I'm not angry I'm disappointed: End of the world threat level: Beige

This song is probably seriously meant, but that doesn't make it's message any less ridiculous. All apocalypses are personal, first and foremost. And let's not forget the hundreds of thousands of Christians happily awaiting the end, as certain groups have since the invention of religion. But it's a common factor in secular thinking as well. As you grow older the idiotic idea takes hold that things are worse than they were, across the board. This especially absurd considering that we are now living in the most gilded of all golden ages. Prophets of doom tend to conveniently forget that at no point in human history as many people have had their basic needs taken care of as right now, except maybe last year. People tend to forget that though some things might have been better 20 years ago for you personally, lots of things weren't. People shocked at a tiny increase in crime rates compared to last year really ought to look up the average chance of dying due to violent street crime a hundred years ago. Or, for that matter, look up how statistics actually work before talking about increases between years that don't take any other factors in account, like the last ten years, or other components of the easily skewed numbers.

Policecops

If only they were really like this, but they're not. I spent years actively hating the police, but they probably do serve a purpose. According to a friend who worked in a womens' shelter, they're the main reason most domestic disputes don't end in bloody murder, which is something to be grateful for. I've never been particularly helped by their presence, nor have many of the people I know. There's the rule of law aspect of having a police force that I must have benefited from somehow, but mostly there have been fines, po-faced lectures, shrugs at inquiries into if they'll find my stolen property, or if they'll look for those guys that started the fight. And these are the positive encounters. I've also been fined unjustly, detained for no reason, pushed around, threatened with violence, and once pulled over because they thought I might have been speeding if they weren't there. In Rio they arrested me for a bribe, when I didn't have any drugs, they offered to arrest a dealer and get me some.
It's a problem of consistency, mostly. I just don't know what to expect. I'd much rather they either always fined you, always gave you a lecture, or well anything really, as long as they always do it. It's just the reasonability, the discussions only work if both parties are of sound mind, and even if I sometimes am and can discuss things calmly, I can't be sure of that, and neither can they.