Three Score Years And Ten

[Qetesuesi]

I'd rather be born in 2100 than now I suspect.

Care to describe the sort of technology you expect (or hope) will be available then? Or for that matter, the geopolitical-economic situation cf. today.

[sPinwheel]

Care to describe the sort of technology you expect (or hope) will be available then? Or for that matter, the geopolitical-economic situation cf. today.

Robot wives.

[DTMark]

I was born in 1973.

The idea of giving up years of my life from where I am now doesn't especially appeal.

Unless I consider the emergent rave scene that I just missed by a year or two by being too young. And life is all about life experiences.

So actually I'd pick now, minus three years.

[Riedquat]

The idea of giving up years of my life from where I am now doesn't especially appeal.

The thread assumes you're getting three score years and ten no matter what the time though. Personally speaking often the idea of dropping dead before seeing more of the future holds quite a bit of appeal, just trying to figure out a way of taking out with me all those who think that it's great.

[ntb]

I have often thought a 'good old days' holiday camp would be good for those people who bang on about how much better it was. The average mid-1950s scenario would do, and I'd send them for a month, in winter.

No central heating, coal fires having to be laid and ash cleared every day, freezing bedrooms, sheets like ice, no fridge, no telly, no automatic washing machine, no plastic, having to go to the bank, which shuts at 3.30, if you want any cash, almost everything but church closed on Sundays, far fewer foods in the shops, no ready meals or anything pre-prepared, never mind no internet. And some poor person (my father) having to go out first thing every morning in the freezing cold for coke to stoke the boiler, or there would have been no hot water.

I am just about old enough to remember most of that - a time when much of family conversation in winter consisted of, 'Shut that door!' - and I wouldn't want to go back.

The milkman coming with a horse was nice, but I think that stopped by the time I was 4 or 5.

I'm possibly a bit younger than you maybe, but I don't see any of that as a hardship. We didn't get central heating or a telephone until I was 15 so I was quite used to making the fire before I went out on my paper round, going to bed with a hot water bottle, eating proper food and paying cash for everything. I'd miss the internet but I think I'd make the trade to have quiet roads, green spaces, affordable housing and a sense of belonging to my country. The music was way better too.

[Turned Out Nice Again]

I'm possibly a bit younger than you maybe, but I don't see any of that as a hardship. We didn't get central heating or a telephone until I was 15 so I was quite used to making the fire before I went out on my paper round, going to bed with a hot water bottle, eating proper food and paying cash for everything. I'd miss the internet but I think I'd make the trade to have quiet roads, green spaces, affordable housing and a sense of belonging to my country. The music was way better too.

+1 to all of that. Libraries were my internet as a child. And like you, had no c/h, phone, family car or even a bathroom until I too was about 14. I didn't feel deprived at the time. In fact life was awesome.

[ntb]

I spent a lot of time in libraries too. I also spent a lot of time on my bike and a lot of time exploring. I think we've lost a lot by gaining too many people, learning to be greedy and the financialisation of everything.

[Qetesuesi]

Robot wives.

As long as they are fairly cheap.

The deluded scrapper bird thread is that-a-way.

I spent a lot of time in libraries too. I also spent a lot of time on my bike and a lot of time exploring. I think we've lost a lot by gaining too many people, learning to be greedy and the financialisation of everything.

Not sure what "gaining too many people" means in the UK or general Western context where birthrates have been below replacement rates for decades. (Cue an entire website's worth of immigration threads.) Plus the concept of overpopulation is strictly relative to the ability of technology to raise sufficient food and other necessities; the present world population would be unthinkable in any era before artificial fertilisers, vaccines etc.

The current financialisation is particularly ahistorical as it has to be assumed that in the long run (beyond any of our lifetimes), technological deflation + the robot-cum-CI economy will ultimately definancialise everything - yes, including land (this is the HPC forum) once it's no longer essential for either bed or board.

[Riedquat]

Plus the concept of overpopulation is strictly relative to the ability of technology to raise sufficient food and other necessities; the present world population would be unthinkable in any era before artificial fertilisers, vaccines etc.

Only the practical side of it. Overpopulation occurs when what's necessary for sustaining it becomes noticably unpleasant.

[MrPin]

I spent a lot of time in libraries too. I also spent a lot of time on my bike and a lot of time exploring. I think we've lost a lot by gaining too many people, learning to be greedy and the financialisation of everything.

A bicycle was the best present I ever got, as a young lad! It wasn't new and had 3 speeds. It enabled me to go places.

[Riedquat]

A bicycle was the best present I ever got, as a young lad! It wasn't new and had 3 speeds. It enabled me to go places.

I was unfortunate enough to be a kid when the only bike anyone had was a BMX, just the one fixed gear. Which made hills fun. Eventually paper round money and birthday got me a mountain bike (mostly because the paper round was hilly, so a bit circular).

[ntb]

Not sure what "gaining too many people" means in the UK or general Western context where birthrates have been below replacement rates for decades. .

It means going from 52 million to 65 million people in the same amount of land and broadly the same amount of infrastructure and all of the crappiness that brings.

[Riedquat]

It means going from 52 million to 65 million people in the same amount of land and broadly the same amount of infrastructure and all of the crappiness that brings.

Some would say "then increase the infrastructure" (not me, that adds to the crappiness IMO, particularly the way we build it these days). There's a big noticable difference between us and France, roughly the same population but they've got twice the land area. Even though France really tends to build ugly there's still a big plus in France's favour there simply because there's less of it as well as fewer people filling it. If I wasn't attached to England I'd probably be out.

[ntb]

Some would say "then increase the infrastructure" (not me, that adds to the crappiness IMO, particularly the way we build it these days). There's a big noticable difference between us and France, roughly the same population but they've got twice the land area. Even though France really tends to build ugly there's still a big plus in France's favour there simply because there's less of it as well as fewer people filling it. If I wasn't attached to England I'd probably be out.

I've seen enough of your posts to know that I share much of your perspective. I'm too attached to England and probably too old to do anything about it but living in a low population density country appeals greatly.

[MrPin]

I've seen enough of your posts to know that I share much of your perspective. I'm too attached to England and probably too old to do anything about it but living in a low population density country appeals greatly.

Your Greenland passport is in the post! I hope you like fish!

[ntb]

Your Greenland passport is in the post! I hope you like fish!

I do like fish. Greenland has been considered and is on the list of possibilities! It's a bit lacking in trees though. I like trees. If I could turn 13 million people into trees that would be ideal.

[Riedquat]

I've seen enough of your posts to know that I share much of your perspective. I'm too attached to England and probably too old to do anything about it but living in a low population density country appeals greatly.

Good, glad to hear someone else appreciates it! I hope that it doesn't get you down as much as it does me though. Anyway today isn't a day to grumble about it, it's (sort of) sunny and whilst busier and noisier than I'd like I still live somewhere nice so I think I'll go off for a stroll.

[Riedquat]

I do like fish. Greenland has been considered and is on the list of possibilities! It's a bit lacking in trees though. I like trees. If I could turn 13 million people into trees that would be ideal.

Not sure about Greenland but Iceland looks nice. Still rather lacking in trees but I think it's got a few.

[Frank Hovis]

The best time to be born was probably just after world war 2/1940s in America. You got to live through the swinging sixties, Woodstock, free love etc. Also things were cheap, great music, good fashion, lots of great films, books, the opening up of minds that went along with the newly discovered psychedelic drugs etc. I feel like we have regressed in the past 20 years and for all the good the internet has brought it has also made people a lot less social and a lot less human.

Yes, good call.

I have to say though that I'm baffled by how many people have failed to grasp the basic idea of this. I thought it was a standard and was expecting Shakespeare, the high middle ages, the third century but no. Big emphasis on disease or poverty which shows whatever the opposite of rose-tinted glasses is; shall we say brown-tinted.

[MrPin]

Not sure about Greenland but Iceland looks nice. Still rather lacking in trees but I think it's got a few.

There are two trees, and I have seen one of them on the Internet. At www.vergagerdin.is

[Frank Hovis]

I can't think of a more depressing time than England in the Middle Ages. Also, I doubt the serfs would have known who Shakespeare was let alone be allowed to see a play. Their lives were hell - grinding poverty, work from "childhood" to old age (being about 40) and probably dying of something nasty and mostly so you can serve some lord who lets you have a tiny tiny bit of land in return for 3 days of hard graft on his estate.

Hence my OP point that you get to be part of the wealthy middle class rather than a peasant.

I specifically said the high middle ages, 12th and 13th centuries, a time of peace, order, prosperity and plenty helped by warm climatic conditions.

Brought to a shuddering halt by the black death.

[Frank Hovis]

Ok, you got me. I still think it sounds depressing. Just imagine how much time and how much effort it would take to put on a piece of clothing if you were born a middle class woman. You couldn't just pop to the shops for some mead and a fish pie. And living with winters with no central heating. Not for me .

Servants to do it all for you, roaring fires through the winter, living with the seasons and part of a genuine community with all the festivals. Tempted yet?

[MrPin]

Servants to do it all for you, roaring fires through the winter, living with the seasons and part of a genuine community with all the festivals. Tempted yet?

I think I would have enjoyed beeing a "Wooster". Stonkingly rich in the 1930s.One of my friends behaves like that.

[Frank Hovis]

I think I would have enjoyed beeing a "Wooster". Stonkingly rich in the 1930s.One of my friends behaves like that.

Or the Brideshead set; but the war ended that (in the series and in reality).

[MrPin]

Or the Brideshead set; but the war ended that (in the series and in reality).

That's why I chose the 30s, but with money of course, otherwise it would have been cr8p.