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I am sorry. This is just nonsense! A good indication is the steady increase of life expectancy.
It fell due to Covid.
Life expectancy is not the same as quality of life. If you live to be 120, yet are living in a cardboard box and eating cat food (the liberal dream), things are not so great.
The standard of living is UP, have you seen the statistical rates for a plethora of subjects? Everything is going up, crime is up, gas is up, everything is up! I'd say we're doing greaat!
Regardless of whether you still are financially stable in these times, or not, go to YouTube and watch some street scenes of some of our major cities from about 1970 and before. Observe the way people are dressed, the maners, the lack of garbage and graffiti, the lack of homeless tents, no people high on drugs walking like zombies, no need for "poop" patrols, to clean up feces from public defecation. No one scared to ride the buses or subways or feeling the need to pack a gun everywyere they go.
Yeah, societally, our standard of living in this country has been dropping for a long, long time.
Regardless of whether you still are financially stable in these times, or not, go to YouTube and watch some street scenes of some of our major cities from about 1970 and before. Observe the way people are dressed, the maners, the lack of garbage and graffiti, the lack of homeless tents, no people high on drugs walking like zombies, no need for "poop" patrols, to clean up feces from public defecation. No one scared to ride the buses or subways or feeling the need to pack a gun everywyere they go.
Yeah, societally, our standard of living in this country has been dropping for a long, long time.
No thats wrong, if you look up 1970s videos of NYC or the beginnings of Compton, you will see that America was already going thru a period of decay. In that 70s decade and up there was more graffitti, gang banging (LA), and the overall attitude was much more "primal". There was no social media or anything major to keep the masses inside so everybody adapt to seeing faces everyday. The big inner city was the scary places people tell tales about.. it is the reason why suburbs formed because of white flight... America always had an attidude.. it started when they broke free from the English. This is the wild west we live and its always been the same. We're just going thru a period again but I believe America always has the potential because of where the location is at...
Sorry, my budget has remained tight . No matter what the external powers were.
It could drop ,I suppose. Yet once your prepared for the basics in life... It's doable.
If though your one of the whiners who feel entitled to the two cars , that 5 k Christmas bonus, three vacations, gym membership, three TV's with all the Hulu,Netflix, HBO etc, have the ' club ' memberships.
Then yeah I reckon your upset with the economic increases.
Keep pointing fingers though... Cause having to hold yourself accountable just isn't 'the make America great'! Way.
I'll stick to self reliance, modifying and not buying frivolous items.
Regardless of whether you still are financially stable in these times, or not, go to YouTube and watch some street scenes of some of our major cities from about 1970 and before. Observe the way people are dressed, the maners, the lack of garbage and graffiti, the lack of homeless tents, no people high on drugs walking like zombies, no need for "poop" patrols, to clean up feces from public defecation. No one scared to ride the buses or subways or feeling the need to pack a gun everywyere they go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by inflation
No thats wrong, if you look up 1970s videos of NYC or the beginnings of Compton, you will see that America was already going thru a period of decay. In that 70s decade and up there was more graffitti, gang banging (LA), and the overall attitude was much more "primal". There was no social media or anything major to keep the masses inside so everybody adapt to seeing faces everyday. The big inner city was the scary places people tell tales about.. it is the reason why suburbs formed because of white flight. America always had an attidude.. it started when they broke free from the English. This is the wild west we live and its always been the same. We're just going thru a period again but I believe America always has the potential because of where the location is at...
And regarding cities people fled them not because of race or because they were "scared", but because they wanted more space and nicer homes. But, yes, later on, there was such a thing as white flight, but it was more a case of leaving one suburb for another and not just fleeing the big bad cities. Suburbanites would regularly go to "the city" to shop and dine or attend cultural events without any hesitations. It doesn't take long for a city to go to hell.
However, as you pointed out, there have "always" been some areas of some cities that were terrible, but judging from both my personal experience and from what I have read, MOST cities were not bad overall. However, that could and did change fairly quickly. To relate my own personal experience, we moved from the L.A. area to the Denver area in 1986, and we were amazed at the difference. Denver was mostlyclean and inviting, except for some very small areas. Almost 30 years later, and most of the city of Denver itself was almost as bad as "Skid Row" in L.A. to the point that we did not feel safe even going to the theater district. My husband and I had also vacationed in Seattle about 1995 or so, and it was fine to walk around in -- no evidence at all of what is going on there now, according to every report I've read. I also lived for a short time in Columbus, Oh and Montgomery, AL in the 1970's -- and, again, no issues whatsoever. In Columbus, I even would walk to work before dawn unescorted with no fear whatsoever, and I never encountered a problem, although I was a 20-year-old female.
(And btw, for another example of what the previous poster, compare vintage video of Disneyland in the 50's and 60's. Compared to today, it truly was a different world back then.)
P.S. Btw, regarding white flight, it was not always a case of fleeing the big bad inner cities, but often it was leaving one suburb for another as blacks and Hispanics began to significantly increase their percentages. It was not a matter of, "Oh, look, a black family just moved in up the street. We better list our house!" -- but when whites in a 99% white neighborhood started seeing many blacks in their stores and/or frequently heard Spanish music being played, many of them decided to move, including my parents. (I grew up in Hawthorne, CA which is now considered one of the worst cities in SoCal, but in the 60's, it was a very nice working class neighborhood and home of the Beach Boys!)
Last edited by katharsis; 04-13-2022 at 07:31 AM..
For the bottom 99%, it’s been dropping for decades.
Would you care to elaborate on this comment?
Who are the bottom 99% - please be specific (in the US, that is) and what is it about their standard of living that is 'dropping?'
TIA.
The responses here may include two different elements in 'standard of living.' One is financial and one is the civility of society. I'm sure there are more.
Hubs and I think we are doing pretty well in retirement but with the economic situation what it is today, we are going to purchase very select things we put off (before they get extremely expensive) and at the same time watch our pennies when shopping for regular every day stuff. No more $500 runs to Costco. Eating out only for special occasions, etc.
Totally agree that self-sufficiency is of paramount importance. We fixed our clothes dryer ourselves (hahah). Too bad we have no construction skills.
on the social front, it's such a mess with the activism (there are many 'isms' going on) that I am just trying to read pieces (and books) and listen to podcasts and such from intellectuals who can help me in my day to day life combat the perniciousness of this 'movement' without losing my sanity. I am not going to actively pursue 'arguing' with these people, but I will try to have rational questions to pose that may illustrate some of the flaws in much of their social justice assertions - if I can manage that.
And I am getting on with my life. It is short and I will remain peaceful and happy to the greatest extent possible.
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