America's Decline

[freein05]

The good old days may look good now but in reality they were not so good. I especially hate it when the talking heads on radio and tv constantly want to take the country back to the early 20th or 17th century.

[iris lily]

I grew up in the 50's and 60's and really, was not constrained by all that you describe.

[kib]

I have to agree that the social climate of the 50's is nothing I'd want to see a return of, but the economic prosperity was nice. It disturbs me when people conflate the economic prosperity with the social climate (in other words, saying that in order to have stability and economic prosperity we have to live in a culture dominated by white males with everyone else in subordinate and less desireable positions), but it is possible to lament the loss of prosperity and hope for its return without supporting the return of, er, "The 50's".

[twoshoes4u]

Right, right and right. Further, muzzle the media from instilling fear, suggesting rebellions, giving face time to radicals, etc. Can they please report news GOOD and bad in objectivity. Yep, politicians never stop politicking. We are not in decline? In the quest to realize our individuality a goodly percentage have acquired and perfected atheism, vulgarity, drug use, sloth and an anti-american stance. Thank you!

[Jemima]

I grew up in the 50's and 60's and really, was not constrained by all that you describe.

If you grew up in St. Louis, our "growing-up" environs were very different. I was raised in a town of 1,300 in south central Pennsylvania on the edge of Pennsylvania Dutch territory. It was a very conservative area if not downright backward. I hated it and vowed to get out of there when I was six or seven years old. I did too, about ten years later.

[jp1]

As far a suppression of free speech - I am only for enforcing the restrictions that we already have in place, just adding political figures as a protected group.

Peace

I think giving politicians special rights with regard to what people can say to, or about, them would be a horrendous idea. Since they're also the ones who make the rules it seems like it'd be a slippery slope to having people put in jail merely for voicing dissent to a particular politician's policies.

[creaker]

Post WWII US was really an anomaly - a combination of us being practically the only intact 1st world economy and extensive unionization created a huge middle class. I think we're finally moving out of that era and into uncharted waters.

[Zigzagman]

I think giving politicians special rights with regard to what people can say to, or about, them would be a horrendous idea. Since they're also the ones who make the rules it seems like it'd be a slippery slope to having people put in jail merely for voicing dissent to a particular politician's policies.

Agreed - I was simply wrong and had a knee-jerk reaction after the Arizona incident. I am once again quilty of doing the very thing I accuse others. Still trying!!

Peace