And you are making a HUGE assumption that the oversight is no longer happening. I disagree, right there. You only "feel" it is not happening, because of the other that lead you to believe this.

I say that parents care and are doing all they can, (given their particular skill-sets). They just can't make the all of the difference you think they can and should.

I say too that it has become harder, but not because proportionally "less" parents care, but simply because it is, indeed harder to parent today than it was 60 years ago.

Finally I say that the ratios have not changed all that much in terms of how many bad parents, and how many bad children they are, BUT that the actions of society make it look as though things are a lot worse.

Fear is a great motivator. It is insinuated into most advertising and is a primary factor in commerce. "Madison Avenue" has known this for a LONG time, but has become extremely proficient in using it. There is a symbiosis that simply evolves between the various mediums, it's not a conspiracy per se, but it's "like" one. Newspapers sell fear, and commerce makes money. Advertisors sell fear straight out. The symbiosis is too subtley insinuated to "prove" but it works.

I honestly don't think things are that much worse than when I was a child, on a per-capita basis. Yes, they are strange - might I say, horrendously strange in some cases, but I see good people everywhere, just tryin' to get by.

My sense is that the numbers are up in total, but not in ratio, and I think it's important to keep that perspective. Mankind may be doomed, but it's not because of what we've been discussing. It's because he's going too fast and is creating problems perhaps faster than he can solve them.

This, everyone feels. It's part of the sense of doom and gloom. But, not understanding that sense, we grab the nearest lable, a quick "hot button" issue, and assign our feelings to it.

In that sense, we are asleep, because we are lulled into a sense that we know what the problem is, when in fact we haven't even come close to identifying it.

We run around screaming that "the sky is falling" when in fact we are being bombarded by ... so many other things, but not the sky itself.

As long as we keep thinking it is the sky that is falling, the real problems can just go on as they have been ... which keeps everyone happy, because no one really wants to do the hard work.

not long ago ... my Brother in law taught his the 12 year old son... when answering the phone to someone say a Marketer ... to be very rude to them to get them not to call their home... I was more than appalled .. it shocked the crap out of me.. when I said this to my sister ... she told me well its his right to have an oppinion... ummmmm no he is 12 he has no oppinion yet its theirs he has.... this is not the first time I heard this ... other parents have said this too... teaching their kids to be rude to whom they please... because its their right... well sorry Its not.... where did good parental guidence go ?

Well you are right, 12 year old sons are particularly susceptable to such input. but look at it another way, the kid probably loves having "someone" that he is allowed to be rude to. In other words, behavior that is just itching to come out has a place.

Telemarketers have chosen to be rude to you. They chose the job, they are exhibiting very rude behavior.

The father has taught his son that it's okay to use the expediency of rudeness to people who are being rude to you. Maybe it's not the best lesson he could give, but it's certainly not the worst.

It's certainly not the same as being "rude to who you please."

of course greed is a part of it but its not all... conceited behavior is part ...for example of my nephew ... his father teaches him that because he can... he feels he is better than someone else...

agreed about the telemarketers behavior ... but see this does not just stop with being rude on the phone ... it spills over to calling people names too ... and other behaviors .. that is just as bad.. and no its not the worse but when you add them all together... the morals are not there anymore... and thats sad to me...

The mild way to deal with Telemarketers is to say: "Just a moment, I will get my mother."

Lay the phone on the table and let them wait, waste their time, they will eventually hang up.

Wait a minute, that could be a nice new thread.

Hehe.
My buddy once started talking like he was the 'home owner' and had the person on the phone for half an hour. Sounding like a very encouraged and likely customer. Then the telemarketer asked if he would like to subscribe and he said "Well I'm not the bill payer, am I?".

hahahaha

My personal favorite was an investment telemarketer, with a "tip".
After telling me how well it would do, he used the close, "and we could all use more money, right?" I answered "no". Half way through his next sentence he stopped and attempted to recover, "no really?" I said, "no really. If I had any more money I just wouldn't know what to do with it anyway."
He wrestled, quite clumsily, for a moment. Then, when I wouldn't budge, he excused himself.

When board, it can also be fun seeing just how long you can keep THEM on the call.

I prefer responding to the requirements of each situation, driven by clearly being able to see what is required. A kind of absolute pragmatism. All it requires is clarity, which is not the easy part.