Is it better to be born now or then?

[Saltire]

I am very happy to have been born in '55. I would not want to be born now or even 20 years ago.

 

I don't have kids despite being on my third (and LAST) wife. I used to regret not having kids but now I feel it's lucky. I feel sorry for most average kids. It seems to me they will find it very hard to do what I am doing, and have been for 8 years, i.e. whatever I want. I doubt many will accrue adequate savings, pensions or property.

 

There doesn't appear to have been be any periods of real prosperity in recent years for ordinary working people, thanks to all the greedy people in control of the world's economies. The wealthy have got wealthier thanks to the hedge fund, banking criminals and others.

 

At one job in the 80's I received, without asking and without any real merit, 5 salary increases in one year. I also agree with some other posters about the impact of Artificial Intelligence. It will go some way to make the existence of Homo Sapiens redundant.

 

 

[Lacessit]

It's a mixed bag. I had three job offers in entirely different fields when I got out of secondary school. I chose science, and have never regretted It. In that field, I belong with the dinosaurs now. It's about 100 applicants competing for one position now.

I paid off my house mortgage within 18 months. My bank manager at the time was quite <deleted> off, I wasn't supposed to do that. I have not owed anyone any money since 1974. Paid cash for everything since then. Not into flaunting possessions to impress friends and neighbors. What I buy is to be used.

 

On the other hand, in my teens sex before marriage and pay-for-play sex was rigidly codified. Most of my generation grew up quite ignorant. I married a woman who was incompatible, and didn't want to be left on the shelf. I stuck to 28 years of married life out of a sense of responsibility and duty. If I had known about the alternatives, I probably would been in SE Asia as soon as I reached voting age. However, I also worked hard as an outlet, and was rewarded accordingly. So swings and roundabouts.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

6 minutes ago, Saltire said:

I am very happy to have been born in '55. I would not want to be born now or even 20 years ago.

 

I don't have kids despite being on my third (and LAST) wife. I used to regret not having kids but now I feel it's lucky. I feel sorry for most average kids. It seems to me they will find it very hard to do what I am doing, and have been for 8 years, i.e. whatever I want. I doubt many will accrue adequate savings, pensions or property.

 

There doesn't appear to have been be any periods of real prosperity in recent years for ordinary working people, thanks to all the greedy people in control of the world's economies. The wealthy have got wealthier thanks to the hedge fund, banking criminals and others.

 

At one job in the 80's I received, without asking and without any real merit, 5 salary increases in one year. I also agree with some other posters about the impact of Artificial Intelligence. It will go some way to make the existence of Homo Sapiens redundant.

 

 

It's hard to be prosperous when the only job one can get is asking "do you want fries with that"!

Not forgetting they are working on replacing that human with a machine as I write.

Only the rich or the fortunate have much of a future as long as the present system is in place, where greed reigns supreme, and the devil take those that can't submit to it.

 

I didn't have kids when I wanted them as I didn't meet anyone I wanted to have kids with.

Then I grew up and realised I didn't want any. So I guess I got lucky there.

Had I had kids, I'd have been paying for them my whole life, and never got to do all the great things I did, which were only possible because I didn't have a wife or kids. 

[shy coconut]

5 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

No HIV no bloody mobile phones and the girls looked like girls. Everyone was so better dressed back then, look at some material on YT of London in the 60's seems like another world. The past really is another country as far as the UK is concerned.

Yes but London was full of repressed working class people living in council house 

misery, waiting for thatcher to come and save their souls.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I had three job offers in entirely different fields when I got out of secondary school.

I could have done anything not requiring a degree when I left school. I chose farming because I was mad about horses, but it just didn't pay enough to make the life worthwhile.

After I saw the light I joined up and travelled the world, then I went nursing and travelled the world. Three completely different occupations and without any qualifications, or even relevant school subjects. That was because the population was low enough. Now it must be awful being at school and having to decide, so one can do the right subjects. I can't imagine being locked into an occupation while still at school. I also can't imagine having to go to uni, as I never wanted to go there.

Can't be a nurse now without a degree- stupidity, IMO.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, shy coconut said:

Yes but London was full of repressed working class people living in council house 

misery, waiting for thatcher to come and save their souls.

If Britain hadn't given away the Empire, they'd have been able to go work in a colony. Didn't need all those people with no Empire to control.

If they'd had sense, they'd have gone to Australia when it only cost 10 quid for the passage.

[Curt1591]

 

[Lacessit]

24 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Funny, because the wealthiest people are the ones buying up all the beach-side property.

As far as I know ZERO Pacific Islands have suffered any problems caused by sea level rises, mainly because there haven't been any sea level rises.

 

Could you link to a story about a Pacific Island that sank for me? 

The Carterets haven't sunk, and the population has doubled since 2007 when their sinking was widely predicted.

Height above sea level measured by Captain Morrell in 1830 1.5m, height now 1.6m. 

If the wealthiest people are buying beach property, it's because (a) they are going to flip it (b) they can afford to insulate it.

 

https://inhabitat.com/five-pacific-ocean-islands-have-already-disappeared-because-of-climate-change/

 

On the other hand, Tuvalu Island is widely thought to be most vulnerable, and is actually growing. But that is not sea-level related, more to do with sediment deposition by storms.

 

https://inhabitat.com/sinking-island-nation-of-tuvalu-is-actually-growing/

 

Personally, I would not want to be on any of them for the next big hurricane/typhoon. Storm surge, seiche effect.

 

It's fashionable for most politicians at the national level to pooh-pooh climate change. Drill down to the local council and military levels, and you will find those affected by being on a seaboard or subject to water poverty ( in Australia ) are busy preparing responses. Whether those responses will be needed or effective is another question.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

the girls looked like girls

I wonder if they are happy now they can dress like men and do the same jobs as men etc?

IMO they just gave up being stay at home mothers to be working mothers that still have to do most of the bringing up children stuff.

If they look like men, I treat them like men- none of the holding the door open for them thing any more. Chivalry is only for women that look like women, and act like women.

[Saltire]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I could have done anything not requiring a degree when I left school. I chose farming because I was mad about horses, but it just didn't pay enough to make the life worthwhile.

After I saw the light I joined up and travelled the world, then I went nursing and travelled the world. Three completely different occupations and without any qualifications, or even relevant school subjects. That was because the population was low enough. Now it must be awful being at school and having to decide, so one can do the right subjects. I can't imagine being locked into an occupation while still at school. I also can't imagine having to go to uni, as I never wanted to go there.

Can't be a nurse now without a degree- stupidity, IMO.

I did want to go to Uni and after high school I applied for 6 different universities and different courses and got unconditional acceptances for all of them. Not having a real clue about a career I chose Mathematics. Success there meant a long, unbroken, career in IT but in hindsight I always regret turning down medicine, but at 17 you know nothing. Happy to not end up an accountant or a lawyer though! ANd I got 5 years of student grants while at uni, no student loan required back then, all free AND they gave me money ????

 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, Saltire said:

Not having a real clue about a career I chose Mathematics.

My father wanted me to be a banker. That occupation would have been the end of me.

I ended up doing anything but an office job. Never regretted it.

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I wonder if they are happy now they can dress like men and do the same jobs as men etc?

I don't know any western women who can do the same jobs as men, usually they just sit in an office.

Haven't seen any digging ditches, down the mines, working construction, providing utilities or anything that actually maintains or contributes to modern civilisation.

[bkk6060]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I don't know any western women who can do the same jobs as men, usually they just sit in an office.

Haven't seen any digging ditches, down the mines, working construction, providing utilities or anything that actually maintains or contributes to modern civilisation.

Not sure about your country but lots of female cops and firefighters all over the US.

Many in the military also.

 

[Orton Rd]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The only reason she survived the election was because she took a chance and sent the forces to the Falklands against advice. She got lucky and the resulting patriotism gave her a win.

She won re election, IMO, on the lives of the troops lost in that far away land. 

That far away land was British territory whose inhabitants wanted nothing to do with the invaders, maybe we should have avoided WW2 in order to save troops, but then why have them at all?

[ivor bigun]

2 hours ago, malibukid said:

London in the late 60's, what a scene it was.  Hollywood the sunset strip was a trip as well.  remember seeing Donovan at a club called the "Trip"  on Sunset in 66.  i had to sneak in.  latter he would write a song about it.  first time he went electric. great show. Sunshine Superman.  next year ditched school and saw Hendrix at Monterey.  he blew everyones mind.  

I saw Hendrix in a small "disco" under a pub in Golders Green when he first came over ,we had never heard of him , a few weeks later ,he burst onto the "scene"

[sirineou]

 Better to be born now. All my stuff is here. if I was born then I would not have all my stuff.

 

[Lacessit]

27 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I don't know any western women who can do the same jobs as men, usually they just sit in an office.

Haven't seen any digging ditches, down the mines, working construction, providing utilities or anything that actually maintains or contributes to modern civilisation.

In the Australian mining industry, women are now the preferred operators of heavy road equipment such as Haulpaks because they are more cautious, and more considerate of the equipment.

I still remember the mining engineer who parked his pickup in the path of a reversing 100 tonne Haulpak. When he returned to the vehicle, no part of it was more than a foot tall. The Haulpak driver said he felt a bit of a bump.

 

[baansgr]

1 hour ago, faraday said:

And she also completly shafted the miners.

Exactly, I didnt want to stray and mention the untold misery she caused for millions of families, especially in the the mining communities causing marriage break ups, house repossessions and depression for men that felt they had lost their role in life. As someone else said, she gained her popularity on the backs of servicemen that lost their lives in the South Atlantic.

[Skeptic7]

Then...except for being older than "now". ????

[khunPer]

On 11/5/2019 at 11:45 AM, ivor bigun said:

Those being born now and indeed 20 years ago ,seem to have  it all ,the internet ,social media ,hundreds of tv channels ,etc etc , but arnt you glad you were born in the 40s 50s or 60s...

One major thing those folks being born 20 years ago, and even more, don't have is the so-called "hippie era". So many youngsters of today envy me, because I'm old enough to have experienced it...????

–In a way I feel sad for them, because life seems so much more complicated today when out for a happy party time, they feel obliged to update Facebook and Instagram all the time...????

[Tayaout]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

One major thing those folks being born 20 years ago, and even more, don't have is the so-called "hippie era". So many youngsters of today envy me, because I'm old enough to have experienced it...????

–In a way I feel sad for them, because life seems so much more complicated today when out for a happy party time, they feel obliged to update Facebook and Instagram all the time...????

Sorry but Facebook is more for old people now. Millenials and younger generations are ditching it: https://www.techspot.com/news/79082-facebook-rapidly-losing-millennials-us-user-base-down.html

 

I'm a millennial and don't use any of the website you mention but I agree I'm the exception among my friends. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm the only one who understand the business model. 

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, Tayaout said:

Sorry but Facebook is more for old people now. Millenials and younger generations are ditching it: https://www.techspot.com/news/79082-facebook-rapidly-losing-millennials-us-user-base-down.html

 

I'm a millennial and don't use any of the website you mention but I agree I'm the exception among my friends. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm the only one who understand the business model. 

I have never used Facebook. I don't understand the business model, only that it is a narcissist haven. This old person doesn't want to know what you had for breakfast, or whether your last dump was a good one.

[chickenslegs]

 

[Tayaout]

9 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I have never used Facebook. I don't understand the business model, only that it is a narcissist haven. This old person doesn't want to know what you had for breakfast, or whether your last dump was a good one.

They use the same engineer that make slot machine addictive. An algorithm is used to increase engagement so people stay longer on the website. It's faster to increase engagement via negative feedback loop so that's what the algorithm naturally promotes. This create a toxic environment that increase anxiety and depression. The final goal is to create a platform for advertisers to buy extremely well targeted ads and to change users behaviour.

 

The reason it's so insidious is that you don't realize it's happening. There is also some suspicion this could be the first voluntary mass surveillance program since Facebook cooperate with US and other countries law enforcement. I'm fascinated by the system but not using it.

 

Maybe you don't want to know what people eat or wathever but statistics show older people usage is increasing while young people usage is decreasing. So it's not only a young people thing. 

[Lacessit]

7 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

They use the same engineer that make slot machine addictive. An algorithm is used to increase engagement so people stay longer on the website. It's faster to increase engagement via negative feedback loop so that's what the algorithm naturally promotes. This create a toxic environment that increase anxiety and depression. The final goal is to create a platform for advertisers to buy extremely well targeted ads and to change users behaviour.

 

The reason it's so incedious is that you don't realize it's happening. There is also some suspicion this could be the first voluntary mass surveillance program since Facebook cooperate with US and other countries law enforcement. I'm fascinated by the system but not using it.

 

Maybe you don't want to know what people eat or wathever but statistics show older people usage is increasing while young people use it less. 

I seem to remember reading somewhere else Facebook users are subject to increased levels of depression, which supports what you are saying.

The comparison between Zuckerberg and Assange is quite pertinent. One is a hero of the capitalist system by selling personal data to all and sundry, the other is a villain for publishing the misdeeds of government.

[soalbundy]

21 hours ago, HuskerDo said:

I've said often that I'm glad I was born when I was (50's) as I wouldn't want to be born into this ugly world. Previous generations created great things. Electricity, the locomotive, the auto industry, the telephone and now the cell/smart phone, NASA and trips to the moon, eradication of many diseases, the internet, the PC, the I-PAD, electric cars, etc.

 

What has the current generation (the millennials) created? Social media and Bitcoin. Social Media is ruining the world and Bitcoin will never amount to anything.  

electricity will never catch on

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

I seem to remember reading somewhere else Facebook users are subject to increased levels of depression, which supports what you are saying.

The comparison between Zuckerberg and Assange is quite pertinent. One is a hero of the capitalist system by selling personal data to all and sundry, the other is a villain for publishing the misdeeds of government.

Facebook creates discontent with ones life because people post unrealistic pictures of their lives and others take it for real.

 For instance you post a picture out your bedroom window, sun rising over a beautiful mountainside . people see it then look out their window, see reality and get depressed, what they don't realise is that the other side of the window with the beautyful mountainside is a garbage dump , but people never post pictures of the garbage dump.

  Its like when we go to our friends house and it is spotless clean, Wife looks at me disapprovingly

and says "their house is always spotless"  to which I reply "yes because they spend hours cleaning before we came to make as feel bad about our house"  LOL

[Lacessit]

5 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Facebook creates discontent with ones life because people post unrealistic pictures of their lives and others take it for real.

 For instance you post a picture out your bedroom window, sun rising over a beautiful mountainside . people see it then look out their window, see reality and get depressed, what they don't realise is that the other side of the window with the beautyful mountainside is a garbage dump , but people never post pictures of the garbage dump.

  Its like when we go to our friends house and it is spotless clean, Wife looks at me disapprovingly

and says "their house is always spotless"  to which I reply "yes because they spend hours cleaning before we came to make as feel bad about our house"  LOL

I think you're right. I've never envied the possessions or lifestyle of others, I'm quite happy with my own, as something of a minimalist. Facebook is completely irrelevant to my life.

To me, people who base their self-esteem on what they have in terms of possessions are as shallow as a mud puddle.

[Tayaout]

22 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Facebook creates discontent with ones life because people post unrealistic pictures of their lives and others take it for real.

If it was only that it wouldn't be that bad. The insidious part is the notification and feeds that promote interaction with people you will disagree for example to drag you longer on the site. You won't see the same things than someone else because everything is customized for you by an algorithm with the goal to change your behavior and sell you something. 

[473geo]

Perhaps for many Facebook fills the need for interaction with others regarding common interests

Bit like forums but more superficial 

Just take from Facebook, and similar apps, what you need, and let the rest flow past. People are more aware, and critical, of others lifestyle choices these days, a little more live and let live wouldn't go amiss!