Humankind's best days ahead or behind?

[Ego]

Best days are ahead. There is no argument.

My proof? 30 years ago, Michelob was considered a good beer!

I guess it depends how you look at it. Craft beer and the ubiquitousness of bacon are evidence of decline in my book.

[Chad]

Craft beer is a sign of decline?! How so?

[Ego]

I'm now renting to high-earning Millennials who, I am learning, are deeply in debt. They are the perfect fodder for ERE. The guys are all (but two) bloated like the the Pillsbury Doughboy. Speeding up the process of slow-office-death with craft beer, sushi, Extraordinary Deserts and bacon. While peering into the recycle bin I did the mental math on a week's worth of bottles. It made me sad for the future of humanity.

[Chad]

Ah, that makes sense.

[Ego]

I should mention that I like the way the Amazing Randi looks at drugs and alcohol.

“Because that can easily just fuzz the edges of my rationality, fuzz the edges of my reasoning powers. And I want to be as aware as I possibly can. That may mean giving up a lot of fantasies that might be comforting in some ways, but I’m willing to give that up in order to live in an actually real world.”

I get the impression that my new tenants are using craft beer to cope with what would otherwise be an unsustainable lifestyle.

[IlliniDave]

The craft beer may just be a misguided attempt to define their lifestyle. It's "cool", and paying $10/bottle or whatever makes one appear affluent and/or beholden to (the shallow interpretation of) YOLO.