Originally Posted by
Dogwood
Granted the good ole days were not always as good as nostalgically portrayed.
Ignoring all the consequences, good and bad, of our individual and societal self validating behaviors are more dangerous.
"Its a great thing because that means people have higher standards of living."
Absolutely, not necessarily!
This has to be more closely examined from a global perspective. Who gets to define a higher standard of living(HSOL) and the markers used to make those assessments are subjective. Often, SOL and prosperity is narrowly perceived in economically wealthier nations by comparing per capita income(money) and Gross National Product. The most commonly accepted theory, and a very compelling one if narrowly only positively perceived, is the higher per capita income the higher the SOL. HOWEVER, that is NOT the only way to define a HSOL and prosperity.
It's the same when backpackers talk about their kits. We tend to perceive our gear, our ways as upright, positive, and laud them sometimes ignoring the negatives.
HSOL is most often perceived as a positive. Indeed, there are many positives but the negatives are widely ignored. In the West and Western based societies, which we have been habituated, we base SOL and prosperity on the economy in terms of material wealth and production of goods and services only in regard to the financial economy. This leads to coveting material wealth, rampant consumerism, psychological issues on a societal level such as depression and anxiety, physical issues such as higher obesity and cardiovascular disease rates, ecological disasters, depletion of finite natural resources, higher crime rates in important societal impacting categories such as theft and financial crimes, devaluing of spiritual values, higher problematic face to face personal relationships, higher and greater numbers of ego centric satisfying attitudes,...
These are some of the negatives ignored when we only see the world through our own beliefs, behavior, and values. These negatives are ignored virtually entirely in accounts of U.S. History as told from a pro U.S. perspective. Talk about societal and cultural propaganda!
All the while we become less forbearing - less patient, self controlled, restrained, mindful and tolerant as a Nation - softer - more thin skinned.