"The Crappiest Generation of Spoiled Idiots"
We stand on the shoulders of giants, to paraphrase a character in one of Crichton’s book. According to the generational cycle of things it is inevitable and occurs every so often throughout history but we really do live in the crappiest generation of spoiled idiots. Perhaps for the United States, or simply at this point in technological history, this superlative is not an overstatement.
Comedian Louis CK has a pretty entertaining routine on the subject, but it is one of those bits that are only funny because so many people are already thinking the same sort of thing. The advances we have seen in the past twenty years are nothing short of amazing. How quickly we forget that and take everything for granted. Perhaps, in a way, it is the advancement—and its speed that are to blame. To quote Crichton again:
“In the information society, nobody thinks. We expect to banish paper, but we actually banish thought.”
Examples are everywhere. As kids we used to be able to entertain ourselves with a couple sticks or a patch of land. Today kids are only entertained by the latest razzle-dazzle video game for a week or so.
It even goes all the way to “the top.” In some ways it is a relief to no longer have the most politically un-savvy president in memory. Instead however, we are stuck with the “coolest” president ever. Coolness is a good quality, but really only important to those who are in that sort of clique in High School, or those who have never gotten over being in that clique since. Think about it… Bush was the butt of every foreign policy incompetence joke; Obama has racked up some stinkers already in the first few weeks. In his meeting with England’s Prime Minister he gave Brown a set of 25 DVDs where traditionally priceless and unique historic items are given. Technology again.
We are losing touch with history and reality; unless you count those National Treasure movies… they’re so entertaining and educational!
Comedian Louis CK has a pretty entertaining routine on the subject, but it is one of those bits that are only funny because so many people are already thinking the same sort of thing. The advances we have seen in the past twenty years are nothing short of amazing. How quickly we forget that and take everything for granted. Perhaps, in a way, it is the advancement—and its speed that are to blame. To quote Crichton again:
“In the information society, nobody thinks. We expect to banish paper, but we actually banish thought.”
Examples are everywhere. As kids we used to be able to entertain ourselves with a couple sticks or a patch of land. Today kids are only entertained by the latest razzle-dazzle video game for a week or so.
It even goes all the way to “the top.” In some ways it is a relief to no longer have the most politically un-savvy president in memory. Instead however, we are stuck with the “coolest” president ever. Coolness is a good quality, but really only important to those who are in that sort of clique in High School, or those who have never gotten over being in that clique since. Think about it… Bush was the butt of every foreign policy incompetence joke; Obama has racked up some stinkers already in the first few weeks. In his meeting with England’s Prime Minister he gave Brown a set of 25 DVDs where traditionally priceless and unique historic items are given. Technology again.
We are losing touch with history and reality; unless you count those National Treasure movies… they’re so entertaining and educational!
AND on top of that, our cuper-cool president was "too tired" to host a dinner for Brown, and his state dept. spokesman said "there's nothing special about Great Britain anyway", but he can give fancy dinners almost every week prior to that with $100 @ lb. steak from Japan and top hollywood types to entertain.
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