Demon H. steps out into the street, scanning carefully for cars as he plops down an old soap box, it appears to have been handed down many, many generations, he slowly dusts it off before stepping up onto it, clearing his throat, and looking over the small crowd.

"I come here to speak about a topic that I have been pondering for quite some time, a question that has been passed down several generations at this point in my old family."

Demon scans the crowd a bit more clearing his throat yet again.

"This near and dear topic to me, and I can't help but wonder how many of you is a simple one about the state of our world. Are we truly regressing or is it just nostalgia? I have seen dozens, and my father before me, dozens more men dust of their soap boxes and find a nice place in a busy street to talk about how things are changing, and how the world is not what it once was. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, My family has been around many many moons and the journals my ancestors have left me describe good times, as well as life under horrible regimes. They describe the old ways in detail, some of which I wish were still around, others I am glad we have left to the past, however lately I have noticed that a lot of these things are coming back, some good, some I could do without seeing. So with that being said is it just the "Back in my day" mentality coming back to haunt us, or are we as a society regressing, and if we are, why haven't the old blood, many of whom hold powerful positions doing their part to create the change they wish to see. I am starting on this process myself inside of my own crew, but I am but a young man, and I am still in the process of finding my way."

Demon scans the crowd once more letting out a slight cough before locking eyes with the men and women whom have gathered around him, inviting each and everyone of them to speak.

"It's an interesting conundrum. Those whose family lineage stretches back some time will know best what changes have proceeded over the course of time, whereas those whose family is new to these shores will inherently be less familiar with such changes over time. 

Therefore, the feedback being received by city hall, the country's leadership and collective memory is shaped more deeply by those who have those experiences. This might be good, or bad, as you have indicated. However, the tension here is that the pull forces keeping older families here may differ with the pull forces keeping or attracting new families. 

I believe that we will more frequently see new ideas originating from new families, meaning the overall potential for beneficial change may be more likely to come from said families. Not to say old families don't have ideas, certainly many will have important feedback on changes and pushing along changes that hadn't yet come about. 

At the end of the day, it's only a minority of newer families who will end up in leadership positions to push along change, while older players are far more likely to end up in leadership positions. The simple logic is that old families will be more likely to be the root of any sort of change, if it does actually occur, while newer families will be more likely to provide new perspectives." TheWeatherReport steps back.

"I agree old families are typically those in charge, and it has been that way for many years. New families while some do make a raise up to power are much less influential on average.

But that begs yet another question, if our society is so much worse then the old world, yet it is the old world blood that still runs in the veins of those shaping our society, are they to blame?"

"If it is the same families who call for change while being in charge so frequently and not pursuing it successfully, sure. Yet, I feel blame is far more often than not overlooking the actions (or inactions) of many individuals, while targeting only a predominantly visible few. The context of the world for the old society is different from that of this current one.

When it comes down to nostalgia, such a feeling is typically pining for a time that never existed, and instead an emotional memory tied relative to what reality they exist in presently. 

We interpret this world now relative to the past, or to a future which is yet unrealized. Maybe it is old families who seek a return to this abstract past of nostalgia while new families seek a future of yet unrealized glory. I don't see those goals as being totally opposing. There are ways to maintain tradition while bringing about great growth and change."

"Well said TWR, I whole hardily agree with both view points, I firmly believe we can take the good from the old, and try some of the new, and better ourselves greatly, however one major glaring issue I see is that a lot of the time new ideas are hard to accept for many and people are not willing to take risks which is ironic considering the lives we lead. I hope to be apart of the change I'd like to see, and I'd hope that others who dislike the status quo are willing to put themselves out there enough to do the same."

For my line i guess has been around longer than most, I have watched ups and down, good leaders and bad, wars that have last weeks in the old days and bad leaders given the same job as trusted not to shoot people

I do agree that who you are lucky enough to land with sometimes, is what sets you of on a long career in this world, or causes you to disappear from a life of crime quicker.   I find if you can't always keep people interested they will practice crime elsewhere outside our sphere of influence.   The big challenge often is getting the right level of influence and aid to someone so as not to overload.

Did my family prefer the old days of thousands of criminals, many people intent on getting your lines involved with society of course?   Did my family also watch this change long ago to people to go through a drone-like set of actions?  Sometimes the family they joined doesn't matter as this is how they work, the crew/family is just somewhere to rest their head, and kick up a few bucks.  

To me when society changed to be more about groups holding domination instead of many independent families that's where things changed and was not like the ancient past.  The change increased the drone-like behavior, the erosion of business district and street, and as city hall gave new training methods for skills, these things became less relevant to build the perfect mobster it seemed, just sit in a safe bet crew or behind a wall of bodyguards and bide your time.

As for families constantly retaking power is simple, these are people who will stick together through thick and thin generally, and put in what some will think are crazy hours to gain power.   When my family first came to the world not many people put in 10-20 hours a week due to the fear of attention from the G-Men, now people are working 100 hours a week sometimes in our business, which is something many can't and won't compete on.   There was generally no outside communique outside IRC avenue and things like this have influenced the change.

So while the new world is abhorred by some, for others the ultra-competitive nature is what drives them.   The old days would have been too slow for them, and possibly failed to meet what excited them as was so individualistic what appeals to each of us.   We see people complain about when is peaceful too long, when is war too much, there is no one-size-fits-all.  

Sadly to me different periods will please different people, it is an individual thing, there are some things I love about the old days a world of no ranges, no contract killing, no bodyguards but there are things I don't miss how easy people fell in line at stages with one dominant person, how to manage 200 members between Capo Bastones and Regimes and how many people had doppelgangers that would go undetected.    I don't miss the holding hand sessions as a community where the community never seemed to move as leadership which sucked never changed, as they had friends in the right places and is something that reoccurs over time..

So yes we can sometimes have a bit of nostalgia and a bit of regression, other times is neither, is just the evolution of how crime and society work.   Just like any business we evolve with time, some people won't like the evolution while others will prosper in it.

Demon straightens out his goatee, and wipes off his tattooed arms as he listens to the speakers.

"I can see that viewpoint very easily, and agree to some extent GioMassachi, excellent points made there for sure. I think as we grow as a society we might lose a few things from the past but overall we will continue to grow, and its our duty to keep around the things we liked, and keep away the things we didn't while continuing to innovate for the future. Be the change you want to see is my slogan at this point. I have myself suggested things in my own inner-circle I'd love to see, and I feel we'd be much better off if people were more honest with themselves and vocal about the things they want."

"I would have to say my family has been here for very long time. Their journals show they have seen many regimes rising and falling. I do think it is a personal feeling, where as my bloodline has been friends with most of the bloodlines that are part of these running regimes. Some they might have agreed with and others they may have not. The experienced bloodlines always seem to get the chance, but with the right lines sometimes others are given a shot. Like I said my line has been part of running crews and/or being hand to some great leaders. Some bad ones too. Experience happens to run more in this line of work than others." 

An interesting conundrum here indeed.  

As with everything with people who are reasonable - I think that the truth is somewhere in the middle.  

Nostalgia, to me, is a sign of experience.  To have nostalgia - you have to have been on these shores for quite some time.  With that time here comes experience.  Seldom, is there anything that replaces experience to be the driver of success here.  So - those experienced are the ones who get the opportunity.  They are the ones which are safest to gamble on with our criminal enterprises.

However, with that experience often comes a touch of "jadedness".  You see - in a perfect world, the saying "new life, new opportunity" would actually be true.  We talk about it, but anyone with a bit of common sense knows that this just isn't the case here.  In fact, things often aren't seen with the open mind of the younger generation.  A willingness to try something new and different generally isn't there. 

So - to me,  that is the good and bad of nostalgia.  Have we regressed?  To be frank, I don't know.  For one, I've only been on these shores for about 6 years.  It's long enough, but it's nothing compared to many here.  This place is a roller coaster ride.  My answer probably changes month to month.

It's a very interesting question and it has taken me to ponder before replying....also a lost art but maybe that's nostalgia!! I have many journals too and I love to read them and to imagine the energy the connections the atmosphere of my parents and generations before. Sometimes I think it is a bit like reading the journals and wishing for a time machine and others it feels a bit more like maybe envy, it could be the wrong word but a longing to be a part of something that influencial that it goes down in the history books as an era or a regime...

Am I naive to think that the siblings and kin of those got washed away into another universe, no I'm not but I would say that maybe it is a more careful calculated world now than I read about - or it is simply the quiet before the storm....we are a long way from as I read seeing lots of people around so assuming flying home and taking your cash to the marketplace was the right response for sure I just think from the journals what might be lost a little is the reputation of some influential leaders - I mean this with respect in that they had gained the respect in speech and action and the wider community accepted it (mostly - when not that was interesting) and now maybe the word is just different.....

Maybe I am nostalgic when I read of some epic times events twists and turns, alianses that stayed for generations and across cities - we are maybe learning a new way? Whether it is a better way is for debate and time and tide will judge on that. I do like to look at the journals, it does feel like another world, I guess I am grateful for the experience I read about flows in my blood and to take that with me on my journey as this world is now and hope I can keep a great journal too. I think I have done amazing well at not answering the question directly and completely sitting on the fence. My father would be appalled by this! 

Goes to have a long hard talk to himself in the corner.....

"I too am grateful for the journals left behind, and the experience passed down through generation after generation in my family. However I also do truly believe that everything wasn't always as perfect as it seemed in the old world, a lot of people who did garnish respect in the streets also abused the trust placed in them, a lot of leaders that were trusted to lead us to success betrayed the trust and instead led horrible regimes. There were certainly good times, and there were most definitely dark times. I honestly don't believe that the past as a whole was much better then it is now, we are simply just in another cycle of life."