Fifty years of change ­– for better or worse

The Report Card on Technology, Culture, Music, War, Politics, Health and Work

By Rick Ehrlich

Fifty years have brought us huge cultural changes, for better or for worse. Do you feel more secure or freer? More excited about life? More valued and/or loved? More alive? Or less. Let’s review…

Our technology has zoomed from old typewriters through copiers, fax machines (70s), personal computers (1980), scanners (90s), internet (90s), cell phones, smartphones (90s/ 2000s), phone-photography/ video (2000s), along with powerful microchips/ cards, improved continually over 50 years. Video for security, surveillance, drone use, satellites, and Zoom technology now enable viewing the entire earth in incredible resolution, even high-quality internet via satellite worldwide. Artificial Intelligence (AI) was born. Much better for life? BUT, with identity theft, scamming, people’s noses stuck in their cellphones, massive uncertainty, and big brother watching you, ready to pounce…worse. Teacher’s Grade…B-

The Arts – movies generally have broadened from dramatic realism, to heavy special effects with actual actors, to a high percentage of cartoon variations creating fantasy characters in high-tech situations. All movie studios now use heavy amounts of computer-generated content for every “film.” But real “film” has not been used to make movies for decades; similarly, old school photos using film/ darkroom development were replaced by digital 25 years ago. Now the volume of movies made yearly dwarfs the 70s industry. More choices, but….

Music has expanded from classical or improvised choices (jazz, blues, rock’n’roll, folk, country) by real musicians playing instruments and singers singing. Now add music produced with beats, noises, various machines, recorded on computers, some rapped by rappers using rhythm but not much pitch emphasis, and little harmony. In the 1970s, vinyl records were king, with 8-track tapes for cars, then cassettes for small machines; CDs from the late 80s, CDs still used but are being replaced by digital internet applications, no hard copy holding the musical recordings. Radio listenership has plunged since the mid 2000s, in favor of very small devices/ earphone devices with internet delivery, recorded content, live blogging, etc. Since artistic beauty is in the eye of the beholder, each person must decide if better or worse for film, music, visual art, dance, etc., ALL things artistic. Teacher’s Grade…B

Military technology has “exploded” since our Vietnam-era rifles (M-16s), machine guns, fixed artillery, planes dropping (dumb) bombs, some use of small rockets…. through big “improvements”. Armed drones operated like video games, smart missiles (GPS tracked target) shot from land, sea or air. Now “defense systems” can detect drones or incoming missiles, then quickly fire defensive “smart aimed” shots with reasonable odds of stopping incoming shots. Several countries have developed and used “hypersonic” missiles which travel 5 to 20 times the speed of sound. Experimenting continues with laser and EMP weapons. The “Naval Armada” has returned as state-authorized piracy, gangsterism. But our truly enabling trick development is defining our monstrous acts halfway round the world as “defensive,” always when our country has not been attacked in or even near our country! Always backed up by a massive compliant “news media” nod and yessah to the government’s distorted story. Far better weapons tech, but the fraud is bigger and worse, too. And it continues to bankrupt our country.  Teacher’s Grade….D-

Politics/ democracy has deteriorated greatly, due to successive court rulings ending in the “Citizens United” ruling, that corporations can donate UNLIMITED amounts to candidates and our representatives. Now, USA politics gives only lip service to ”Democracy” (actual rule by the will of the people), in favor of bought legislators (bought via large PACs and corporate Lobbyists donating huge amounts to literally EVERY legislator, for their votes). Today, there is not a single US federal legislator (either in the House of Representatives or US Senate) who does not receive donation amounts at least equal to his/her salary ($173k/ year min). These are NAKED BRIBES by another name. Some receive up to several times their salaries every year in these bribes/ “donations.” With such huge funds available, it is not feasible for non-bribed candidates to compete even in pre-vote (campaign) advertising. Thus, our actual citizens, voters, real people today have almost zero say in who is elected, or the resulting US policy. This is certainly much worse for actual Democracy. Teacher’s Grade…F

A giant change in Healthcare delivery from the 1970s allowed HMOs, etc., to be operated “for profit” where previously only non-profit. Since then, the insurance business for healthcare payments has been an enormous boondoggle industry, keeping total healthcare costs unnecessarily high. Still, one thing that didn’t change (when most of the world did), America remains the only industrialized nation to require that citizens/ residents pay for their own healthcare, whether directly or via belonging to a financing organization that pays. Anecdotally, 70s photos seem to show no obese Americans, or very few. Medical cures have been continuously discovered/developed, yet outcomes have not improved due to access constraints, common food additives, eating habits, environmental degradation, and sometimes over-medication. Big pharma has profited hugely, but for the common man, there has been at best no improvement. Teacher’s Grade…C-

In the 1970s, work was done “at work.” Our system has undergone big changes in these 50 years, with work-from-home via the internet now being a huge factor. With some, that now makes sense economically (for employer and employee), and territorially (no boundaries). Today’s “gig economy” of independent contractors, by necessity, is also large. A big change for the worse, most American employers no longer offer a pension plan, whereas in the 70s, these were still universally required. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robots are expected to cause a very large reduction in jobs available.  Much worse than 50 years ago. Teacher’s Grade…D

So, do we have something to cheer for, to celebrate, because things are better these days? The answer is quite different for the relatively few “haves” (very positive), and the many more “have-nots” (quite negative).

50 Year Change Report Card: Technology, B-; Arts, B; Military/War, D-; Politics, F; Healthcare, C-; Work, D

Related Posts

About author

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Do not miss