I would say things are getting worse than they are getting better, mainly with the economy and the declining housing market, although gas prices have come down.

Too early to tell. Politically, its just been the same (more scandals eg. Mark Folly, Iraq is still in crisis, Iran is getting stronger, North Korea recently detonated a nuke) At this point, there are signs that the economy could improve (declining gas prices, and a vibrant and stable economy, e.g. Dow recently topped its previous record) But of course, with the downturn in the housing market, there's always the possibility of a recession  :-\\

Worse.  But you know what they say, what goes down must come up...right?  :-\\

Worse.  But you know what they say, what goes down must come up...right?   :-\\

Tell that to the Romans in 410 AD. 

Things are getting worse on all fronts.  The problem is economic disparity and greed.  The ruling political and financial elite are unwilling to make us all face the truth.  They are unwilling to face the truth themselves.  Families like the Bushes and the Windsors live in a psychotic candyland.  The elite uses the mass media to propagandize the average citizen against acting on his or her own economic and salutary interests.  In order for times to get better, they are going to have first get far worse than they are now, and a lot societal amenities we take for granted are going to have breakdown and fail all but the richest among us.
Prognosis: Grim.

Worse. We're on the brink of a vast change in global attitudes.

I forsee large scale warfare between the Islamic world and the west.
I see nuclear weapons being used on a large scale for the first time, with crackpot leaders in nations like Iran and North Korea.
We all see before us the vast changes the climate is taking and how fast this is happening.

I'll see ya'll on the front lines.

Worse.  But ... entertainingly worse.  Maybe even profitably worse. 

Atari:  There is no opportunity without danger.  There is no danger without opportunity. 

^ditto to the voters for worse.  Wages aren't keeping up with the cost of living, and haven't for been for the past 30 years.  We have thrown away our manufacturing and agricultural bases. Very grim for the average american.

^ Things are looking worse for the guys who have been making it worse, but I'm afraid they're going to do something worse than we thought to hold on to power, and then everything will continue to get worse!
::)

I don't really know. I can't speak for the US, but here (politically) things are a mess. Although I rarely read anything to do with politics etc, all mudslinging etc and no real news right now.  ::)

Overall, however, I assume things will stay pretty much the same. The news will always focus on the negative things in life (war, famine, evil politicians, the economy, idiots in general etc), thus making it seem like things are getting worse.

Let's not forget the loss of privacy in our country.  Now, the government can basically do whatever they want whenever they want thanks to the "oh-so-wonderful" Patriot Act ::)

Worse.

Our culture is shallow and unromantic.

Worse.

Our culture is shallow and unromantic.

Of course we're shallow and unromantic.  Gotta be for self-preservation.  To be otherwise is to make yourself vulnerable, and if you're vulnerable the azzh()les will do their best to hurt you.  Our culture says hurting people is fun.

Who voted better?  I liked to find out why someone would think that? 

Who voted better?  I liked to find out why someone would think that? 
An eternal optimist? ;)  (It wasn't me, BTW)

Worse. We're on the brink of a vast change in global attitudes.

I forsee large scale warfare between the Islamic world and the west.
I see nuclear weapons being used on a large scale for the first time, with crackpot leaders in nations like Iran and North Korea.
We all see before us the vast changes the climate is taking and how fast this is happening.

I'll see ya'll on the front lines.

I agree. Funny  how when the wall came down how at ease we all felt. But now years later I think the overall feeling is a bit worried.
Nk has the bomb. Iran will pay anything for one. Plus their leaders have said on more then one interview that they would use it on Israel. 
With tensions rising again between India and Pakistan, Just a few months ago these nations where at the brink. American peeps don't realize if India and Pakistan do go to war the fallout will destroy about a third of the world.
Growing up I wondered if it would happen between the big dogs. Now I think it is gonna be some small country that starts the new Ball so to to speak.

Things are largely about the same.  They really are not much different then they were 25 years ago.

Let me think back to the late 1970's.  Record high oil prices, deadly standoff with North Korea (although at least this time none of our soldiers have been killed yet), tension and violence in the Middle East, increased threats from Iran.  Yep, looks like the 1970's all over again.

That is one of the lovely things about nostalgia.  People look back, and quite often forget how bad a lot of things were.  Then they look into the future, and imagine what things will be like then.  And when they get older and actually get there, they are often dissapointed at what they find.  That it is really just the same thing all over again.

When it comes to the economy, everything comes in cycles.  The stock market is up, investments are up, savings are up.  Unenployment is still heading down, and after a prolonged housing boom, that market has finally peaked and is appearing to slowly move down.  It is still higher then it was 8 years ago, but people look at the downward trend, and say gloom and doom.  But I predict it will still continue to drop, and interest rates will slowly rise.  This is because the market is now saturated with new homes, and will take a while to absorm the last 4 years worth of construction.

Also there is renewed interest in "fix it yourself" projects.  Shows like the new "this old house" and "Flip This House" have once again showed people that they are often better off buying an older house and remodeling it (or doing it to their own home), instead of buying a new house.  A contractor I know in the area told me last week that while he has seen a slowdown of new houses, he is seeing an increase in remodeling projects.  And we are getting closer to winter.  And the new housing market always slows down in the winter, as construction slows down, and parents slow down their moving because of not wanting to change their children's school mid-term.  My mom was a real estate broker, so I am familiar with this market trend.  Fall-Winter has traditionally been the "starvation period" for real estate agents.  My mom's business normally fell from 10-30 closures per month in the summer, down to maybe 1-2 per month in the winter (sometimes she would go 1-2 months with no closures at all).

So mark me down as "more of the same".

I picked MUCH WORSE.....

Anyone who is happy today is severly brainwashed and being held captive and they dont even realise it!!

I picked MUCH WORSE.....

Anyone who is happy today is severly brainwashed and being held captive and they dont even realise it!!


I would say it's getting worse.