Better than 'yestayear'
Discussion
I'm forever wining on about the decline of society - which is fair enough. However, the other day I carried a bunch of shopping in plastic bags. I then remembered that years ago, anything more than a loaf of bread and the plastic bag would split. It got me thinking, what things are better than they were in the past. I cite a few:
affordable long-haul flights.
better cars (in the main).
better quality pictures on TV.
the internet.
less unemployment (for those who want to work)
less likely to be nuked.
Anyone think of any more?
affordable long-haul flights.
better cars (in the main).
better quality pictures on TV.
the internet.
less unemployment (for those who want to work)
less likely to be nuked.
Anyone think of any more?
Too many things to list really.
We are immeasureably better of materially than we ever have been.
We also have so many ways available to us in which we can communicate.
Whether we are better off from an overall satisfaction or contentment point of view is debatable and there is a definite lack of moral outlook in many peoples' behaviour which can be offputting.
However, on the whole I would not really want to go back to any time earlier than about 1984, personally speaking.
We are immeasureably better of materially than we ever have been.
We also have so many ways available to us in which we can communicate.
Whether we are better off from an overall satisfaction or contentment point of view is debatable and there is a definite lack of moral outlook in many peoples' behaviour which can be offputting.
However, on the whole I would not really want to go back to any time earlier than about 1984, personally speaking.
on the other hand, able to leave your doors open all day and night with no fear of burglary!, leaving you car unlocked, able to get a job without being pipped at the post by a "Guaranteed interview" Asylum seeker!, respect for elders, manners, people who could actually add 2 and 2!, people who could spell!, no B.Liar Dictatorship trying to remove our long fought for Civil Rights!, shall I go on?
camper
camper
Did you REALLY leave your front door unlocked?
Have you ever lost out in a job interview to an asylum seeker (if you have, what jobs have you been trying for, for goodness sake?).
Blair and his governement are only contunuing in the long tradition of British governments trying to wrest our liberties from us. Thay aren't that much different to their predecessors.
I agree with your points on poor education standards and bad manners though.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 13th September 00:01
Have you ever lost out in a job interview to an asylum seeker (if you have, what jobs have you been trying for, for goodness sake?).
Blair and his governement are only contunuing in the long tradition of British governments trying to wrest our liberties from us. Thay aren't that much different to their predecessors.
I agree with your points on poor education standards and bad manners though.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 13th September 00:01
Eric Mc said:
Shake & Vac ads on TV. I mean, what were they thinking of?
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=141&h=0&t=207134
yes I have lost the chance of a Civil Service job to an "asylum seeker" with the guaranteed interview thingy!, I am only a second class Citizen in my own Country now aparrently!
ah well can't get a job, beter go on the Dole then LOL!, as I have worked for 40 Years paying Taxes etc I feel I have done my bit anyway!, just need to fiddle it!, any suggestions?
camper
ah well can't get a job, beter go on the Dole then LOL!, as I have worked for 40 Years paying Taxes etc I feel I have done my bit anyway!, just need to fiddle it!, any suggestions?
camper
Eric Mc said:
Too many things to list really.
We are immeasureably better of materially than we ever have been.
We also have so many ways available to us in which we can communicate.
Whether we are better off from an overall satisfaction or contentment point of view is debatable and there is a definite lack of moral outlook in many peoples' behaviour which can be offputting.
I think you have summed it up perfectly Eric, we are now materially better off than in the past, but there has been a general moral decline in society. So whether you think things are improving or not depends on what weight you attach to either trend.
Society is never perfect. Some things have improved, some things have deteriorated. No matter what era one lives in, one will find aspects of life which are good and aspects which are bad.
On the whole, most of us would find it very difficult to cope with living in "times past". It's just that we don't always realise how well off we really are these days - compared to earlier generations.
On the whole, most of us would find it very difficult to cope with living in "times past". It's just that we don't always realise how well off we really are these days - compared to earlier generations.
In car entertainment.
When I were a lad, we didn't even have a car radio, we had to sing sonngs from The Sound Of Music and so forth. Great for social interaction and development you might think but no, I shun the company of others. Now you can have a concert hall and a cinema in your car. Brilliant. But don't forget the old days when ...
A 1, a 2, a 1,2,3
"You can roll a silver dollar upon the ground
And it'll ro-o-oll, because it's rou-ou-ound
A woman doesn't know what a good man she's got
Until she turns him down, down, down, down..."
Join in at the back.
However, one thing that has got worse id the decline of tin toys. The quality of toy robot has plummetted, the optimism of youth and interest in outer space and aliens has died since TV made it all science fact.
When I were a lad, we didn't even have a car radio, we had to sing sonngs from The Sound Of Music and so forth. Great for social interaction and development you might think but no, I shun the company of others. Now you can have a concert hall and a cinema in your car. Brilliant. But don't forget the old days when ...
A 1, a 2, a 1,2,3
"You can roll a silver dollar upon the ground
And it'll ro-o-oll, because it's rou-ou-ound
A woman doesn't know what a good man she's got
Until she turns him down, down, down, down..."
Join in at the back.
However, one thing that has got worse id the decline of tin toys. The quality of toy robot has plummetted, the optimism of youth and interest in outer space and aliens has died since TV made it all science fact.
I thought this was going to be a toy vintage car thread! Doh! Well I used to have a 1906 rolls royce silver ghost and a 1938 lagonda.....
(And nothing was better than matchbox yesteryears cars, they were the daddy) Right, back on topic... Things better now than in the past? erm? mobile phones, the internet, my hair, my shoes, my trousers, my shirts, my ties, my socks....
Lusifer, you sound like my dad
"In my day we had no shoes, worked 26 hours a day, woke up 20 minutes before we went to sleep had nothing but gravel to eat... but bloody hell, we were happy" >> Edited by MilnerR on Tuesday 13th September 08:48
Eric Mc said:
We are immeasureably better of materially than we ever have been.
However for those people under 30 you are unlikely ever to be able to afford to buy a decent place to live in.
25 years ago a single factory wokers wage was enough to buy a family home, today the combined income of two professionals will not be enough to do the same in most of England.
But that may have been a temporary period of history. Most people have never been able to afford to buy their own homes. The notion of everyone being able to buy their own homes really didn't enter the national consiousness until the 1960s and really wasn't feasable until the 1980s.
I actually think that home affordability will return eventually. It's just bad luck if you are in the age bracket now where you might be contemplating buying a property and find you can't afford it.
I actually think that home affordability will return eventually. It's just bad luck if you are in the age bracket now where you might be contemplating buying a property and find you can't afford it.
Eric Mc said:
But that may have been a temporary period of history. Most people have never been able to afford to buy their own homes. The notion of everyone being able to buy their own homes really didn't enter the national consiousness until the 1960s and really wasn't feasable until the 1980s.
I actually think that home affordability will return eventually. It's just bad luck if you are in the age bracket now where you might be contemplating buying a property and find you can't afford it.
Fair enough but I was just pointing out that compared to the recent past many people are actually worse off.
Okay so you can buy massive quantities of fairly pooor quality imported Chinese white goods, BUT the UK in income terms is now poorer than all but the poorest 3/4 US states.
How many people can afford a decent quality pair of shoes, a decent quality lawnmower etc....
Also we are apparently more wealthy than ever, we are also as a collection of individuals a total of £1 trillion in debt.
I guess it's a glass half full or glass half empty argument. A mate of mine is 'well off' because he has just bought an RX-8 and has 4 of these adventure type holidays a year......... well actually what he can afford is the interest payments on the car loan and his credit card, his flats on an IO mortgage and he doesn't save.....but he is apparently affluent and has it all.
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