History is filled with examples of how wrong we can be, despite our best intentions. From witch hunts to eugenics, many once-accepted ideas now seem absurd. But have we truly learned from our past mistakes? Let’s dive into ten modern instances where society took a wrong turn.
Pain, Pain, Go Away: The Opioid Crisis
About three decades ago, the push for more effective pain relief led to the introduction of OxyContin by Purdue Pharma in 1995, quickly hailed as a wonder drug. Pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients wouldn’t become addicted to these opioid pain relievers. Prescriptions soared, but so did addiction and overdose deaths.
By 2017, an estimated 1.7 million Americans had substance use disorders linked to prescription opioids. Good intentions to alleviate pain led to increased opioid prescriptions, misuse, and ultimately, death. In the twelve months ending September 2020, a record 87,000 Americans died of drug overdoses. Purdue Pharma eventually pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges, a stark reminder of the crisis’s devastating impact.
Back in the USSR: Russia’s Relapse
In the early 1990s, there were high hopes that Russia would embrace democracy and join the West after the USSR’s collapse. President Boris Yeltsin attempted to rapidly convert Russia’s economy to capitalism, leading to severe economic fallout. Russia’s GDP fell by 50%, and inequality soared.
Yeltsin was succeeded by Vladimir Putin in 2000. Over the next two decades, Putin’s leadership saw Russia revert to authoritarianism, backing Syria, invading Ukraine, and interfering in elections. The promise of a democratic Russia faded, replaced by a resurgent, nuclear-armed power.
Not So Fast: Early Rail Travel Fears
In the early 19th century, many believed that high speeds on trains could cause serious health issues, especially for women. There was a widespread fear that traveling at speeds around 50 miles per hour could cause a woman’s uterus to fall out.
New technologies often bring unfounded fears. Cultural anthropologist Genevieve Bell notes that similar misogynistic panics occurred with electric lighting and automobiles. Experts feared that electric lights would endanger women and children, and that women were too prone to hysteria to handle driving.
The Original Social Distancing: Social Media’s Impact
Social media was initially envisioned as a tool to bring people closer together. Platforms like Facebook aimed to connect friends, share ideas, and organize events. However, seventeen years and billions of users later, these sites have become major drivers of cultural division.
Social media algorithms, designed to keep users engaged, often feed users more of what they already agree with. This leads to echo chambers and reinforces political polarization, turning sites meant for togetherness into battlegrounds of the culture wars. The pursuit of engagement and profit has inadvertently fostered division.
High Crimes: The War on Drugs
The War on Drugs, intended to stop illegal drug use, has instead led to mass incarceration and stigmatized drug abuse. The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world, partly due to this war.
The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 established a 100:1 ratio, where five grams of crack cocaine carried the same mandatory sentence as 500 grams of powder cocaine. The Violent Crime Control & Law Enforcement Act, authored by Joe Biden in 1994, further incentivized drug-related arrests, exacerbating the problem and feeding the prison industrial complex.
The Facemask Facepalm: COVID-19 Missteps
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci initially said facemasks were unnecessary. This recommendation was later reversed, but the early damage was done.
Fauci explained that they were not aware that a significant proportion of people were asymptomatic. However, common sense would suggest that a rapidly spreading virus likely had asymptomatic transmission. This misstep had deadly consequences, undermining public trust and contributing to the pandemic’s severity.
Smoke and Mirrors: The Tobacco Industry’s Deception
From the 1930s to 1950s, tobacco companies used the phrase “doctors recommend” to promote cigarettes. Ads claimed that smoking was good for your throat and that more doctors smoked their brand than any other.
Before the mid-20th century, many people didn’t believe that smoking could cause long-term harm. It wasn’t until the 1940s that epidemiologists linked smoking to lung cancer, as the rise in smoking paralleled a surge in this once-rare disease. The tobacco industry’s deception had devastating health consequences.
America’s Delusional Decade: The 1990s
The 1990s were seen by many as a triumphant era for America, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Francis Fukuyama’s “The End of History” argued that Western liberal democracy was the final form of human government.
This sense of invincibility led to complacency. The growing threat of Islamic terrorism was largely ignored. The 9/11 attacks shattered this illusion, marking the end of the “end of history” and ushering in a new era of conflict and insecurity.
An Invincible Earth: Environmental Neglect
Despite knowing the harmful effects of industrialization by the 1960s, humanity continues to act as if our planet is indestructible. While some measures were taken, such as the creation of the EPA and the Clean Water Act, current efforts are insufficient.
We continue to fill landfills, destroy rainforests, and burn fossil fuels, ignoring cleaner options like nuclear power. This environmental neglect threatens the planet’s future and underscores our hubris in believing that we can inflict endless damage without consequence.
The Food Pyramid Scheme: Dietary Misguidance
In 1992, the US Department of Agriculture introduced the Food Pyramid, recommending 6-11 servings of bread, pasta, rice, or cereals per day. This advice was based on flawed recommendations from a non-scientific committee.
Despite this carb-heavy diet, Americans were also told to consume 2-3 servings of dairy, 2-3 servings of proteins, and limited amounts of fats, oils, and sweets. This dietary guidance contributed to rising obesity rates. In 2005, the USDA revised the recommendations but the fundamental flaws remain. Today, 42% of Americans are obese, a testament to the failure of this nutritional advice.
These ten examples highlight significant societal missteps, from public health crises to environmental neglect. Learning from these mistakes is crucial to avoid repeating them in the future. By understanding where we went wrong, we can strive to make better choices and build a more informed and responsible society.
What do you think about these societal failures? Leave your comment below!
