Historical parallels in the US

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by TCHP

Many striking similarities to these events despite being 100 years part. Looking at the past as prologue, are we heading towards another great depression and global war?

Originally Posted by Thoreau424

We're not significantly worse off now more than any other time, recent and/or a hundred years ago.

It's just the media who is overdrive and running off the rails in promoting hysteria and worry, for their own sales and promotion. That's the only thing different now. And that's with media from any end of the spectrum; they're all engaged in the same mischief. Strife and unrest sells, and many are buying. I'm not though. You have to keep your head above and out of the pollution.

I'm with Thoreau on this one. The 1960's and early 1970's were far more divisive and violent. And Covid is not nearly as bad as the Spanish Flu. See my CD review of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry (link in name of review).

[Boothwynman]

Originally Posted by TCHP

While we do lack a globally impacting war consuming millions of lives a year, sometimes the parallels of 1910-1920 to 2010-2020 are astounding.



Several large entrepreneurs worked hard to create modern conveniences that make them ludicrously rich while many common people struggled to get by.

Accusations of price fixing and monopolization among key industries is blamed for decreased quality of life.

Attempts and successes at passes laws to try to stem the tide of immigrants bringing criminals, contra-ban, and anarchy to our country.

Riots, strikes, and public protests to object to political positions that begin widespread panic about communist or socialist ideals.

A global pandemic kills millions of people in rich and poor countries' alike.

Cultural wars promoted unabashed nationalism and a return to fundamental values that create increased tensions among religious and political factions.

A significant movement to counteract the increasing liberalization of American leads to the rise of numerous violent conservative groups.

A significant portion of the voting electorate finds access to the ballot comes with severe limitations in exercising their right.

A change in life experience and available technologies prompted a huge migration of population from one living space to another.


Many striking similarities to these events despite being 100 years part. Looking at the past as prologue, are we heading towards another great depression and global war?

Are the lodges (Masons etc.) to blame for this? [/sarcasm] Some tele/radio evangelists blame events they don't like on the secret societies (those societies that are not the Klan).

[Dd714]

Originally Posted by TCHP

While we do lack a globally impacting war consuming millions of lives a year, sometimes the parallels of 1910-1920 to 2010-2020 are astounding.



Several large entrepreneurs worked hard to create modern conveniences that make them ludicrously rich while many common people struggled to get by.

Accusations of price fixing and monopolization among key industries is blamed for decreased quality of life.

Attempts and successes at passes laws to try to stem the tide of immigrants bringing criminals, contra-ban, and anarchy to our country.

Riots, strikes, and public protests to object to political positions that begin widespread panic about communist or socialist ideals.

A global pandemic kills millions of people in rich and poor countries' alike.

Cultural wars promoted unabashed nationalism and a return to fundamental values that create increased tensions among religious and political factions.

A significant movement to counteract the increasing liberalization of American leads to the rise of numerous violent conservative groups.

A significant portion of the voting electorate finds access to the ballot comes with severe limitations in exercising their right.

A change in life experience and available technologies prompted a huge migration of population from one living space to another.


Many striking similarities to these events despite being 100 years part. Looking at the past as prologue, are we heading towards another great depression and global war?

I think you can make this example and "parallel" in every decade and in every civilization since the dawn of man. You can go into the prepper forum here and find people preaching the "SHTF" scenario since the forum was started. So I don't buy your "similarities" as resulting in any great depression or global war. I also find your "similarities" exaggerated and biased towards a certain political "talking points" agenda...and with that I should remind you that the P&C forum is down that ways.

One of the reasons is you are not considering the differences. The nature of war has changed since the early 20th century - "total" wars have gone the way of limited regional wars, being that a total war would be prohibitively costly for both sides. The economy has also changed, with safeguards put in place since the Great Depression so that it does not repeat itself. Yes upswings and downswings in the economy occur on regular basis, the last one about 13 years ago, and we are probably due for another, we are overdue actually. But just like every scenario in the past we will get through it.

You should know that these type of threads occur in the history forum on a regular basis, most common being "Are we like the fall of the Roman Empire", followed by "Are we becoming the new Nazi Third Reich"....both are just nonsense, many are filled with political spin or just plain hyperbole and hysterics.