# What is something that is "business as usual" now that will be seen as horrible in the future? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 1, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836 "2013-11-01T13:21:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/101 "2013-11-15T22:22:11Z")
> [@sailor](#): > > While the notion that “taxes are theft” is just silly, the notion that “America, love it or leave it; you are free to go away and don’t let the door hit you in the ass” is just as silly. You can say the same thing in North Korea or China. Hey, your parents had you here and that obligates you with our rules. And if you don’t like it then go elsewhere. Or at least don’t have children unless you know they will like it here. > > Not everybody has the option of pulling up stakes and moving. > > Even if they did have the option it may be that the issue is not worth it. Just because you live somewhere does not mean you have to agree or like everything. > > The USA will haunt you for taxes even if you leave, pretty much the only country to do so. So even leaving might not work. > > But yeah, the notion that taxes are theft is kind of silly. Part of the point of my counter argument was to illustrate the silliness of the original argument. So I don’t really disagree with you here. I wouldn’t categorize myself as a love it or leave it type at all, but I do get a little tired of pissing and moaning from those that want to be part of this society, but get out of paying for their share of the bills, so I may occasionally call a bluff. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/102 "2013-11-16T08:49:29Z")
Religious indoctrination of children. the concept of the “Lawn” in its entirety. dumping drinking water onto a patch of ground who’s only purpose is what? Spending time mowing the lawn who’s only purpose is what? Spending time earning money to pay for the gas and mower and other crap used to care for the lawn who’s only purpose is what? then spending no time at all on or using the lawn who’s only purpose is what? If you ever forget your fellow man are sheep just take a drive through any neighborhood in America where people have lawns. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/103 "2013-11-16T12:25:17Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > Spending time mowing the lawn who’s only purpose is what? A “lawn” that gets too unkempt isn’t any different from “the woods.” Which means that your “lawn” will soon be home to mice, snakes, bugs, and other shit that doesn’t belong in a residential neighborhood. So I will continue to cut my lawn, thank you very much. It takes less than a gallon of gas a year to keep a lawn cut regularly. But I do agree with you about the watering nonsense. It rains, that’s enough. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/104 "2013-11-16T12:25:38Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > If you ever forget your fellow man are sheep just take a drive through any neighborhood in America where people have lawns. Now I’m imagining a bunch of suburbanites peacefully grazing out front. ---
**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/105 "2013-11-16T12:42:43Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > A “lawn” that gets too unkempt isn’t any different from “the woods.” Which means that your “lawn” will soon be home to mice, snakes, bugs, and other shit that doesn’t belong in a residential neighborhood. So I will continue to cut my lawn, thank you very much. It takes less than a gallon of gas a year to keep a lawn cut regularly. > > But I do agree with you about the watering nonsense. It rains, that’s enough. Pave over your lawn and then you will never need to cut or maintain it. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/106 "2013-11-16T12:54:08Z")
> [@Longshanks](#): > > Pave over your lawn and then you will never need to cut or maintain it. If I wanted to live in the concrete jungle I would. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/107 "2013-11-16T18:26:41Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > A “lawn” that gets too unkempt isn’t any different from “the woods.” Which means that your “lawn” will soon be home to mice, snakes, bugs, and other shit that doesn’t belong in a residential neighborhood. So I will continue to cut my lawn, thank you very much. It takes less than a gallon of gas a year to keep a lawn cut regularly. > > But I do agree with you about the watering nonsense. It rains, that’s enough. Step 1, Remove lawn Step 2, put in native plants and maintenance free landscaping. Step 3, enjoy > [@Longshanks](#): > > Pave over your lawn and then you will never need to cut or maintain it. I have to agree, a paved in house would suck, but there are other options. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/108 "2013-11-16T19:24:04Z")
I might be wrong here, but it seems like there’s a good deal of overlap in this thread between “things people will see as horrible in the future” and “Things I, the person posting, don’t like.” I guess I’m wondering, to what extent do you think that the things you’re predicting will happen and to what extent do you just wish they’ll happen? Because it seems like in the future, people could be shocked by the fact that we in 2013 don’t eat our dead, or that South Dakotans aren’t tortured in grand public spectacles for the amusement of the godkings and their tatooed servant-autarchs. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/109 "2013-11-16T20:11:16Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > Step 1, Remove lawn > Step 2, put in native plants and maintenance free landscaping. > Step 3, enjoy The only maintenance-free landscaping I have seen either takes more maintenance than expected, or looks really shitty. Recently, a selling homeowner nearby decided to remove his “maintenance-free” lawn and replace it with a conventional one because the buyers thought it looked terrible. And it did. It takes a lot of work to keep it maintenance-free. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/110 "2013-11-16T21:03:58Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > Step 1, Remove lawn > Step 2, put in native plants and maintenance free landscaping. > Step 3, enjoy. As a buyer of a house with a “maintenance free” yard I can tell you it takes a lot more maintenance than a lawn. Maybe less water but definitely more maintenance. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/111 "2013-11-16T22:39:06Z")
Driving your own vehicle. When self-driving vehicles are shown to be safer and more reliable than those driven by humans, I imagine driving oneself around will quickly be deemed suicidally, homicidally insane. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/112 "2013-11-16T23:07:08Z")
The reluctance of so many people to fund their social infrastructure and organizations; that people would believe they have no responsibility to their community and great society. And chemotherapy. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836/113 "2013-11-19T20:48:28Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Obligate Star Trek quotes (from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home): > > … > > **McCoy** : Chemotherapy! Dialysis! Sounds more like the goddam Spanish Inquisition! I wasn’t expecting the Spanish Inquisition. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-something-that-is-business-as-usual-now-that-will-be-seen-as-horrible-in-the-future/672836.md?page=5)