Is life today just super awesome?

[Old Greg]

At least the company is good

For Mrs suity.

[doodab]

I don't know that having a vast choice of instant gratification fodder is "awesome" TBH. It seems a lot of people are reluctant to work hard at truly worthwhile things anymore.

[suityou01]

I don't know that having a vast choice of instant gratification fodder is "awesome" TBH. It seems a lot of people are reluctant to work hard at truly worthwhile things anymore.

If you work hard, you get nice things.

Would the man on the street selling the big issue have access to the same "instant gratification fodder"?

You're argument is inherently flawed. Go back and do it again.

[mudskipper]

All around me, hope has gone. I am among the last of the Southern people, and soon we will be no more. The fading sun is setting in the grey sky, and I know that it will not rise again. I am relieved, this world is not a happy place; it is sad, emotionless and lifeless. True, there is peace, but man needs passion, a cause, something to fight for.

I remember when we had those things; as a young man, when the sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, the grass was a verdant carpet, the people had life, and passion lit their faces and souls.

I often look up to the hill, bleak and bare against the still sky. If I close my eyes, I can still imagine the Tree, standing tall at the top of the hill, a single Tree with a golden fruit reflecting the sun’s rays to light up the four lands around.

All the lands bore many scars of battle over the Tree. All believed that their claim on the Tree was stronger than that of their neighbours.

The Northern people would show rock carvings, depicting the Tree. “The Tree has been part of our history since the beginning of time,” they would say. “It belongs to us.”

The Eastern people believed that the Tree was the source of life. “We were born of the Tree. The Tree is us, and we are the Tree.”

The Western people had stories of the Tree that had been passed down through the generations. “The stories tell how the Tree belongs to us. It is our Tree.”

My people, the Southern people, didn’t have beliefs, paintings or stories. But the fact that the other nations cherished the Tree made us greedy, and we believed that we should have it too.

The rulers or the four nations held counsel to decide what should be done.
“Our men are dying, and our women are weeping. We cannot continue these wars.”
“We could share the Tree; it is part of all of our lives, in different ways.”
“Our people will not allow the Tree to be shared, its true owner must be decided.”
“We will have a contest – the winner may claim the Tree.”

And so it was decided. Each nation would send her strongest man; the man that could pluck the golden fruit before sunset would win the Tree for his nation.

“I will shake the Tree and the fruit will fall,” said the North’s strongest man. And so he set off up the hill. He threw the rope over the lowest bough, and with all his strength, he shook the Tree. The fruit wobbled and the man shook harder. The fruit did not fall; he shook harder still. The branch broke falling to the ground, hitting him on the head. The sun was setting. He had failed. He retuned to the North, tired and weary, where he was thrown into prison.


The strong man of the East rubbed his hands in delight. The following day, armed with a catapult and a bag of stones, he started his journey up the hill. “I will fire the stones; they will knock the fruit from the Tree,” he said. He tried to aim his catapult, but the sun shining off the golden fruit was blinding him. The first stone hit the fruit, but it did not fall. He aimed the second stone, he could see even less, and the second stone did not hit the fruit. By the time he had fired all his stones, the poor man was sightless. He had failed the task, and set off back to the East, but unable to see, lost his way, and was eaten by wild animals.

The strong man from the west had a simpler plan. “I will climb the Tree and reach out to pluck the fruit.” He set out on his quest, full of confidence that he would bring the fruit home to his people. On arriving at the Tree, he started to climb it, and reached the lower branches. As he got further up the Tree, large thorns appeared and impeded his progress. Just as he was in reach of the fruit, the sun set. He had failed the task. He returned to the west, with his limbs torn and bleeding from the thorns.

And so it was my turn, for I was the man chosen to represent the South. At sunrise, I set off, armed with a sturdy axe, and climbed the hill to the Tree. I was young, headstrong and foolish, and it took just three blows to fell the Tree. Without trouble, I plucked the golden fruit and presented it to my people. “The Tree is ours, I have won the Tree,” I was triumphant in my victory. It was a child, a small girl, who said, “What Tree? Where is the Tree?” I looked at the fruit in my hand. It withered and faded before my eyes. It was unable to survive without the Tree. My people rejoiced, for we had won the contest, the other nations no longer had the Tree.

Celebrations were soon replaced by misery, as colour and life faded from the land. The men had lost their passion, and the women scolded. No more children were born in the land. It is with great sadness that I now remember the Tree; how it meant so little to me, and yet, how, by destroying it, we are left with nothing. And so, as I wait for the dying sun to set for the final time, I hope that I will find forgiveness and peace.

[Dallas]

eh - can you repeat that

[doodab]

If you work hard, you get nice things.

Would the man on the street selling the big issue have access to the same "instant gratification fodder"?

You're argument is inherently flawed. Go back and do it again.

What you are saying is that for the man selling the big issue your question of whether life is "super awesome" or not is irrelevant as he doesn't have access to the stuff you're talking about. That's a flaw in your argument, not mine.

You may well get nice things if you work hard, my point is that when people are used to getting nice things without working hard they are less inclined to work hard. What we need, now that many of the rewards for hard work have been cheapened, is a new tier of super nice things that are the rewards for hard work. Not material goods but acheivements and experiences that are truly more worthwhile than those that can be obtained cheaply.

[d000hg]

The man selling the Big Issue is working hard. So are many minimum-wage earners who can only enjoy the fringes of what middle-class earners can.

[Platypus]

The man selling the Big Issue is working hard. So are many minimum-wage earners who can only enjoy the fringes of what middle-class earners can.

They should both get proper jobs then, innit?

[vetran]

?

I was going to say "to everyone" but really it's "to all educated middle class people".

no even for poorer people in the west things are probably the best they have ever been.

Poverty similar to the worst places in India or Africa is unknown in the UK. Everyone has access to accommodation, medical care, education clean water and sanitation by law. The poor are just less able to buy things. If the poor are not able to get these things then they have fallen outside the system by choice or accident and someone will be willing to make sure they get them.

Compare that to the desperation in Victorian times or even pre first world war, combine that with medical advances and everyone is a winner.

[d000hg]

no even for poorer people in the west things are probably the best they have ever been..

That I agree with, but they don't have access to all the "awesome stuff".

Poverty similar to the worst places in India or Africa is unknown in the UK. Everyone has access to accommodation, medical care, education clean water and sanitation by law. The poor are just less able to buy things. If the poor are not able to get these things then they have fallen outside the system by choice or accident and someone will be willing to make sure they get them.

That part isn't entirely true. The rise of foodbanks indicates that there is certainly a section of society who are not adequately covered by benefits. It's uncommon in the UK but "proper poor people" do exist here.