Well as
@wiyosaya points out, capitalism and feudalism have similar income disparity traits. The fact remains, my generation, and those before it, merely grumbled something like, "the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer", and that was that.We didn't shoot up our classrooms because of petty jealousies. We made do with what we had.
Well, I'm just about maxed out on the nonsense that has pervaded this thread. I've bee told that "my generation was "desensitized to violence because there actually was a war on". To which I wonder, "when have wars actually stopped"?
In spite of the mayhem of the 60's and 70's our music had values, peace, love, and introspection being the chief thematic elematics.
Today violence is glorified under the guise of "freedom of speech". People are affected deeply by music, there's no denying or getting around that. Something which manifests itself in daily American life, values, and goals.
A major cultural breakdown is underway in America. We've simply had entirely too much, for too long. Decadence is the final penalty of any great society, and if this were Rome, I'd be expecting Attila and his Hun army to be marching down Pennsylvania Avenue, any day now.
In all honesty, I think all of you have completely missed the point. America's troubles aren't "this or that", but rather systemic.
I could not agree with you more about the problems in America being systemic in nature. I also consider that, for me anyway, I would extend "systemic" to the rest of the world, too. As I see it, pretty much every country has significant problems for which no one has yet figured out a solution. Part of the reason why no one has yet found a solution is because those who have the power think that their system is the greatest. When you think that you are the greatest and are unwilling to recognize that in being human, you have flaws, you can never see the problems that need to be solved. Introspection, as you imply and in my eyes, is key to one's own self-improvement, and I also believe that in improving one's self, one helps to improve others.
I am nearly of your generation, too, being perhaps 10-years or so younger than you, and simply put, I cannot agree that our generation was desensitized to violence because of the wars. In fact, I think it is much more exactly the opposite - our generation protested like dragons about the Vietnam War, and in so doing, demonstrated that our generation was sensitized toward violence. In part, that was because at the time, the war was distinctly seen as not good and even so, many were subject to the draft - I.e., being forced to fight and possibly die in a war that was seen as having (and probably had) little true meaning.
At the time, dying in the Vietnam war was seen as futile - much
unlike dying in WWI or WWII where world-wide freedom from oppression was on the line. Pretty much every war since WWII has had significantly lesser stakes and the value of each of those wars might easily be termed questionable. Our generation saw the Vietnam War as unjust and unethical, and some died protesting against it -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings At that time, our generation was willing to do something about the Vietnam War that might be compared to the mass protests planned against gun violence.
Sociologists point out the an individual's first allegiances should be to his country, the first boundary between him or her, and the world at large. Richard Nixon ended the draft, and when he did so, he cut off every draft eligible individual frrom any responsibility to anyone but themselves. As a result, our millenials have virtually taken science back hundreds of years. Back to when people thought the sun revolved around the earth. Today's youth have taken that one step further, and are now convinced the earth revolves around them as individuals. So,"Individualism", is merely a euphemism for "every man for himself", which is itself a euphemism for, "anarchy".
My generation waged a war for racial equality, and judging by the fact we've had a black president, I though that war had been won. But now, African Americans being paid millions of dollars a year to play a game, don't have the courtesy of standing for our national anthem, citing "discrimination".
It all adds up to a dying way of life, and any identity past one's own mind. And trust me, it's a issue which will undoubtedly prove to be America's undoing.
As I see it, you also make some excellent points, here, too Captain. I think that we have made progress, but there is still a long way to go.
In my eyes, at least some of those who are supposed to "protect and serve" far too often reach for that gun without considering even one iota if or how the situation might be resolved without the use of deadly force, and that because they are viewed as "protecting and serving", they are far too often not held accountable for their actions. My bet is that there are instances of questionable "protect and serve" shootings that cross racial boundaries - though those that do not are not click-bait worthy, and far less publicized. In fact, there was a recent headline about a cop being fired for not shooting someone -
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...d-for-not-killing-a-man-with-an-unloaded-gun/
It is an interesting read, and I think it helps emphasize my point. And once again, I think this points to problems that are systemic in nature.
And if I dare, I again mention that meditation teacher who had called the police to report a crime that was killed by a jumpy cop with a gun. As I see it, there was nothing racial or religious about it - rather that was yet another symptom of the systemic nature of the problems that exist today.
Much as you imply, my bet is that if one were to take a careful, objective look at the state of things in the US at this point, it does very nearly look like the state of things before the "advanced" empires of the past fell.
I think that you have in part hit on one of the major symptoms of the systemic problems in that there seem to be so many people out there that can think of no one other than themselves.
It's the same issue with heroin and fentanyl now. The fed can't stem the flow of drugs from Afghanistan and China, (among many other actors), so they're scapegoating ouyr doctors for pain meds. Are some doctors at fault? Sure. Are they the biggest problem, Hardly.
About this, as I understand it from this article -
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/investigations/dea-drug-industry-congress/
A handful of members of Congress, allied with the nation’s major drug distributors, prevailed upon the DEA and the Justice Department to agree to a more industry-friendly law, undermining efforts to stanch the flow of pain pills, according to an investigation by The Washington Post and “60 Minutes.” The DEA had opposed the effort for years.
The law was the crowning achievement of a multifaceted campaign by the drug industry to weaken aggressive DEA enforcement efforts against drug distribution companies that were supplying corrupt doctors and pharmacists who peddled narcotics to the black market. The industry worked behind the scenes with lobbyists and key members of Congress, pouring more than a million dollars into their election campaigns.
More evidence of systemic problems?
Personally, I do not think that the end to gun violence is arming everyone in America. There are enough hot heads out there at this time that if everyone were armed, my bet is gun violence would go up - way up.
Arming teachers, too, will also not necessarily help. Certainly, not all teachers are going to have the stomach, even in an under-fire situation, to shoot and kill someone else.
And I know 2nd amendment supporters will enjoy flaming me for this - but - I think it is arguable that at this point in time, the US has a "well-regulated militia" though I also think that there are some in that well-regulated militia that should not be allowed near any gun - especially those that meet the criteria of the stereotypical overweight, doughnut loving, out-of-shape and of average or below IQ.
Unfortunately, to me anyway, the gun violence is yet another symptom of the systemic nature of the problems, so while working to quell the gun violence might eliminate one of the symptoms, will it really make things better? Certainly, less gun violence will help, but that is no guarantee that the frustrations of living within a systemically problem riddled society will not surface in some other form.
That said, I do not think that everyone should stop looking for solutions even if the solutions that are tried fail - at least we would be looking, and hopefully, there will be lessons learned along the way so that the next attempt at a solution will improve on the last.
Though things might be seen differently from different eyes, I think it likely that all of us want to find a better way. Now if we can only help each other recognize that.
