“History repeats itself. That’s one of the things wrong with history.” These were wise words made by U.S. lawyer Clarence Darrow. This is true when we take a look back at ourselves in time and see our mistakes repeated, day after day, year after year. Is this just a coincidence or is it a human nature that we never learn from our past mistakes and never face the problems?

The article titled “We teenagers feel the older generation left us a poor world” was written in 1985 by Kitty R, a 17 year old teenager who expresses her views of the world around her. She addresses the issues and problems she experiences back then. These problems include problems students face where they do not have jobs after school, and are faced with loans and debts. She says that ‘the good old days’ are gone as teenagers are more likely to turn to drugs, alcohol, and other forms of relief as peer pressure increases. Societies are also acting in an inhumane way as countries are spending money on luxuries such as weapons, instead of aiding the poor. Destruction of the world as a result of nuclear war and destruction of plants, lakes, trees, humans and animals, are all possibilities faced in the world at her time. Kitty R. expresses no hope for the future and that she will live it day by day.

It is clearly evident that what teenagers experience today, have been experienced by teenagers in the 1980’s. Today, with inflation and the increased cost of education, more teenagers are forced to take out loans in order to receive a good education. Students today also find themselves unemployed after school. There are even more less jobs today due to the imbalance of skilled workers and companies closing down. The world economy is falling and already, thousands of people have lost their jobs. Recently, United Airlines filed bankruptcy and more companies may soon do the same.

Today, students are also being faced with pressures to do better than others and succeed. The double cohort makes it even more difficult to enter university, leaving many others without education. This also leaves individuals with no hope, and one many turn to drugs and alcohol. People will even turn to crime and joining gangs, as there is no money to support the family.

The article points out clearly that history repeats itself, and nothing has changed at all. The threat of a nuclear war is still very possible at present, as the situation with Iraq is not improving at all. Not too long ago, India and Pakistan almost entered a nuclear war, and now North Korea is starting to oppose the U.S. foreign policies. While all that is happening, the threats of global warming are becoming a reality by the day. Seas are rising by the centimeter and the weather is behaving awkwardly. Nothing much has been done about it.

Comparing present events and events back in 1985 and seeing how similar they are, it shows that humanity have not advanced or improved in any way. Instead, things have become worse. If Kitty R. was very concerned back in 1985, then how concerned should our generation be? We should all wake up, work together and face these problems instead of loosing hope. After all, British Prime Minister has once said, “History does not repeat itself. Historians repeat each other”.