From one of the discussions on the previous thread
I do believe that humanity is doing much better as a whole than we were a few hundred years ago. OK, there's plenty of room for improvement and there are places that have got stuck on time and haven't changed a bit their human rights, but in general, things are fairer than they used to be.

Which things do you think were better some hundred years ago? And worse? Do you think we have improved or are doing worse every time?

Alt. Ok, ok, lunch.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:09, 90 replies, latest was 15 years ago)

I paid attention in class

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:11, Reply)

Also of course we're doing worse if the general ecology of the world is anything to go by

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:12, Reply)

We've fucked it right good and proper and that's for sure

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:12, Reply)

We may have fucked ourselves over and even that remains to be seen
but the world itself has gone through much worse before and come out of it fine.
( Kroney, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:15, Reply)

I agree

(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:20, Reply)

That's over a period of millions of years
Man made changes will affect the world in decades
( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:20, Reply)

What I mean is
"it remains to be seen if we've fucked ourselves over" ie if we've killed our own species. We might survive it, we might not.
( Kroney, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:23, Reply)

If there was centralised policy and all that shit it might be somewhat better that a fuck it let's see what happens

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:24, Reply)

Bollocks, one volcano goes off and it spills more carbon into the atmosphere than the whole of the man made carbon in the northern hemisphere.

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:56, Reply)

People blame global warming on man made issues like they used to blame them on god.

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:56, Reply)

Nah climate change has always been part of the make up, it's mans discernable impact upon the same which is cause for concern

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:05, Reply)

i'm fairly sure that's not actually true

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:03, Reply)

All you have to do is look at the level of air pollutants on the Chinese East Coast to look past that particular statement

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:06, Reply)

OK, slight exasoration with the northern hemisphere, but at least for europe.
Otherwise, the volcano in Iceland wouldn't have had an effect if it's already that bad anyway.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:17, Reply)

Volcano emissions have always been an established part of the ecology, whether the carbon they produce has a direct effect on the climate system, or if it's absorbed by forests and whatnot
Excepting most of the forests are now down, to be replaced by pasture land for domesticated animals to be adding further pollutants via methane gas emissions. Chuck in our reliance on oil and it's just not very good all round. An unsustainable 10.5 billion people by 2050, aint too clever either.
( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:25, Reply)

Nah, we're not.

(PsychoChomp, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:13, Reply)

Course we are, dwindling resources and upwards only population increase with zero overall planning
Chuck in loss of natural habitat throughout the world at an alarming rate, loss of wildlife natural vegetation all that jazz.
( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:17, Reply)

THINK OF THE POLAR BEARS
Knut always in r hartz
( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:19, Reply)

Not enough, I fear.
You would have known about slavery, child abuse, no human rights, no rights for workers, number of deads at work, droit de seigneur (?)... not saying that it doesn't happen these days, but in a lower number and it's punishable (in developed countries, at least)
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:14, Reply)

Yeah all that goes on these days as well dontchaknow

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:18, Reply)

At least it's illegal
in developed (and most developing) countries. And it happens in a much lower rate.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:19, Reply)

That's nice to know from your ivory tower
as you look upon your wordly possessions knocked up by the poor and exploited of the third world.
( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:22, Reply)

The same third world
I give money too to help them improve and get better. Things were done wrong in the past, but we're trying to sort it out. At least most of us, I don't know about you. And I don't have an ivory tower, but I'll be glad to visit yours, never seen one.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:33, Reply)

It's lovely up here

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:57, Reply)

I thought so
that explains your talking. I imagine you're not getting as much as you used to, so the world is going really bad, isn't it?
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:08, Reply)

No it's looking up if anything, despite these harsh economic times

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:12, Reply)

Taking advantage of the third world and the poor
aren't you?
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:12, Reply)

The London property market

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:14, Reply)

Maybe
if you gave part of your earnings to an eco or third world charity you would be happier and stop being so bitter with everybody.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:15, Reply)

I do

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:16, Reply)

Then
smile: you, as a lot of other people, are doing something to help things getting better, proving that you care for people you don't even know, which means that us, in general, are better than we used to be, looking after fellow humans, despite not knowing them at all or getting any profit from it.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:19, Reply)

For every slave there was a tribal leader selling.
It's not Nike that uses child labour, it's the scummy slum-lords from the children's native countries that are not passing on standard of living
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:59, Reply)

The price of Gin

( Peej, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:12, Reply)

Yes, prices should have kept as they were
but then, salaries were lower, and less people was able to afford gin, so, I'm not sure.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:15, Reply)

And tobacco.

( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:17, Reply)

Films are better now. Have you seen The Great Train Robbery? Jerky as fuck
Although I maintain that Nosferatu has very rarely been bettered in the horror stakes in the 89 years since it was made.

Alt: might spoil myself with a trip to M&S. Try and convince myself I'm middle-class.

And how are you, darling?
(Darth Foxtrot A one-man army dedicated to making fetch happen, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:14, Reply)

I went to M&S on sat
but couldn't find what I wanted.

I've seen that film. Some old films are good, though. Do you consider The Sting old? I love that film. And Metropolis.

I'm doing ok. Ups and downs. I felt the baby yesterday for the first time, but have another appointment with the GP tomorrow and scan on Sat.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:16, Reply)

Metropolis is a fantastic film
The Sting is a lot of fun, I wouldn't consider it old by the same standards though.

Are you planning to keep the gender a secret? I think you should, cos some friends of mine had a baby earlier this week and having been told after several scans that it was a girl, which is what they really wanted, it turned out to have a penis.
(Darth Foxtrot A one-man army dedicated to making fetch happen, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:19, Reply)

Poor girl!
What are they going to do with the penis, keep it or not?

I think we've decided to have a surprise. I think everything we buy or get should be gender neutral, mainly because I don't like little princesses or gun boys.

They found some lost scenes of Metropolis, but I haven't seen them yet. I'm looking forward to it.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:22, Reply)

Hmm. Depends why they were lost
Possibly they were removed from the film with good reason, then lost. Let's put it this way; no-one's been particularly keen to find Glenn Miller.

I do feel sorry for the newborn lad, because his parent's hopes and expectations of him have been utterly kippered before he's even had his umbilical cord cut.
(Darth Foxtrot A one-man army dedicated to making fetch happen, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:24, Reply)

I fear that might happen too
I'm trying to keep as neutral as possible, so I think a surprise will be better.

I think the bits found are part of the original film, really, just got damaged. I'll try to find the article where I read it.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:34, Reply)

Peoples' skills at child-rearing and manners in general
have taken a right fucking nosedive.
( Kroney, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:17, Reply)

Maybe in GB
I think manners are improving in Spain, we used to be really rude.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:18, Reply)

christ
it must have been fucking awful before
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:20, Reply)

Shaun Wright-Phillips and Lewis Hamilton would find Aber's statement somewhat incredulous also

(Darth Foxtrot A one-man army dedicated to making fetch happen, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:21, Reply)

You, funny boy!
Oh, well, we used to call you all queers, with all your "pleases" and "thankyouses" and "nevermindeds". I go to the bar for a pint, I say "A pint", not "May I have a pint, please?" Of course I may, I'm paying for it!
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:23, Reply)

"I paid for that slave, I can do whatever I want with them"

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:24, Reply)

Those were my words!
And they still put me to prison! I don't understand.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:25, Reply)

Hahaha

(Darth Foxtrot A one-man army dedicated to making fetch happen, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:29, Reply)

No, they almost certainly haven't
however, our press obsession with the fact that this is happening has fucking rocketed.

(I realise this is a bit off the subject of your original point but it's important .. )Children are no stupider, no worse behaved and no more dangerous to society than they have ever been, at least overall. Every single generation whines that the next one is "out of control". They were doing it in 20's (glasgow and manchester street gangs), in the 50s (Teddy boys) and 60s (Mods, Rockers) and 70s (punks) and 80s (race and inner city gang riots) and so on.

People need to man the fuck up and stop thinking that just because you don't "understand" the youths of today it doesn't mean they are dangerously out of control. Just that the youth of today doesn't want us to be part of their game, cheers, grandad. Same as we were when we were kids.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:26, Reply)

Hey look, it's that guy I used to work with.
As you said that's off my point. It's people in general I have a problem with. It's not the kids' collective fault that they're shits.
( Kroney, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:28, Reply)

There's always been unpolite people around
I don't think it's got any worse.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:37, Reply)

Oh, I do. I think it's got noticeably worse.

( Kroney, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:46, Reply)

It must be me, then
I find people here extremely polite, to the point of being a bit annoying. For us, all that politeness means that you're trying to keep the distance with me or calling me old, so it can be, in fact, quite unpolite.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:47, Reply)

Ok, having said that
maybe not in London. Londoners can be quite rude, that's true.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:48, Reply)

Londoners have always been rude.
they were just as much a bunch of cunts when I moved there best part of 20 years ago as they are when I visit now. It's just I was more tolerant of it when I was young.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:26, Reply)

Maybe
it's the first time I interact with them. Well, it's the first time I don't interact with them, really. It's like being invisible. I miss a bit the warmth of the North.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:29, Reply)

nah, it hasn't
everyone just gets more intolerant as they get older.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:23, Reply)

It's always been like that even further back
'The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they alone knew everything and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for girls, they are forward, immodest and unwomanly in speech, behaviour and dress.' Written in about 1200's.
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:44, Reply)

Divide the denominator times the numerator
It's not hard you spastics now do it! Year six are being cunts today, utter flid cunts.
( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:17, Reply)

I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon Bob.
And if the kids are bullying you, speak to a teacher.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:22, Reply)

I wouldn't hold your breath

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:26, Reply)

Tedious cunt is tedious

( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:29, Reply)

You forgot 'one trick pony' Small Hands Pires

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:30, Reply)

Don't be racist

( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:32, Reply)

Actually my classroom and behaviour management
Were my two highest scores on my observation. They just don't get it and its frustrating. Will think of sOmething physical for them to do about fractions.
( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:27, Reply)

Only way to learn fractions,
is via the medium of cake.

In fact, almost all maths can be learned better with cake.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:43, Reply)

^ This
Cake is key to the understanding of fractions.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:44, Reply)

OK
But they're still better than a few hundred years ago, aren't they. I think it's only recently that school standards are going really down.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:24, Reply)

Oh yeah I totally ignored your question.
Entertainment is better now.
( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:28, Reply)

Totally, 'the wire' for instance

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:29, Reply)

Other forms of entertainment are available

( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:33, Reply)

Yeah
Looking at the candle flickering was a lot more fun. Oh, those days...
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:43, Reply)

Whereas now we have the omnibus edition of Eastenders and e4+1 to follow all of our favourite shows

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:55, Reply)

You don't have to watch it, you know?
There are other things. Unless you really like it. Do you really like it? Then it's ok if you watch it, don't worry, I won't tell anyone.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:58, Reply)

I think life gets in the way of us making big changes, socially, politically or otherwise.
Apathy is the biggest problem today. Maybe I'm just talking from my experience.
( girlinthehole, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:27, Reply)

I was going to post something insightful about your comment on apathy
But I can't be arsed.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:33, Reply)

The old ones are always the best.

( girlinthehole, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:36, Reply)

*Forms the OT seniors club*

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:37, Reply)

*brings tea and biscuits*

( girlinthehole, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:37, Reply)

*Orders support tights and zimmer frames*

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:38, Reply)

*takes teeth out*
*puckers up*

Give us a snog.
( girlinthehole, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:40, Reply)

*Tries to get out of the chair and fails, you'll have to come here instead*

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:45, Reply)

After Emmerdale.

( girlinthehole, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:51, Reply)

Okay.
*Checks to see if Heartbeat is on, if it is, I'm going out to play dominos*
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:54, Reply)

I don't know about apathy
Human beings have always been very conformists. They wouldn't complain for anything (your lord taking all your food, wife and daughter? oh, well, that's life) unless it was terribly outrageous and their lives were on risk.

Now it's more or less the same, but we do get to complain and act for things that don't affect our lives directly (charity, for example)
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:41, Reply)

I like the clothes better from back then
but I'm glad we've gotten better with the whole mentruation thing*

*I really couldn't figure out how to say that, but you know what I mean
( Lisette von Falcon, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:16, Reply)

I think the clothes look amazing
but to be fair, they were far too much hard work to wear and to put on. And I'd probably got to dress as a servant, so no pretty clothes for me.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:22, Reply)

Yeah, plus they didn't bathe regularly so the clothes probably smelled horribly.
I would like to have seen American Indians back in the day.
( Lisette von Falcon, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:25, Reply)

Yeah
I bet they did smell bad, despite all the perfumes and that.

American Indians, as seen on TV, look really good. I think I prefer those clothes for sure!
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Thu 9 Jun 2011, 13:32, Reply)