Quote Originally Posted by dorabella View Post
Why castigate Lencoboy for looking back at the social and political mayhem of earlier decades? The 1970s were lousy - poor government, industrial unrest, union militancy gone rampant, glam rock - ugh! and just a depressing time in a country fabled as the sick man of Europe. The 1980s - my decade - were much better in all senses with the country getting up of its knees, great music soundtrack to live life by, opportunities unheard of if you had the will to succeed. Don't remember much of the 1990s after my breakdown ... and I don't quite know what to make of the 2000s

However, what can can and should be learnt from the experience of past decades in comparison to what is going on today (nothing to do with this pandemic) is that without the internet, social media and all associated paraphernalia. intellectual and moral life was more sharply defined - polarised even - around people's local environment and life experience. You were somewhat shielded from the toxic underbelly of national political and social life by the fact that it rarely encroached on your own sphere other than highlights reported on the national news. Nowadays, it is splashed like a butchered carcass over the media 24/7 to the point that you (i rather) have stopped watching the news and disengaged for the most part from the national situation. I do wake up though sometimes and wonder if I am living through a re-run of the early years of the French First Republic.

Yesterday's disturbances (if you were around in those times) seem like an innocent walk in the park compared to today's Orwellian nightmare existence. As E M Forster said ' The past is another country ... they did things differently there...'

By the way Lencoboy - nothing wrong with Tamworth the last resting place of Aethelflaed and site of an impressive castle.... and Tamworth pigs are the most delightful and attractive creatures. Best bacon for an egg and bacon sandwich!
Thanks for your kind comments, Dorabella, and I agree with many of your comments above.

I think you've hit the nail on the head about the fact that in past decades (pre-2000s) events and issues closer to home seemed far more important to us, unlike today where we're constantly bombarded with stuff on 24/7 news channels, social media, etc with the slightest violent incident in say, London, or even in another country and we're all muttering 'oh what's the world coming to', 'kids today....', etc, whereas in the pre-21st Century era many of those horrible events happening elsewhere probably never would have registered, unless they were of a very serious and extreme nature, of course.
Personally (love her or loathe her), I think a lot of the mass 'virtue-signalling' rot first started with Princess Di's death back in 1997. Plus nearly everything nowadays has to have some kind of label and/or 'buzzword' attached to it, which I find mega tedious.

And thanks for coming to the defence of my current town of residence, whilst certain 'wards' went through a bit of a bad patch back in the early 90s, which was also largely blown out of proportion by the local press at the time, it's hardly gangland/'bandit country'!

As I'm sure you know very well, our original hometown of West Brom has had a lot of stick over the years, but I don't in any way feel ashamed to say that I am originally from there.

Sadly, there are many people who seem to revel in place-bashing, regardless of each place's respective qualities and/or deficiencies.