It's the End of the World As We Know It
People often try and conclude debates (particularly those online) by making grand statements about how the world is going to come to an end. For example:
"If we lose our newspapers, it's going to be undoing of our civilization and we're all going to be sorry."
This is an appealing way to try and get people's attention, because we've all been taught that the best way to get people to listen to you (and agree with you) is to yell at them. The louder, the better. If that doesn't work, then try saying something grandiose that will get their attention...like mentioning the undoing of our civilization.
The problem is: most things aren't that dramatic. People like to point to the fall of Rome as evidence of the hubris of man and that all governments, no matter how good they are, are ephemeral. Unfortunately, even knowing exactly what caused the fall of Rome is still a matter of debate among historians. They all have their theories and attribute it to many different causes, some working together. At the time, Rome didn't blow up, it just kind of fizzled out of existence over time.
Big changes are slow, and they tend to happen with a whimper, not with a bang. Getting people to listen to you with a bang doesn't typically work, either.
"If we lose our newspapers, it's going to be undoing of our civilization and we're all going to be sorry."
This is an appealing way to try and get people's attention, because we've all been taught that the best way to get people to listen to you (and agree with you) is to yell at them. The louder, the better. If that doesn't work, then try saying something grandiose that will get their attention...like mentioning the undoing of our civilization.
The problem is: most things aren't that dramatic. People like to point to the fall of Rome as evidence of the hubris of man and that all governments, no matter how good they are, are ephemeral. Unfortunately, even knowing exactly what caused the fall of Rome is still a matter of debate among historians. They all have their theories and attribute it to many different causes, some working together. At the time, Rome didn't blow up, it just kind of fizzled out of existence over time.
Big changes are slow, and they tend to happen with a whimper, not with a bang. Getting people to listen to you with a bang doesn't typically work, either.