Well, that's not strictly true. There have been plenty of societies that have collapsed in the past, if not ones of which we have been a part.

Noting that our society hasn't collapsed so far and using that to infer that opinions like this have no merit is one mother of a sampling bias.

> I couldn't read the entire article, all I could think of was some old codger yelling "GET OFF MY LAWN!"

Are you suggesting that you're entitled to be on his lawn or complaining about the way he is asking you to leave?

I think he's suggesting that social norms generally permit neighbors access to each other's lawns, and that violating these norms is associated with cranky old men.

> I think he's suggesting that social norms generally permit neighbors access to each other's lawns, and that violating these norms is associated with cranky old men.

Actually, they don't. The social norms allow access when you're interacting with the relevant residents.

It's like toys - you get to play with Pat's toys while playing with Pat. Otherwise you ask, and even that can be creepy.

Times change far less than most people think they do. Everything old is new again.

Columnists invent trends and crazy new behaviors that are neither trends or new.