Is it just me, or does it seem to anyone else like the world we knew is coming apart before our eyes? Maybe it's just my reaction to Ike that's making me feel this way, but I think I hear four horsemen saddling up somewhere.
It might not be the apocalypse, but, yeah, these are some strange times. There's a storm in Texas and suddenly no one can get gas. The economy is collapsing and we've been living with paranoia over terrorism for most of a decade.
Remember how everyone was excited about the year 2000 and the whole world was going to embrace Enlightenment ideals and technology was going to do away with disease and hunger.
What have we got?
Religious fundamentalism War Economic chaos Eroding constituional rights Natural disasters and Fuel shortages
The 21st Century has been the biggest fucking disappointment ever. I'd like it to be 1997 again.
A long war. A tipping point on energy as the world looks beyond the current one. New technologies building up quickly, amking everything faster. A terrible hurricane. A stock market collapse...
Man, the 20th century started off badly too, didn't it? With all of the things above in the mix those first thirty years or so.
Can't bear to listen to the news. How did we get into this fix? Why did we let regulations set down 70 years ago come undone? I can't imagine a happy ending for most of us.
I've been thinking that Obama might just want to turn to McCain in debate and go "y'know what, John, this can't be fixed, and I'm damned if I'm taking the blame. You can have the job and I wish you much joy in it."
I can understand your angst, Bill, but there have been worse times. The Great Plague, WWII, The Inquisition, and the ascent of Hitlary Clinton. We'll survive, and thing will get better. And if they don't, UP THE REVOLUTION! UP THE REVOLUTION!
I think we're oversaturated with media, and they sure aren't spreading good news. No ratings in it. Plus, it's an election year, and both sides point out our country's flaws (and how they'll fix them) in an effort to win.
I worry that critical things are so broken, no one or group of people can fix them.
As for a better year in the past I would want to go back to, it might be 1959. We would drive to Atlanta to see my orthodontist and I discovered a book store that sold used paperbacks 2 for a quarter. I was the only kid in my rural school with braces and took a lot of abuse ("Wire Mouth" was one name I remember). But a monthly supply of cheap Ace Doubles, Gold Medal Books, Lion Books, etc. more than made up for the teasing.
Listen to yourselves people. You all sound like Sarah Palin. This is not the end times and this is not that bad. Listen to Woody Guthrie songs. Read The Grapes of Wrath. Those were bad times. Realize that bombs don't do off when you're at the shopping mall. It could be, and maybe it will be, a lot worse. But we've really got it pretty damn good right now.
Or, since I'm the optimistic one - a scary thought - maybe it is the end times.
I'm doing pretty good. My town is hurricane and tornado free. Family is healthy. Boy #1 is enjoying kindergarten. Library budget is stable. Beer is affordable.
I don't hear horsemen, so much as chicken coming home to roost...which, of course, they have always done and will always do. Maybe if more of us could get involved in politics, and not just because Perot seems folksy, we might be able to dilute the current self-service...but, of course, that won't be easy, and hard economic times always make that less easy while also making it more necessary. World War 2 might've been unifying, but only to the extent that we were worried about the Axis folks taking over the world...not that who was left in charge was ideal, but they were on average preferable (though only marginally too much of the time). Our siblings with notable melanin and for that matter our sisters were still getting it in the teeth whenever they Stepped Out of Line, and flus and polio and smallpox were still pretty dire, in a way that makes even the most dangerous influenza today seems puny in comparison.
We've had no lack of awful presidents, and we're going to get at best a mediocre one out of this go-round, but that brings me back to point one. But Ike, and all the greed, and all the self-righteousness, and all the gall of the current Kleptocrat in Chief and his merry band, and I'll bet he's genuinely puzzled by his lack of popularity, will pass. What we'll get as a result won't be enough better, but it would be hard to be worse. Reagan tried and came damned close, and Clinton, too, while gathering all kinds of credit for being willing to condescend to poor people in the vernacular while doing so. But it sure ain't the best days out, now...but there have been worse. Even the bankrupting wars and mercenary execrcises haven't killed nearly as many people as the WWs...yet...
Hey, Bill, did you hear about the school shootin in Finland? It really doesn't add up to any optimism.
But again, hey, times have always been bad. Think about people during the Black Death. What were *they* thinking? What were they saying to each other? "Hey, it could be worse"?
22 comments:
So I guess it's not just me.
It might not be the apocalypse, but, yeah, these are some strange times. There's a storm in Texas and suddenly no one can get gas. The economy is collapsing and we've been living with paranoia over terrorism for most of a decade.
Remember how everyone was excited about the year 2000 and the whole world was going to embrace Enlightenment ideals and technology was going to do away with disease and hunger.
What have we got?
Religious fundamentalism
War
Economic chaos
Eroding constituional rights
Natural disasters
and
Fuel shortages
The 21st Century has been the biggest fucking disappointment ever. I'd like it to be 1997 again.
Me, too.
A long war. A tipping point on energy as the world looks beyond the current one. New technologies building up quickly, amking everything faster. A terrible hurricane. A stock market collapse...
Man, the 20th century started off badly too, didn't it? With all of the things above in the mix those first thirty years or so.
It's not just you. It's all coming down around our heads, and I'm very sure the worst is yet to come.
Thanks for the uplifting post ;)
I agree. Times are rough. Things are grim. I'm hoping that things will change after the election... no matter who wins.
Oh yeah... when I said change, I meant for the better.
Can't bear to listen to the news. How did we get into this fix? Why did we let regulations set down 70 years ago come undone? I can't imagine a happy ending for most of us.
Me, neither, Patti, but maybe Craig's hope is something to hang onto.
I've been thinking that Obama might just want to turn to McCain in debate and go "y'know what, John, this can't be fixed, and I'm damned if I'm taking the blame. You can have the job and I wish you much joy in it."
1997, Nathan? I wish it was 1957.
I can understand your angst, Bill, but there have been worse times. The Great Plague, WWII, The Inquisition, and the ascent of Hitlary Clinton. We'll survive, and thing will get better. And if they don't, UP THE REVOLUTION! UP THE REVOLUTION!
I think WWII was a lot more optimistic time. Coming out of the depression and a nation pulling together. Better times than these, probably.
I think we're oversaturated with media, and they sure aren't spreading good news. No ratings in it. Plus, it's an election year, and both sides point out our country's flaws (and how they'll fix them) in an effort to win.
Hang in there, Bill.
Thanks, Ben. I'll hang on.
Well, we still have the Zombie Apocalypse to look forward to!
The new 4 Horsemen list:
Famine
Disease
War
Palin
I worry that critical things are so broken, no one or group of people can fix them.
As for a better year in the past I would want to go back to, it might be 1959. We would drive to Atlanta to see my orthodontist and I discovered a book store that sold used paperbacks 2 for a quarter. I was the only kid in my rural school with braces and took a lot of abuse ("Wire Mouth" was one name I remember). But a monthly supply of cheap Ace Doubles, Gold Medal Books, Lion Books, etc. more than made up for the teasing.
Richard Moore
Listen to yourselves people. You all sound like Sarah Palin. This is not the end times and this is not that bad. Listen to Woody Guthrie songs. Read The Grapes of Wrath. Those were bad times. Realize that bombs don't do off when you're at the shopping mall. It could be, and maybe it will be, a lot worse. But we've really got it pretty damn good right now.
Or, since I'm the optimistic one - a scary thought - maybe it is the end times.
sas
I'm doing pretty good. My town is hurricane and tornado free. Family is healthy. Boy #1 is enjoying kindergarten. Library budget is stable. Beer is affordable.
I still need to paint the kitchen though.
When Steve S. is Little Mary Sunshine, the 7th seal will be opened any day.
I don't hear horsemen, so much as chicken coming home to roost...which, of course, they have always done and will always do. Maybe if more of us could get involved in politics, and not just because Perot seems folksy, we might be able to dilute the current self-service...but, of course, that won't be easy, and hard economic times always make that less easy while also making it more necessary. World War 2 might've been unifying, but only to the extent that we were worried about the Axis folks taking over the world...not that who was left in charge was ideal, but they were on average preferable (though only marginally too much of the time). Our siblings with notable melanin and for that matter our sisters were still getting it in the teeth whenever they Stepped Out of Line, and flus and polio and smallpox were still pretty dire, in a way that makes even the most dangerous influenza today seems puny in comparison.
We've had no lack of awful presidents, and we're going to get at best a mediocre one out of this go-round, but that brings me back to point one. But Ike, and all the greed, and all the self-righteousness, and all the gall of the current Kleptocrat in Chief and his merry band, and I'll bet he's genuinely puzzled by his lack of popularity, will pass. What we'll get as a result won't be enough better, but it would be hard to be worse. Reagan tried and came damned close, and Clinton, too, while gathering all kinds of credit for being willing to condescend to poor people in the vernacular while doing so. But it sure ain't the best days out, now...but there have been worse. Even the bankrupting wars and mercenary execrcises haven't killed nearly as many people as the WWs...yet...
Hey, Bill, did you hear about the school shootin in Finland? It really doesn't add up to any optimism.
But again, hey, times have always been bad. Think about people during the Black Death. What were *they* thinking? What were they saying to each other? "Hey, it could be worse"?
Saw that news on your blog, Juri. It was too depressing for me to comment.
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