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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.
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.
I haven't seen an awful lot of what you describe as a "focus on returning to the good old days". Rather, I see the focus (from those who are inclined to focus on these sorts of issue) as being a desire to uproot the old days, bury them but remember them only as the most awful days of genocide, slavery, repression, oppression -OR- the anxiety of those desiring to THWART the uprooting and preserve social stability as opposed to continuing a cycle of conflict and revenge.
Intellectualism is the individual pursuit of an intellectual climate for self-fulfillment. Not something that just comes like rain or sunshine, falling on everyone alike. Not switch that is just flicked bathing the room in light.
The only pathway out is for the citizens to seek a vision for unity and to FORGET about electing some Messiah who will save them from "the system" or "the bad people". I'm not holding out a lot of hope, but we're also at the beginning of a long process. America, as the founders knew it, is already over with, for better or worse. And it isn't coming back without some extremely unlikely miracle.
A large chunk of Americans are the type of people who initially do very well, and then rest on their laurels and just talk. They don’t push for continuous improvements.
The Asian culture looks at life in stages, with continuous improvement in each stage. Until a significant majority of the people in the US start thinking like that, we are not going to get ahead.
I see outside of Politically. The HUGE backlash is musically.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bawac34618
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.
Culture Wars happened in every era and decade. Plenty of eras where change was hit with a backlash. One does not have to go back to the 50s early 60s for -- so-called-good-ole-days. Many just evoke the 80s and 90s.
Just look at the last 60-yrs. soooo much turmoil in the 1960s. Riots and Assassinations of MLK and Bobby Kennedy with a decade that began with JFK assassinated. Vietnam era protest, Dem Convention Riots, racial strife and protest, huge musical changes, styles of dress and hair styles and social norms pitting so called OLDER NORMS vs MORE RADICAL CHANGES.
What we got we have history to tell us. Early 60s till the late 60s was pretty drastic in change in lots of things we list under Culture. The 70s also was a decade of change. Just hair and clothes in itself besides music. By the late 70s Disco suddenly came on the scene. There WAS a BACKLASH to it and the 80s is not seen as anything close to the Disco era continued. REBELLION MUSIC was part of all these decades.
This Century that big swing to African-American Rap scene that is very lucrative in making money. The former are a far cry from what they were when yes White Artist were key to say the 80s 90s scene ... just not all of it. Now unless it is Country etc. it is dominated by Black artist and far from African-American influenced as was in every era.
By me in small city American in the North. Most young people know the late 20th century music even if they still do the Rap scene. Some though do not do the Rap scene. There are indie groups to Country of course. Just none show they will overtake the scope Rap has. There alone is a point of cultural divide that can have a BACKLASH in more ways then Politics.
On thing I noticed is Old fashion Radio as a trend ( I do radio in my car still)... . Classic Rock 70s thru 90s with the huge decade being the 80s --- in Radio station formats today. Country music format still found. Top 20 is no longer the majority in many markets as Top 20 features such high levels of Rap artist to have a backlash. Even young WHITE Americans perhaps not in major cities ..... see even the 1980s as the superior decade and musically the best. Clearly, a rural/city divide also in the forefront as always played some roll with spikes higher in some generations.
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.
Even young WHITE Americans perhaps not in major cities ..... see even the 1980s as the superior decade and musically the best. Clearly, a rural/city divide also in the forefront as always played some roll with spikes higher in some generations.
This was not the case as recently as the early 2000s. I remember when people looked towards a Star Trek future driven by science, progress, and world peace with the USA leading the way. Now, the dominant way of thinking is that things were at their best in the mid 20th century.
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.
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 find it strange that America’s pluralism and now demographic incoherence are largely the result of an immigration act that 1.) Americans had no say on and 2.) was sold to Americans as something that would never change the core demographics. See Ted Kennedy.
Well, it has, and we’ve never been more divided, and all we hear about in any sector of American life is about inequities of outcome. (Psst, inequity results when you have an always changing disparate mash of people). Meanwhile, if Americans want a sensible immigration policy that isn’t open borders they’re now deemed racist. You’ve all seen the yard signs that say “no human is illegal.”
Being an American has somehow morphed from the civic duty of protecting fellow Americans’ interests to being as global and nationally ashamed as humanly possible.
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.
Now, why do you take this approach in your response? It seems to show a lot of assumptions that you THINK are true, and comes off making you sound exactly like one of the problem children instead of one of those interested in solutions. Really, you undercut your entire premise.
You sound pretty uncomfortable yourself in this case. And pretty much intolerant of any ideas except your own. So much for "pluralism" if you have any say so.
Is America being destroyed by a "good ole days" syndrome?
Nope. America is being destroyed by so many Americans disowning and running away from the "good ole days".
Which in truth weren't all that good, but they were a h3ll of a lot better than the the screamers, rioters, and squallers we have now.
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I see outside of Politically. The HUGE backlash is musically.
Many just evoke the 80s and 90s. 
