The pattern of older generations complaining about a decrease in respect in younger generations can be traced back for centuries, so forgive me if I don't buy into the concept wholeheartedly.
My second point is that our youth is a product of the society that we have built for them, and the values we have instilled in them. Any decrease in respect, therefore, is the fault of the parents and society as a whole. It's all well and good to bitch and moan about things, but how does that address the problem? It only serves to alienate young people, and perpetuate any undesirable values (or lack of) rather than actually instil something better in them.
I could say more but it would stray into politics and one example I could give is rather more personal to someone on this forum so I'll have to leave it there.
Agree - each generation changes, look at how the average Victorian lived, and the attitudes to women. We will moan at the next generation, as our grandparents did at ours.
I think blame is often used too often - its always someone elses fault... that person has not had a good start in life, broken home etc... we make far too many excuses. My nan (89) had her dad leave when she was 4, leaving her mum to cope with 4 children. She did, but in those days there was a close knit family to help.
Maybe the old fashioned way was best. Each family had a mum & dad, dad worked and bought in money, mum made a home. It was stable and gave a structure. Now its totally changed. Both parents out to work, less contact with one or both parents... but then many kids grew up in the 20s in single families due to WW1?
People also want something for nothing. We want to be rich quick, we take credit for everything rather than save, we want promotion tomorrow rather than work harder for it, we want to sue anyone we can, some people always take and never give like families with people who have never worked and wont work (or people who have 10 kids and expect the state to pay for more). Everything is short term. We follow rules not common sense.
But for me, I have become more cynical as I have got older. Rather than do as you would like to be done to you, I can see traits where its do as I expect to be done. I have been shafted by 2 employers over the years (1 massively), and it has left me with a selfish attitude to work based on that. Why should I put 100% into it when I will get knifed in the back?
Here is a moral argument - you find out your entitled to a benefit. You dont NEED the money, so would you claim it or not? I think in the old days you would not, as you could rely on the state to help if you needed it - but now I think you cant rely on that so you would claim it.
So thats my rationale... thats the lack of respect we have for everything not just the police.