were slaughtered during two great wars, and fascism threatened to take over the whole continent?

As most of us were not born then I was talking about when we were young,in the 50s and 60s etc but then perhOs you are in your 80s and fought in the war? Terrible time ,but not my time

Which war?

Vietnam war ran from 1945-1975 (first 10 years France, next 20 years America)

Post war years were blissful . When I was married my wife and I lived on £5 per week for everything .

Rationing from WW2 didn't end in the UK until 1954, that couldn't have been all that 'blissful'.

Edited March 24, 2016 by BritManToo

[smotherb]

People said similar things 50 years ago, or 100, or probably any time before that. The current younger generation will probably say something similar when they get old.

This is less about the state of the world today, and more about the inflexibility that comes with age.

Inflexibility that comes with age, hmm, a pun?

While there will always be the memories of how things were and how back in the day was so much better; I doubt people who grew up without indoor plumbing, electricity, or air travel would prefer to go back to those times. Similarly, younger people who grew up with modern technology would hardly be expected to want to go without it.

I do think most of us would rather be in a world without the continual security screening, widespread terrorism, and mass destruction we are faced with today.

However, I do miss some of the old times--I used to be able to call my credit union manager and simply tell him to send me some more money; buy airline tickets which could be re-routed, add/change stopovers, change dates, etc., ad infinitum with minimal charge; receive airfare, hotel and per diem for job interviews; be able to come and go in almost any country without hassle . . . .

[NoshowJones]

I agree with your post.

I could not go back to live in the nanny state of oz anymore. It used to be a good country 20 to 25 yrs ago. Now the people are strange and all after the money. Bills are extremely high and people are struggling. Id rather be in thailand and not have to worry about speeding in my car and being pulled over

No, but you have to worry about the loads of low mentality Thai drivers and motorbike riders, and how their

dangerous driving is going to affect you.

[NoshowJones]

I agree with your post.

I could not go back to live in the nanny state of oz anymore. It used to be a good country 20 to 25 yrs ago. Now the people are strange and all after the money. Bills are extremely high and people are struggling. Id rather be in thailand and not have to worry about speeding in my car and being pulled over

So It's Australian's that are after the money, That would never happen in Thailand

Right, no corruption no woman on the take no duel pricing no greed to be seen in Thailand by the ordinary man or by the system.

Thank God for Thailand, the land of opportunity and good will.

Yes apart from the disgraceful driving and the atrocious behavior during Songkran.

[Suradit69]

Yes. Aside from a looming confrontation between the haves and have nots, all the overwhelming debt, both personal but especially governmental, is simply not sustainable. When the bubble pops I hope to be six feet under or in an urn on a shelf.

[NoshowJones]

I grew up in the greatest place, in the greatest country, at the greatest time the world has ever known. I don't think it will ever be that way again.

Cheers.

I thought you were from the UK NS, sorry, my mistake.

[Kiwiken]

I believe those of us that were kids in the 60,s and teens in the 70's had it the best. Remember when we all felt optimism for the future when man walked on the moon in 1969. How free and easy life was. And then the 1973 oil shock, terrorism and the end of optimism. Up until 1980 life was pretty cruisy. After that New right economics, Friedmanitsm economic topsy turvy and life not so bright

[Dan5]

I agree. And another big plus. I wasn't brought up politically correct. My only regret is that I didn't move to Thailand many years ago. Like 40 years ago.

[Dan5]

I agree. And another big plus. I wasn't brought up politically correct. My only regret is that I didn't move to Thailand many years ago. Like 40 years ago.

I recently talked to a guy who has been here since 1969. Made me aware of how much I've missed.

[Thaidream]

The World truly is in a position in which man will destroy it due to greed and the love of money. The United States was once a great country now 1% of the population control the wealth and 99% are headed towards poverty. This is not sustainable and there will be another American Revolution in 30 years. Europe is headed for totalitarianism or fascism due to unfettered immigration from the Middle East. Millions of Europeans died to stop it before but history will repeat itself just like Enoch Powell predicted years ago. Thailand will survive but an event will change the country forever but Thai people are more resilient than those in the West. They can revert back to the land and sustain themselves. Westerners are in for a hard lesson. I fear for my children and grandchildren- yet they will have a chance to correct all the things the current leaders have messed up. I hope some day- they will be referred to as the greatest generation.

[thairay]

do we all start to sound like our dads ?

[emilymat]

It's both funny and tragic to read comments bemoaning the fate of Europe from those who've clearly somehow forgotten the darker times in it's recent history. Do you really think things were better when millions were slaughtered during two great wars, and fascism threatened to take over the whole continent?

As most of us were not born then I was talking about when we were young,in the 50s and 60s etc but then perhOs you are in your 80s and fought in the war? Terrible time ,but not my time

Which war?

Vietnam war ran from 1945-1975 (first 10 years France, next 20 years America)

Post war years were blissful . When I was married my wife and I lived on £5 per week for everything .

Rationing from WW2 didn't end in the UK until 1954, that couldn't have been all that 'blissful'.

It's a statistical fact that the UK population,particularly children, was at it's fittest in the early fifties. The irony is that this was caused by rationing and the simple diet and particularly the schoolkids receiving milk, school dinners, malt,cod liver oil and regular exercise.

You really can easily despair about the kids of today with obesity and total lack of physical activity (for many).

I'm with the OP on this, although I do realise that there could be an element of rose coloured spectacles from time to time.

I might get it in the neck here, but I think the introduction of the smart phone, and what it's doing to society, is a real and negative change to the way us humans interact.

Whilst on, another poster referred to all those killed in WW1. More were killed by nature in the 1919 flu epidemic.

[malibukid]

the music was much better years ago, no serious std's, cops would drive you home rather than arrest you for DUI, you would just pick up your car keys at the station the next morning. could ride my horses on the beach, not allowed now. dogs must be on leash. also the schools in L.A. where much better and a lot less traffic as well. Santa Monica bay was not polluted. could hitch hike safely as a kid up and down the coast. would not want to be a 20 something today.