I’m relatively new to these shores and for that reason I don’t talk a lot, mainly because I try not to run my mouth about things I may not have all the facts on. What I do instead is listen, I listen to almost anything, most people like to talk it seems. It gives more insight into people and who doesn’t like to be more informed? But today I Would like to break form my normal pattern of being the Empathetic ear and do a little talking of my own.

Through all my listening one thing keeps repeating like an echo from family to family, person to person, bloodline to bloodline. The “good old days”, when everything was right with the world, this perfect utopia where the best CLs commanded respect ruling under the greatest godfathers that have ever graced anyone’s presence. Ok maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but for someone who wasn’t there that’s what it sounds like. It sometimes feels like a constant bombardment of how much life sucks nowadays and how great it was when their parents or grandparents walked these streets. And damn if I have to hear about New Orleans one more time I might just go postal.  As someone whose ancestry does not reach back as far as most, the sheer consistency of that phrases use begs a few questions to be asked.

For one, where times back then really that great, or are most just looking back with rose colored glasses? If it truly was that wonderful what changed? Are we being forced to go about our business differently than our ancestors, do some simply just not hold up the same standards of those before them? Are some people a shadow of their forefathers who are living off the accomplishments of their ancestors as if it’s owed to them to be placed in a leadership position from the rank of thug? Have the people who made it so great had their bloodlines bleed dry never to return. If it was so great why did things change why then were people assassinated and replaced or were that many people a victim of the infamous fatal wack back I hear so much about?

I am in no way trying to say that people express distain for their current leadership, far from it. What I’m looking for I suppose are examples of how and why this time is looked back on so fondly. Please, enlighten me.

I think this is a common sentiment.  The past will always look better than the present because of nostalgia.  I can almost guarantee our children will continue the trend of the Good Ol Days.

For one, where times back then really that great, or are most just looking back with rose colored glasses?

In a word, No. They were pretty good in many ways, pretty bad in others. Much like today really. But one massive difference was the amount of players. HQs when bought could hold 200 members each, not 40. We had much bigger crews and being a leader was a much much bigger role and as such the term Auth meant a whole lot more.

It wasn't simply down to just the leader of any such City to decide your fate, when the first member of my bloodline was authed 12 years ago, the decision was made by all of the leaders, if any of the leaders had decided for some reason I wasn't "good enough" for auth, then I didn't get it.

Thats where the Streets came into it and why many people say the good old days were better, because you HAD to have a street presence in order to be known by the people that really mattered, as the likes of IRC Avenue weren't as prominent in our world, you could access that street sure, but it wasn't readily available and involved a much bigger effort on your part.

 do some simply just not hold up the same standards of those before them?

The standard has dropped massively. And I really really really mean massively. This world was once filled with people carrying out activity in our streets and our business districts to a much much bigger extent than you see today. But again, that draws back to the fact we had more people walking these streets back then than we do now. Not everyone, like yourself, wants to have a voice and so if you have less people its likely you'll have less people that wish to express their voice and thus means we have less activity. Doesn't mean our world as it stands is necessarily bad, or even worse than it was before, just not as well represented in my opinion. 

Regardless of the topic glad to see you out on the streets tension, to your topic at hand. I believe yes people are looking back at the old times with rose tinted glasses like you stated... My bloodline as been around for a long time things have changed over the years some bad some really good in both period they each had their shortcomings. The "Golden Old Days" weren't so golden and with the common whaling of oh my god the streets are dead nonsense. Its just a cycle and sometimes a period may suck for one but be everything for another. This life is anything you make it to be if your gonna bitch about the streets being dead then get your lazy ass up and make the streets lively. If you wanna bitch about the ranks not meaning so much now days then DO SOMETHING about it. People will NEVER be 100% satisfied and even one little hiccup or troubling time they thing the worst of everything and the world is ending its nonsense.

To be honest on my part if things or not like you like it then stop being lazy and complaining, do your part and change things.   

For one in my existence I agree with Alabama

I have mixed feelings on the past, when my family line first came to the shores there were around 4000 mobsters operating in the six cities.   Crews bulged with 200 members, and earners set up crews in an attempt to house the populace,.  Hard work, loyalty and the ability to work together seemed more important, and wars of course were less.

Crews taught, people never knew how to work a gun with great accuracy so quickly, streets, bars and jails were popular exchange points for discussion, story and laughter as mobsters of different families and cities affialiated building links on all levels.

Earnings were not important, neither was cliques but people plodded along more at a slow rate, swisstony being the epic example of such times.  Newspapers kept the news and humour from Mother, and new crews were sometimes limited by size, so people could feel the true feel of leadership, and develop the skills.

On the bad side of this harmonious life, a leader had less time to get 1 on 1 time with members, the books rarely opened as only leaders were made and an ineffective subcrewleader meant you learnt jack about how things worked.  Also the ability to lead was often rare, unless you really stood out.

Overall my blood line would prefer the old days, from my reading of ancestors diaries it seems they felt more a sense of community, and less a sense of impending doom.  Too many secrets are open to the world now, and things have been made easier for the masses from building a gun to ranking.  The fact no bodyguards, forts, there was no coma patients you could buy info on or unemployed bodyguards to hunt.  Hitters made their own lists, and people had more patience.  Society evolves through the events it suffers, and unfortunately, this was always an eventual outcome.

I will actually take it further.  An underground group was an actual underground group, the talk would not be on the street, but irc and plans unknown.  When actions happend, they were sudden, and society could do little via shoot the person to fix the situation, the risk was always high due to the unstoppable bullets it seemed at the time, due to the genetic coding some were born with and the fact a person could be set up as quick as earner.

There was less bitching, whining, spam and a battle for vip rankings.  This meant when someone wrote was often for humour, feeling and passion more then just as a routine task.

Was there downfalls of the old days this way, of course, i doubt i could see as many six month wise guys like then, but is where the mentality and style of things have changed.  The old day style cannot simply be imprinted for those not used to it, as is like changing most peoples habitats and saying deal with it.

I think you will be surprised to know its all our fault for the way things are currently. Our ancestors and ourselves everyday could make it the way it was before. Everyone has the power to do so since well we were the ones who got ourselves here in the first place. If family leaders stopped handing out buttons like they were candy and actually made their family work for it. Maybe being made would mean something again. So next time you or your ancestors are given auth do something different. I know if I am ever given auth again unless I actually know and trust you. you will not be getting your button. I am sick of seeing rogues and seeing two or three people being shot by the rogue and rogue being shot and that being the end. I think its time for crew leaders to be held accountable for their members. ESPECIALLY when said rogue is a made man. When you take a person in and make them made that means you give your word that they are to be trusted. Or at least that's how its suppose to be in my eyes. 

That'll never catch on Skip.

There are far too many in this thing of ours that think because they've received a certain level that they are entitled to be given that next rank in the family.

Its not the case in my family, i'm sure its not the case in many familys, but it will be the case for some I'm sure. Thats not a slight on the leaders though, because unfortunately many of them have been raised in a world where the rank is awarded pretty quickly based entirely on a couple of minor aspects, such as the Level of the person and the amount of money they have kicked up.

This world often runs on how much money you make. All that time ago when rank was hard to obtain, Money barely mattered. We didn't have the chance to buy bodyguards really, nor could we hire contract kills and we didn't have things like Fortifications and all the other money consuming options we have today. This has meant a massive change in how a family must run as it must make money to survive, the higher ranks the family employs the more money it makes. So its clear to see why we have went down the path we have and the way to fix it isn't quite simple as you make out. We can't just stop doing what we need to do to survive just because we dislike the side effects of it.

There must be a middle ground, perhaps that middle ground is simply ensuring a level of trust is obtained before the promotion is awarded and taking ownership of any actions that a rogue does? I don't know. To me, thats something most if not all leaders are already doing anyway, so how can something already in place be our solution? I guess it can't.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say perhaps the leaders aren't actually the problem. Perhaps its all the people out there that thing they are due a promotion becuse they did enough crimes to reach the level required? These are the people that need to help us get back to giving rank some pride. People like this will often commit suicide and leave things for a next of kin to hone their way in the world if they aren't given their promotions immediately, which is why many leaders will likely give them that button so easily as members dont grow on trees, so they take the easy route of giving an achieveable objective such as a cash value and then promote when the time comes. Sad, but true. A necessity though in these times I fear.

If all leaders now and all leaders in the future stop being so nice and remember THEY HAVE A BUSINESS TO RUN they might be able to say no again. If someone feels entitled let them feel whatever they want too. Ultimately if you are going to call yourself a mob family leader you should act the part. ((I think people have forgotten what this really is A MAFIA GAME not we are all best friends so because we are friends I am going to let you do what you want)) Don't let your family members dictate how you run things. Its up to the leaders to make a change. So yes sadly it is the leaders fault. They should be able to say no. So what if saying no pisses of suzycryalot. If your the leader its your family. And before you tell me saying no might lose you a member. Do you really want to have a member around you have to bargain with for their loyalty? I personally don't. The leaders make the rules around here and if all of them including future ones choose too they can make the changes they want. 

Honestly skip, as much as i would like to see it, is doubtful will happen.  You ask why? simply because a clique/group/however you want to define those at the top would have to be in place and then grip society and enforce removal of leaders who work like it.

The next likely and eventual step then would be the rebellion against the clique, and no one would be left strong enough afterwards to enforce it probably so would have a split.

Like communism, i find such a thing an ideal, but never would realistically work, as revenge, ambition and greed are part of our society and will continue to be.