March 2024
The 1970s were a time of social upheaval. Vietnam was the popular war of that period and the cold war with the USSR was ongoing. We struggled with racism and discrimination. Wealth disparity and poverty were widespread and blamed on capitalism. Today we are concerned about Russia, Ukraine, North Korea and China. Capitalism is still blamed for wealth disparity and poverty. Nuclear war is still a threat.
Nearly everything else has changed. Our population has more than doubled while animals go extinct and climate change brings us more severe storms, drought, fires and melting.
Today’s threats are different and possibly more concerning. What differs is our response.
In the 1970s, the baby boomer generation was actively seeking solutions. They felt they could change the world for the better – and were successful in many ways. They learned how to succeed while trying to do good. Today we have a generation unwilling to get involved. They focus on working from home in pyjamas, playing with pets and retiring early. They borrow unheard of amounts of money for paying exorbitant amounts to become homeowners, and to fund an unaffordable lifestyle without a way to repay the debt. They demand government support while seeking high salaries and work-life balance. Changing the world for the better is not high on their list.
We have lost our way. Materialism has become more important than idealism. We are envious of those who have more and less willing to work toward improvement. We have forgotten what it took for us to achieve the level of success we currently enjoy, and are less willing to do what is needed to maintain our current standards. Today’s youth entertain themselves with Spotify, Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube rather than spend time working toward improvement.
This will not end well.
