My parents used to talk about the Great Depression.

[mykpart]

According to them, people were kind to each other and helped each other, because no one had anything. I don't see that kind of concern for one's fellow man in the people of today. I'm afraid our depression will be more like starving dogs fighting over a bone. Somebody please tell me I'm wrong.

[Life Long Dem]

1. Your wrong

[mykpart]

2. OK. Tell me why.

[Life Long Dem]

13. Because it's a different age.

Transfers and transparency. Click click. It's not the 1930's and transfers move quick.

[eShirl]

18. huh?

[Life Long Dem]

20. I'm so smart. I sometimes scare myself.

[MadHound]

3. I think part of it depended on where they were, and what particular time in the Depression

I agree, most of the stories I heard from my parents were the same as yours. However my Mom grew up in St. Louis and tells me of how my grandpa and uncles had to resort to rifles to keep the Mom and Pop grocery they owned from being broken into. Apparently my Grandpa was a deadeye dick and would shoot to scare for the first shot, and never had to shoot a second time.

I live out in the country, and I think that sort of spirit would prevail out here. It's also been said that it's easier to be poor out in the country because one can always hunt and grow food.

We'll hopefully not get to test these theories, even though I'm putting in a big garden next year.

[Mojorabbit]

12. I have read depression stories

of farmers having to do armed guard duty of their fields at night so the country had problems then too.
I am hoping we don't get to that point economically but it isn't looking good worldwide.

[rwheeler31]

4. Humanity survives.

[tilsammans]

5. My experience was the same as yours . . .

. . . my parents grew up during the Depression. They were dirt poor, but so was everybody else around them.

And yes, they all helped each other out. It's just what people did.

Unfortunately, I'm pessimistic about that happening now. Too many nouveau-riche, greedy types who want it all for themselves. So much for "trickle down." :grr:

[shari]

6. There will be some of that.....

There will also be lots of people who help eachother. Times are different now and we have lost many of the basic skills that we had back then, but people will learn, the hard way, out of necessity. It's getting scary out there for sure. I've been preparing for quite awhile..not just for me but also for my kids and their families because they haven't taken this seriously either and like so many they think that someone in government will 'fix' it. Oh well, we'll just do the best we can. Families will be living together again out of necessity and lots of people will help eachother when they see the need. People are just people and even back then there were good and bad. Try this....stop your car along the road and put the hood up...see how many people stop and ask if you need help. When someones house burns down usually the community will come together and help them. There really are lots of good people out there.

[cynatnite]

7. I've got my rifle at my side just in case the neighbor makes a try for the twinkies...

We won't see soup lines, people selling apples in the street or anything like that. And we most certainly won't see rioting in the streets over the lack of food. There will be more applying for assistance, but it won't be the depression as your parents experienced it.

I do remember Katrina, and other disasters. When we saw people suffering, we did the right thing. We helped them. So, yes...you're wrong.

[KoKo]

8. Don't get al worked up about that...There's many more safe guards in our society today

BECAUSE of the Great Depression and even Bush I & II and Reagan couldn't get rid of all that. Just learn to be more self sufficient and shop at Thrift Stores for a few years and make more at home or stretch what you eat out.

It's not a time to be thinking we are all going to starve to death like folks did back then. There will be many homeless and folks who are needy but we are all gearing up to expand "Soup Kitchens" in our Churches and Charities and there will be money for that and volunteers.

It's going to be a rough patch...but nothing like what our Grandparents went through because there are many more Safty Nets in Place because our Democrats didn't give it ALL UP..even thought the Repugs beat us back pretty bad.

Buckle Up ...Tighten Up and become more RESOURCEFUL. SEEK and YOU WILL HAVE HELP. It's those who don't or can't seek help that is the worry. And there are many so downtrodden that they can't "Buck Up" or don't know where to go. We have to seek them out. But, there are still structures in place who will help those hardy enough to SEEK..and we gotta work to get those who can't the sustenance they need through these coming hard times. Volunteer and Food Bank and Door to Door for the Elderly and others who just don't know what to do...and can't speak out about what they are going through.

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. The majority lived in the Rural part of the nation

Many small farms as compared to what is now.

I've seen small farm towns disappear since the 70s

Ghost towns, and now, one person or a small group, or a corporation
farms that land.

Times have changed.

[SoCalDem]

10. MOST people back then were already POOR, and had a sense of community.

Most people did not have phones, or radios..and rural people were already used to subsistence living. People in big cities were clustered by ethnic groups, and looked out for each other..

Many people did not even have indoor plumbing..and lost of small backward places were still unelectified.

They had few "luxuries" to "miss"..

[aquart]

15. Piffle. If a city family was evicted...

The neighborhood boys moved the stuff right back in after it had been moved out. That was New York City. My mom went to Evander Childs.

[merh]

11. Katrina survivors -

Everyone was wiped out, everyone shared and helped out as best they could, doors were opened, neighbors helped neighbors, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

[Selatius]

14. I was there. I saw both sides of the coin though. It brought out the best and worst in people.

I was a Red Cross volunteer following both 9/11 and Katrina. I wouldn't wait a second to sign up again with the Red Cross if the time came again; they did some good work, but some of the things I saw can easily make one question whether humans really are just brutish, selfish creatures.

[merh]

19. I was there too

Katrina, that is, I've lived it.

I've seen some pretty despicable things, humans as selfish as one can imagine, volunteers both kind and cruel, folks in need and folks sharing what little they have, and government nowhere to be found. The goodness of man wins hands down.

[TwixVoy]

16. Suicide

Expect a massive increase in suicides. All the people who have made their entire life about consuming - boats, McMansions, latest ipods, etc - will do themselves in.

Something to think about during the great depression A LOT more people had farm land, or generally had experience taking care of themselves.

People in the city these days? Shit, I can only imagine what would happen if there was a food shortage in a major city. I would expect martial law to be declared in that city, but prior to that I would expect the starving dogs fighting over a bone scenario.

[TexasObserver]

17. People were kind?! No, that is not true.

Read The Grapes of Wrath, for a good look at the problems of the era, the massive exploitation of the poor, the inhumanity of many toward the unfortunate.

[Soylent Brice]

21. i won't tell you you're wrong. because you are right.