End Times

[Reiwa]

Originally Posted by Ephirith [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I think about that throwaway line in The Matrix (1999) about how the Matrix itself is set at the peak of our civilization far... far more than I should.

Like sometimes it feels like too perfect a synchronicity to be anything other than a blossoming fractal arm of our own simulation. It makes sense thematically that we'd kick off the transition from that age into this one with something like Y2k, and a sense of mass doom and foreboding.

Was America, the only important country, at its cultural peak in 1999?

[shovelquest]

Originally Posted by Reiwa [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Was America, the only important country, at its cultural peak in 1999?

You could pick right now and take advantage of china, but you'd be cycling in and out of all the deaths these days all over the friggen place constantly using up the same power you get from the china boom.

not to mention covid would have probably created a matrix version of that big green ship that got stuck in the channel a few years ago with all the bodies going down the drain hole below the battery thingy towers.

[Ephirith]

Originally Posted by Reiwa [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Was America, the only important country, at its cultural peak in 1999?

It's unclear in the movie whether they're talking about America specifically, or global human culture. Whether 1999 truly represented the peak of human, or even American, culture would be an endlessly complex and futile argument.

All I'm saying is, it certainly feels that way to me. Though I'm sure every generation probably feels like the world as it was during their youth was the best version of the world. Truman Show picked the 1950's, and I love how when they zoom out to LA it's a desolate hellscape

[sammoHung]

Originally Posted by Ephirith [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

It's unclear in the movie whether they're talking about America specifically, or global human culture. Whether 1999

It definitely was 1999.

EverQuest, the Matrix, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Tom Green, Star Wars resurgence, AOL, JNCO jeans and cheap gas.

[Ekco]

I just don't like this transition period. As a big cyberpunk fan, this in-between state sucks. People still think they're in charge, and corporations have zero reason to tell them they're absolutely fucking not.

Things will be way healthier when everybody's on the same page and no longer crying out on social media for some deus ex machina plot turn, i think.

[Reiwa]

"If there was hope, it must lie in the proles"

[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Reiwa]

I had an Uncle Bob.

But he wasn't actually my uncle.

How is this possible?

[shovelquest]

I don't feel that at my youth it was the best god dammit. I hate these generalizations.

I was born in the 60s you goof. The best time WAS 30 years later.

Since then the word has become more violent, with more turbulance, more suicides, more covid infestations.

None of what has happened in the last 25 years would be better for a "battery" than the global stability we had in the 90s-2000s

[Reiwa]

Originally Posted by shovelquest [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I don't feel that at my youth it was the best god dammit. I hate these generalizations.

I was born in the 60s you goof. The best time WAS 30 years later.

Since then the word has become more violent, with more turbulance, more suicides, more covid infestations.

None of what has happened in the last 25 years would be better for a "battery" than the global stability we had in the 90s-2000s

What about the hole in the ozone layer?

[shovelquest]

The single largest impact on global health was the rollout of vaccines to 3rd worlds that happened in 2000, took about 4 years. So the best argument you can ha ve for a better time to keep the most stable largest number of people alive, would be 5 years after 1999.

Since 2020 life expectancy has dropped because of conflicts and covid.

Personally I think the 2nd roaring 20s was 2010-2020.

Maybe 2005-2015.

But if you asked me, peak humanity was during that 10 year run.

Also can we admit the best time to be alive in America was 1920-1930.

So we can stop with the bickering between student debt borrowers, and boomers over which one of their generations is better.