The time when America stopped being great

[Gob]

A year ago Donald Trump produced the biggest political upset in modern-day America, but were there historical clues that pointed to his unexpected victory?

Flying into Los Angeles, a descent that takes you from the desert, over the mountains, to the outer suburbs dotted with swimming pools shaped like kidneys, always brings on a near narcotic surge of nostalgia.

This was the flight path I followed more than 30 years ago, as I fulfilled a boyhood dream to make my first trip to the United States. America had always fired my imagination, both as a place and as an idea. So as I entered the immigration hall, under the winsome smile of America's movie star president, it was hardly a case of love at first sight.

My infatuation had started long before, with Westerns, cop shows, superhero comic strips, and movies such as West Side Story and Grease. Gotham exerted more of a pull than London. My 16-year-old self could quote more presidents than prime ministers. Like so many new arrivals, like so many of my compatriots, I felt an instant sense of belonging, a fealty borne of familiarity.

Eighties America lived up to its billing, from the multi-lane freeways to the cavernous fridges, from the drive-in movie theatres to the drive-through burger joints. I loved the bigness, the boldness, the brashness. Coming from a country where too many people were reconciled to their fate from too early an age, the animating force of the American Dream was not just seductive but unshackling.


Continues here...

[Lord Jim]

Interesting article Strop...(I read it in it's entirety...)

Not a lot in it that's new, but a nice summary....

The coarsening and poisoning of American political dialog has been progressing for some time...

The Trump election is in some ways a result of this, but he has taken a bad situation and exploited it in ways that have made made it vastly worse...

[Burning Petard]

I also read the entire linked essay. Thanks for posting it. Always good to get an outside viewpoint.

snailgate

[Darren]

The article ignores the historic movement of manufacturing. An example being the mechanized textile industry that was invented in the United Kingdom, moved to New England, later moved to the Southeast and has now moved to Southeast Asia. Manufacturing was the giant factor in this country that provided jobs and security for individuals no matter what their background. It was the foundation of communities and generations of families. Silly us to think it would last forever.

We were told service industry jobs would replace it. So far, NADA. People advocating for a minimum wage of $15/hr are seeing jobs evaporate. Many were told college instead of skilled labor was their ticket to a good life. Maybe, if the individual elected a technical career and for some in professions. Those in other disciplines not so much. I tell kids forget college unless you're going for engineering, IT or something that cannot be done remotely via the internet. They're better off entering a field where as an apprentice they can build something that cannot be shipped in a container.

This country is facing the same economic forces that's relocated manufacturing for centuries seeking the lowest cost of labor. I doubt Trump is going to reverse that with the possible exception of situations where quality is essential. Quite a few machinists in this country are kept busy fixing Chinese junk whose initial appeal was low cost. Add in the recent debacle over steel certifications in Japan and there's another reason for manufacturing in this country.

The malaise that's resulted from the loss of economic opportunity has been amplified by the War on Drugs. When people have limited sense of self worth and no job prospects, drugs offer an out economically for those wanting a lucrative profession and mentally for those trying to escape reality.