Ah, decadence is such an interesting word to bring up. It does fit the feel of our times because it implies both having a lot but yet also a certain moral empti

Ah, decadence is such an interesting word to bring up. It does fit the feel of our times because it implies both having a lot but yet also a certain moral emptiness. Every time inequality comes up here on HN, someone always pipes up to say, "Consumers are able to afford more goods today than they ever have. We're doing fine." And, sure, I get we can have more shirts, games, a processed food than ever. Yes, definitely some of those material goods are important (clean water, healthy food, medicine, shelter). But there is clearly something missing in our lives, and "decadence" describes it exactly. We have too much of things that don't mean anything and too little of the things that mean everything.