Subscriber Kevin M made a comment about the post where we said poverty has and is going down because of free markets and capitalism. He pointed out that some people long for the “good ‘ol days”, but in fact, they weren’t so good compared to today.
For example, I think about the 1950’s – with the great cars and music and drive-ins. But the standard of living was much lower then, poor people were a lot worse off than poor people today, communication was far slower, and there were all kinds of problems yet to be solved that today, are solved.
Today we have a super-computer/communication device in our pockets, the world’s information is available fast and free, it’s relatively easy to feed and provide for our families, opportunity is all around us, and there is a solution for nearly everything.
I’d rather be alive today than at any time in the past.
How about you?
“There are people in every time and every land who want to stop history in its tracks. They fear the future, mistrust the present, and invoke the security of a comfortable past which, in fact, never existed.”
– Robert F. Kennedy
Flush toilets, toilet paper, central heating and cooling and abundant/varied foods.
I’m glad to be alive today for many reasons – including toilet paper and central heating and cooling! – but I am concerned about the future for my children.
I agree Larry, not like we have a choice though
My wife`s grandfather passed away twenty years ago at the age of 92, whenever we would say remember the good ole days he would laugh and say there was nothing good about the good ole days. I like today!
I think about the “good ol’ days” a lot. When I do I realize that what I really miss about them is the kindness in others hearts towards their fellow mankind and Schwinn bicycles. I’m a car guy, I like old cars and old stuff. But let’s face it, todays cars are much higher quality and much more safe than the cars of the past. Imagine trying to put a remote start on a 1969 anything! I can see it now, you run out and set the choke on the carburetor by pressing the accelerator pedal, then you run back in and hit the remote start button. I couldn’t resist! To your point Larry, I wouldn’t trade today for any other time to be alive. I’m glad I’m here to fight the fight and enjoy todays items with everyone else. I’m thankful that I am witnessing what is going on so that I can do my part to leave it a little better than expected.
Physically and materialistically we have it much better now than the “good ol’ days”. However, there are some social issues that we are dealing with that weren’t as prevalent back then. These issues are leading to or causing mental, psychological and spiritual issues which will in the long term lead to another era of poverty if they aren’t solved. Number one is the breakdown of the family structure. That is one of the single-most destructive problems facing today’s society. Children that come out of broken homes statistically don’t do as well in life, aren’t as productive, aren’t as good at solving problems, become a burden on society, commit more crimes, etc, etc. If we don’t solve the family problem then we will have poverty in plenty in the future.
Hey, Larry! I agree. And I bet people back then spent time thinking about how great the future would be. “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” It’s how our brains work.
100%!
The good old days of my adventurous parents and grandparents were tough and filled with loss and heartbreak… And they had it good compared to their forbears. Life is rich for us… We have everything to be thankful for.
Hey to you too, Larry! Whether its a past era we wish we would have been around for or to go back to our own simpler times in youth, I think we all just want what we can’t have. We know what we have available to us in the here and now and we can guess about the future, but the past presents so many missed opportunities that its easy to look at it with rose-tinted glasses and wish we could go back. There will always be good times and bad times, its all about what we decide to make of them and how we process them.
These are the good old days!