Was There a Better Time?

Underock1

Underock1

Senior Member
Location
Suburban NJ
In spite of all of the troubles in the world, I think that we are living in the best times that humanity in general, and certainly myself, have ever experienced.
Just wondering what others think.
 

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Dame Warrigal said:
I wouldn't want to live any other time with the possible exception of perhaps 100 years into the future.
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Yes. I think the future looks bright. I watch the Asian and European news, and a World TV channel here. There are a number of initiatives being taken by some countries to improve conditions. There are also a lot of grass roots programs starting up to address long standing problems of education and the abuse of women. If we can just get the fanatics under control, and I think in the long run the horror of their message will eventually self destruct.
 

Underock1 said:
Yes. I think the future looks bright. I watch the Asian and European news, and a World TV channel here. There are a number of initiatives being taken by some countries to improve conditions. There are also a lot of grass roots programs starting up to address long standing problems of education and the abuse of women. If we can just get the fanatics under control, and I think in the long run the horror of their message will eventually self destruct.
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Obviously, you are a well-educated person. Your profile indicates you have endured considerable personal duress, as, of course, many of us have. Lost a son, then a wife. We all feel remorse for you.

Those long-standing problems of education and the abuse of women, which you mention, remain exactly what they are, and pale into insignificance in view of the currently presented geopolitical stance, however. Until world leaders act on behalf of their constituents, instead of monetarily-fueled greed, the status quo will remain either unchanged, or worsened. Thank you for your contribution. imp
 
imp said:
Obviously, you are a well-educated person. Your profile indicates you have endured considerable personal duress, as, of course, many of us have. Lost a son, then a wife. We all feel remorse for you.

Those long-standing problems of education and the abuse of women, which you mention, remain exactly what they are, and pale into insignificance in view of the currently presented geopolitical stance, however. Until world leaders act on behalf of their constituents, instead of monetarily-fueled greed, the status quo will remain either unchanged, or worsened. Thank you for your contribution. imp
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Thank you for your sympathy, and your kind words. I do appreciate that, imp. I'm not all that educated. I'm a high school drop out with a GED diploma. I just read a lot of history and science and pay attention. Not being contentious. I don't think that abuse of women and lack of education are "insignificant" problems. Ignorance has always been the biggest problem affecting the human race. As far as geopolitical problems, perhaps I'm naive, I see what appear to be some sincere efforts being made by some countries to address a number of problems, with a minimum of saber rattling. Yes. The Mideast and Isis, is a problem, but my response to DW was with regard to prospects for a hundred years from now, not today. With the rapid growth and spread of knowledge and the interconnectedness of people through the Web, I still think the future looks bright.
 
I wouldn't have minded living in the days of the Morgans and Vanderbilts providing that I was one of them...:cool:
 
I fully enjoyed and would gladly repeat the mid '50's to early 60's when I was a child. I had a stay at home Mom, bills were always paid, we did not allow arguing or yelling in the family, playing outside until dark in the summer. On Sunday, we would go to church, come home and have dinner, sit on the front porch and talk to the neighbors as they passed by and then go for a ride to get ice cream. Watch Ed Sullivan on TV in the evening. Very little, if any, stress in our family growing up.
 
Underock1 said:
In spite of all of the troubles in the world, I think that we are living in the best times that humanity in general, and certainly myself, have ever experienced.
Just wondering what others think.
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Yes, I agree, I would not want to go back, also agree with Red on the technology aspect.
 
oldman said:
I fully enjoyed and would gladly repeat the mid '50's to early 60's when I was a child. I had a stay at home Mom, bills were always paid, we did not allow arguing or yelling in the family, playing outside until dark in the summer. On Sunday, we would go to church, come home and have dinner, sit on the front porch and talk to the neighbors as they passed by and then go for a ride to get ice cream. Watch Ed Sullivan on TV in the evening. Very little, if any, stress in our family growing up.
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Well I have to agree with that from a personal standpoint. Those were great years for me, getting married and raising our kids. The happiest in my life. They were also the financial struggle years, but worth every bit of it. The only problem I have with the fifties is a sort of smug attitude amongst the "haves". If anyone was a "have not", it was always their own fault. I saw a lot of the "Don't let those people move into the neighborhood." "Make sure you don't hire one of those people." It was easy being a WASP.

Oldman; you were a kid in the sixties? I was raising my kids in the sixties. Boy, I am getting old!
 
I was born in the early 50s and wouldn't have wanted to be born any sooner or later. Experience a lot like what Oldman said. :sentimental: I think we're living in the best times too.
 
Josiah said:
My vote would be for the early 1950's. Admittedly in the US.
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oldman said:
I fully enjoyed and would gladly repeat the mid '50's to early 60's when I was a child. I had a stay at home Mom, bills were always paid, we did not allow arguing or yelling in the family, playing outside until dark in the summer. On Sunday, we would go to church, come home and have dinner, sit on the front porch and talk to the neighbors as they passed by and then go for a ride to get ice cream. Watch Ed Sullivan on TV in the evening. Very little, if any, stress in our family growing up.
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Agree. Even though I wasn't even born until the end of the decade (1958) I know the family history of it and experienced much the same upbringing.

Underock1 said:
... The only problem I have with the fifties is a sort of smug attitude amongst the "haves". If anyone was a "have not", it was always their own fault. I saw a lot of the "Don't let those people move into the neighborhood." "Make sure you don't hire one of those people." It was easy being a WASP.
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Maybe if we stayed that way we wouldn't have all the problems we have now ...
 
In some ways my 1950s childhood growing up in a small town in Pa. was idyllic even though my family was highly dysfunctional. But I certainly would not have wanted to be an adult female then. Opportunities for women were limited and sexist discrimination was blatant. No thanks.
 
I definitely think the present is the best. I would hate to be back in the 50s with the terrible hair styles and fashions and not being able to wear pants, only nylons and garter belts and dresses, women's jobs paying so little, racism, you name it, the 50s were very backward in my opinion. It was fine when we were little children, living safely and happily in our suburban bubbles, but the real world back then was really tough, especially if one was living outside north america. Nostalgia is fun and cute, but only a fantasy, only a fantasy.

But to do the 50s justice, I do love the mid-century modern decor styles of that era.
 
Cookie said:
I definitely think the present is the best. I would hate to be back in the 50s with the terrible hair styles and fashions and not being able to wear pants, only nylons and garter belts and dresses, women's jobs paying so little, racism, you name it, the 50s were very backward in my opinion. It was fine when we were little children, living safely and happily in our suburban bubbles, but the real world back then was really tough, especially if one was living outside north america. Nostalgia is fun and cute, but only a fantasy, only a fantasy.

But to do the 50s justice, I do love the mid-century modern decor styles of that era.
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Not for me. I would like a do-over of the 50's. No other time in my life were things more relaxed and less stressful. The only major thing we had going on was the Korean War. No internet and the myriad of things that goes with it, no cell phones and likewise as with the internet, no credit cards to help aalow people get in over their heads, no 60's and all the crap that went on with that era. Just peace! If that's nostalgia and maybe it is, I am all for it.
 
Agree that from an individual perspective, if you lived in suburban USA or Canada, many of us had nice childhood memories of the 50s. It was fun for us to wait for the ice cream truck to come around and listen to Buddy Holly on the radio. But I think the OP is referring to a broader perspective - not only our own individual experience - more like the big picture.
 
I have heard it said that the Eisenhower years were "do nothing" years. Maybe that's what we do best.
 

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