are today's teenagers worse than previous generations

[Ben]

this just like communism or most forms of government control .these forms of government try to deny basic human driven needs that some people will always try to work hard and succeed ,while others will want the state to look after all their needs and just lie back and do nothing .you will always have an upper class and a lower class ,that's just human nature and that's where the church comes in as a tool of the rich

Actually, this is the opposite of Russian communism or, say, American capitalism.
Russian communism had nothing to do with actual communism &/or socialism.
The first thing that Lenin and Trotsky did when they took over was destroy every socialist institution that had developed. Namely: Workers councils. And they turned the population into what was called: a labor army. And kowtowing to the rule of the maximal leader. This is the EXACT OPPOSITE OF SOCIALISM. Socialism means workers' control over production. This was the biggest blow against actual socialism.
I wouldn't say it's human nature. I mean, the nature of being human allows for all sorts of behaviors. Under certain circumstances any one of us could either be a monster or a saint.
You find that if people control their own labor, well, all they do is work. You find this with University researchers. Who work 80 hours a week. Also, well, take carpenters. If carpenters have full control over their labor they work all the time.
During the 50s, 60s and early 70s there was a burgeoning Middle Class in America. Because of industrial capitalism, as it were. Industrial capitalism, as I've mentioned before, isn't overly concerned with inflation.
What happened circa 1975 is that America -- and other Industrialized nations -- went from industrial capitalism to financial capitalism. Now financial capitalism is concerned about inflation. Which is economic growth and wage growth. So, interest rates spiked to put a damper on wage growth. So, for more than 30 years we've seen financial capitalism slowly destroy the once prominent Middle Class.
What kind of society do we want to live in? Well, if we live in a so-called democratic society, well, it's up to the people to decide.

[russtafa]

Ben you will always get people that don't want to work and complain when the state does not provide for them and people that want to control or exploit their fellow workers. a limited social welfare system is great but where do you draw the line,i.e state housing for every one ,free education for every one,free health care for every one,free transport for every one,asylum seekers or refugees are entitled to the same rights and care as the citizens of that country,every one is entitled to the dole, because the money can only stretch so far

[Ben]

Ben you will always get people that don't want to work and complain when the state does not provide for them and people that want to control or exploit their fellow workers. a limited social welfare system is great but where do you draw the line,i.e state housing for every one ,free education for every one,free health care for every one,free transport for every one,asylum seekers or refugees are entitled to the same rights and care as the citizens of that country,every one is entitled to the dole, because the money can only stretch so far

To me, in America, guest workers and the offshoring &/or outsourcing of jobs are profound problems. We offshore not only the jobs but the economy and the tax base. And this is done, of course, by politicians to serve giant corporate interests. Nothing more. Nothing less.
And I think the people of every country should control their own immigration policy. So, public policy should be directed by the people. (Politicians, in other words, should serve the public will. Again, people don't want jobs offshored. Again, people should control their own immigration policy. To serve their own interests. People, in a democracy, should have their voices heard and served, as it were -- )
Again, I'm for people controlling their own country, their own communities, their own work. Now for people who just don't want to work. Um, what do we do? Well, we can't have them starve to death. I'm not for letting people starve to death. I don't think anyone is. (Politicians are not putting in place policies that reflect the will of the people. Politics doesn't work this way. Because, in part, it's corrupt and seeks above all else its own power.)
And with respect to work and working. I mean, everyone likes to do a specific thing. Everyone enjoys something. And, as I mentioned before, if a carpenter has complete control over his own labor, well, he -- or she -- will work pretty much all the time. (Could you design a society like this? Where everyone controls their own lives, their own labor? Well, why not? Would it work? That's a separate question. It may not work. We don't know.
And another problem is: say people just don't want to participate in a full and meaningful democratic society where people control their own labor. Well, that's another problem. As a society, well, we will always have problems. Again, we'll always have a various assortment of problems. But it's how you address those various problems that counts.
Those problems should be tackled, as it were, with intelligence, sympathy, understanding and with democratic structures. I mean, I have faith in people. Most people are good, decent and moral.
And with respect to, say, drug addiction, well, I think we focus on prevention, treatment and education. I mean, we should try and help people who suffer from serious drug addiction. I mean, a lot of housewives in the United States pop pills everyday. They are by definition drug addicts. We shouldn't demean them. And call them names. But try and help them. I believe in the, well, human spirit, as it were. I've a great deal of empathy for people. Adam Smith referred to empathy as: a core attribute of being a human being.
In our society we don't pay people according to how hard they work. I mean, coal miners work extremely hard. And it's very difficult work. But they make a helluva lot less than the likes of Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts.
And speaking of people that cheat the system. Bono, of the Irish band U2, moved the band's business interests to Holland to cut down on his and the band's tax rates. I think we should be upset at the rich and powerful for not paying their fair share in taxes, for dodging taxes, for designing/controlling public policy to serve their own interests and screwing over hard working men and women. Hard working men and women are getting shafted. They're getting screwed by, as George Carlin said, these rich cocksuckers.
So, the emphasis should be on fairness. For rewarding hard work. Miners work hard. Nurses work hard. Construction workers work hard. We should reward that.
But in our societies we seem to PUNISH THE GOOD and REWARD THE BAD.... Sad, eh?

[russtafa]

To me, in America, guest workers and the offshoring &/or outsourcing of jobs are profound problems. We offshore not only the jobs but the economy and the tax base. And this is done, of course, by politicians to serve giant corporate interests. Nothing more. Nothing less.
And I think the people of every country should control their own immigration policy. So, public policy should be directed by the people. (Politicians, in other words, should serve the public will. Again, people don't want jobs offshored. Again, people should control their own immigration policy. To serve their own interests. People, in a democracy, should have their voices heard and served, as it were -- )
Again, I'm for people controlling their own country, their own communities, their own work. Now for people who just don't want to work. Um, what do we do? Well, we can't have them starve to death. I'm not for letting people starve to death. I don't think anyone is. (Politicians are not putting in place policies that reflect the will of the people. Politics doesn't work this way. Because, in part, it's corrupt and seeks above all else its own power.)
And with respect to work and working. I mean, everyone likes to do a specific thing. Everyone enjoys something. And, as I mentioned before, if a carpenter has complete control over his own labor, well, he -- or she -- will work pretty much all the time. (Could you design a society like this? Where everyone controls their own lives, their own labor? Well, why not? Would it work? That's a separate question. It may not work. We don't know.
And another problem is: say people just don't want to participate in a full and meaningful democratic society where people control their own labor. Well, that's another problem. As a society, well, we will always have problems. Again, we'll always have a various assortment of problems. But it's how you address those various problems that counts.
Those problems should be tackled, as it were, with intelligence, sympathy, understanding and with democratic structures. I mean, I have faith in people. Most people are good, decent and moral.
And with respect to, say, drug addiction, well, I think we focus on prevention, treatment and education. I mean, we should try and help people who suffer from serious drug addiction. I mean, a lot of housewives in the United States pop pills everyday. They are by definition drug addicts. We shouldn't demean them. And call them names. But try and help them. I believe in the, well, human spirit, as it were. I've a great deal of empathy for people. Adam Smith referred to empathy as: a core attribute of being a human being.
In our society we don't pay people according to how hard they work. I mean, coal miners work extremely hard. And it's very difficult work. But they make a helluva lot less than the likes of Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts.
And speaking of people that cheat the system. Bono, of the Irish band U2, moved the band's business interests to Holland to cut down on his and the band's tax rates. I think we should be upset at the rich and powerful for not paying their fair share in taxes, for dodging taxes, for designing/controlling public policy to serve their own interests and screwing over hard working men and women. Hard working men and women are getting shafted. They're getting screwed by, as George Carlin said, these rich cocksuckers.
So, the emphasis should be on fairness. For rewarding hard work. Miners work hard. Nurses work hard. Construction workers work hard. We should reward that.
But in our societies we seem to PUNISH THE GOOD and REWARD THE BAD.... Sad, eh?

Ben on most points i agree with you but the money only go's so far.If Australia didn't have it's rich natural resources we would be in real trouble.the greed of some of these company directors is staggering .i doubt if they could spend what they receive in a life time

[Ben]

Ben on most points i agree with you but the money only go's so far.If Australia didn't have it's rich natural resources we would be in real trouble.the greed of some of these company directors is staggering .i doubt if they could spend what they receive in a life time

I think that's what we're all taught in our culture. Just simple greed. Ya know, we've been inundated from childhood, from TV, from school that we're the only one's that matter. You should maximize your own personal consumption. Again, simple greed.
Ya know, no one else matters. The old woman down the street doesn't matter. I think it's a profound sickness, as it were. So, with greed comes staggering wealth inequality. Pollution. (For pollution check out Los Angeles -- ) And a lot of other problems.
This isn't to say that people shouldn't look after their own interests. It's merely a critique of excessive greed...

[russtafa]

Ben it does not matter if the government is left or right they all open for graft from big corporations and it's happening here, they are importing cheap unskilled labour and our government is hand and with the mining companies

[hippifried]

Pick a year:

2011 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1911 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1811 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1711 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1611 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1511 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1411 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1311 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1211 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1111 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1011 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0911 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0811 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0711 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0611 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0511 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0411 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0311 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0211 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0111 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0011 - "Kids these days are just horrible!" (Think that includes Jesus?)

...& on & on & on back to the primordial ooze...

[trish]

"Why can't they be like we were,
perfect in every way?
What's the matter with kids today?"
-Bye-bye birdie

[russtafa]

Pick a year:

2011 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1911 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1811 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1711 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1611 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1511 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1411 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1311 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1211 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1111 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

1011 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0911 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0811 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0711 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0611 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0511 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0411 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0311 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0211 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0111 - "Kids these days are just horrible!"

0011 - "Kids these days are just horrible!" (Think that includes Jesus?)

...& on & on & on back to the primordial ooze...

smoke some more dope and put on your hippie cd's and it will make it all better lol

[russtafa]

"Why can't they be like we were,
perfect in every way?
What's the matter with kids today?"
-Bye-bye birdie

yeah why do kids want to burn down london and attack the police =must be a social problem yarda yarda yarda.typical left wing response.think out side the box woman,don't think like a typical left wing social worker it doesn't work it has failed since the 60s and will keep failing