Thursday, December 28, 2006
The cost of revolution
When World War II ended, a bunch of imperfect men came home to an imperfect country and started reproducing like rabbits. Eventually, those offspring would grow into their teens and reject a majority of their parents' value system in favor of the better living through chemistry/free-love approach to societal ascension. Of course, it failed miserably on most fronts. Where women's lib and the civil rights movement were positives, the abandonment of traditional values, rather than a progressive evolution and refinement of the old ways, was a total disaster. Forty years on, America is a drug plagued, crime ridden, divorce happy, sociological mess.
Sure, America was a sexist, racist place, particularly in South, in the 1940s and 50s. And those serious flaws needed addressing, there is no valid argument to be made otherwise, but it is HOW the ideas that led to those much needed social reform were abused and distorted in the larger context that ultimately derailed society. We're reaping what the drug-soaked 60s, hapless 70s, and greed-fueled 80s sewed.
Where the bad was discarded, as it should be, the good was also tossed aside, and we were left with what amounts to not much of anything. Society could have taken a turn and chipped away at rigid conservativism until it was something more tolerable, instead America threw away just about everything and tried to start over again. A 60% divorce rate and all-time highs in drug abuse, STD infections, and an ever widening gap between the wealthy and the "middle class" speak volumes about the success of said revolution. America got exactly what it wanted, a sex and drug fueled culture with a foundation made of selfishness and shortsighted social policy.
What started this whole rant? A discussion at the office this morning centered around modern relationships. Sometimes it doesn't take much to get me going. :)
On a completely different note, I finally got confirmation that I managed two more 4.0s this past term. With the visual arts side of my grade finally coming online and a class in the principles of marketing on tap, I'm optimistic that I can keep things rolling into Summer of 2007. We shall see.
I doubt I'll be updating before New Year's, so have a safe and happy one if I don't see you before!
Labels: life, relationships, school
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