Quote
There are three things that have meaning for life - for anything that you do or any living thing does: The first is survival, the second is social order, and the third is entertainment. Everything in life progresses in that order. And there is nothing after entertainment. So, in a sense, the implication is that the meaning of life is to reach that third stage. And once you've reached the third stage, you're done. But you have to go through the other stages first.
- source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus%27s_Law)
Isn't it interesting, even as Spock would say "fascinating", that most of the "civilized" world over the past 30 years has moved away from the "social order" focus and into the "entertainment" focus... and now as a result it's back to "survival" for many of them? Thanks, banking industry!
Sounds sorta like a bastardization of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs). And if you start debating that, you're in for a world of hurt, as there are more viewpoints than there are philosophers (since some of them are schizo and have two or more opinions).
To address your point, thirty years ago (1979) people were very, very much in the entertainment focus already - as evidence I give the exorbitant use of drugs of all kinds back in the 70s. Hell, the hippy movements of the 60s were all about entertainment rather than social order as well.
And honestly, most people today are still quite interested in entertaining themselves, as there are still many more people for whom social order exists and who have steady jobs and income than there are people who are fighting for scraps to eat day-to-day.
Remember, 10% unemployment means that 10% of the people able to work are not working. That means 90% of such people are working and getting income. And we're not even counting all the retirees who have steady income from their pensions. It's not like there's suddenly giant lines for handouts of basic daily supplies, like bread and boiled water.