Have you ever thought about living in a time other than the present? If so, what time and for what reason?
If we went back in time, we would gain:
* More freedom
* Lower population density
* Less crime
* Better environment
But there would be a trade off of less technology; we would have to give up all the gadgets that were made after the time you chose to live.
.
Um.... all of those except lower population density are debateable.
Most cities were far dirtier and more polluted in the past. Think Charles Dicken's London for early industrial, with thousands of coal-fired plants spewing unfiltered black smoke. Earlier, think of streets paved with manure and mud (lack of septic systems).
There are a number of periods in history that probably had far higher crime rates than modern cities...London in the 1500's jumps to mind. And besides crime, further back in history there was endemic violence between tribes and nations, with mass murder, torture and enslavement, that make our 20th century violence look trivial in all but raw numbers.
Many periods in US history saw governmental corruption running rampant, and the liberties of many groups curtailed...the Tweed Machine/Tammany Hall being one example.
Further back in history, if you were an early medieval serf you had almost NO rights. If you were a baron you had whatever rights you and your knights could enforce within a few hour's horseback ride from your castle, until some stronger neighbor invaded, took over and killed your entire family.
Not to mention that in my Grandpa's generation, most people didn't live past 60, unless they were lucky. A couple centuries earlier, half the population died before reaching 40, of various diseases or disorders that are now readily curable or at least treatable.
I'd be more intrested in the future.
G.