3 ms·

> much like we remember our grandparents for leaded gasoline and DDT What? I associate DDT and leaded gasoline with my grandparents not-at-all. Is anyone here

> much like we remember our grandparents for leaded gasoline and DDT What? I associate DDT and leaded gasoline with my grandparents not-at-all. Is anyone here really holding their grandparents feet to the fire over these?

woodruffw 3y ago
I don’t literally associate my grandparents with leaded gasoline. It was meant to be metonymic.
- explaininjs 3y ago
  I don’t think dissolving the blame is particularly helpful here. A minuscule number of individuals had full control over the use and knowledge of the impact of leaded gasoline, and everyone else had absolutely none. For 99.999% of folks those people have no relation to their grandparents, and “blaming” an entire generation for the malice of a few is ill guided at best.
  - woodruffw 3y ago
    Blame is your phrasing, not mine. I agree with your point about knowledge and agency; I think future generations will look back on us with disbelief and shock at our shortsightedness, not blame.
    - grogenaut 3y ago
      Then when they're 50 they'll look back on stuff they thought was fine when they were young, and is bad now. If they're introspective they'll look at the stuff that their parents or grand parents or further back thought was fine and turned out to be bad. As people say, it's easy with hindsight and it's really hard in the moment. Many second and third order effects aren't obvious or testable. Then add profit motive. The real question is do you change when you realize you were wrong or double down.
  - 0xfae 3y ago
    It wasn't their fault, but the effects of lead on crime, personality, and mental health for that generation is clearly documented. So yes, that generation is remembered for it. I don't think anyone is saying their grandparents deserved it or are to blame.
Terr_ 3y ago
I think it's supposed to be read as "the generation that contains readers' grandparents" without literally being the specific ancestors in a personal context.

woodruffw 3y ago

I don’t literally associate my grandparents with leaded gasoline. It was meant to be metonymic.

explaininjs 3y ago
I don’t think dissolving the blame is particularly helpful here. A minuscule number of individuals had full control over the use and knowledge of the impact of leaded gasoline, and everyone else had absolutely none. For 99.999% of folks those people have no relation to their grandparents, and “blaming” an entire generation for the malice of a few is ill guided at best.
- woodruffw 3y ago
  Blame is your phrasing, not mine. I agree with your point about knowledge and agency; I think future generations will look back on us with disbelief and shock at our shortsightedness, not blame.
  - grogenaut 3y ago
    Then when they're 50 they'll look back on stuff they thought was fine when they were young, and is bad now. If they're introspective they'll look at the stuff that their parents or grand parents or further back thought was fine and turned out to be bad. As people say, it's easy with hindsight and it's really hard in the moment. Many second and third order effects aren't obvious or testable. Then add profit motive. The real question is do you change when you realize you were wrong or double down.
- 0xfae 3y ago
  It wasn't their fault, but the effects of lead on crime, personality, and mental health for that generation is clearly documented. So yes, that generation is remembered for it. I don't think anyone is saying their grandparents deserved it or are to blame.

Terr_ 3y ago

I think it's supposed to be read as "the generation that contains readers' grandparents" without literally being the specific ancestors in a personal context.