Are we regressing as a society?

[Brain Muscle]

In the medieval ages, people used to be spectators to horrible events like beheadings and burning at the stake.

Then we evolved as a culture. Most states don't even have the death penalty anymore, as it has been deemed by some barbaric, as it is an "eye for an eye" mentality.

Now, when someone is being beaten up or even killed in front of us, not only do we not help, but we take video of it to share on social media later. These videos get a LOT of hits and 99% of the comments express that the viewer was entertained by it or even agreed with the vigilante.

For example: the Cleveland bus incident. Now that was all because it was a WOMAN "being put in her place." The bus driver's actions no where near constituted self defense....yet hundreds of thousands condone and celebrate his barbaric actions. That's not even "eye for an eye" that's more like "two eyes for one eye."

SO ... are we regressing as a society...back to the dark ages?

[Yinâ„¢]

We aren't just regressing as a society, but also as individuals.

[yacoffee]

When it's a public spectacle some people may be as morbid as they were back then - we are the same species - it seems to be part of our make-up but the new internet celebrity can be good for law enforcement - helps them do their job.

Maybe it's not so spectacular but some city workers here - paid well by the tax-payers were filmed sleeping on the job and it was posted - I really liked that - makes them realize we are all watching them waste our money.

[Woody Red]

maybe.. the prisons are filling up.. and the even the ones that aint in prison -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rivL5KYeBvk

urgh.

[What]

No, we are not. Yes, bad things happen, but crime has been decreasing for centuries and quality of life is improving virtually everywhere. People are more intelligent, there's more technology, we have f*cking toilet paper.

You can't reasonably point to one instance and claim it is representative of a whole society's progression/regression.

Yeah, there are things to fix everywhere, but that doesn't mean we haven't come a long way.

[Civlvr]

Scholars would disagree, that a decrease in violence is an indication of increased humanity. Sun Tsu said, in the Art of War, that the key to winning a war is predicting and preventing a fight. I would recommend a book to you, by Steven Pinker (http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_o...lence.html

[Wan2help]

Yes, we will be going back to the beheadings...

[Don]

Yes, our cultural regression is directly proportional to the influence that fundamentalist religions have on our political process.