Modern Society

[Ryozo]

I'd like to know what some of you intellectuals think about our lovely modern society. I'm going to wait and see what a few people have to say first, though, partly because I'm to tired and lazy to type that much right now, and partly because I'd like to go off of some other opinions. If you think that makes sense, then please, share your honest opinion:

How much do you think modern society sucks?

 

[Giaguara]

In most senses, the world is more wealthy than it has ever been before. Most of the money doesn't go to food any more. And more people share the money than before, but it is still only a tiny fraction of the global population that are rich, and even in richer countries like US or Europe, the wealth is not evenly distributed.
15 % of people can't afford medical insurance or medical care in US ... Canada seems far better in medical care sense. Or any country where people can get medical care when they most need it, even if they don't have money.

And the wealth attracts people that in many places are desired to keep out. Mexicans for US, Africans for Europe ... yet without the illegal and underpaid workforce, the prices of mostly everything would skyrocket. But to keep immigration in control, they introduce laws that make immigration harder, and allow the wealth accumulation of lawyers and doctors (only the medical for US immigration costs 200 UK pounds, that is over $ 400, or 350 euros which is even worse. For a 40 minute obligatory checkup, added with several months to years of waiting time and thousands of dollars for paperwork)... Europe is not much better in some places - for instance Ireland is trying to keep the spouses of the EU citizens away as hard as it can (by EU law, the non-EU-spouses of EU citizens have the right to stay and to work, and the permission and registration etc has to be done within six months. Ireland is breaking this law, so there are several - hundreds? - of people who have been waiting for this paperwork for 9-10 months... while only one spouse can work. The salaries aren't good usually, so unless one is at executive level, there is no way of e.g. affording to rent a place only for yourself on that time. This does not apply for third world people only, but also the Americans and Canadians are made to go thru this. And Ireland refuses the permits, illegally so, to couples who have not lived in another country before moving in Ireland. E.g. a South African citizen who has been taxes in Ireland for the past 6 months who is married to an Italian who's been in Ireland and paying taxes for it for the past 11 years, was refused the right to stay... so either break the family and go to the original country where there are no ties, or apply for another type of visa which will take a year to process. Or go to UK). All while the Irish politicians and media don't give a @#$% about it, AND keep demanding that all the illegal Irish in US would be given a red carpet treatment because they are Irish ...
And in US it feels that the illegals have it way easier than those who are trying to get there legally, e.g. for a spouse visa it can take way over a year, in which time you may not be able to see your spouse at all if you happened to ever get any bad information from USCIS, the state sponsored hotline for dealing with immigration and citizenship services...

I saw the other night Freedom to Fascism (director's authorized version at Google video) and am not sure how to digest it ... interesting but scary, and not to see if you are in the mood for something happy and light.

.. and enough for my rants for now, I need more coffee.

 

[Satcomer]

What a good start to the new century. I am afraid that the old style democratic republics are starting to look like the last throws of the old Roman Empire. Everybody is lining-up to take sides and the calm reason that used to be a part of the "Western Democracies" is a the thing of the past. Their seems to no place left for the truly independent to be in power in any "Western Democracies". It is truly the "us or them" mentality that has taken over the Western world.

 

[Qion]

I believe that what Ryozo wants us to get at is that the modern society is both generalized and based on jilted ideals. It really has nothing to do with politics so much as debased philosophies.

I think constantly of the world before all this industrialization and denaturalization. What was the life of a Native American like? I can only imagine it to be more beautiful than looking out my window to streets and fast-food restaurants. It sickens me to live in a world where so much is controlled by "The Powers That Be", and so much is controlled by a never-ending competetive cycle to become "better" than another, or to satisfy the needs of an ever-growing technology driven society.

I would love to be able to walk in the nature before planes, cars, steamboats, and printing presses and live my life doing what humans used to do the best here in America: live for the sake of love and respect. This is not to say that the people of this day and age are hedonistic, or that the native people of this country had an ideal society. Being a graphic designer, I realize the importance of technology and all the good it brings to the world. However, I'd give it all up in a heartbeat for the life aforementioned.

I realize that I'm glorifying this, but these truly are my innermost feelings.
It would be humbling to know that somebody else shares them.

 

[Decade]

I think the world sucks, but for practical purposes it always has.

This world is actually pretty nice at the moment. Why should I be bothered by income inequality? I don't want the money anyway, as long as I have a good life. In more prosaic terms, the promise of income inequality is a great incentive for normal people to be more productive, raising the entire society with them.

You want to go back to nature? Try not paying the doctors and dentists when you get sick; maybe by chance you're near natural remedies for some of the problems. This is especially relevant in times of conflict: You think modern weapons are inhumane, but just think about what came before. Or look it up if you don't already know.

America before industrialization? Your perspective is distorted. Try America before the explorers accidentally wiped everyone out with their diseases. That would be before the conquerors took over.

Of course, there's something wrong with modern society, too. Part of it I place blame on hedonistic democracy. It turns out that people would rather work for short-term pleasure, and will if properly positioned clowns tell them that it's good to do so. Part of it I blame on the global corporate-political elite. They've shaped and leveraged the hedonistic democracy (themselves being hedonists) to give them powers beyond their mandates, and used their corporate identities to mostly shield themselves from wrongdoing. Certainly the major shareholders and politicians, who set the policies, are insulated.

It is said that a democracy will last only until the voters realize that they can vote to give themselves the nation's money.

Parallel to that are the people not enjoying the benefits of western civilization. I don't mind that people are poor, because being poor means that it's possible to be rich. I do have a problem with people plotting my destruction, and having no moral compunctions about it. I have a problem with policy makers making my country a more tempting target by pushing it into the lives of the malcontents while weakening its defenses.

For a semi-numerical answer, I think there will be drastic, violent changes in the next century. Maybe even in our favorite hemispheres. And they'll suck for us.

 

[Lt Major Burns]

i live in a place where i have a pleasant job, with restricted limits on the amount of hours i can work in a week, with set holidays, a minimum guaranteed and contracted income, i live in a warm home with enough food to make me fat if so wished and amenities sufficient to keep me clean and my surroundings clean. i have fresh clean clothes and shoes for all occasions. technologies have allowed me to keep in contact with an unlimited amount of friends, they can contact me and i can contact them where ever and whenever i please. I'm currently on the path of a good career, in something i wanted to do, and that reality was possible for me. if i fall ill or injure myself, the chances are i'll live, not the other way around. I can expect to live past 75. I have access to culture, arts and music with virtually no limits. i have a nice car, and i can drive to whereever i want. i could get in a plane and travel to anywhere in the world.

i can do, and can have, all of these things.

i don't think my ancestors could say the same. we live in an amazing time. the political activists and pressure groups sometimes fail to see this.

 

[Rhisiart]

In most senses, the world is more wealthy than it has ever been before...

Your tag states that you are far away...but I don't think so. I think you are very close the way things are.

I seem to remember a quote from JC in the New Testament that says that there will always be poor amongst us. I think this was meant to imply that there never will be perfect economic system.

It always come back to the individual (potentially the most potent unselfish gene carrier).

I say vote however disillusioned you may feel and kick ass for others when you have the energy.

 

[Qion]

You want to go back to nature? Try not paying the doctors and dentists when you get sick; maybe by chance you're near natural remedies for some of the problems. This is especially relevant in times of conflict: You think modern weapons are inhumane, but just think about what came before. Or look it up if you don't already know.

America before industrialization? Your perspective is distorted. Try America before the explorers accidentally wiped everyone out with their diseases. That would be before the conquerors took over.

Sorry, did you miss the word "denaturalization"? Those diseases weren't exactly natural to the area, were they? My perception of history is fine; I tried to make it perfectly clear that I was merely expressing a feeling, as opposed to historical fact.

Also, if it weren't for this society, I'd be dead. Medicine and surgery have saved my life no less than three times, so to a large degree I do understand the implications of my emotions towards modern life.

Of course, there's something wrong with modern society, too. Part of it I place blame on hedonistic democracy. It turns out that people would rather work for short-term pleasure, and will if properly positioned clowns tell them that it's good to do so. Part of it I blame on the global corporate-political elite. They've shaped and leveraged the hedonistic democracy (themselves being hedonists) to give them powers beyond their mandates, and used their corporate identities to mostly shield themselves from wrongdoing. Certainly the major shareholders and politicians, who set the policies, are insulated.

I agree with you; it's a hedonistic circus feeding on its excremental materialism and sociological debasement. (lovely image there)

The idea that life has always sucked in some way or another is true. However, it's true just as red is to you as blue is to me; what may be a smooth system to you is my idea of ridiculousness. Suffering is suffering, but on what levels (especially the psychological ones) is left to individual perception. The world will not be perfect as long as the people stay individuals, and this goes beyond what the figureheads do.

We all have a place we'd like to be; some are lucky enough to be in it.

 

[Giaguara]

Your tag states that you are far away...but I don't think so. I think you are very close the way things are.

Well. Far far away from where I would want to be. At the moment I can't live together with my other half in any country. He can't live here because the government is breaking the law, and I can't live there until I get a lot of paperwork sorted. Got to love the government hotlines that can give out information that they can't be held responsible for when it is wrong. I'm not very entertained that I resigned from my job, we gave up the housing thing we had, and got expensive tickets that ebookers doesn't want to refund when not being able to use wasn't our fault but the border control's. Argh! So no income from end of March until now (just started another job) and no possibility to get any unemployment money, after both of us trying to survive for a year with one salary. Oh boy.
It's so much easier to bring your cat or dog from another country than to bring your spouse.