are today's teenagers worse than previous generations

[russtafa]

today's teenagers tried to set fire to London so that doesn't say much for them no previous generation has tried to attack their own city

[robertlouis]

Re Ben's post and his last words... this song....

Greta rendition of a fantastic song. Thanks Prospero. Every poster on HA should listen to it.

In similar vein I would recommend most of Janis Ian's oeuvre as well as the lesser known but wonderfully wry and bluesy Mary Gaulthier.

[robertlouis]

today's teenagers tried to set fire to London so that doesn't say much for them no previous generation has tried to attack their own city

Notting Hill 1958? Paris 1968? Detroit 1967? Watts.....

It's been going on for generations. The 60s rioters are now the parents or grandparents of those who are now out on the streets, as they sit indoors and tut into their cocoa lol.

[russtafa]

Notting Hill 1958? Paris 1968? Detroit 1967? Watts.....

It's been going on for generations. The 60s rioters are now the parents or grandparents of those who are now out on the streets, as they sit indoors and tut into their cocoa lol.

ok Robert and this granny bashing i cant say my generation went in for that particular craze or did you used to do that to?

[Quiet Reflections]

They are not worse you just hear about more stuff because of how available information is these days. Im sure if there were 500 channels and the internet in the 50's,60's and 70's we would be horrified by the things that went on that never made it to the few news outlets that were available.

[russtafa]

They are not worse you just hear about more stuff because of how available information is these days. Im sure if there were 500 channels and the internet in the 50's,60's and 70's we would be horrified by the things that went on that never made it to the few news outlets that were available.

Bull dust if there were youth bashing and robbing old people years ago it would have been published in the media because it would have been a rare event

[Quiet Reflections]

Bull dust if there were youth bashing and robbing old people years ago it would have been published in the media because it would have been a rare event

In the American south or midwest 40,50,60 years ago it never would have made it past the local news level. No way La,New York, and Chicago would ever pick up those stories. People have been committing the same crimes for a long time and even now with technology we hear only a fraction of it. There are tons of old people that have been robbed and killed that we have never heard of. It's silly to think that preying on the weak is a new idea. We would be crazy to give the kids of today the credit of coming up with what nature has been doing for millions of years.

[Prospero]

In the Middle ages and right up to the 19th century lawlessness on the streets of the big cities was incredible. Until the advent of street lighting people scarcely ventured out after dark because of the menace of serious violence - murder, robbery, rape etc. There were whole areas of the great cities of the West that were no go areas. The rule of the mob was far greater than today. And in the US lynch mobs and gun law were pretty common until the early years of this century.
Mind you we did ship some of our worst criminal elements to Australia where I believe Mr Russtafa was born and raised. (Cheap shot but i couldn't resist).

[russtafa]

you left wingers i suggest have worsened this situation by encouraging these youths not to respect authority and it has been spiralling down hill ever since the sixties because we all know that the left wants to ruin their own countries because they are a pack of traitors and should be shot for treason and i would happily pull the trigger to save our great nation from this leftist scum lol

[Prospero]

What a droll chap you are russtafa lol.... Safe in your citadel of ignorance. Bullets for the left? Delivered perhaps by chaps like you... maybe in nice black uniforms and, to save on bullets, why not use gas. Far more effective. LOL