Life now vs. Life then

[Elevz]

Coming from the "when nas said...." (Hip-Hop Is Dead) thread in the outbound sections, but I felt like it would be too much off topic to post there - so let's continue this here Tanjib!

I think he was more speaking on a mental level, about hiphop being morally dead. That's not just the music; it's the people in it. That's from a lack of moral value. You can easily replace the Hip-Hop in the album's title with anything though, because life on a whole ain't that high on moral values right now.

Elevz: do you really think the world is worse than it was before? IMO, the world has always had good and bad, alot of both. What makes our time special? Nothing, humans have selective memory...we remember the classics and forget the bullshit, it's why the past is rose colored.

I guess the roses from my past are withered, because I don't really hold my childhood that highly. Thing is, when compared with what I see of children growing up right now, they're fucking pathetic. You can barely call that living.. When I grew up, I found my mother at home when I came back from school! She made sandwiches for me, she tightened my coat when it got cold. These kids now stay at school all day, waiting for their parents to come home from work, and in the mean time they watch brainless cartoons and what not. I used to play with old curtains and furniture when I was a kiddie.
But is today's world really still capable of allowing kids to grow up happily? Can we still enjoy, and live it to the fullest without feeling forced to live up to certain impossible standards and expectations? Shit, look at the insane amounts of wannabe players in the G-Spot now boasting about how it's man's nature to cheat on his special lady. Look at the decline in popular culture overall. Where the fuck are the classic movies and classic albums? I haven't seen any new classics in a long fucking time; where have the standards of popular culture gone? And look at how fat people are, look at how obsessed they are, look at how lazy they are, look at how ignorant they are...

I find a certain passion in objecting and struggling against it, instead of indulging. It's ignorance rather than anything else, but it gives me something to believe in. Rather than casting votes by sms for some contest on tv. Rather than living to be the fittest person on the planet. Rather than living to make a lot of money and buy a big house with a bubblebath and a fast car. There's no life in these physical objects. It means nothing, except for the people of a braindead society.

I'll struggle - see where I can make a change. It gives life meaning, no matter how bittered it may seem at first. There's a stong, passionate belief behind it.

[Tanjential]

There has always been children that have deprived childhoods and nice ones. I had a pretty good one too, like the one you described.

But check it: how fat people are, how obssessed they are, decline of civilization

do you recall the fall of the Roman empire? There are books coming out lately talking about America as a modern roman empire and in the stages of empire we are in the last one: decadence, reveling in its own economic superiority/lack of morals...this is all cycles that has always happened. and even though you're not in america, america being the number one superpower unfortunately infects the rest of society but it's JUST like Rome's empire back in the day.

Men justifying infidelity through nature? always has happened, from plato to the frisco pimp writer of the 60's Iceberg slim to now.

I agree we should struggle against negativity and be positive, but that's irrelevant to the circumstance. the key to life is to find your own personal balance/peace regardless of the surroundings because if it's that subject to the surrounding circumstance then your peace/balance is not that stable. to me that is the struggle of life, to live the life you want to live despite what is around you. and if you were born 1000 years ago or now, there would be an equal potential for positivity and negativity.

-T

[Elevz]

Me not being in America only makes things worse, because it perfectly depicts how bad things might get around me in the near future, and how much worse things will get globally. It's scaring, not to know who or what's really going on behind it, knowing who the struggle's against. Is it big corporations that influenced people to live like this? Government propaganda? Or is it really only natural for society to evolve like this?

You're a genius for pointing out the similarities with the Roman empire. Times were different back then though - I don't think propaganda was that heavy on people back then as it is now. Science was random back then. I assume lives then weren't changing as fast as they are now.

Men justifying infidelity through nature? always has happened, from plato to the frisco pimp writer of the 60's Iceberg slim to now.

Maybe I'm too much of an objectivist: if it ain't pure, how will it ever be good? Weren't marriages better when couples didn't go around threatening each other with divorce all the time? Back when loving was a normal thing to do - simply to love - wasn't that enough for sheer happiness? Is this whole revival of a promiscuous lifestyle something to glorify, or is it our own most self-destructive value, totally destroying happiness and joy on a whole?

Moral values are dead man, and as a result we're destroying ourselves. Who knows what comes next, but I can't see the next 50 years getting much better either. I'm not sure I want to see my seed growing up like this. In fact, I don't.

I agree we should struggle against negativity and be positive, but that's irrelevant to the circumstance. the key to life is to find your own personal balance/peace regardless of the surroundings because if it's that subject to the surrounding circumstance then your peace/balance is not that stable. to me that is the struggle of life, to live the life you want to live despite what is around you. and if you were born 1000 years ago or now, there would be an equal potential for positivity and negativity.

Deep, and very true... I didn't know you were a Taoist

But really, the life I want to lead (or the life I'm made to want to lead) is one of impact. I want to carry out those feelings, no matter how contradictory they are. Because really, I'm fighting against myself here. I'm part of something I want to destroy. I'm all against this whole "I want to make it big"-attitude, but in reality I've got the same feelings. Just no cars and big houses, no explicit bankroll - but I'm still striving for the biggest, just like everybody else. To leave a lasting impression, only then with a positive impact.

I guess there's no point in me crossing out the negative surroundings, when that's all I can depend on. I might as well throw the Tao-Tę-Ching out the window. In the end, I still gotta breathe in oxygen.

[Tanjential]

moral values are only as dead as you let them be. if you look to the rest of the world for examples, of course you'll come up short because you can always distrust...you can only trust yourself to truly abide by such values. and if you do, then they live. and that goes for everyone, thus they have just as much of a chance to live and die as they did 1000 years ago as they do now.

i wish i was the one that pointed out the roman empire stuff, but i heard it from alot of people.

best believe propaganda was heavy back then. at least in the western world today, we act like there's civil rights and freedom of expression. the roman emperors propagated no such illusions.

furthermore, I'd like to make a positive impact too, but first of all i need to find peace with myself before I can go around distributing peace and positivity to the rest of the world, you know?

-T

[Don Rizzle]

*waits for brian to come in argueing we should start stoning people and chopping off their limbs*

[Narrator]

*waits for brian to come in argueing we should start stoning people and chopping off their limbs*

I think he'll probably just say the entire world needs to convert to Islam.

[J @ M @ L]

*waits for brian to come in argueing we should start stoning people and chopping off their limbs*

I think he'll probably just say the entire world needs to convert to Islam.

I was expecting a much better post from you... you forgot to put on your nigger act.

[Narrator]

I was expecting a much better post from you... you forgot to put on your nigger act.

Well, I've explained to Brian before that he is not following the Qur'an as it was meant to be followed and that Islam is a bunch of lies about what Allah really told to Muhammad.  The real Allah wants the GODS to re-conquer the Earth from the Yakub crew by slaying all devils, even those who read the Qur'an and claim to follow it.  So Brian has no idea what he's in for come Judgment Day.

[J @ M @ L]

I was expecting a much better post from you... you forgot to put on your nigger act.

Well, I've explained to Brian before that he is not following the Qur'an as it was meant to be followed and that Islam is a bunch of lies about what Allah really told to Muhammad.  The real Allah wants the GODS to re-conquer the Earth from the Yakub crew by slaying all devils, even those who read the Qur'an and claim to follow it.  So Brian has no idea what he's in for come Judgment Day.

What about Black Muslims that follow traditional Islam much in the same way that Brian does? Or Black Christians, Jews, etc.?

[LyRiCaL_G]

shiiiiit, this thread is a lil deep mang

honestly, life now is more accepted for black folks....i know some people hate life in comparison to befo but thats the way it is imo....i mean there shit now that is better and shit before that was better.....

interesting topic dawg....

because kids now are LAZY.....hella lazy.....its the internet generation....i mean im only 22 but like today a kid will not hit a library for shit, everything they need is on the internet....they won't leave the house, do some excercise, go work on your practical skills, expand your knowledge without even knowing you doing that shit....why? cuz niggaz got HD tvs mang....whos want to leave the muthafuckin house when i can phone pizza hut to send me some shit while im here sittin watchin some fake ass reality show which tells these new kids that all they gots to do in life is be a dumb muthafuckin arrogant and controversial kid/slutty bitch instead of going out there and doing something a lil mo respectful.

HOWEVER, this being said man, because of the internet and shit like this, being it is relatively cheap, more access to stuff you never had befo....kids no mo much about whats happenin today then they did befo....shit my cousin is like 14 years old and she is doing all the things in regards to know how about how to get info on everything, simple basic general knowledge and shit that i didnt know until i was alot older....not because i was not capable of knowing shit when i was younger, but i had no resources back then....so i think it works both ways....

Now about classics....where they all gone?....modern classics really aint touching that unmatchable shit of befo, which more than proved the test of time...i have no arguments with you on this playboy cuz like i said befo, niggaz gone lazy.....while today kids no more about....regular shit....general knowledge and so on.......so many kids being the same in terms of upbringing imo had an effect of there creativity and innovation skills. its like before cats had classics, they tried shit different and to me it kinda relates to the "internet generation" because before people were not lazy, they went to libraries, they went out and did there own thing, they tried doing something different or shit to keep them interested....why?  because they had no playstations, hd tv's and shit...its all good watching programmes on tv....i mean i watched cartoons when i young, i aint trippin, but like not ALL DAY....feel me? it was just something i use to do every now and again...i mean 1 hour tv a day was like dang when i was a kid...a nigga been good today....shit my moms took care of me...thats why today i am not a bum......and thats why today people aint making classics....because why should these modern cats make something amazing, original and great when they are so easily distracted (this is not there fault).....i feel being 22, i was raised in between 2 different generations, its like im half new and half baked...its like our generation aint really fit in to either the internet generation or the odl school generation....and i think thats dope because when cats from our brand get the chance to shine, producing films and shit, i think they will be reaching to hella people...because we understand both sides...however can one truly make a classic if it aint fully focused on one thing?....since we are kinda the mix of two generations....

Another thing....you saying about cheating on your girl....my moms always told me you always gots to have an insurance policy....haha....nah on the real, my moms just always wanted me to be straight, she didnt want me to be the same kid on the street hustlin...

oh and about how you said that when you was young, you know moms gon be home, have food on the table and shit....i think that kinda relates to the whole culture thing you we was talking about in the thread in here....because 10 years back....when i was a minor, shiit everyone had there doors open, walking into your neighbours space was nuttin, it was all good....like no worries, it was more of a "we" culture....now its like everybody has hella locks on there doors, nobody steps on other cats turf...kinda like animals and shit you protect your own turf and stay within it....so like i feel we moving from a we culture to a hella high "I" culture....which aint kool with me, but like, you knows thats just peoples......

so like i said, for me life is better now....but i mean there was some great things about befo which shit on everything today....but i mean for a muslim cat, life befo 9/11 was probably much better than it is today....so for different people its hella different.....i have no definite answer to your question if imma be real homie

crazy post still....

props....

still....life today=dope.....life then=dope

pz

[virtuoso]

The whole culture of society has changed dramatically in the last few years, I really don't believe this is an evolutionary natural change though. It has been born out of 2 things mostly and these are consumerism and apathy. Consumerism only knows one way and that is more consumptionm therefore the brands have to pull out more stops in enticing the kids into brands from a very tender young age, kids must be convinced that the brand you are sporting is what defines you. Less people read the newspapers anymore which is admittedly in part thanks to the internet but I bet it's only in part people have instead slipped into this sleepy walk through life where they no longer have pre defined values and knowledge. This then allows big business in the form of the media to mould peoples minds, a wealth of distraction is presented to the viewers and they have done a damn fine job of it, from the saturated celebrity content to mindless diy programs, shopping programs coupled with a smattering of bite sized news, this becomes the tool of information. It is under this climate of ignorance which has then allowed for these terrorist attacks to have such a catalysing effect on peoples behaviour there is now the striking fear factor which if anything forces more conformity and actively encourages people to stay ignorant.

This gives the elite and the government puppets the room they need to create the insitutions and network in place and introduce the draconian legislation which certainly here is sweeping away common law and has violated even the most basic principles of law. People have been manipulated into becoming machines if you like, actively encouraged to focus inwards, the advertisers and media are shaping our view of reality....the flood of drugs on the streets has created this feeding frenzy which creates the illusion for the youth that they are rebeling when little realising that gary webber before he was killed oops i mean suicided exposed the link between the CIA and drug smuggling. Which in turn is creating a group who think they are going against the police but meanwhile destroying themselves and getting caught up in the prison system as a result of their drug taking. The drug dealers are just puppets....even if you don't believe that the CIA smuggles in the drugs it's well known around here that there are dirty cops who seize the drugs and then let some of it back out onto the streets. Consumerism in itself is a perfect form of control and enslavement because people are activiely encouraged to spend spend spend and in reality most of this spending is done via accumulating massive debts. The personal debt in this country keeps balooning which then perfectly increases the power of the banks but when the bubble bursts, it will be chaos...homes being reposessed at such a phenomenal rate that the the collapse of the 80's will look like childs play.

Life now vs then.....we did not have to contend with genetically modified foods, sure there has always been questionable content in our food but gm foods are not dubbed frankenstein foods without reason, it's effectively reinventing the wheel. I guess you could add arguably that it is the collapse of moral values thanks to the way in which peoples minds are being shaped, that has led to the rise in promiscuity for the reason that when people lose sense of their identity and what their real purpose is, they instead rely and resort to their natural instincts in order to try and achieve that level of happiness and satisfaction. No puns on the satisfaction part lol, you know what I mean. Life vs now.....I should point that I am commenting on this from an overview perspective of life in general, but just look at how our value systems have been trodden to such a point that despite some anger towards the war in Iraq it was mostly apathy. In fact a little further back than that the destruction of Kosovo and the bombings of the serbian cities was horrific and yet no one even really batted an eyelid even when NATO deliberately targeted a news station killing hundreds of people. Or the complete weakening of this economy via the almost decimation of our manufacturing base making people almost solely dependent on the service sector which as I mentioned in a previous thread has no safety net or guarantees.However why worry about such trivia when your only real concern is when is the next football match is on, or which of these is the hottest babe, or being concerned with how many pints you are going to drink tonight. Life vs now inequality is actually growing and yet the me me culture has become even greater.

Sorry about some of the obvious ranting but....i used to think life was tough as a child, it's a walk in the park compared to now. i am not some kind of prophet of doom though I am one of those idiots that does go out and protest even though many times as was seen in the Iraq war, the protests are ignored. I am not going to lie when I was a kid I used to think that nice cars and riches were the keys to life but as I have got older I suddenly realised it's all just an illusion. An objectionist....yeah i like that 11z   

P.S If people tomorrow were to break the strangehold that consumerism has over them, then fundamental values and morals could be regained very quickly which in turn would lead to the governments backing right off. However as long as most people are sleep then the wolf can come to the door without fear of being spotted. Perhaps all of this will eventually be looked upon as a good thing though because things have become so extreme that sooner or later more and more people will get pissed at the self destructive society and rebel against it. That is a big maybe though, we sure do live in interesting times i suppose. Oh by the way as far as what Nas said....hip hop has dumbed down also!

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

I couldn't read all of that today, but I read the opening posts by 11's and Tanjit and they were very wise.  I like what 11's said about rebelling against the prevailing social norms gives him satisfaction.  I agree; you got to be counterculture to make it in today's society.  And Tanjit spoke righteously when he said you have to find your own balance and peace of mind so that you can be happy no matter what is goign on in the outside environment.

[Tanjential]

I couldn't read all of that today, but I read the opening posts by 11's and Tanjit and they were very wise.  I like what 11's said about rebelling against the prevailing social norms gives him satisfaction.  I agree; you got to be counterculture to make it in today's society.  And Tanjit spoke righteously when he said you have to find your own balance and peace of mind so that you can be happy no matter what is goign on in the outside environment.

thanks man, +1
-T