Burney – do you not think the propensity for rudeness in society *can* be laid

[Dr Headgear - Wannabe viking]

I think you may have it at least partly right, at least in terms of some of the mechanics. It's true that satire has been democratised, though the traditional targets of satire - institutions of power and wealth - have been broadened hugely to include anyone or any group of people you fancy taking the piss out of at any particular time.

Often it's still dressed up in some form of "talking truth to power", though usually through a deeply flawed analysis of where power actually resides. I'm still not sure how on earth the entire world has seemingly bought into the idea that "PC" is the dominant ideology of the time, and thus needs challenging. You can barely move on the internet for people complaining "the PC police say you're not allowed to say that any more" while going ahead and saying it. And all this while neoliberalism is busy capturing the market....

BTW, as Jorge is apparently absent, I'll have to stand in for him and remind you of Thatcher's "there is no society". Obviously, I'll add in the legitimisation of greed and selfishness as fundamental to understanding the collapse of civilised values in society.

[redgunamo]

And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look after themselves first. It is our duty to look after ourselves and then, also, to look after our neighbours."

Quite right, I reckon. For one reason or another though, blokes dropped the ball, so to speak, and essentially recused themselves from their responsibilities regarding this important clause.

Maybe we can blame Vietnam.

I think you may have it at least partly right, at least in terms of some of the mechanics. It's true that satire has been democratised, though the traditional targets of satire - institutions of power and wealth - have been broadened hugely to include anyone or any group of people you fancy taking the piss out of at any particular time.

Often it's still dressed up in some form of "talking truth to power", though usually through a deeply flawed analysis of where power actually resides. I'm still not sure how on earth the entire world has seemingly bought into the idea that "PC" is the dominant ideology of the time, and thus needs challenging. You can barely move on the internet for people complaining "the PC police say you're not allowed to say that any more" while going ahead and saying it. And all this while neoliberalism is busy capturing the market....

BTW, as Jorge is apparently absent, I'll have to stand in for him and remind you of Thatcher's "there is no society". Obviously, I'll add in the legitimisation of greed and selfishness as fundamental to understanding the collapse of civilised values in society.