Society is getting worse.

------------------------------------------ Opponent's Contentions: 1. People are becoming more rude. 2. Entertainment is going down-hill. 3. Dependency on gadgets is devaluing society. My Rebuttal: First, I disagree with my opponent's evidence that people in today's society are becoming more rude. He provided an example that included a personal experience; however, in his opening statement he mentioned, "We should be debating society as a whole. If we are to make this the best possible debate, we should be looking at the general view rather than every single circumstance or just one circumstance. " In that case, this whole argument is null and void. He mentioned that he lives in South Dakota where proper manners are still valued and upheld. However I was born and raised in New York City - possibly considered (or assumed to be) the rudest city in the country, and I'll admit that it is not always a friendly place. However I consider myself to be exceptionally polite, and the company I keep is very well-mannered as well. I believe that there are both good and bad people in this world in every location, and to assume that people of an earlier era were more considerate is a fallacy. Remember that times change and people's behavior do as well. For example there may have been more please and thank you's a few hundred years ago, but let us also recall that when a poor person passed away, their body was tossed into a cart and wheeled away for a mass disposal regardless of the family's feelings. Is that not rude to say the least? ! Disrespectful? ! Certainly. And as society placed a value on proper burial procedure, measures were taken to change that occurance. Today, perhaps a lesser value is placed on the word "please" and you may or may not agree. .. but society's shift in values does not necesarilly mean that as a whole we are getting worse. Consider instead the positive aspects of recent communication. For instance, there is now more caution than ever - especially amongst professionals - to remain PC (politically correct) in terms of their language and how they treat people or talk about people whereas there was a much greater lack of censorchip on opressive language in the past. I also oppose Pro's suggestion that entertainment is going downhill because of the few TV shows and movies he listed in his example. First, Sponge Bob - a children's cartoon - and television's reality TV shows are not indicative of anything other than a new phase of "what's hot. " These fads are not new but have been around for centuries. Similarly, singling out movies such as Jackass and Napoleon Dynamite to determine the current/future direction of cinema is blatantly unfair and completely absurd. Pro noted some classics such as Casablanca and GWTW, which were praised for their cinematic achievements in the past including: advancement in terms of filming quality/techniques, direction, acting, writing, set design, etc. Movies today have expanded on those advancements and have in fact improved over time in terms of creativity and execution, as we can see from films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, etc (not my personal favorites, but highly acclaimed). On the flip side of this argument, I would like my opponent to consider - like I said - the great advancements in movies and film-making, and note that the content of movies has also greatly shifted from the G-rated-only movies that existed in the 1930s. Today artists have the freedom and the ability to capture on film more intense, controversial, and in depth plot lines that educate and promote discussion, as well as more accurately depict every day life. I'd also like to mention that while Sponge Bob may in fact be playing on one TV channel, shows on the History and Discovery channel may be playing simultaneously for others to enjoy depending on preference. I'd like to remind everybody of the widespread hit Planet Earth (awesome). Finally I would like to completely disagree that our increasing "dependancy" on technology is a bad thing. In my opponent's example, his agitation at the thought of being without his cell phone for a day is hardly any proof at all of society going downhill. Afterall, there are still millions of people in this country that don't own a cell phone to begin with, and therefore do not have that problem. But rather than focusing on why cell phone dependancy is a BAD thing, perhaps instead our attention should be shifted as to why that "dependancy" exists in the first place. It is probably because my opponent (like many others) rely on their cell phones as a method of effective communication. Mobile phones are extremely widespread because of their convenience; you can reach people at almost any time for business, pleasure, or in case of an emergency. Cell phones aside, I'd also like to point out other technological advancements that have greatly improved our quality of life, including: iPods (music appreciation), internet (educational resources) and digital cameras (persoal momentos). Of course people have the capacity to abuse technology and use it for evil; however, that is not telling of the current times but rather human nature in general. ----------------------------------------------- In addition to what I have already mentioned, I would like to include the following contentions: 1. The quality of life. A. Medical advancements B. Society's tolerance C. Human capital 2. The future The average life expectancy has increased by 30 years in the past century. That means that if it were the year 1900, your parents would probably be dead right now. No doubt the dramatic increase is in thanks to many medical advancements, including vaccinations and prevention (awareness) of disease and infection thanks to continual and constantly improved medical research. We have also found ways to create/implement things for human comfort, such as artificial limbs or corrective eye surgery. As a whole (which is how my opponent wanted to argue this debate), these medical advancements have far outdone more good than harm. There have also been medical advancements in terms of psychology. Back in the 1960s, homosexuality was treated as a mental illness and "victims" were placed into mental institutions. Today society's tolerance has greatly increased. We no longer discriminate based on race and religion thanks in part to the Civil Rights Act of 1964; there will always be a few bad apples, but for the most part our government has taken steps to ensure equality over prejudice. Also in terms of society, "the fraction of the population living in poverty is falling, as are teen drinking, drug use, and pregnancies" -- Donella Meadows in The Global Citizen (11/23/2000). Human Capital includes the health and skills of the population. "Like other forms of capital, as this one goes up, so does the productive potential of the society. Like other capitals, human capital rises with investment, and falls with age and poor maintenance" (SAME SOURCE). Because what is considered "old" is increasing (in number) thanks to medical advancements and a longer life expectancy, it is fair to say that society's productivity is increasing. Improvements regarding healthcare and medical triumphs also helps to ensure a healthy population. Finally I'd like to mention the future. To say that society is getting worse is down-playing the many breakthroughs we as a society are seeing regarding fields such as space exploration, anthropology, archeology, sociology, psychology, and more! The phrase "You learn something new every day" exists because society as a whole seeks continual improvement.