I really never have believed times improved, and i am almost positive things will only get worse.
30 years ago we had a future to look to, the unshittified internet, great music, affordable land/housing, affordable durable cars, people actually interacted in real life, no social media trash. Now, we have billionaires and LLMs. I don’t see how anyone can possibly think times are better or going to improve.
Yes, everyone will say “civil rights improved” and yes thats maybe the only thing that has changed, however it’s getting taken away every day again so I don’t think you can even use that point anymore.
Violent crime is down. Smoking is down. Teenage pregnancy is down.
That’s about all I’ve got.
Violent crime about to explode as abortion now illegal in many places–the knock-on effects of it pretty well isolated as the only reasonable explanation to the sudden drop in violent crime in the mid 90s that has continued through today and was a central thesis in Freakonomics.
With abortion now illegal, hushed up, or hidden in many states, the crime and its vicious cycle will return. Bet your money, when those who would have otherwise been aborted come of crime age in ~15 years, full Judge Dredd world will be on in the US. Teen pregnancy, from the 2nd generation of otherwise aborted kids, will of course explode to the delight of evangelicals everywhere.
I think there won’t be nearly as much unwanted pregnancy still. Kids these days - first of all - just aren’t fucking as much. But also they are better informed about the risks of pregnancy and how to prevent it. And abortions are quite destigmatize now, and people are motivated to get them. If necessary, they can buy an abortion pill on the internet or drive across state lines.
I agree with your assessment of current state; add in a few cohorts of 10 commandments in classrooms, reduced access to birth control because they’re taken out of schools, reduced education because the DOE has been rebranded and now education takes place through public school Grok portals or God knows what, sexual content is heavily censored and restricted which doesn’t do good things for teen pregnancy rates.
Lol drive across state lines? In the palantir big brother world of 5 years from now? Read up on the data gathering and now nearly realtime tracking of movement that can and is being done by “law enforcement” and red state government agencies in the name of stopping abortion. Just like how facial recognition of protestors will be weaponized, the new fascists will take anything they get their mits on and warp it to their ends.
Absolutely agree that abortion was a significant reason for falling crime. Should be interesting to see what happens. I personally think crime will never quite get back to where it was because we condition kids to spend more time indoors these days.
You might be right; they’ll be hooked up to the Matrix, eyes glowing
Slavery across the world ia actually at its highest point.
Perhaps in absolute terms.