What do you think?

If America is able to quickly rebound after all the damage Trump is sure to cause, I think probably so, at least as far as living conditions go. Political correctness probably won't tone down anytime in the near future, but we may at least start to adopt more interesting fresh technology again if VR and AR mature enough.

I really think society should, in the long run, invest in the invention and perfection of customizable, virtual lands that every individual can experience all the joys they want in life, while still being able to communicate with others in the real world if they want. In an Earth growing ever more complex and fragmented by the day, I think the best remedy for all the sociopolitical shennanigans we've been experiencing is to make everybody more self-sufficient, meaning conflicting interests won't have any reason to collide with each other. I don't think any of this is really possible, though, for at least quite a few decades.

I wonder if things are going to feel even more futuristic!!  ???

Hopefully I'll be wiser and feel more accomplished. I'm concerned about the effects of climate change and Russia's expanding influence. I'm optimistic about technology, especially green and productive technology. That's all I can say.

Call me an hopelessly optimistic nut, but I always keep getting this feeling that the 2020s may end up being a pretty decent decade in terms of culture and economy. Not sure on politics as in my opinion there was always issues with politics. Tech will be more advance with some innovative things that may come and improve the lives of many in some way.

But this is all wishful thinking. Sticks out from everyone else's views of the future always being doom and gloom.

I wonder if things are going to feel even more futuristic!!  ???


I'd love to see a very futuristic world.

Call me an hopelessly optimistic nut, but I always keep getting this feeling that the 2020s may end up being a pretty decent decade in terms of culture and economy. Not sure on politics as in my opinion there was always issues with politics. Tech will be more advance with some innovative things that may come and improve the lives of many in some way.

But this is all wishful thinking. Sticks out from everyone else's views of the future always being doom and gloom.


I like this point of view.  :)

I'd love to see a very futuristic world.


Coooooool!  8)

I'd love to see a very futuristic world.


http://wallpapercave.com/wp/E22qi6S.jpg

Looks cool, but I'm not sure if the 2020s would look like this. However, I bet my best dollar that the 2090s will look like this either that or the early 22nd century.

http://wallpapercave.com/wp/E22qi6S.jpg

Looks cool, but I'm not sure if the 2020s would look like this. However, I bet my best dollar that the 2090s will look like this either that or the early 22nd century.


I want the 2020's to have flying cars.

http://wallpapercave.com/wp/E22qi6S.jpg

Looks cool, but I'm not sure if the 2020s would look like this. However, I bet my best dollar that the 2090s will look like this either that or the early 22nd century.


Not enough green and nature!

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--BrIGzlso--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/yfqf8crndjypzgwepgqk.png
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/57/4a/64/574a641f31b0d1d9cdc54d3b4bf2b1b8.jpg

I hope we get closer to cities like that. The idea of urban farming is pretty exciting!

Not enough green and nature!

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--BrIGzlso--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/yfqf8crndjypzgwepgqk.png
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/57/4a/64/574a641f31b0d1d9cdc54d3b4bf2b1b8.jpg

I hope we get closer to cities like that. The idea of urban farming is pretty exciting!


I want to chomp on all those vegetables. Now!!!

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRr1q1huOwMwbfeDNrtn2u7uxJ5Tn_6n8mzsqf5T7C3ixyLGcHipA

Not enough green and nature!

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--BrIGzlso--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/yfqf8crndjypzgwepgqk.png
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/57/4a/64/574a641f31b0d1d9cdc54d3b4bf2b1b8.jpg

I hope we get closer to cities like that. The idea of urban farming is pretty exciting!


I always found the idea of more mechanical futuristic cities to be cool. Don't know why. As for Urban farming??? Who knows!? Could make the planet healthier and even improve economy in quite a few ways.

My guess is Trump will be a one-term President and we will have a new President to see us through the 2020s.

For our society as a whole, I would say the '10s have been better than the '00s were.  One thing I believe is without a clean, renewable source of energy, the futuristic worlds of science fiction will never become reality.

In terms of technology, I think self-driving cars will be big in the '20s.  I don't see things like Google glass catching on unless they find a way to do it without being tethered to a smartphone.  VR will be a niche market at first, but could become more commonplace in the next generation of gaming consoles.

One thing I really hope is that music goes a different direction in the new decade.  I'm really ready for EDM-inspired teen pop to be over.

I really hope not since this decade has been terrible in some ways. No diversity in music or even the movies and TV shows. What's up with that?

Furthermore, with all these attacks occurring on a daily basis, it seems that they are not decreasing. Just 2 weeks ago, there was a shooting at Ohio State. I mean, WTF?????

I know the world is cruel and all, but not like this! We can't prevent something before it happens? Why can't the mentally folks receive support? That's the main thing they need.


My guess is Trump will be a one-term President and we will have a new President to see us through the 2020s.

For our society as a whole, I would say the '10s have been better than the '00s were.  One thing I believe is without a clean, renewable source of energy, the futuristic worlds of science fiction will never become reality.

In terms of technology, I think self-driving cars will be big in the '20s.  I don't see things like Google glass catching on unless they find a way to do it without being tethered to a smartphone.  VR will be a niche market at first, but could become more commonplace in the next generation of gaming consoles.

One thing I really hope is that music goes a different direction in the new decade.  I'm really ready for EDM-inspired teen pop to be over.
In what way? I think the progress we have made may be reversed.

Not enough green and nature!

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--BrIGzlso--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/yfqf8crndjypzgwepgqk.png
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/57/4a/64/574a641f31b0d1d9cdc54d3b4bf2b1b8.jpg

I hope we get closer to cities like that. The idea of urban farming is pretty exciting!


That's beautiful, I wish we would get cities like this too. 

I always found the idea of more mechanical futuristic cities to be cool. Don't know why. As for Urban farming??? Who knows!? Could make the planet healthier and even improve economy in quite a few ways.


Watch this. Urban farming is pretty exciting :D

kSQm09twKEE

What do you think?

No, no no no 1 million times no!!!  >:(

The 20s will be the best decade of the 21st century, I'm calling it.  8)

But seriously, it can't get any worse than the 10s if you think about it. Unless the apocalypse happens.

The 20s will be the best decade of the 21st century, I'm calling it.  8)

But seriously, it can't get any worse than the 10s if you think about it. Unless the apocalypse happens.


You never know.  8)

You never know.  8)
That is true, there is no way of knowing.

I really hope not since this decade has been terrible in some ways. No diversity in music or even the movies and TV shows. What's up with that?

Furthermore, with all these attacks occurring on a daily basis, it seems that they are not decreasing. Just 2 weeks ago, there was a shooting at Ohio State. I mean, WTF?????

I know the world is cruel and all, but not like this! We can't prevent something before it happens? Why can't the mentally folks receive support? That's the main thing they need.
In what way? I think the progress we have made may be reversed.


Just hopefully, this might just be the late 2010s doing this sort of crap. If the 2020s lingers on like that, then we're in a living hell.

Furthermore, with all these attacks occurring on a daily basis, it seems that they are not decreasing. Just 2 weeks ago, there was a shooting at Ohio State. I mean, WTF?????


The murder rates are down in the 2010s, and I imagine that will continue into the 2020s, unless something catastrophic happens.

Not enough green and nature!

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--BrIGzlso--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/yfqf8crndjypzgwepgqk.png
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/57/4a/64/574a641f31b0d1d9cdc54d3b4bf2b1b8.jpg

I hope we get closer to cities like that. The idea of urban farming is pretty exciting!


That looks pretty interesting.

The 20s will be the best decade of the 21st century, I'm calling it.  8)

But seriously, it can't get any worse than the 10s if you think about it. Unless the apocalypse happens.


How will it be the best decade?

The murder rates are down in the 2010s, and I imagine that will continue into the 2020s, unless something catastrophic happens.


*cough* Anti-Trump protests and hate crimes *cough*

*cough* Anti-Trump protests and hate crimes *cough*


Hmm, I'm not sure how that disproves what I said. The Tr*mp protests are peaceful, and no one has been murdered as far as I know. Even if they were murderous, it wouldn't undo the general underlying trend of declining murder and crime rates. The stats aren't out yet, but I'm sure 2016 was an overall safer year than 2006 all things considered. At the very least, we already know that 2014 was safer than 2004, or safer than any 2000s year.

Just hopefully, this might just be the late 2010s doing this sort of crap. If the 2020s lingers on like that, then we're in a living hell.
Yeah, I hope not. The 2020s will be much better.


The murder rates are down in the 2010s, and I imagine that will continue into the 2020s, unless something catastrophic happens.
What NYE said. I understand facts are saying that the murder rate is much lower than 20 or even 30 years ago; however, that could change. There was a report from last year that stated the crime rate slightly increased. That should tell you something.

We'll have to wait until the 2020's get here and then we'll see how good/bad it gets.

That is true, there is no way of knowing.


I just hope that economic growth picks up in the 2020's. It doesn't have to the be America in the 1980's, but just better than the 10's, and maybe even the 00's.

I just hope that economic growth picks up in the 2020's. It doesn't have to the be America in the 1980's, but just better than the 10's, and maybe even the 00's.

Me too. I think it should pick up in the next few years. Almost half the people I know are all laid off that's how bad it is now.

Me too. I think it should pick up in the next few years. Almost half the people I know are all laid off that's how bad it is now.


Wow, really?

Wow, really?

Oh yeah. One of the firm's my mom works at had originally 50 people working there and now there are only 7.

Yeah, I hope not. The 2020s will be much better.
What NYE said. I understand facts are saying that the murder rate is much lower than 20 or even 30 years ago; however, that could change. There was a report from last year that stated the crime rate slightly increased. That should tell you something.


That "should" not tell anyone anything. Like I said in my reply to NYE, one year is not enough to establish a trend. It can be an "anomaly", an "outlier", or a "regression to the mean", but one data point does not undo a general underlying trend.

"That could change" – maybe. We'd have to see it increase in 2017, 2018, 2019, and so on to establish a new trend line.

As it is though, we are living in the safest decade since the 1960s.

http://cdn.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/2016/07/Violent-Crime-Rate-Chart1.png
http://cdn.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/2016/07/Murder-Rate-Chart.png

This article is insightful -- http://www.factcheck.org/2016/07/dueling-claims-on-crime-trend/


We'll have to wait until the 2020's get here and then we'll see how good/bad it gets.


Early 2000s revival with skinny jeans.

We'll have to wait until the 2020's get here and then we'll see how good/bad it gets.


In just another 4 years.

Oh yeah. One of the firm's my mom works at had originally 50 people working there and now there are only 7.


and I bet it has to do with your Mother being an old relic?  See this is why they just throw the older generation aside and need more of the younger people who are fresh out of High School.

That "should" not tell anyone anything. Like I said in my reply to NYE, one year is not enough to establish a trend. It can be an "anomaly", an "outlier", or a "regression to the mean", but one data point does not undo a general underlying trend.

"That could change" – maybe. We'd have to see it increase in 2017, 2018, 2019, and so on to establish a new trend line.

As it is though, we are living in the safest decade since the 1960s.

http://cdn.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/2016/07/Violent-Crime-Rate-Chart1.png
http://cdn.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/2016/07/Murder-Rate-Chart.png

This article is insightful -- http://www.factcheck.org/2016/07/dueling-claims-on-crime-trend/

Early 2000s revival with skinny jeans.


The thing is people in the suburbs didn't really experience the high crime rate in the 80s or 90s because it was concentrated in specific areas like inner cities or places in the trailer parks. So it does make sense people feel less safe. It's much safer in the cities but the suburbs is pretty much the same except for these crazy world events. There's also more danger of poverty and disease. People have a lot more chronic conditions and disabilities than in the past. Conditions are worse because people are fired for any reason right now.

Yeah, most crimes tend to happen in Urban areas. New York in the 1980s and 1990s had a crazy amount of crime going on. Almost made the city unsafe to live in (and in some folks eyes it's literally unsafe even in the 2010s). The Suburbs have less crime. And in Rural areas crime is something you don't see often. It's a shame since a lot of pop culture and media tends to really shine in cities. New York is like this central place of culture. But the good comes with the bad in some cases.

Anyways to be slightly off subject I'm curious on what the aesthetic/style of the 2020s will be like.

The thing is people in the suburbs didn't really experience the high crime rate in the 80s or 90s because it was concentrated in specific areas like inner cities or places in the trailer parks. So it does make sense people feel less safe. It's much safer in the cities but the suburbs is pretty much the same except for these crazy world events. There's also more danger of poverty and disease. People have a lot more chronic conditions and disabilities than in the past. Conditions are worse because people are fired for any reason right now.


Hmm, I tried to look up the stats for that claim, and I at least found this

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.brookings.edu/research/city-and-suburban-crime-trends-in-metropolitan-america/amp/?client=ms-android-samsung

Which shows that violent crime dropped 30% in the inner cities of the 100 biggest metropolitan areas, and 7% in their suburbs between 1990 and 2008. So you're right that the crime rate in the cities has dropped more considerably than in the suburbs, but declining crime rates are characteristic in suburbs too. There may be localized pockets that buck the trend and have increasing crime rates, I think Markese lives in California though, and he was talking about an Ohio shooting, so I assumed he was talking about the national crime rate.

You have a point about poverty/disability/disease though. The opioid and heroine epidemic in particular is extremely worrying, and the death and suicide rates are quickly rising as a result. The governments and communities need to take action.

I just hope that economic growth picks up in the 2020's. It doesn't have to the be America in the 1980's, but just better than the 10's, and maybe even the 00's.


I'm not really sure about that. We just elected a man who thinks bombing the hell out of Middle Eastern countries is legit (maybe worse than what we did to Iraq), and the economy might be focused on spending sh*t on Trump.  8-P

Anyways to be slightly off subject I'm curious on what the aesthetic/style of the 2020s will be like.

It will probably be the opposite of the 2010s. So more laid back most likely.

It will probably be the opposite of the 2010s. So more laid back most likely.


Really though, I can't think of any decade since the 1890s (and probably even before) that I'd describe as "laid back".  :o

Really though, I can't think of any decade since the 1890s (and probably even before) that I'd describe as "laid back".  :o

The 1990s and 2000s were both pretty laid back to me.

I'm not really sure about that. We just elected a man who thinks bombing the hell out of Middle Eastern countries is legit (maybe worse than what we did to Iraq), and the economy might be focused on spending sh*t on Trump.  8-P


Yeah, Trump scares me. He's unstable.

The 1990s and 2000s were both pretty laid back to me.


People tell me the '90s were very cynical, especially 1990-1996. You have the recession, the gangsta rap, the grunge, and the crime rate peaked in 1993 I think.

Early 2000s revival with skinny jeans.


8-P 8-P 8-P

Skinny jean backlash by 2019, 2020 or 2021. I'm calling it.


People tell me the '90s were very cynical, especially 1990-1996. You have the recession, the gangsta rap, the grunge, and the crime rate peaked in 1993 I think.


Peak of that mood was around 1991-1995 if you ask me.

People tell me the '90s were very cynical, especially 1990-1996. You have the recession, the gangsta rap, the grunge, and the crime rate peaked in 1993 I think.

Okay not sure for the 90s then. But the 2000s definitely were laid back for me growing up.

8-P 8-P 8-P

Skinny jean backlash by 2019, 2020 or 2021. I'm calling it.

Peak of that mood was around 1991-1995 if you ask me.


Backlash = back-lâche in French. Lâche =to release. Eek! Sagging skinny jeans.

Backlash = back-lâche in French. Lâche =to release. Eek! Sagging skinny jeans.


But saggy skinny jeans is already a trend!

I don't understand it. It's one of the dumbest god damn things I've ever seen!

All I can say is that I hope the 2020's is the decade of Pitbull. 2020-2029: Pitbullmania. He's gonna be the next Nirvana and transform modern music into something high class and proper. Just you wait! He's the hero we all need. 8)

http://www.music.lt/images/groups/3/2321/Pitbull/145.jpg

This is the classiest a man can get.

Really though, I can't think of any decade since the 1890s (and probably even before) that I'd describe as "laid back".  :o



The 1890's?

The 1890's?


The 1890s had a huge economic depression.

People tell me the '90s were very cynical, especially 1990-1996. You have the recession, the gangsta rap, the grunge, and the crime rate peaked in 1993 I think.


The 1980s and 1990s were relatively more "laid-back" compared to the tumultuous late '60s and '70s, the social mood calmed down a lot around "Morning in America". The cynicism of the '90s came largely from Gen X but I don't see a contradiction between being laid-back and cynical/jaded.

Yeah, most crimes tend to happen in Urban areas. New York in the 1980s and 1990s had a crazy amount of crime going on. Almost made the city unsafe to live in (and in some folks eyes it's literally unsafe even in the 2010s). The Suburbs have less crime. And in Rural areas crime is something you don't see often. It's a shame since a lot of pop culture and media tends to really shine in cities. New York is like this central place of culture. But the good comes with the bad in some cases.

Anyways to be slightly off subject I'm curious on what the aesthetic/style of the 2020s will be like.


Where I live in New York (in the city at least), it's not that bad with crime. I for one, haven't lived in the city for most of the 90s (since I was only born in 1999), but I guess that may be a bias since crime drastically went down in the 2000s and 2010s. Although, I had a friend who was stabbed once in the chest, but survived.

The 1890's?


The "mauve decade" was hectic, there was violent labor strikes and riots, populism, lynchings, and fears of anarchist terrorism/revolution, not to mention a severe depression which made the civil unrest worse.

The 1890s are a perfect example of how nostalgia can blind people's perceptions of bygone eras.  The "Gay Nineties" have a mythological allure about them and are looked back on as a time of progress and optimism.  The reality was far from that however, with a severe economic depression that decade and very high income inequality.  There wasn't much that was "gay" about the 1890s.

I think people's fascination with the 1890s is similar to our own eras idealizing of the 1950s.

The 1890s are a perfect example of how nostalgia can blind people's perceptions of bygone eras.  The "Gay Nineties" have a mythological allure about them and are looked back on as a time of progress and optimism.  The reality was far from that however, with a severe economic depression that decade and very high income inequality.  There wasn't much that was "gay" about the 1890s.

I think people's fascination with the 1890s is similar to our own eras idealizing of the 1950s.


I don't think the 1890s were ever as idealistic as the '50s. The '50s had its own problems, but at least it was iconic to a lot of people (rise of TV shows, beginning of the rock era, and rise of the modern Civil Rights movement). The 1890s was just a recession riddled decade, that served as one of the peak decades for Standard Oil.  I wish I could question those people back then on why did they thought the 1890s were cool?

I wish I could question those people back then on why did they thought the 1890s were cool?


It's possible that the 1890s were viewed in high regard until as recently as the Mid-20th Century. Walt Disney produced a Mickey Mouse short in 1941, which romanticised about the 1890s. Walt Disney never even experienced the 1890s; he was born in 1901.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nifty_Nineties

I wish I could question those people back then on why did they thought the 1890s were cool?


This cartoon really shows the idealized image of the 1890s a lot of people had during the first half of the 20th century.

VtNZrf-kzww

I think the technological advancements of the 1890s contributed.  Things were changing fast back then.  Many things like motion pictures, grammophones, electricity, the automobile, etc got their start that decade.  However, if you weren't rich, your life looked nothing like the idealized image.  You were more likely to be living in a slum in a small tenement with another family or two or if you lived in the South, dealing with the severe agricultural depression.

Also, I am sure people during the 1930s looked back on it fondly as a time of pre-World Wars, pre-Prohibition, pre-income tax, etc.

This cartoon really shows the idealized image of the 1890s a lot of people had during the first half of the 20th century.


Kind of like how the 1990s are idealized today.

I don't think the 1890s were ever as idealistic as the '50s. The '50s had its own problems, but at least it was iconic to a lot of people (rise of TV shows, beginning of the rock era, and rise of the modern Civil Rights movement). The 1890s was just a recession riddled decade, that served as one of the peak decades for Standard Oil.  I wish I could question those people back then on why did they thought the 1890s were cool?

The 1950s had high racism towards black people.

Kind of like how the 1990s are idealized today.


The 1990s are somewhat idealized, but no more than the 70s were.  Their cultural mythos is nowhere near on the scale of the 1950s.  You don't hear politicians wanting to return our society to the 1990s.  We have a major political party based around 1950s nostalgia.

It's possible that the 1890s were viewed in high regard until as recently as the Mid-20th Century. Walt Disney produced a Mickey Mouse short in 1941, which romanticised about the 1890s. Walt Disney never even experienced the 1890s; he was born in 1901.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nifty_Nineties


Considering he was alive in the early-mid 20th century, I could guess that he could those stories from his parents, teachers, and fellow colleagues who vividly remember the 1890s. Although, I would've just cared more about the 1910s/1920s, which kinda had a similar vibe with the 1890s.


I think the technological advancements of the 1890s contributed.  Things were changing fast back then.  Many things like motion pictures, grammophones, electricity, the automobile, etc got their start that decade.  However, if you weren't rich, your life looked nothing like the idealized image.  You were more likely to be living in a slum in a small tenement with another family or two or if you lived in the South, dealing with the severe agricultural depression.


See, that's the thing. It just seems like another decade, where the rich controls the popularity contests and the poor doesn't even get mentioned. It's like nobody really cared, to be precise. Unless it had to deal with fascination on technology. Even as a computer enthusiast, the 1890s never really caught my interests within its innovations. Add to where I don't enjoy a lot of early 20th century films (since I find it to be a bit creepy), it may be another reason why I never sought to see 1890s nostalgia in any case. Although, if you have 19th century nostalgia in 2016, you possibly need to check your mental health (Just sayin').


Also, I am sure people during the 1930s looked back on it fondly as a time of pre-World Wars, pre-Prohibition, pre-income tax, etc.


I would rather go for 1918-1928 if I were that person.


The 1950s had high racism towards black people.


http://2982-presscdn-29-70.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/UhYeah.gif

Considering he was alive in the early-mid 20th century, I could guess that he could those stories from his parents, teachers, and fellow colleagues who vividly remember the 1890s. Although, I would've just cared more about the 1910s/1920s, which kinda had a similar vibe with the 1890s.



Several early Disney movies like Mary Poppins and the Aristocats were set in 1910, which makes since given Walt's own nostalgia for that time period.


I would rather go for 1918-1928 if I were that person.


Those were roughly the years of Prohibition, so if I was longing for a day before Prohibition, I wouldn't go with the roaring 20s.  I wouldn't go with the 1910s either with the disease outbreaks and World War I.  Probably the most stable decade from that era was the 1900s.  It was similar to the 1890s but a better economy.

Several early Disney movies like Mary Poppins and the Aristocats were set in 1910, which makes since given Walt's own nostalgia for that time period.


As a kid. But I don't think he has that much nostalgia over that decade as much as the 1920s.


Those were roughly the years of Prohibition, so if I was longing for a day before Prohibition, I wouldn't go with the roaring 20s.  I wouldn't go with the 1910s either with the disease outbreaks and World War I.  Probably the most stable decade from that era was the 1900s.  It was similar to the 1890s but a better economy.


In all honesty, does it really matter to a lot of people? The 1890s-early 1940s were rather inane to romanticize about, since they had the worst events possible. It wasn't until the mid 1940s-early 1970s where people started to become more positive and stuff, while having pop culture being more iconic within the decade.

Also, I am sure people during the 1930s looked back on it fondly as a time of pre-World Wars, pre-Prohibition, pre-income tax, etc.


Yep, that would be La Belle Époque.

Although, I've read some biographies/memoirs set in the 1930s/1940s where people (especially women) get nostalgic for the 1920s, but not all of them are American where Prohibition was happening, and it could have easily been fictionalized since the books were published much later.

1890s Hipster type nostalgia
seems awesome

0_HGqPGp9iY
we need this to be a bigger thing

That "should" not tell anyone anything. Like I said in my reply to NYE, one year is not enough to establish a trend. It can be an "anomaly", an "outlier", or a "regression to the mean", but one data point does not undo a general underlying trend.

"That could change" – maybe. We'd have to see it increase in 2017, 2018, 2019, and so on to establish a new trend line.

As it is though, we are living in the safest decade since the 1960s.

http://cdn.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/2016/07/Violent-Crime-Rate-Chart1.png
http://cdn.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/2016/07/Murder-Rate-Chart.png
Well it could change. I'm totally aware that the crime rate in general has been dwindling, but that doesn't mean it will keep continuing. Furthermore, the main reason why there was a high crime rate in the first place was really because of gangs and drugs. Everyone knows those two don't mix very well. If they come into contact, there will be devastating consequences.

Look at the 1920s for instance. Due to the Prohibition law, it caused a surge of crimes nationally. That was because there were also an increase of gangs who wanted to make money selling alcohol to people, and battle their monopolies with each other after it got banned. It caused them to kill one another, so one can be victorious. Gangs pretty much ruled that decade until the Stock market crash which caused the Depression. After that, the crime rate started to decline, and it stayed low for sometime.

I think Markese lives in California though, and he was talking about an Ohio shooting, so I assumed he was talking about the national crime rate. Well, not just the Ohio shooting, but all the events in general. There have been many disturbing events this year with all the shootings, attacks, and police encounters that took place. I'm not saying this means the crime rate will increase, but it could skyrocket.

I hope the 2020's will be better even though I enjoy the pop culture of the 2010's.

Now that we're in 2018, are we still in safer times or did the crime rate increase in the past year?

Now that we're in 2018, are we still in safer times or did the crime rate increase in the past year?


In Canada, the homicide rate was 1.70 (per 100,000) in 2015 and dropped to 1.68 in 2016.

In Canada, the homicide rate was 1.70 (per 100,000) in 2015 and dropped to 1.68 in 2016.
Has it kept dropping up there? and do you think for here, has it also decreased since last time this topic was updated?

Now that we're in 2018, are we still in safer times or did the crime rate increase in the past year?


Seems to be increasing.  I had somebody come after me when out walking earlier this year.  Luckily I was able to outrun them.  It really made me consider buying a weapon for defense.

Going back to this topic, I have become very pessimistic and I believe the '20s will actually be worse than the 2010s and some major wars and tension will be filled next decade. Pop culturally, I have no clue but it will probably just get worse and worse. Maybe some things may improve but I am not feeling like it will be great.

Seems to be increasing.  I had somebody come after me when out walking earlier this year.  Luckily I was able to outrun them.  It really made me consider buying a weapon for defense.

Wow seriously? What did they want from you?  ???

Seems to be increasing.  I had somebody come after me when out walking earlier this year.  Luckily I was able to outrun them.  It really made me consider buying a weapon for defense.
Oh sh!t! Wow, that's so messed up! >:(. That person had no reason to come after you. You haven't done anything wrong, especially that your orientation has nothing to do with them. If they can't get over it, then they need to move on. I can't understand why it bothers someone so much that a person is LGBT and that pushing religion down his or her throat will make everything better. Damn Trump f*cked everything up.


Going back to this topic, I have become very pessimistic and I believe the '20s will actually be worse than the 2010s and some major wars and tension will be filled next decade. Pop culturally, I have no clue but it will probably just get worse and worse. Maybe some things may improve but I am not feeling like it will be great.
I really hope it doesn't. We don't need any more wars as this region has already gone through two in the last 15-20 years.

Has it kept dropping up there? and do you think for here, has it also decreased since last time this topic was updated?


I don't think the nationwide statistics for 2017 have been compiled, since the year only just ended.

And wow, 2016 was a violent year in the US https://qz.com/1086403/fbi-crime-statistics-us-murders-were-up-in-2016-and-chicago-had-a-lot-to-do-with-it/

The murder rate jumped 8% in 2016, and it's up 20% from 2014.

The homicide rate in the US was 5.3 (per 100,000 people) in 2016 compared to Canada's 1.7. I think it's because you guys don't have enough guns ;D

I don't think the nationwide statistics for 2017 have been compiled since the year only just ended.

And wow, 2016 was a violent year in the US https://qz.com/1086403/fbi-crime-statistics-us-murders-were-up-in-2016-and-chicago-had-a-lot-to-do-with-it/

The murder rate jumped 8% in 2016, and it's up 20% from 2014.

The homicide rate in the US was 5.3 (per 100,000 people) in 2016 compared to Canada's 1.7. I think it's because you guys don't have enough guns ;D
I knew from that 2016 post that the crime rate could increase. I just knew it. My prediction, unfortunately, came true :(. I don't think it will decrease anytime soon unless gun control is seriously dealt with. That's exactly what happens when people don't realize what was at stake during 2016 election rather than see who was the lesser of two evils. Had Bernie been in office, none of this BS would be happening right now

Oh sh!t! Wow, that's so messed up! >:(. That person had no reason to come after you. You haven't done anything wrong, especially that your orientation has nothing to do with them. If they can't get over it, then they need to move on. I can't understand why it bothers someone so much that a person is LGBT and that pushing religion down his or her throat will make everything better. Damn Trump f*cked everything up.

How do you know he got attacked because of his orientation? If I'm not mistaken, Chris said he was hiding his orientation where he lives so that probably wasn't the case. And as much as I hate Trump, he honestly isn't against LGBT and he is not reversing the gay marriage legislation.

How do you know he got attacked because of his orientation? If I'm not mistaken, Chris said he was hiding his orientation where he lives so that probably wasn't the case. And as much as I hate Trump, he honestly isn't against LGBT and he is not reversing the gay marriage legislation.
I'm hoping that wasn't the reason as there could be other factors, but he has mentioned that where he lives it's a nightmare for LGBT folks. Trump might not be against LGBT, but the other members are especially the VP Mike Pence.

Seems to be increasing.  I had somebody come after me when out walking earlier this year.  Luckily I was able to outrun them.  It really made me consider buying a weapon for defense.


What happened? :o

but the other members are especially the VP Mike Pence.

That's true. I doubt they will do anything though. 

That's true. I doubt they will do anything though.


They already did. They banned transgender people from serving in the military. They also no longer require companies that are contracted to do public work to not discriminate against LGBT people (basically a gay person working for a private company that works for the government can be fired for being gay).

1890s Hipster type nostalgia
seems awesome

0_HGqPGp9iY
we need this to be a bigger thing

Wow, no. Terrible idea, I don't see what's so appealing about those times besides maybe the very kitshy look and feel (though the whole Cakewalk thing was pretty dumb, not far from the Vine dances from a few years back). We already have enough nostalgia with the 1990s, we don't need another 90s in the way.

For instance, reviving the 20s-40s was probably my least favorite thing fashion-wise this decade 8-P

Now that we're in 2018, are we still in safer times or did the crime rate increase in the past year?


I think we're pretty safe now.

I suppose to answer this I would have to say, what is you're definition of worse? Do you mean worse politically? Because that depends entirely upon your politics.

So here's my perspective on the current Western political situation:

The election of Donald J. Trump, the June 2016 Brexit vote, the rise of free speech advocacy, populist politics, a return to and greater appreciation for deeply embedded traditional values, and all these things are what I would call 'corrections'.

Our culture since the 1960s has been heading in the direction of leftist, politically correct authoritarianism in the guise of Postmodernism. Our world has become a globalist world, where people's jobs are often moved overseas, or foreign manufacturers move in and replace local manufacturers.

The corrections listed earlier are messy, but ultimately necessary corrections in Western Society. Unfortunately, corrections are often jarring, and the process is littered with danger.

It almost feels as if we are in a pre-civil war condition.

I hope that instead these corrections will be smooth, and we will find a harmonious balance between the strive for rights and freedoms that has occurred since the 1960s, and an appreciation of the bedrock of Judeo-Christian values that support Western culture.

And yes, I appreciate that this is a very Western-slanted perspective. There would have to be a new thread on other world regions where I could make a fuller comment.

I suppose to answer this I would have to say, what is you're definition of worse? Do you mean worse politically? Because that depends entirely upon your politics.

So here's my perspective on the current Western political situation:

The election of Donald J. Trump, the June 2016 Brexit vote, the rise of free speech advocacy, populist politics, a return to and greater appreciation for deeply embedded traditional values, and all these things are what I would call 'corrections'.

Our culture since the 1960s has been heading in the direction of leftist, politically correct authoritarianism in the guise of Postmodernism. Our world has become a globalist world, where people's jobs are often moved overseas, or foreign manufacturers move in and replace local manufacturers.

The corrections listed earlier are messy, but ultimately necessary corrections in Western Society. Unfortunately, corrections are often jarring, and the process is littered with danger.

It almost feels as if we are in a pre-civil war condition.

I hope that instead these corrections will be smooth, and we will find a harmonious balance between the strive for rights and freedoms that has occurred since the 1960s, and an appreciation of the bedrock of Judeo-Christian values that support Western culture.

And yes, I appreciate that this is a very Western-slanted perspective. There would have to be a new thread on other world regions where I could make a fuller comment.


All these things are awful  8-P

Yeah, those 1960s authoritarian leftist. Who do they think they are giving black people the right to vote, women the right to work in a safe workplace and getting gay people out of jail. Such a gross encroachment on their freedom.  8-P

Yeah """postmodernism""" and """globalization""" are evil. - Sent from my iPhone X.

"Judeo-Christian values". Hurl. Yeah we need to go back to indoctrinating ourselves with fairytales and compromising the little rationality we have.

All of this reeks "moving backwards is moving forwards". It's literally backwards thinking. I'm confident none of this will happen in the 2020s especially people becoming religious again.

All these things are awful  8-P

Yeah, those 1960s authoritarian leftist. Who do they think they are giving black people the right to vote, women the right to work in a safe workplace and getting gay people out of jail. Such a gross encroachment on their freedom.  8-P

Yeah """postmodernism""" and """globalization""" are evil. - Sent from my iPhone X.

"Judeo-Christian values". Hurl. Yeah we need to go back to indoctrinating ourselves with fairytales and compromising the little rationality we have.

All of this reeks "moving backwards is moving forwards". It's literally backwards thinking. I'm confident none of this will happen in the 2020s especially people becoming religious again.


It is your exact attitude that has led to the things I am talking about. I come into the discussion with an opinion, and mention the merits of both political sides, reaching a balanced conclusion that recognises that society needs a moral foundation, and then you come in with an incredibly hostile attitude, immediately wanting to shut the conversation down. I would've been alright with if you'd had the same politcal opinions but put them forth in a civil manner.

In respect to Postmodernism: The problem with Postmodernism is it takes the perspective that everything is based around 'structures of power', and not that the issues we face in the world today is in fact a crisis of individualism. The oppressed/oppressor narrative is merely a rehashing of Marxism, and we've witnessed exactly how that thinking went down in the 20th Centruy (See: Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Maoist China for example, and the over 150 million deaths as a result).

God forbid we continue to have a moral foundation of respecting and improving on the individual level to our society that has been the bedrock behind all of the successes of Western civilisation for thousands of years... /s.

In terms of globalisation: There needs to be a balance, otherwise you get the destruction of economies (just look at the PIGS economies in the EU during and after the Financial Crisis for example). It's not either 100% nationalism or 100% globalism, but you need a balance, and the mass migration of millions of people from cultures that have radically different (often ultra-conservative) beliefs from own own to our countries in such a short space of time without integration is probably not such a great idea either.

For religion: Take the fedora off for just a minute won't you? I'm an atheist, but I have zero problem stating that it is the values from the Judeo-Christian religion that underpin my moral thinking. You need to stop looking at the Bible literally, and unfortunately, this is what Christian fundamentalists in countries such as Uganda do too (I bet you didn't think you had something in common with them!). You need to intepret it. For example, the story of Adam and Eve is not just about god making man and there being some nasty snake, it's a metaphor for human consciousness and the human capacity for evil. Why do you think Adam and Eve covered themselves up when they realised they were naked? It was because they understood their own vulnerability.

When you understand your own vulnerability, and what makes you hurt, you understand what other peoples' vulnerabillities are too, and how *they* can hurt. You understand your capacity for evil. That's merely one story of many many important moral understandings and lessons in the Bible. To think you can just brush off thecollective wisdom of thousands of years of human evolution condensed into one book is simply astounding arrogance.

Take a step back, evaluate yourself, perhaps you could at least approach this conversation with some civility?

If we can get rid of the current authoritarian regime, we stand a chance. If not, the 2020s and many decades thereafter will suck.

I suppose to answer this I would have to say, what is you're definition of worse? Do you mean worse politically? Because that depends entirely upon your politics.

So here's my perspective on the current Western political situation:

The election of Donald J. Trump, the June 2016 Brexit vote, the rise of free speech advocacy, populist politics, a return to and greater appreciation for deeply embedded traditional values, and all these things are what I would call 'corrections'.

Our culture since the 1960s has been heading in the direction of leftist, politically correct authoritarianism in the guise of Postmodernism. Our world has become a globalist world, where people's jobs are often moved overseas, or foreign manufacturers move in and replace local manufacturers.

The corrections listed earlier are messy, but ultimately necessary corrections in Western Society. Unfortunately, corrections are often jarring, and the process is littered with danger.

It almost feels as if we are in a pre-civil war condition.

I hope that instead these corrections will be smooth, and we will find a harmonious balance between the strive for rights and freedoms that has occurred since the 1960s, and an appreciation of the bedrock of Judeo-Christian values that support Western culture.

And yes, I appreciate that this is a very Western-slanted perspective. There would have to be a new thread on other world regions where I could make a fuller comment.

Yeah all that would be nice but I don't think we're headed towards peace and it has nothing to do with the right vs left. At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, I believe the media, governments and the people on the top are controlling these groups to create division and stir up trouble. Putting people in boxes like either being right or left to divide and conquer. Conservatives are not the enemy, neither are liberals. We are all people in the end of the day.

Yeah all that would be nice but I don't think we're headed towards peace and it has nothing to do with the right vs left. At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, I believe the media, governments and the people on the top are controlling these groups to create division and stir up trouble. Putting people in boxes like either being right or left to divide and conquer. Conservatives are not the enemy, neither are liberals. We are all people in the end of the day.


It's very very possible that this is the case. A couple the biggest and fundamental emerging divisions I see are between men and women, and also between races. There is an elite establishment class that swings that dividing axe wherever they see the potential for profit, whether monetarily or politically.

Highly unpleasant.

All these things are awful  8-P

Yeah, those 1960s authoritarian leftist. Who do they think they are giving black people the right to vote, women the right to work in a safe workplace and getting gay people out of jail. Such a gross encroachment on their freedom.  8-P

Yeah """postmodernism""" and """globalization""" are evil. - Sent from my iPhone X.

"Judeo-Christian values". Hurl. Yeah we need to go back to indoctrinating ourselves with fairytales and compromising the little rationality we have.

All of this reeks "moving backwards is moving forwards". It's literally backwards thinking. I'm confident none of this will happen in the 2020s especially people becoming religious again.


The thing is, this is how a majority of Trump supporters think.  I really think our society's obsession with the 1950s and the Cleavers are going to be its undoing.  Most people these days are unwilling to accept that time has moved on.



For religion: Take the fedora off for just a minute won't you? I'm an atheist, but I have zero problem stating that it is the values from the Judeo-Christian religion that underpin my moral thinking. You need to stop looking at the Bible literally, and unfortunately, this is what Christian fundamentalists in countries such as Uganda do too (I bet you didn't think you had something in common with them!). You need to intepret it. For example, the story of Adam and Eve is not just about god making man and there being some nasty snake, it's a metaphor for human consciousness and the human capacity for evil. Why do you think Adam and Eve covered themselves up when they realised they were naked? It was because they understood their own vulnerability.



Christian fundamentalists in the US take the Bible literally and they are desperate to turn this into a theocracy where Biblical law is imposed on everyone with an iron fist.  Living in the reddest part of the US I see this every day. Also, American Christian fundamentalists are largely responsible for the gay genocide in Uganda.

The thing is, this is how a majority of Trump supporters think.  I really think our society's obsession with the 1950s and the Cleavers are going to be its undoing.  Most people these days are unwilling to accept that time has moved on.

Christian fundamentalists in the US take the Bible literally and they are desperate to turn this into a theocracy where Biblical law is imposed on everyone with an iron fist.  Living in the reddest part of the US I see this every day. Also, American Christian fundamentalists are largely responsible for the gay genocide in Uganda.


And those fundamentalists are bad too. Your point is...?

And those fundamentalists are bad too. Your point is?


They control the Republican Party.  The return to Judeo Christian values they want is to impose Biblical law on everyone and they are well on their way to doing so.

They control the Republican Party.  The return to Judeo Christian values they want is to impose Biblical law on everyone and they are well on their way to doing so.


I would say they controlled it a lot stronger in the 1990s, that was their heyday. Politically conservative and following the morality of the Bible in a mostly interpretive way does not equate to Christian fundamentalist.

There are large swathes of the Republican party who merely fall into the former category. Do some Christian fundamentalists exist among their ranks? Yes. Is there a large support for the return of Christian fundamentalism in the US population? No, not really.

I'm really not arguing for Christian fundamentalism, I'm not a Christian, and I think that the fundamentalists take a dangerous, literalist approach to the Bible. I'm indicating my support for a nuanced, interpretive view of the Biblical stories, of which there are many. (I highly suggest watching some of Jordan Peterson's psychological Biblical lectures on YouTube).

I do not believe the republican party is Christian. They have some views to target people and get votes but ultimitely that party is not a Christian party.

I also do not believe crazies like Westboro Baptist Church is real Christianity. Anything like that are fake Christians. The bible belt area has been known to have many false Christians who have hatred in their heart.

It is your exact attitude that has led to the things I am talking about. I come into the discussion with an opinion, and mention the merits of both political sides, reaching a balanced conclusion that recognises that society needs a moral foundation, and then you come in with an incredibly hostile attitude, immediately wanting to shut the conversation down. I would've been alright with if you'd had the same politcal opinions but put them forth in a civil manner.

In respect to Postmodernism: The problem with Postmodernism is it takes the perspective that everything is based around 'structures of power', and not that the issues we face in the world today is in fact a crisis of individualism. The oppressed/oppressor narrative is merely a rehashing of Marxism, and we've witnessed exactly how that thinking went down in the 20th Centruy (See: Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Maoist China for example, and the over 150 million deaths as a result).

Your post reads like right wing word salad without any thought given to what the words actually mean ("1960s uthoritarian", "postmodernism")  which is why it's so difficult to take seriously, no matter how civil you are in stating your opinions.

Marxism predates post-modernism by more than a hundred years. Postmodernism and structuralism are two different things. Post-modernism is the rejection of grand narratives and capital T Truth, essentially a healthy skepticism. That is all. Marxism is a narrative based on class theory that literally dictates exactly how society will evolve and what end conclusion it will reach with a hefty determinism. It is the opposite of everything that defines postmodernism: it's a grand theory that presents a capital T Truth. Just because it sells a different Truth than what was considered Truth at the time does not make it any less modernist. Marxism is one of the best (worst?) examples of modernism there is.

And you calling Nazism Marxist cements that you don't know what you're talking about. They assassinated Communists, Marxists and Socialists because those were their main opponents. Hitler gave many speeches denouncing the Jewish roots of Marxism, and fretted about Russian Bolshevik ideology spreading in his country. You have no idea what you're talking about. Turn off Jordan Peterson and read an actual book.


God forbid we continue to have a moral foundation of respecting and improving on the individual level to our society that has been the bedrock behind all of the successes of Western civilisation for thousands of years... /s.


We should have a moral foundation based on humanism, rationality and emperical thinking, not one based on magic. "Success for thousands of years" Yeah we were really successful at burning witches at the stake and trying to pray our diseases away while rat infestation was killing hundreds of millions of years through Plague. It wasn't called the Dark Ages for nothing. And it isn't called the Enlightenment for nothing neither. When we dropped fantastical thinking and started using our rationality is when Western Society began to thrive, and it continues to thrive even more as religion continues to disappear.


In terms of globalisation: There needs to be a balance, otherwise you get the destruction of economies (just look at the PIGS economies in the EU during and after the Financial Crisis for example). It's not either 100% nationalism or 100% globalism, but you need a balance, and the mass migration of millions of people from cultures that have radically different (often ultra-conservative) beliefs from own own to our countries in such a short space of time without integration is probably not such a great idea either.

What proof do you have that those countries were more globalized than ones that were more successful in weathering the recession such as Germany, UK or the Netherlands? Indeed, they weren't. Those countries failed because they had poor productivity compared to Northern Europe and had poor finances even before the recession and a host of other reasons.


For religion: Take the fedora off for just a minute won't you? I'm an atheist, but I have zero problem stating that it is the values from the Judeo-Christian religion that underpin my moral thinking. You need to stop looking at the Bible literally, and unfortunately, this is what Christian fundamentalists in countries such as Uganda do too (I bet you didn't think you had something in common with them!). You need to intepret it. For example, the story of Adam and Eve is not just about god making man and there being some nasty snake, it's a metaphor for human consciousness and the human capacity for evil. Why do you think Adam and Eve covered themselves up when they realised they were naked? It was because they understood their own vulnerability.

There is a difference between an atheist who comes to that conclusion rationally and one who simply grew up in an irreligious household or culture but still gives into spiritual thinking every now and then. God makes arbitrary rules such as "Don't eat this apple, it will make you too smart" to command blind obedience is all I took from that childhood fairytale. And no I won't take my fedora off.


When you understand your own vulnerability, and what makes you hurt, you understand what other peoples' vulnerabillities are too, and how *they* can hurt. You understand your capacity for evil. That's merely one story of many many important moral understandings and lessons in the Bible. To think you can just brush off thecollective wisdom of thousands of years of human evolution condensed into one book is simply astounding arrogance.


Understanding that humans are imperfect does not require fabricating a story that didn't happen, when such a trait is observable in objective reality. I will indeed discard a thousand year old book that was based on a rather barbaric and immoral society, and it's not arrogant to do so.

I do not believe the republican party is Christian. They have some views to target people and get votes but ultimitely that party is not a Christian party.

I also do not believe crazies like Westboro Baptist Church is real Christianity. Anything like that are fake Christians. The bible belt area has been known to have many false Christians who have hatred in their heart.


Who are you to decide they're not Christians? ???

And Westboro is dead now that the founder is dead. It was always Evangelicals that we're causing most the problems. Do you think Evangelicals aren't Christian either?

Your post reads like right wing word salad without any thought given to what the words actually mean ("1960s uthoritarian", "postmodernism")  which is why it's so difficult to take seriously, no matter how civil you are in stating your opinions.

Marxism predates post-modernism by more than a hundred years. Postmodernism and structuralism are two different things. Post-modernism is the rejection of grand narratives and capital T Truth, essentially a healthy skepticism. That is all. Marxism is a narrative based on class theory that literally dictates exactly how society will evolve and what end conclusion it will reach with a hefty determinism. It is the opposite of everything that defines postmodernism: it's a grand theory that presents a capital T Truth. Just because it sells a different Truth than what was considered Truth at the time does not make it any less modernist. Marxism is one of the best (worst?) examples of modernism there is.

And you calling Nazism Marxist cements that you don't know what you're talking about. They assassinated Communists, Marxists and Socialists because those were their main opponents. Hitler gave many speeches denouncing the Jewish roots of Marxism, and fretted about Russian Bolshevik ideology spreading in his country. You have no idea what you're talking about. Turn off Jordan Peterson and read an actual book.


We should have a moral foundation based on humanism, rationality and emperical thinking, not one based on magic. "Success for thousands of years" Yeah we were really successful at burning witches at the stake and trying to pray our diseases away while rat infestation was killing hundreds of millions of years through Plague. It wasn't called the Dark Ages for nothing. And it isn't called the Enlightenment for nothing neither. When we dropped fantastical thinking and started using our rationality is when Western Society began to thrive, and it continues to thrive even more as religion continues to disappear.


What proof do you have that those countries were more globalized than ones that were more successful in weathering the recession such as Germany, UK or the Netherlands? Indeed, they weren't. Those countries failed because they had poor productivity compared to Northern Europe and had poor finances even before the recession and a host of other reasons.


There is a difference between an atheist who comes to that conclusion rationally and one who simply grew up in an irreligious household or culture but still gives into spiritual thinking every now and then. God makes arbitrary rules such as "Don't eat this apple, it will make you too smart" to command blind obedience is all I took from that childhood fairytale. And no I won't take my fedora off.


Understanding that humans are imperfect does not require fabricating a story that didn't happen, when such a trait is observable in objective reality. I will indeed discard a thousand year old book that was based on a rather barbaric and immoral society, and it's not arrogant to do so.


Marxism demonstrated that it was an utter failure, therefore leftist scholars had to push the ideas under the new guise of identity politics. Working class became minorities, and the generally 'disadvantaged'.

Postmodernism is dangerous in that regard: Without a capital T truth then there is no reason why ISIS is wrong and we're right. Postmodernists believe there is an inifinite amount of interpretations that are equally valid, if you are truly an empiricist then you believe that there is a capital T truth, which there is.

No, I'm saying that Nazism is an example of an oppressor-oppressed narrative, same with Communism. And even if you discount Nazism, Communism was responsible for the deaths of around 100 million people. 'Humanism', and what is that exactly? It's a mirror of Judeo-Christian values. Believe it or not, most of your behaviour is shaped by a society that developed off of Judeo-Christian values, no matter how your neckbearded self may deny it. Morals can't be derived from science, at least not the way you're going about it.

I still can't believe the sheer arrogance in regard to the Bible. You're still not understanding my point, without the guiding morality of religion, our socities would have collapsed a *long* time ago. Now we see people turning into nihlists because they've abandoned these moral structures. I won't let that happen to myself.

Just the parable of Cain and Abel contains so much wisdom and information, you disregard the entire book just because it was written in a much more babaric time? Be smart, interpret it and take the good things and follow them. It's MUCH harder to just build a moral system yourself than to accept the knowledge collectively sought by people for thousands of years. I guarantee you the main tenets of your 'humanism' follow the main tenets of the Judeo-Christian faith.

Your thinking is extremely aggressive, dogmatic, and close-minded. You strongly resemble the people you say you hate.   

Who are you to decide they're not Christians? ???

And Westboro is dead now that the founder is dead. It was always Evangelicals that we're causing most the problems. Do you think Evangelicals aren't Christian either?

I am a person that knows hatred and shouting "kill all gays" is not Christian at all, nor what the religion is about at all, they are fake Christians. A true evangelical  Christian is not crazy or causes problems like that. Many people in the south are fake Christians. A true Christian discusses those things in a loving way and are not homophobic (they don't hate gay people) they just believe LGBT is a sin and what not.

As for the republican party, the whole ideals of the party isn't Christian or biblical except a few things here and there just to gain votes (such as LGBT and gay marriage). It's all politics. But being involved in war and spending more money on the military and doing other fishy things is not Christian at all. Basically republicans wear a Christian banner to gain votes but that's not what the party stands for at all.

Marxism demonstrated that it was an utter failure, therefore leftist scholars had to push the ideas under the new guise of identity politics. Working class became minorities, and the generally 'disadvantaged'.

It sounds like Marxism is "post-modernism", "identity politics", "Nazism" etc. It's everything you dislike but what it actually is and stands for.


Postmodernism is dangerous in that regard: Without a capital T truth then there is no reason why ISIS is wrong and we're right. Postmodernists believe there is an inifinite amount of interpretations that are equally valid, if you are truly an empiricist then you believe that there is a capital T truth, which there is.

Post-modernism is not a self-identifying terminology. No one calls themselves post-modernist. It's a term encompassing a broad range of doctrines that are relativistic in nature, but almost no one is a COMPLETE relativist just like almost no one is a complete objectivist. I don't consider myself a moral relativist but obviously while I believe lying is wrong I don't see anything wrong in lying to an SS agent when you tell him there's no Jews in your house.  Am I a post-modernist now?


No, I'm saying that Nazism is an example of an oppressor-oppressed narrative, same with Communism. And even if you discount Nazism, Communism was responsible for the deaths of around 100 million people.

So if you believe there are oppressed people you're a Marxist? Goodness. Everything is Marxist.

And I'm well aware of the evils of (real) Marxism. It was me after all who rebuked your criticism against globalism. Also I believe it was you who said globalism benefits the elites and makes the working class worse off. Aren't you a bit Marxist yourself? ;D


'Humanism', and what is that exactly? It's a mirror of Judeo-Christian values. Believe it or not, most of your behaviour is shaped by a society that developed off of Judeo-Christian values, no matter how your neckbearded self may deny it. Morals can't be derived from science, not really.


How in the world does Humanism mirror Judeo-Christian morals when they're exact opposites? ??? And no my morals have nothing to do with religion. Just because we both arrived at "Thou shalt not steal" does not mean I borrowed it from Christianity. I arrived at that conclusion using rational reasoning. Want to know why I won't be marrying my daughter off to her rapist? Because I'm still using rationality to arrive at ethical conclusions and not religion. 


I still can't believe the sheer arrogance in regard to the Bible. You're still not understanding my point, without the guiding morality of religion, our socities would have collapsed a *long* time ago. Now we see people turning into nihlists because they've abandoned these moral structures. I won't let that happen to myself.

Nope, some of the best societies today are the least religious ones. You don't need religion to be moral, that is why the entire field of ethics exist in the first place. Your belief that without religion you're a nihilist is what's arrogant.


Just the parable of Cain and Abel contains so much wisdom and information, you disregard the entire book just because it was written in a much more babaric time? Be smart, interpret it and take the good things and follow them. It's MUCH harder to just build a moral system yourself than to accept the knowledge collectively sought by people for thousands of years. I guarantee you the main tenets of your 'humanism' follow the main tenets of the Judeo-Christian faith.

I'll pass on that. I'm not taking any moral pointers from the lunatics who thought raining down fire on people having anal sex was a rational thing to do. And yes, my moral code is much, much superior to the Bible and it's not arrogant to say so. The Bible was written by HUMANS who are fallible. There is nothing divine or special about it. I'm allowed to criticize and disregard it, and any sensible person would.


Your thinking is extremely aggressive, dogmatic, and close-minded. You strongly resemble the people you say you hate. 


I'm close-minded to religion, I admit. And why shouldn't I be? It's magical thinking, not based on objective reality. Your entire moral code is based on fabricated stories that didn't happen. Are you even listening to yourself? I won't accept this equivocation. Being dogmatically atheist and being religious is not the same. I try my best to use rational reasoning to come to my conclusions. The religious don't. Being "open-minded" to religion just seems to be a euphemism for suspending critical thinking.

Putting people into boxes is dangerous. What if someone likes wealth distribution but is also pro-gun? What is someone is against abortion but is for assisted dying? What is someone is against gay marriage but is for government welfare? Or someone is for capital punishment but is against military spending? These are examples of how certain concepts don't fit together yet are falsely put in the same group. The whole division between the right and the left is all mumbo jumbo used to control people and put them into groups rather than allow them to think freely. That's why the two party system is so bad and believe it or not even with more parties like in Canada the same left vs. right concept applies.

I'm close-minded to religion, I admit. And why shouldn't I be? It's magical thinking, not based on objective reality. Your entire moral code is based on fabricated stories that didn't happen. Are you even listening to yourself? I won't accept this equivocation. Being dogmatically atheist and being religious is not the same. I try my best to use rational reasoning to come to my conclusions. The religious don't. Being "open-minded" to religion just seems to be a euphemism for suspending critical thinking.

To be fair, it is actually natural for people to believe in a certain faith. As children our first explanation for why things are the way they are is that they have been created and designed that way. Believing in the supernatural and afterlife is one of the most natural things humans experience. I personally do not believe that part of ourselves should be removed.

I am a person that knows hatred and shouting "kill all gays" is not Christian at all, nor what the religion is about at all, they are fake Christians. A true evangelical  Christian is not crazy or causes problems like that. Many people in the south are fake Christians. A true Christian discusses those things in a loving way and are not homophobic (they don't hate gay people) they just believe LGBT is a sin and what not.

As for the republican party, the whole ideals of the party isn't Christian or biblical except a few things here and there just to gain votes (such as LGBT and gay marriage). It's all politics. But being involved in war and spending more money on the military and doing other fishy things is not Christian at all. Basically republicans wear a Christian banner to gain votes but that's not what the party stands for at all.


Okay, let's say they aren't Christian - it doesn't really matter - but why do you think they believe the things they do? Why do they hate gay people?

Okay, let's say they aren't Christian - it doesn't really matter - but why do you think they believe the things they do? Why do they hate gay people?

They have typically hatred inside their hearts.

To be fair, it is actually natural for people to believe in a certain faith. As children our first explanation for why things are the way they are is that they have been created and designed that way. Believing in the supernatural and afterlife is one of the most natural things humans experience. I personally do not believe that part of ourselves should be removed.


It's natural to have a belief in religion, but that doesn't mean it's true. There are a children who arrive at a natural conclusion that the bogeyman is under their bed (without any prodding from the parents), but we all know (I'd hope) that this isn't true. 80% of Americans believe in ghosts so its not just children either. I don't see any reason why we should keep belief in the bogeyman even if it means we'd lose "a natural part of us".


They have typically hatred inside their hearts.


So are they evil? Where does this hatred come from?

Honestly I think the tactics of the Westboro Church did a lot to combat homophobia, ironically.  You saw a lot of less extreme Christians moving to the center to distance themselves from the likes of Westboro.  Nowadays its a lot more common to hear Westboro-type rhetoric from "mainstream" evangelical Christians.

Anyways, I think by 2030 the US will either be a fascist theocratic dictatorship ruled by a state church or a socialist democracy with government-run healthcare, a mandatory living wage, and gun control.  I also think some states will secede from the union within the next decade.

Honestly I think the tactics of the Westboro Church did a lot to combat homophobia, ironically.  You saw a lot of less extreme Christians moving to the center to distance themselves from the likes of Westboro.  Nowadays its a lot more common to hear Westboro-type rhetoric from "mainstream" evangelical Christians.

Anyways, I think by 2030 the US will either be a fascist theocratic dictatorship ruled by a state church or a socialist democracy with government-run healthcare, a mandatory living wage, and gun control.  I also think some states will secede from the union within the next decade.

This isn't the case because mainstream evangelical simply don't think that way. Yeah they think homosexuality is a sin but I don't believe they hate gay people or make those hateful signs Westboro did. Also, what do you mean "moving to the center"?  ??? Christianity is a religion and faith, it isn't politics. There is no left, right, centre in Christianity. It just is. There are some fake Christians who claim they are Christian but really are not. That's all that is. No Christians are moving to the centre because that is simply impossible as Christianity isn't a political spectrum.

This isn't the case because mainstream evangelical simply don't think that way. Yeah they think homosexuality is a sin but I don't believe they hate gay people or make those hateful signs Westboro did. Also, what do you mean "moving to the center"?  ??? Christianity is a religion and faith, it isn't politics. There is no left, right, centre in Christianity. It just is. There are some fake Christians who claim they are Christian but really are not. That's all that is. No Christians are moving to the centre because that is simply impossible as Christianity isn't a political spectrum.


In the US, fundamentalist Christianity and the Republican Party are pretty much one and the same.  Religion = politics here.  Thank Jerry Falwell.

http://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/4/4/590644_v3.jpg

I hope it doesn't wind up being worse because of the school shootings or any other shootings in general.

In the US, fundamentalist Christianity and the Republican Party are pretty much one and the same.  Religion = politics here.  Thank Jerry Falwell.

http://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/4/4/590644_v3.jpg

I would still say the republicans aren't a Christian party even if they take ideas from Christianity to get more votes.

Most Republicans in Congress support bombing countries on the other side of the globe that aren't a threat to US National Security for money from the Military Industrial Complex.

That goes against "Thou Shall Not Kill", and greed is one of the 7 sins.

Most Republicans in Congress support bombing countries on the other side of the globe that aren't a threat to US National Security for money from the Military Industrial Complex.

That goes against "Thou Shall Not Kill", and greed is one of the 7 sins.


The only real sins according to these "Christians" are homosexuality, abortion, and believing in science.

The only real sins according to these "Christians" are homosexuality, abortion, and believing in science.


Ironically, most conservative "Christians" are collectivists to the core even though they claim to be against socialism, communism or any form of economic collectivism.
They're CULTURAL collectivists, which (in some regards) is just as bad if not worse than Marxism.

The only real sins according to these "Christians" are homosexuality, abortion, and believing in science.


I lol'd even though I shouldn't have  :-\\

By the way, I've heard the 2020s will probably start with a recession. It seems like it's kinda inevitable as every decade since the 70s start with a recession apparently:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OccBVA3FHIk/TX3NHTYO-LI/AAAAAAAAAJU/Qpu8CbGSEN8/s400/economic-growth-yearly-1949-2010.jpg

The only real sins according to these "Christians" are homosexuality, abortion, and believing in science.


Abortion past twelve weeks seems wrong to me: The brain has developed to a large degree by then, and even from a non-religious point of view, the brain is where the consciousness, the person is. It is definitely a living human being at 12 weeks. Abortions past that point should be illegal past that point imo as there is no distinction between killing and 'terminating' at that point.

Most Republicans in Congress support bombing countries on the other side of the globe that aren't a threat to US National Security for money from the Military Industrial Complex.

That goes against "Thou Shall Not Kill", and greed is one of the 7 sins.


Let's not forget the O'bama administration that bombed Libya without provocation and as a result set that country into chaos and destabilized Mali. As well as placing special forces in African countries in which the US has zero national interest. And sneaking arms into Syria that predictably ended up in the hands of ISIS.

And the Clinton Administration which regularly dropped bombs on Iraq to divert the public's attention from Bill's domestic peccadilloes.

Vietnam war? Early stages started by Kennedy and launched into all out war by Lyndon Johnson.

Bay of Pigs invasion? Courtesy of John "F" Kennedy who then left the Cuban counterrevolutionaries twisting in the wind.

And for equal time, Bush 1 invaded Grenada, Bush 2 invaded Iraq. I have no problem with Bush 1's invasion of Iraq in Desert Storm because we were coming to the defense of Kuwait which was invaded by the Iraqis.

I offer no criticism of either O'bama or Bush's actions in Afghanistan because the Afghans were harboring enemies of the United States. Bomb away...

Let's not forget the O'bama administration that bombed Libya without provocation and as a result set that country into chaos and destabilized Mali. As well as placing special forces in African countries in which the US has zero national interest. And sneaking arms into Syria that predictably ended up in the hands of ISIS.

And the Clinton Administration which regularly dropped bombs on Iraq to divert the public's attention from Bill's domestic peccadilloes.

Vietnam war? Early stages started by Kennedy and launched into all out war by Lyndon Johnson.

Bay of Pigs invasion? Courtesy of John "F" Kennedy who then left the Cuban counterrevolutionaries twisting in the wind.

And for equal time, Bush 1 invaded Grenada, Bush 2 invaded Iraq. I have no problem with Bush 1's invasion of Iraq in Desert Storm because we were coming to the defense of Kuwait which was invaded by the Iraqis.

I offer no criticism of either O'bama or Bush's actions in Afghanistan because the Afghans were harboring enemies of the United States. Bomb away...


Wasn't suggesting in my original post that Democrats were a party of peace.
I was just saying that Republicans are not a party of Christian values that they claim to be.
I'm Libertarian anyways.

Ironically, most conservative "Christians" are collectivists to the core even though they claim to be against socialism, communism or any form of economic collectivism.
They're CULTURAL collectivists, which (in some regards) is just as bad if not worse than Marxism.

When do Christians claim to go against socialism? Politics/economics has nothing to do with Christianity. You can still be Christian and believe in socialism. The bible doesn't say "Thou must be capitalist"  ;D The two are unrelated.

There was a Christian socialist movement in the 19th century.
www.britannica.com/topic/Christian-Socialism

I offer no criticism of either O'bama or Bush's actions in Afghanistan because the Afghans were harboring enemies of the United States. Bomb away...

This type of mindset is very concerning. So you're willing to bomb other countries even if innocent children and people get killed from it? How is that fair to kill people that did nothing wrong just because you are an "enemy" of their government?

I am a person that knows hatred and shouting "kill all gays" is not Christian at all, nor what the religion is about at all, they are fake Christians. A true evangelical  Christian is not crazy or causes problems like that. Many people in the south are fake Christians. A true Christian discusses those things in a loving way and are not homophobic (they don't hate gay people) they just believe LGBT is a sin and what not.

As for the republican party, the whole ideals of the party isn't Christian or biblical except a few things here and there just to gain votes (such as LGBT and gay marriage). It's all politics. But being involved in war and spending more money on the military and doing other fishy things is not Christian at all. Basically republicans wear a Christian banner to gain votes but that's not what the party stands for at all.


Dude, that is an open and shut “no true Scotsman” fallacy. Just saying.

I think that the 2020s will be different from the 2010s. I don’t know if better or worse

I think that the 2020s will be different from the 2010s. I don’t know if better or worse


I'd say a mixture of both.
The pop culture/atmosphere will gradually become more superficially optimistic in the next 5-10 years, but in terms of current events, there may be a crapload of tension and fear and moral panic.
Politically motivated domestic terrorism may be commonplace, earthquakes and disasters could make the headlines over and over again (as climate change shows its ugly head) and moral panic will increase over a series of highly-publicized child abductions, rapes and serial killings. Kinda like the 80s all over again, when the Night Stalker, Green River Killer and Jeffrey Dahmer were actively preying on the weak and vulnerable.
Those are just my vague predictions though.
Not to mention self-driving cars being a common sight on the freeways by 2025 or so, and robots slowly starting to take over traditional human tasks.

I think the '20s will be a unique decade and I feel it will be worse than the 2010s. We will all be wanting go back to this time and it will be looked back at as simpler times.

I predict that the music industry will be dead by 2030.  :o

I'm just going to call it the twenty's

I predict that the music industry will be dead by 2030.  :o


Just like we said in the 2000s, eh?

I predict that the music industry will be dead by 2030.  :o


But there will be no music to listen to?

But there will be no music to listen to?
Lol, with how easy it is to make/spread music nowadays thanks to the internet, it's actually quite the opposite.
Put it like that, in 2017 there was probably more music being made than the whole 20th century combined.

Lol, with how easy it is to make/spread music nowadays thanks to the internet, it's actually quite the opposite.
Put it like that, in 2017 there was probably more music being made than the whole 20th century combined.


OK, I misread, my bad I kind of thought you meant by the whole music industry will be completely dead.

Just like we said in the 2000s, eh?


I wouldn't be surprised if I said it on the forum in the 00's decade, but I have forgotten. Too many posts to remember.

Actually, the music business has improved since 2016, thanks to streaming.

The business side seems to be improving, but the quality side? LOL.

I think the '20s will be a unique decade and I feel it will be worse than the 2010s. We will all be wanting go back to this time and it will be looked back at as simpler times.


I half agree with you. I think politically, the 2020s could be worse. This may have already been posted somewhere in this site, but a mathematician has predicted that the recent political turmoil will probably reach its peak in the 2020s: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4090434/Is-civilisation-heading-COLLAPSE-Mathematical-historian-predicts-political-turmoil-peak-2020s.html

Pop culturally speaking, I still think it's totally possible for things to get better in the 2020s. Oddly enough, I think the increasing political tension could help inspire a more upbeat culture, to provide people an "escape". I think it's still too early to make predictions about 2020s pop culture. 2020 will probably be similar to now, but that's almost a given. The core 2020s (in terms of pop culture) are completely unpredictable at this point.

As for your last point, I'm not too sure. I've been thinking about the idea of people becoming nostalgic for a period once it's over. But I'm beginning to question that idea. For example, there are a lot of stuff from the 2000s that I enjoy. But I don't think I'd want to go back to that period. I was never a fan of late 2000s music (despite being a teenager back then), but I don't feel any more fondness towards it than I did back then. Granted I'm mostly referring to pop culture. Politics are a whole other story.

I half agree with you. I think politically, the 2020s could be worse. This may have already been posted somewhere in this site, but a mathematician has predicted that the recent political turmoil will probably reach its peak in the 2020s: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4090434/Is-civilisation-heading-COLLAPSE-Mathematical-historian-predicts-political-turmoil-peak-2020s.html

Pop culturally speaking, I still think it's totally possible for things to get better in the 2020s. Oddly enough, I think the increasing political tension could help inspire a more upbeat culture, to provide people an "escape". I think it's still too early to make predictions about 2020s pop culture. 2020 will probably be similar to now, but that's almost a given. The core 2020s (in terms of pop culture) are completely unpredictable at this point.

As for your last point, I'm not too sure. I've been thinking about the idea of people becoming nostalgic for a period once it's over. But I'm beginning to question that idea. For example, there are a lot of stuff from the 2000s that I enjoy. But I don't think I'd want to go back to that period. I was never a fan of late 2000s music (despite being a teenager back then), but I don't feel any more fondness towards it than I did back then. Granted I'm mostly referring to pop culture. Politics are a whole other story.


Interesting article, indeed.  :o

As for your last point, I'm not too sure. I've been thinking about the idea of people becoming nostalgic for a period once it's over. But I'm beginning to question that idea. For example, there are a lot of stuff from the 2000s that I enjoy. But I don't think I'd want to go back to that period. I was never a fan of late 2000s music (despite being a teenager back then), but I don't feel any more fondness towards it than I did back then. Granted I'm mostly referring to pop culture. Politics are a whole other story.

I kinda feel the way you do. I'm not nostalgic for the late 2000s. I feel the same way about it  now as I did then. But I wouldn't mind going back to other parts of the 2000s.

I have a feeling that the 2020s are gonna be like the 2000s

At the current rate, with two companies in the UK declaring bankruptcy today, there will be no more shops left on the high street?

Hopefully the 2020s are great so people won't comeback and dicksuck the 2010s and say how great of a decade it was when hating it while it was going on.

I actually liked this decade, with the exception of 2015 and 2016 - those were just awful years of my life!  I liked this decade, but I felt like there was a lack of "fun" pop culture if you know what I mean.  Everything about this decade screams "serious" to me, and I hope that changes in the 2020s and we see more "fun' in the culture!

I think the 2020s will be a very turbulent decade that could possibly lead to the breakup of the United States.

There is a strong chance that the US will attempt to outlaw abortion and same-sex marriage within the next few years.  I think the government will also try to implement Bible studies, school prayer, and creationism in science into our education curriculum.  While a lot of Americans and a lot of states would celebrate this, people especially in blue states aren't going to take it lying down.

I think we'll be seeing a lot of this in the 2020s.

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I think we'll be seeing a lot of this in the 2020s.

SE5rr16JSEM

OK1VTB-OvDw

Hangings will be a thing again in America in the 2020s?  ???

Hangings will be a thing again in America in the 2020s?  ???


If Trump’s fundamentalist supporters had their way, yes.

If Trump’s fundamentalist supporters had their way, yes.


What about The Electric Chair? ???

Politically, I think the 2020s might be worse... (at least if Trump is still in office, lol). However, I think they'll be excellent pop-culture wise. The Late 2010s have upped the fashion and music game BIG TIME (imo at least) so I don't have any worries about the early 2020s' pop-culture.

Anyways, I think by 2030 the US will either be a fascist theocratic dictatorship ruled by a state church or a socialist democracy with government-run healthcare, a mandatory living wage, and gun control.  I also think some states will secede from the union within the next decade.


I think corporate and techno fascism will be on the rise in the 2020's. Silicon Valley is really no better than Wall Street. While millions are distracted by all the cool gadgets and apps, Silicon Valley will continue its agenda of power and control via technology. DC/Wall Street/Silicon Valley are all in collusion with each other to suck as much life from the bottom and redistribute it to the top 1%.

On the state level, I definitely see some states heading towards a theocracy while others more of a socialist democracy or even a libertarian utopia. Due to the fact that the U.S. never really had a socialist tradition, I think the states most similar in values to the EU will secede. So in the U.S., we'll be stuck with corporate/techno fascism across the board and in some states, theocracy.