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I think America right now is being killed off by a "Good ole days syndrome", or this idea that things were so much better in the past. America used to be a forward thinking country that embraced the future. That's what got us to the moon, won the cold war, and created the strongest economy in the history of the world. America became a global leader in ways that have become very controversial today, but back then they were considered necessary to keep the peace and prevent another world war. Then at some point around 2000 we became a backwards-looking nation. Instead of embracing the future we began to fear it as a dystopian time. We became focused on trying to return to a "good ole days" such as those portrayed in the old sitcoms like 'Leave it to Beaver' and 'Father Knows Best'. It was a past that never really was, yet is idealized as this utopia that has been ruined by social progress. Instead of investing in the future and the industries that will build the 21st century economy, this country is squandering everything to try to bring back the mid 20th century. People trust televangelists more than scientists and if it can't fit on a 1200x1200 meme it's fake news. While there has always been an anti-intellectual undertone to American culture (there are some great sayings about this), it's never been as bad as it is now.
How did America get to this point and is there a pathway out of it? China will own the 21st century if America remains mired in it's current culture war.
OP, I"m not able to agree with much of anything you say. American "embraced the future" in terms of the aerospace program only after Russia put us to shame by launching the first satellite. "Embracing the future" wasn't what won the Cold War. Russia's own dysfunctional economic system ran itself aground. And one reason the US had the strongest economy in the world (for awhile) was that it didn't have to rebuild from the ruins of WWII.
In what ways did we become a backwards-looking nation after the turn of the millennium? How do you figure? What makes you think that at that point, "we became focused on trying to return" to a simpler, more traditional/conventional time?
Please support your claims. They come across as your own imaginings, nothing more.
Nevertheless, except for the bigotry toward anyone who wasn't white, straight, Christian and at least middle income, I do think things were better 50 years ago because most people had what is now considered "traditional" values. By that, I mean that the great majority of people (1) tried to live a moral and ethical life and were not outwardly so nasty to each other, except for the aforementioned racists and bigots; (2) worked hard to achieve what they wanted and didn't rely on government handouts; (3) had a much greater respect for law and order; and (4) sexual promiscuity was frowned upon.
Yes, there might have been a lot of hypocrisy going on and a lot of bad stuff going on behind closed doors, but by and large for MOST people (and, yes, back then most people living in the U.S. were white, straight, Christian and earned enough money to at least feed and shelter themselves and their dependents).
And, yes, minorities (and women) DID have to work much harder than straight white Christian men to get what many white men took for granted, but it waspossible; and if they did manage to achieve professional and financial success, they could take a LOT of pride in that because their success wasn't because they were simply givenanything.
And, yes, I know the above is very definitely not politically correct, but that is my opinion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phetaroi
[re the bold] You think those are minor things?
You think those are christian principles?
No, of course not!
But there CAN be very good amid the very bad, and vice versa. Would you disagree with that?
Things are not as bad as OP portrays but there is some truth to the notion that there is an unreal fantasy-world image of the past that many people long for. It never existed. Those were not the happy days that some younger people and some misguided elders claim them to be. America is not being "killed off" because there is no going back and the changes that are happening will reinvent America in spite of the foot-draggers.
1. Some history isn't worth celebrating. Some statues belong in a museum and not in the town square.
2. We're a pluralistic society, whether you like it or not. You are going to have to accept sharing this society with gay people or people who aren't your brand of Christian.
3. We only have one planet. Jesus may not return to give us another one if we destroy this one.
4. Socialism is a scare word that means anything that makes you uncomfortable.
I accept that we may have some different views (and agree with some of your points), but, 'socialism' is far more than a scare word; it's a very real economic system shared by several countries:
so·cial·ism (Oxford Dictionary)
noun
a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.
(in Marxist theory) a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of Communism.
Last edited by Mightyqueen801; 10-23-2020 at 01:27 PM..
Reason: Fixed quote tag
I'd have to say, that nations that fully connect, recognize, and value their past, often are more stable, and peaceful. Maybe the problem you have, is there's no consistency/stability/continuity to your population, in that you're always killing off the descendants of those that have been a stabilizing influence through the ages, and replacing those with somewhat nomadic opportunists, that are only there for what they can get.
Were the good days really all that good ?
Smog in the air does not sound pleasant, we have significantly better air and water today due to stricter emissions standards.
The death of Amtrak happened at that time, and stuck a fork in improving rail transport technology in densely populated regions across the USA. Meanwhile, Europe and Japan were building out high speed rail between major city centers.
The US increased its reliance on Oil and when production was constrained due to geopolitical issues, we were caught flat footed.
Nationalized healthcare was backed off, at a time when other developed countries developed a functional national healthcare system.
Renewable energy is our future, it’s the only way we will become a true type 1 civilization, and the USA needs to invest a lot into it if they want to compete.
The good thing is, in America, if you like to work and tackle challenges, you can make great things happen. Let’s channel that energy properly and fix our problems.
Last edited by FrozenI69; 10-18-2020 at 08:11 AM..
Clever how you snuck in the phrase "social progress".
That has absolutely nothing to do with this country being an industrialized nation (which was nearly destroyed by NAFTA)
We can use the black community as an example of what happens when the traditional family is destroyed. There's a lot to be said for the good old days.
I'll add the teaching of morals in school instead of how to masturbated would be a benefit to our society.
It's not the "good old days crowd" that is tearing down and defacing statues, burning and looting cities, pushing fanatical socialism and environmental issues and re-writing history. If anything, it's the progressive, "forget the good old days crowd" that is destroying America.
Exactly. Unfortunately the “angry mob” doesn’t believe in the dream of this country. Sure the system is flawed but this is one of the best countries in the world. Everyone should feel like they have a seat at the table and a shot at the American dream. Putting everyone against each other is a political ploy and sadly it’s working. It’s on all of us to help the youth get started. The next generation(s) are a bit lost right now - confused, afraid and full of angst. Look at your neighborhood and network of friends/family - consider what you can do even if it’s small to help someone get started.
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