I’ll go one step further than that… politically, socially, we were far better off. The schools taught kids how to read and write, and left all the socialist dribble out. Americans didn’t think it was a good idea to trash even the 10 commandments in public, and we didn’t have kids who stuck their middle finger up at their parents. And, strangely enough, Americans actually believed that the Constitution was the greatest document ever written. Modesty was the norm, child pregnancy was far more rare, and people dressed better in public. In short, we were a much kinder, gentler and polite people back in the old days.

You can call it ‘rose colored glasses’ if you like, but back in the day, you could trust your neighbor enough to leave your front door unlocked, your local hardware store wouldn’t stiff you with bad customer service, and you could always count on family or your church to be there in a crisis.

Maybe that’s why I think the old days were better

When politicians used to be respected? You mean like NIXON? Almost nobody respected that guy. But they elected him because he was going to be a “law and order” guy who was going to put the Hippies in their place. Right.

Meanwhile, your own parents were pining for their childhoods, when all they had in their house was a tube radio and a gramophone, not one of these “newfangled transistor radios from Japan.”

Don’t get me wrong, I love the old airchecks, that’s why I come to this site. But let’s keep things in perspective, okay?

Rose colored glasses, methinks.

You make a very good point on how much has changed in such a short time. I can remember growing up in the early 90s how the only electronic items in my room where a bedside radio, rotary dail phone, desk lamp and the family computer.
Today my teenage brother has his own lap top, ipod, cell phone and whatever gizmos kids carry these days.

We only had one tv when I was groiwng up and can vividly remember as a young boy the cable man installing our first box. There where only like 35 channels max. Today basic cable in most places is at least 70 channels with 30 additonal channels of music plus endless additional channels reserved for pay-per-view. And just look at the overall like of quality on most cable network stations. I remember when the Disney Channel was new and was well programmed and held prestige, look at that outfit today. Back when there where only 3 major networks tv series were well produced and presented. There was value in the actual show. Today’s wasteland of network tv is just filler for commercials.

Of course, advances in technology have brought us good things. High speed internet, cell phones,(which are giving way to PDAs), laptops, MP3 players, legal and cheap on line music stores…the list could go on.

Would you like to know the bottom line why politicans and the Washington machine aren’t respected by the people? IMO its a combonation of extremist politics and $.

Yes, technology has changed us, for both better and worse.