First, I need to be clear. These are the best of times for the US, and for the rest of the world. This is true on almost any measure (except one) when we look at generations, rather than individual years or decades.
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1850's
That being said, I do think that today's challenges are very different in kind from anything that we've seen since Reconstruction. The times have been compared to the 1850's when a significant part of the country was at odds with the ideas of the majority with regard to so many parts of their lives. Of course the failure to resolve the divisions of the 1850's led to a significant number of states refusing to continue to obey the laws of the country or accept the authority of its national leadership. They simply fired on Ft. Sumter and Declared their Independence. It worked in 1776, so why not in 1861?
The country might have done much better had Lincoln lived another decade, and Reconstruction not been reversed. We forget how many blacks were a part of the governments in the Southern states after the War. As is was, blacks were voting, contributing citizens for only a decade. Then it was back to almost slavery.
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1964-1974 (the decade after the Civil Rights Act
We need to be reminded just how divided we were. There was a segregationist party. Political leaders and civil leaders were being assassinated. Portions of many cities were being burned to the ground (100 times worse than 2020). There was rioting at political conventions. Millions of youth demonstrated and were considered enemies of the state by the federal government. And yes, we turned to a "law and order" president in Nixon. We ended up with wage and price controls, and wild inflation. I remember bonds paying 19% (they pay about 1% today). We were fighting a war much more devastating that the current 20 years war.
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AS SOMEONE NOTED THIS WEEKEND
The US experienced a severe reaction to the passage of civil rights legislation in the 60's (and the legal actions of the 50's). The idea of blacks being equal threatened a large portion of the country. And here we are again, reacting to the idea of a black president, and now a female black vice president.
There is no question, many feel threatened.
But IMO, the situation is very much worse now than in the late 60's when the cities were on fire. Those with racial and class grievances control a political party. Fringe groups are now mainstream. It is now OK to belong to various white supremacist groups and to spout conspiracy theories. These groups have leaders and supporters in the leadership of the Republican Party.
Even if we agree that January 6th wasn't run by or caused by the TRP, there is no question that the actions are acceptable and normalized, as are the ideas expressed by the groups attacking the capitol.
=============
1850's
That being said, I do think that today's challenges are very different in kind from anything that we've seen since Reconstruction. The times have been compared to the 1850's when a significant part of the country was at odds with the ideas of the majority with regard to so many parts of their lives. Of course the failure to resolve the divisions of the 1850's led to a significant number of states refusing to continue to obey the laws of the country or accept the authority of its national leadership. They simply fired on Ft. Sumter and Declared their Independence. It worked in 1776, so why not in 1861?
The country might have done much better had Lincoln lived another decade, and Reconstruction not been reversed. We forget how many blacks were a part of the governments in the Southern states after the War. As is was, blacks were voting, contributing citizens for only a decade. Then it was back to almost slavery.
===============
1964-1974 (the decade after the Civil Rights Act
We need to be reminded just how divided we were. There was a segregationist party. Political leaders and civil leaders were being assassinated. Portions of many cities were being burned to the ground (100 times worse than 2020). There was rioting at political conventions. Millions of youth demonstrated and were considered enemies of the state by the federal government. And yes, we turned to a "law and order" president in Nixon. We ended up with wage and price controls, and wild inflation. I remember bonds paying 19% (they pay about 1% today). We were fighting a war much more devastating that the current 20 years war.
================
AS SOMEONE NOTED THIS WEEKEND
The US experienced a severe reaction to the passage of civil rights legislation in the 60's (and the legal actions of the 50's). The idea of blacks being equal threatened a large portion of the country. And here we are again, reacting to the idea of a black president, and now a female black vice president.
There is no question, many feel threatened.
But IMO, the situation is very much worse now than in the late 60's when the cities were on fire. Those with racial and class grievances control a political party. Fringe groups are now mainstream. It is now OK to belong to various white supremacist groups and to spout conspiracy theories. These groups have leaders and supporters in the leadership of the Republican Party.
Even if we agree that January 6th wasn't run by or caused by the TRP, there is no question that the actions are acceptable and normalized, as are the ideas expressed by the groups attacking the capitol.
