What is the cause of our insane society?

Question

There seems to be more paranoia in our society than ever before. Parents can't let there kids play alone in the park because of pedophiles, schools all have detailed "lock down" plans and lock down drills because of shooters and at the airport we have to take of our shoes, take out our electronics and have all liquids in 4 oz containers because of terrorists. We can't even bring a bottle of water through security.

How is it that 50 years ago kids went all over town by themselves, the thought of a shooting in a school never even crossed anyones mind and people brought buns with them right on the plane no problem.

Why is the world so much more dangerous in 2008?

Answer 1

People have this crazy idea that if they can just control life enough, everybody will be safe.

The reality is that people die - we need to understand this.

Mind you, there are needless deaths that we can prevent, and a lot of our practices do prevent people from dying in accidents, but one has to wonder sometimes if forcing an entire society into a paranoid mindset is worth the benefit of saving a few lives here and there.

Answer 2

This is the sign of world end

Answer 3

The end is nearing and it's going to get crazier.

Hold on to your pants. It's going to be a bumpy ride to 2012.

Answer 4

...We can still roam the streets. I just think kids have gotten lazy. When I go out to bike or skate, I don't see any children. Only a handful of middle-aged people come out for a walk. It depends where you live. My city is pretty safe.  

Answer 5

I am sure that crimes existed back then, but how many people actually acknowledged crimes done by pedophiles? They probably kept it hush-hush. When my aunt was in school back in the late 50s, she knew a girl from high school who became pregnant. It was a tradition back then for the girl to drop out, have the baby, and come back claiming the family had adopted it or give it up to adoption.

Sure, technology creates more problems and more potential for destruction. Terrorists are evidence of that much. But human behavior stays consistent. And the media is always willing to report violence to get a good story.

By the way, I would be more concerned about the state of the world 50 years ago than today. The Cold War brought us closer to self-annihilation than any other conflict - even if people were more courteous and committed fewer crimes overall, imagine the possibility of mutually assured destruction by atomic bombs - that situation was far worse than anything we currently face.