I’m really worried about the state of the US despite being a white male who was I’ll coast right through it. I’ll also accept “I don’t” and “very poorly” as answers

  • Lorindól@sopuli.xyz
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    9 months ago

    It’s getting harder every year.

    I remember well the constant fear of nuclear war in the 1980’s.

    I remember the wonder we felt when the Berlin Wall fell and Soviet Union collapsed. A hope of a tomorrow free of fear.

    I remember the dreadful recession of the early 1990’s and the steep economical rise that followed it.

    I remember the amazing advancements in technology and the standard of living in the late 1990’s. And at the same time, it felt like the world was coming to it’s senses.

    I was 21 in the year 2000. The world was full of promise, technological advancements were just pouring in, old mortal enemies were finding common ground and it seemed that we were slowly heading towards a Star Trek - like post scarcity utopia.

    This age of hope eneded by the finance crisis of 2007-2008. Russia tried the waters with the war in Georgia. The general atmosphere of the world turned towards gloom again. And the downward spiral just seems to keeps going and going…

    Yet I continue the work I started when I chose teaching as my profession in those golden years of hope. The kids are very different today, any class from 20 years ago would be a piece of cake compared with the problems they have now. But if a change for the better is to come, it will come from the kids. My generation is hopelessly lost in consumer greed and watching mindless “reality” shows that they somehow feel more important than real life.

    I alone cannot be the change we need, but I CAN educate a few hundred kids and with good luck, maybe a dozen or few of them will have a some effect for a better future.

  • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I realize that it is materially better than it has ever been and it continues to improve, despite very obvious issues and inequalities.

    • blazeknave@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      This is 11 years old. There has been an objective uptick in white nationalism, going beyond trajectory to repair climate, consolidation of wealth, “inflation” inflated prices for less goods through record profits, irrelevant and biased unemployment data from gig economy and partial employment without healthcare, debt, renters, etc There’s data on every one of those. Don’t gaslight people, these aren’t feelings or biased perceptions. The industrialized West has the (massively significant and impactful) benefits of creature comforts from bread and circuses. But as those dwindle, a population losing their mind from the current level of discomfort (and snowflakedom) is going to full on implode. They’re electing autocrats around the globe bc they’re scared of getting injections, wearing masks, and the feelings in their pants when they look at sexy members of their own gender.

  • Zippy@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    There is less poverty and less major wars than anytime pretty much in recent history. On a local level, individual crime is generally also at its lowest levels. It varies a bit year to year but we are living in one of the safest and prosperous times ever.