05-17-2022, 10:47 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-17-2022, 10:48 AM by beechnut79.)
Quality of life in the US for many has suffered if not declined for a few decades now for those not in at least the top quintile of the income ladder. This even though there is plenty of anger out there, which has been fueled in the past few days by the leak that SCOTUS is about to overturn Roe v. Wade, the abortion ruling enacted nearly a half century ago. This decision has, however, been quite controversial ever since its inception. And many feel that if this goes through, that they will come after gay marriage and interracial marriage next, possibly even imposing bans on contraceptives and even condoms. Before the sexual revolution of the 1960s in some areas it was illegal for even married couples to have condoms and other types of contraception in their homes. This was never publicized and I never knew this until I heard it just a few days ago. I'm sure it wasn't a big enough issue to ever produce any search and seizure warrants.
And while this weekend there already were loads of demonstrations over this issue, along with the anger there is also confusion, especially about which direction to take. This certainly does not apply only to Roe, but to many othere issues facing the nation and society. The legendary soul-rock music group The Temptations had a big hit song titled "Ball of Confusion", which is no doubt just as relevant today and when it topped the charts a half century or so ago.
It's possible, more likely plainly evident, that we're feeling angry and/or confused about which direction to move. The majority of society has been pushing for such things as universal healthcare, a positive solution to the burgeoning housing affordability and its offshoot, the massive homeless problem. Which in turn is a classic example of the line that you reap what you sow. Following WWII there was a massive movement to become a society of home owners rather than just renters, aided by the lucrative GI Bill. Zoning laws became not only big but very restrictive to the point that in many areas single family homes, usually large, were the only type of housing that could be built. Well, you might fit in the occasional apartment complex, but this were usually restricted to very upscale projects commanding a huge price tag.
Quality of life issues usually only get lip service and are seldom acted upon except in situation which may lead us closer to being a police state, something we were very vocal against while I was growing up. Many used the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to bring us ever closer to that point. And just last night, while talking about the latest mass shooting in a Buffalo grocery store, the thought came up that when we shop for groceries we might have to pass through metal detectors before entering. And since news spreads faster now in the age of social media, and when employers were demanding and relying ever more on background checks, the name of the game became "Don't get drawn into a dispute; remove yourself from the situation or person. The idea being that if you get an arrest record you could very easily be disqualified for many jobs or even lose the one you already have. Therefore, many have shied away from attending even peaceful demonstrations for worthwhile issues for fear that they may be spotted on camera by their employers or others that could cause harm. Even gig economy companies are notorious for rejecting applicants for things that come up on their background reports even if they are many years old. This despite the fact that they are technically not employees.
We also are being told more and more to be careful of a smooth talker who's making empty promises. Something young women may have been told concerning possibly unsavory suitors has graduated and now is applied in many online business dealings due to the increasing amount of scammers. Just yesterday I heard something online about how personal trust seems to be at an all-time low. I feel that it has been in steady decline for about a half century now. You certainly don't want to be rushed into a situation that you may regret later. Almost anyone that has been through a marital divorce or an unsavory business deal can vouch for that. The message here seems obvious; that if the alarm bells are going off, back away. Just like you would if a dangerous animal approaches.
In order to get what most of the society appears to want, we must first find a way to neuter the tremendous power of multinational corporations. But I get the feeling that the majority of the PTB is extremely reluctant to do anything that might ruffle the feathers of those at the top of the chain. We have certainly become more aloof as a society, and this was so even before the COVID crisis hit. Have we decided that we need to take some time to be alone, relax and think about what we want? Sooner or later we must take action or the festering problems are like to just continue getting worse. We might also do well to remember a saying I saw posted a few years back, that anger is just one letter away from danger.
And while this weekend there already were loads of demonstrations over this issue, along with the anger there is also confusion, especially about which direction to take. This certainly does not apply only to Roe, but to many othere issues facing the nation and society. The legendary soul-rock music group The Temptations had a big hit song titled "Ball of Confusion", which is no doubt just as relevant today and when it topped the charts a half century or so ago.
It's possible, more likely plainly evident, that we're feeling angry and/or confused about which direction to move. The majority of society has been pushing for such things as universal healthcare, a positive solution to the burgeoning housing affordability and its offshoot, the massive homeless problem. Which in turn is a classic example of the line that you reap what you sow. Following WWII there was a massive movement to become a society of home owners rather than just renters, aided by the lucrative GI Bill. Zoning laws became not only big but very restrictive to the point that in many areas single family homes, usually large, were the only type of housing that could be built. Well, you might fit in the occasional apartment complex, but this were usually restricted to very upscale projects commanding a huge price tag.
Quality of life issues usually only get lip service and are seldom acted upon except in situation which may lead us closer to being a police state, something we were very vocal against while I was growing up. Many used the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to bring us ever closer to that point. And just last night, while talking about the latest mass shooting in a Buffalo grocery store, the thought came up that when we shop for groceries we might have to pass through metal detectors before entering. And since news spreads faster now in the age of social media, and when employers were demanding and relying ever more on background checks, the name of the game became "Don't get drawn into a dispute; remove yourself from the situation or person. The idea being that if you get an arrest record you could very easily be disqualified for many jobs or even lose the one you already have. Therefore, many have shied away from attending even peaceful demonstrations for worthwhile issues for fear that they may be spotted on camera by their employers or others that could cause harm. Even gig economy companies are notorious for rejecting applicants for things that come up on their background reports even if they are many years old. This despite the fact that they are technically not employees.
We also are being told more and more to be careful of a smooth talker who's making empty promises. Something young women may have been told concerning possibly unsavory suitors has graduated and now is applied in many online business dealings due to the increasing amount of scammers. Just yesterday I heard something online about how personal trust seems to be at an all-time low. I feel that it has been in steady decline for about a half century now. You certainly don't want to be rushed into a situation that you may regret later. Almost anyone that has been through a marital divorce or an unsavory business deal can vouch for that. The message here seems obvious; that if the alarm bells are going off, back away. Just like you would if a dangerous animal approaches.
In order to get what most of the society appears to want, we must first find a way to neuter the tremendous power of multinational corporations. But I get the feeling that the majority of the PTB is extremely reluctant to do anything that might ruffle the feathers of those at the top of the chain. We have certainly become more aloof as a society, and this was so even before the COVID crisis hit. Have we decided that we need to take some time to be alone, relax and think about what we want? Sooner or later we must take action or the festering problems are like to just continue getting worse. We might also do well to remember a saying I saw posted a few years back, that anger is just one letter away from danger.
