Are we as a society basically broken?

WTF?_2

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Listening to the news at lunchtime about the poor chap that was kicked to death after going to the aid of somewone being attacked.

If you look at the kind of stories you hear regularly, kids knifing other kids, people attacked in the street, old people being mugged, rising drug problems, prisons unable to cope resulting in people not going to prison when they should (and more to the point knowing that they're not going to go to prison for certain serious offences), benefit reliance (people going straight from school onto the dole and housing, via a couple of pregnancies), rising teen pregnancy, parents unwilling/unable to control or disipline their children, gangs of kids on street corners, etc etc.

You eventually have to ask, is in fact society effectively bankrupt, not just the financial system?

Are we as a society just going to get pulled down by the ever rising cesspit of humanity in much the same way that the banks (cornerstones of our societies financial wellbeing) are being pulled down by the cesspit of irresponsible lending/borrowing?

Is what we see happening to our financial world merely a metaphor for what's happening in society?

I believe most people are socially and financially responsible, but an ever rising "want it now/get rich quick/live the dream" element are dragging us all down. Is this not the case with society in general?

That was the Jeremy Vine show, yes? Was thinking just the same thing myself as I was listening to it (caught the bit about the cyclist).

We have had a decade of greed and excess at the top levels which has filtered down into the general population as an amoral, nihilistic, 'Live for today, screw tomorrow' 'I'm the only person that matters' attitude.

It's pretty worrying actually - what's going to happen as it all crashes down? I wouldn't be at all surprised to see extremist political viewpoints gain favour with the electorate. Anyone who promises to provide someone to blame and has a 'plan' to make things better ......

simpywimpy

It is difficult to know what the answer is to this downward trend in standards and I agree, that reading the news reports is depressing.

The trouble is, if we don't find the answer we are just accentuating the problem as the new generation arrive with no parenting skills, poor social skills and pass exactly that on to their own children. You can imagine the trend created. Throwing money at it and them is not the answer.

Nelski

Good thread but wondering what it has to do with house prices more of a discussion time subject maybe?

Max_Headroom_3

Nelski wrote: »

Good thread but wondering what it has to do with house prices more of a discussion time subject maybe?

Just basically that what we see in the financial markets and on "MAin Street" (to coin an Amnericanism) is merely an echo of what is in fact happening in society generally.

The "want it now at any cost" is simply a symptom of the "want to behave how I like at any cost" society.

The two are linked.

Max_Headroom_3

!!!!!!? wrote: »

That was the Jeremy Vine show, yes? Was thinking just the same thing myself as I was listening to it (caught the bit about the cyclist).

We have had a decade of greed and excess at the top levels which has filtered down into the general population as an amoral, nihilistic, 'Live for today, screw tomorrow' 'I'm the only person that matters' attitude.

It's pretty worrying actually - what's going to happen as it all crashes down? I wouldn't be at all surprised to see extremist political viewpoints gain favour with the electorate. Anyone who promises to provide someone to blame and has a 'plan' to make things better ......

Yes, caught the tail end of it at lunchtime followed by the news.

Financial markets are crashing down, how long before society does the same?

Society has "had it now" both in terms of posessions (houses, cars, whatever) and behaviourally (kids allowed to have/do what they want).

We're seeing payback time in the financial world, are we starting to see payback time in the social world for the way many (not all, maybe not even the majority, but enough to have a serious effect) have been living?

Max_Headroom_3

SingleSue wrote: »

This is one of my biggest moans just recently.

I have a 15 year old son (or he will be on Friday anyway) plus two younger ones and I constantly despair at the standards his friends are being brought up by.

I don't smack my children but do they get away with being rude, disrepectful, nasty etc? No way!

I have taught my children to help others and how they must earn respect and not expect it from doing nothing and if they want anything in life that they have to work for it but it is a constant battle when they see their friends just being given things to quiet them down or curry favour between divorced parents.

Yes my children have the normal taunting times like any other but I don't let them get away with it and they know it is not the behaviour that I or society expects from them (they call me naggy mum when I get going) but to my pride, virtually everyone who meets them tell me (in some surprise) how polite and helpful they are.

They know it is wrong to steal, they know that they must be law abiding and they know to get anywhere, they need to be polite...they also know that if they break those rules, that dear old mum will have their guts for garters! :rotfl: A fate worse than death I think in their view.....

I'm sure there are many more like you, and all credit to you.

But as you rightly say there are very many that aren't.

pickledpink

avinabacca wrote: »

Pickledpink - you do know that newspapers like the Daily Mail are themselves partly responsible for a lot of problems, right?

Lots of moaning, hand-wringing and blaming - but action taken to address the real issues?

None whatsoever.

We're all people - if there's a problem, it's all of our responsibility to address it and do something about it.

See something wrong? Call it. Do something. Don't sit on your ar*e whinging about it.

How do you suggest the Daily Mail take action to address the real issues?:T

They are merely reporting a tragic (and vile) item.

And as for you suggesting we all should do something about these low-life scum - if you read the first post of this thread you'll find that one man who did exactly THAT was beaten to death!

What planet do you live on?????:rolleyes:

Phirefly

pickledpink wrote: »

They are merely reporting a tragic (and vile) item.

Because the DM is so reknowned for its unbiased, unspinned unsensationalised take on current affairs...

pickledpink

Phirefly wrote: »

Because the DM is so reknowned for its unbiased, unspinned unsensationalised take on current affairs...

And the Express, Daily Mirror, News Of The World don't then?!:rotfl:

Max_Headroom_3

You think that the Daily Mail made up the story about the people calling for him to jump?