I’m with temeculaguy and pri_dk. We are better off today that in the past. This is not the end of anything.
[/quote]
Really, what metrics are you using? I hate to bust your bubble but social health has been declining for almost 5 decades in western democracies – across the board. The US has had the most dramatic decline. So, you are not even remotely close if talking about the aggregate health of society. Environmental degradation trajectories are universally abysmal as well, which will start to cause feedbacks to social health declines – if left unchecked.
[quote=briansd1]
Things will continue to change… But despite revolutions, things are more incremental than revolutionary. [/quote]
Social collapse and decay is a process, it is not some “end of the world” instantaneous event. Though, the financial system could precipitate quick cascading banking/credit failures and push it along a little faster. That is not out of the question.
Social (r)evolutions have consisted of transformational events taking place quite independently of man’s consciously attempting to bring them about. Man is very vain; he likes to feel that he is responsible for all the favorable things that happen, and he is innocent of all the unfavorable happenings. But all the larger social (r)evolutionary patterns seemingly transpire independently to any of man’s conscious planning or contriving.
Crises always spawns these things – and we are a world in converging crises.
The structural crises the world is in will force massive demographic shifts that will, in turn, force social responses. Which will also necessitate political insanity, as politicians are invalid as social problems solvers and won’t know what to do. They, no doubt, will make things worse. This process will continue until the a new social order is born or we could stay in a permanent state of disrepair. I’d say, the lion share of the decline should manifest over the next decade. Though, we are flirting with another leg down now – which is like quicksand for our societies. Massive economic declines could come lighting quick compared to past civilizations. Things just seem to happen a lot faster.
[quote=briansd1]
As always, Arraya provides food for thought but I’m not fearing collapse.[/quote]
From a broader historical perspective it’s just the flow of history. But, you don’t want to be collateral damage. You are innsolated enough for it not to effect you in the early stages.
