Quote Originally Posted by Byzantine Prince
"What's wrong with Society?"
A good question and has many different answers depending on what you believe or not


That is a question I often hear from senile old people and really conservative people. I respect neither for some distinct reason, one of which I won't get into.
This might be your problem. Is this A lack of respect for the opinions of others - just because you disagree with their world view, or is it based upon your own narrow life experiences?

If its because of other people's opinions - then your disrespect is your problem and you are your own worst enemy on it. If its from your own narrow life experiences - then it has legimate grounds - but there is hope - you can get out and see other parts of the society verus what you are just exposed to.

Well I went to the local book store this morning to pick up a new philosphy book. I go there twice a month and pick up something I have never read before but have seen in the encyclopedia. So anyways, I go there and what do I have; Only one and a half of a small section; let's see:
1 book by Kant
2 types of books by Sartre
3 types of books by Plato
2 types of books by Foucault
and so on...
The worst is that even their philosophy section is poor, I mean there's Buffy and Philosophy, Woody Allen and Philosphy, or Seinfeld and Philosophy. What's this freaken world come to where Seinfeld is placed side by side with Nietzsche. The only thing they have good is that they have a steady supply of numerous Nietzsche books.
You can always have the private business order a book that you want - or you can go to a online bookstore. Many times a store will order a book just because you are interested in it.

This is not to say that they are a small store or they have few books. Quite the contrary, they have like 4 section of New Age and Occult.
I mean it's completely ridiculous.
Your confusing what is available in your local bookstore with society - two complete and different aspects. Go to your local public liberary. If they have the same problem then your rant might have some validity.

What hapened to the youth of today. Is nothing except video games and skateboarding important to them anymore.
That is often the product of their environment, parents that don't pay attention, and yes one can blame certain aspects of the society and the desire for individual well being over the family unit. One of the philisophies I believe you have stated you believe in. Which makes you part of the problem you are ranting against.

What hapened to the tyrant slaying youth of Athens?
They have become myths
What happened to the young communist guerrilla fighters of Eastern Europe?
They realized the errors of their ways and became capitialists

Where have we lost our way?
Do you have a mouse in your pocket? I have not lost my way.

Now, I look around, and I see entire rooms with periodicals and magazines, two rooms for cooking, a whole lot of random books on Bono, Paris Hilton, or Oprah. This is considered intelligent literature these day?
No its considered printed reading material. Literature requires some thought behind it.

Now back to my main point: most of the people shopping there were 60 and over, and they all purchase dumb books on cookies and Oprah and Harry Potter. It's like young people are dead or something. Judging from the types of reading selection they had I would asume that these "experienced" and "older" consumers are to blame. And this brings me to the original point, when some old guy asks you what's wrong with society, you answer squarely and decisevely "you!, because you are the main propriotor of our junk culture".
Looks like again you are your own worst enemy and part of the problem in which you are ranting against. What is wrong with buying a new cookbook to try out new foods. If someone wants to read about Oprah instead of a philisophy book that is there choice. However it seems that your problem is that you want everyone to think and act like you do. Which makes the problem yourself - not the question that the older person might be asking you. THe main propriotor (SP) of the Junk Culture is the Generation X age group - where its all about me. It seems again you fall right into the middle of it, and wish to blame others for your own problems with dealing with people and their choices.

So anyways I picked up a copy of THE BIRTH OF PRISON by Michel Foucault and got out of there before I got sick enough to throw up.

Polemic rant over.
What you should of done is stayed and try to sort out your problem - to figure out for yourself if you were wrapping yourself around the axle over a non-exsistant problem because the local bookstore (a for profit business) did not have the great selection of books that you want.

Yep look deeper inside yourself to see what the problem with society is - its not just the old people or conservatives.