We have gone soft - or lost our perspective

[Dreadnought]

I almost posted this in P&R, but decided not to. I may yet move it, but my purpose isn't to get political one way or another. Any political reference will be indirect and secondary to the main point of what I suspect now will be a rambling post. Its just that I had a "moment of clarity", and wanted to write it down somewhere. Here will do nicely

I was in a liquor store an hour or so ago, and they had local PBS radio on. There was a Classical music piece playing that flat out riveted me. I am not normally a Classical music guy at all, but I just stood there and listened. I wanted to know the composer, because it was as bleak and hopeless a composition as I had ever heard. In that, it was done superbly. The DJ came on, and I missed the name of the composer (), but heard the commentary that the music was written to catch the mood of the end of the First World War. If so, it was brilliant, because it did.

I am a military History nut, but that rarest of breeds, a First World War nut (rather than Second; those are a dime a dozen.) To me it is the single most catastrophic event in recorded History. There are depths of horror in that war nothing has touched since. the British losing 60,0000 men on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The French and Germans duelling in the tunnels of Fort Douaumont in 1916, with pistols, knives, clubs, and grenades, in pitch darkness, while both sides pumped poison gas into the tunnels. And they did it for three weeks. I don't thnik we can imagine these things fully. I believe that War somehow broke all of the major combatents, and none ever recovered (the USA doesn't count; we were barely participating.)

Now, back to the main point, the DJ goes on to say that this music captures the mood of the World today, just as it did in 1919, because conditions are so similar. I about busted a blood vessel! You've got to be kidding me! The sideshow of the Iraq War and the anxiety of Housing bubble/economic failures compare somehow to losing a quarter of our entire population of young men?! Are you kidding me?! To me, thats a self indulgent insult to what those people faced and suffered.

I remember a Tylenol or Excedrin commercial from a few years back that pisses me off to this day. The catch phrase was "Life got tougher, so we got stronger." Tougher? Really? As opposed to, say, the Black Death? Widespread famines caused by crop failure? Smallpox? A childhood mortality rate over 30% for most of our History? Good Lord but we've become a pampered, precious load of pansies and porcelain China dolls. Now, we think that final exams and facing job interviews or job evaluations = Stress. No. Life just got so good, certainly in the West, that we now have to pretend that we face real problems. Note that I don't give myself a pass either. I am as guilty as anyone.

/rant

[Broncospsycho77]

Couldn't be truer.

Over 400,000 US soldiers were lost in WWII. Now, regardless of your opinion of the Iraq War, the deaths are just over 4,000 from March of last year.

Sure, you could call out technologies, medicine and all that and create some sort of "inflation rate" to deaths now vs. then, but the sheer difference (100 times as much) is staggering.

I don't wanna turn this into an Iraq War debate... just an example of now vs. then.

[Dreadnought]

Originally Posted by Broncospsycho77

Couldn't be truer.

Over 400,000 US soldiers were lost in WWII. Now, regardless of your opinion of the Iraq War, the deaths are just over 4,000 from March of last year.

Sure, you could call out technologies, medicine and all that and create some sort of "inflation rate" to deaths now vs. then, but the sheer difference (100 times as much) is staggering.

I don't wanna turn this into an Iraq War debate... just an example of now vs. then.

Agreed. And what we lost in WW2 compared ito the Soviets, Germans, or the Chinese is a comparative drop in the bucket. Even our deprivations are pretty minimal compared to the British, who fought that thing for the full seven years. As much of an America booster as I am, I admit I have zero patience for my fellow Americans who brag to the French and British about how they "saved their asses." I guess you can make an srgument for theat re: the French in WW2. The British were doing the heavy lifting for a couple of years before we got involved. They have a right to resent that.

[turftoad]

Originally Posted by Dreadnought

I almost posted this in P&R, but decided not to. I may yet move it, but my purpose isn't to get political one way or another. Any political reference will be indirect and secondary to the main point of what I suspect now will be a rambling post. Its just that I had a "moment of clarity", and wanted to write it down somewhere. Here will do nicely

I was in a liquor store an hour or so ago, and they had local PBS radio on. There was a Classical music piece playing that flat out riveted me. I am not normally a Classical music guy at all, but I just stood there and listened. I wanted to know the composer, because it was as bleak and hopeless a composition as I had ever heard. In that, it was done superbly. The DJ came on, and I missed the name of the composer (), but heard the commentary that the music was written to catch the mood of the end of the First World War. If so, it was brilliant, because it did.

I am a military History nut, but that rarest of breeds, a First World War nut (rather than Second; those are a dime a dozen.) To me it is the single most catastrophic event in recorded History. There are depths of horror in that war nothing has touched since. the British losing 60,0000 men on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The French and Germans duelling in the tunnels of Fort Douaumont in 1916, with pistols, knives, clubs, and grenades, in pitch darkness, while both sides pumped poison gas into the tunnels. And they did it for three weeks. I don't thnik we can imagine these things fully. I believe that War somehow broke all of the major combatents, and none ever recovered (the USA doesn't count; we were barely participating.)

Now, back to the main point, the DJ goes on to say that this music captures the mood of the World today, just as it did in 1919, because conditions are so similar. I about busted a blood vessel! You've got to be kidding me! The sideshow of the Iraq War and the anxiety of Housing bubble/economic failures compare somehow to losing a quarter of our entire population of young men?! Are you kidding me?! To me, thats a self indulgent insult to what those people faced and suffered.

I remember a Tylenol or Excedrin commercial from a few years back that pisses me off to this day. The catch phrase was "Life got tougher, so we got stronger." Tougher? Really? As opposed to, say, the Black Death? Widespread famines caused by crop failure? Smallpox? A childhood mortality rate over 30% for most of our History? Good Lord but we've become a pampered, precious load of pansies and porcelain China dolls. Now, we think that final exams and facing job interviews or job evaluations = Stress. No. Life just got so good, certainly in the West, that we now have to pretend that we face real problems. Note that I don't give myself a pass either. I am as guilty as anyone.

/rant

Great post Dread.

[Nomad]

As turf said great post! Today's society is weak and selfish compared to yesterday's world, and in the future we'll see that!!!!!!!!

[Hardwired]

My grandfather's generation was the last "tough" American generation. Thanks to those like him we get to be pansies and talk about how hard life is.

Times like now tend to cull the herd. We've needed it for some time. I have to admit to being one of the soft ones but at least I know better than to complain. We got it good, even now.

[girler]

There are people in Mr.B's office (supervisors and bosses etc...) who, after giving their yearly reviews of staff, or even just explaining AGAIN how things are done in the office (they supervise college graduates), get phone calls from their employees PARENTS!

The generation graduating from high school and college now is/are called "Trophy Kids" and their helicopter parents are still hovering, making sure everything is going well for them. I'm just going to go and shut up now.

[Dreadnought]

Originally Posted by girler

There are people in Mr.B's office (supervisors and bosses etc...) who, after giving their yearly reviews of staff, or even just explaining AGAIN how things are done in the office (they supervise college graduates), get phone calls from their employees PARENTS!

The generation graduating from high school and college now is/are called "Trophy Kids" and their helicopter parents are still hovering, making sure everything is going well for them. I'm just going to go and shut up now.

Great point - Couldn't agree more. We have hired some very good young people over the past couple of years, but they are extremely brittle. They melt down completely over having their writing edited, for example! Reason - they have never faced honest criticism. They are crushed and hurt if you get on them for being late, or try to explain that some of the petty crap they want to take days off for doesn't cut it in the real World. We did this to them, with our total focus on building "self esteem." We also hovered, as you said, to the point where they can't operate without somebody telling them what to do every step of the way.

What I would give for some young people with Military training, who actually understand a "Mission Order" - where you tell them what you want accomplished as an end result, and let them get creative about how to acheive that result on their own

[frauschieze]

Does that mean that you disapprove when I take days off for "mental health"?

[Broncospsycho77]

Originally Posted by frauschieze

Does that mean that you disapprove when I take days off for "mental health"?

Nah, that's just being creative.

[Dreadnought]

Originally Posted by frauschieze

Does that mean that you disapprove when I take days off for "mental health"?

Yes - we will dock you a days pay.

And inflict coffee cup avvy's on you

Plus - and take this the right way - you aren't in that age bracket of our new "Precious Prince and Princesses", which I peg at 25 and under. Yes, exceptions exist, no question.

[BroncoJoe]

Hi Dread. Your first post was too long for my ADD brain to read, but I'm sure it was terrific. Once I read the PBS Classical Music, my mind immediately went to one of the pieces from "The Elephant Man". I'll post the title later.

[Dreadnought]

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

Hi Dread. Your first post was too long for my ADD brain to read, but I'm sure it was terrific. Once I read the PBS Classical Music, my mind immediately went to one of the pieces from "The Elephant Man". I'll post the title later.

Jeez Joe, I'm hurt. i even broke it down into convenient paragraphs for the convenience of any readers, and I did my best to spell everything right, too

[frauschieze]

Originally Posted by Dreadnought

Yes - we will dock you a days pay.

And inflict coffee cup avvy's on you

Plus - and take this the right way - you aren't in that age bracket of our new "Precious Prince and Princesses", which I peg at 25 and under. Yes, exceptions exist, no question.

I'm cool with getting docked a day's pay. I do seriously believe, however, that there are some days (happen maybe once every year or two) when it is seriously a detriment to my well being and production for the company to actually show up.

*shrugs*

I just don't want it to count against me come evaluation time. Because what's better? Not paying me to come in, or paying me to get absolutely nothing, or even negative work done?

[Dreadnought]

Originally Posted by frauschieze

I'm cool with getting docked a day's pay. I do seriously believe, however, that there are some days (happen maybe once every year or two) when it is seriously a detriment to my well being and production for the company to actually show up.

*shrugs*

I just don't want it to count against me come evaluation time. Because what's better? Not paying me to come in, or paying me to get absolutely nothing, or even negative work done?

No, no - I'm talking for example about one kid we hired; first Job after Grad school. Takes at least two BS days off per month, and is baffled that we take a dim view over him wanting to take a day off when we are short staffed, likely to be busy, and his Frat brother is coming through town. Or he needs tires. Or his alarm clock didn't work. He is not unique; I pulled the same crap in College too when I didn't want to go to class, but our most recent hires over the past couple of years fit a pattern. They think you are an SOB not to understand why they need a day off because they broke up with their boyfriend/girlfriend.