past Presidents/Politics and your experience

[Guest GunTroll]

I was born in 1979. While I remember Reagan, Bush, Clinton, I didn't really start paying any real close attention to Presidents, Congress, cabinet/admin, politics, and the political climate in general till later in Clinton's term...say about 98 or so. Of course GW Bush and Obama I have a good idea about.

What I'm asking is, if you folks could share your experiences, opinion of the country at the time, political climate, policies, global issues, or whatever you deem pertinent about the past and the people in charge at the time. Even leaders before the above mentioned. Seeing how you older (excuse me) guys and gals like Obama to Carter, I'd like to know more about, why the similarities? Go back as far as you like please. This sort of info can be found nowhere else but from people who were there at the time.

I hope this isn't too stupid sounding or a bad topic. I'd really like to know about your experiences of the times that I know nothing about!

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I was a kid in the 1950's and a teen in the 1960's.

Everybody's impressions may be different, but looking back the 1950's up til about 1965 was a strange mix by today's standards. Many ordinary people of both parties were a mix of hard tail conservatism and socialist ideas as "American as apple pie".

Goldwater was painted as a dangerous reactionary right-winger, but he might be too liberal for today's Republican party. JFK was painted as a dangerous liberal but he would be too conservative for today's Democrat party. J Edgar Hoover wrote best-selling books about the Red menace and it was difficult to find anyone who openly sympathized with the Russkies, but there were MANY socialist features to the USA system that were considered fine and desirable, not commie at all. Maybe if a socialist policy was invented here it was OK but if invented somewhere else it was bad?

Mainstream politicians of both parties were not against socialist programs or govt regulation of business or granting of gov-endorsed (and tightly controlled) private monopolies. Democrats were perceived as more interested in the "common man" but both democrat and republican presidents had famous fights with unions when the unions would strike and shut down important industries.

Tax rates were very high on everybody.

Right-wing groups of that time included the John Birch Society and the Minutemen.

John Birch Society - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Minutemen (anti-Communist organization) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Many places in the country, people were pretty uptight about other people's personal behavior. Overt deviant behavior could get people in bad trouble. Unpopular speech could get people in bad trouble.

There were islands of higher tolerance toward weird people. New Orleans in the daylight was about as uptight as any other place, but for instance during Mardi Gras people could behave in ways that would even today be viewed as very weird, and still get away with it.

As best I recall most adults of the time considered most all politicians to be crooks, just like today.

[Oh Shoot]

I've been voting since Tricky Dick's first outing, and without a historical diatribe, we are really in uncharted waters now.

Certainly, the Nixon admin was totally corrupt (but perhaps not all that more corrupt than most, just more thuggish and dumber than most, since they were caught and thus we know about it all). Certainly, the Carter admin was a total failure in execution on both economic and foreign affairs fronts, but was perhaps the most "moral" of admins in quite some time.

But suffice it to say, that Barack Hussein Obama and his cronies are both corrupt and incompetent in ways that make Milhous seem like a choirboy, Peanut appear as Einstein, and though long before my time, FDR a Conservative.

But the larger view, political admins aside, is that we now face a destiny that has only piecemeal precedent. While many still believe there are previous policies that can save the day, I think we're seeing the beginning of a now inevitable long gray decline at best (or an abrupt and rather catastrophic one at worst) toward the end of the American Experiment in any overall sense that we have come to know it.

Yeah, I know this is the geezer viewpoint of every generation, but I do believe that Eisenhower's famous Yogi-ism really does finally apply: "things are more like they are now than they've ever been before."

The causes of our largely self-baited trap are myriad and debatable, but we are where we are -- like most things federal, admins can do little to quickly help, but much to quickly degrade -- from my knowledge of US history from both study and living it, seems that Obama's three years have equaled or exceeded any previous pace in the latter regard.

- OS

[Guest pfries]

I've been voting since Tricky Dick's first outing, and without a historical diatribe, we are really in uncharted waters now.

Certainly, the Nixon admin was totally corrupt (but perhaps not all that more corrupt than most, just more thuggish and dumber than most, since they were caught and thus we know about it all). Certainly, the Carter admin was a total failure in execution on both economic and foreign affairs fronts, but was perhaps the most "moral" of admins in quite some time.

But suffice it to say, that Barack Hussein Obama and his cronies are both corrupt and incompetent in ways that make Milhous seem like a choirboy, Peanut appear as Einstein, and though long before my time, FDR a Conservative.

But the larger view, political admins aside, is that we now face a destiny that has only piecemeal precedent. While many still believe there are previous policies that can save the day, I think we're seeing the beginning of a now inevitable long gray decline at best (or an abrupt and rather catastrophic one at worst) toward the end of the American Experiment in any overall sense that we have come to know it.

Yeah, I know this is the geezer viewpoint of every generation, but I do believe that Eisenhower's famous Yogi-ism really does finally apply: "things are more like they are now than they've ever been before."

The causes of our largely self-baited trap are myriad and debatable, but we are where we are -- like most things federal, admins can do little to quickly help, but much to quickly degrade -- from my knowledge of US history from both study and living it, seems that Obama's three years have equaled or exceeded any previous pace in the latter regard.

- OS

Ouch but somtimes the truth hurts....

[Guest GunTroll]

Thanks for those two well written personal accounts of the times. Exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for taking the time to write. I hope more add and expand. I think its important to know these things that more or less can not be found in books for us younger guys and gals. Or at least without some spin put on it.

[Guest President Fernatt]

"things are more like they are now than they've ever been before." - OS

Can you put that in context and shortly explain it please?

[Will Carry]

I have never, in my 55 years, seen this country so divided. We have always had liberals and conservatives, rich and poor. But during the Great Depression (no I ain't that old) everyone was poor. It was a great equalizer. During World War Two the liberals and the conservatives were one the same side and afterward had respect for each other. There ain't no liberal and conservatives in a foxhole. Now the the Greatest Generation is fading in the twilight and NOBODY HAS RESPECT for each other anymore. We are a divided country in turmoil and that is exactly where the enemies of freedom want us. The wolves are gathering at the door boys! They sense a weakness and they are hungry. United we stand, divided we fall. Take a liberal to lunch or something but we must get back together and start acting like a UNITED STATES.

"OOOH SAY CAN YOU SEEEE.....everybody.....BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT......!"

[kieefer]

I can remember Dad coming outside to sit on the porch with me and with a choked up voice and a tear in his eye he told me JFK was shot and killed. JFK was the last of the good democrats.

I remember WaterGate, Viet-Nam and wondering if my older brother was going to get drafted.

I remember the Carter years and the chaos/turmoil on TV due to his presidency. I remember the gas lines and recalling the first mention of OPEC. I remember Billy Beer and how stupid and scared Carter sounded on TV. (5mph-huge-ass bumpers and emission junk on cars)

As for a similarity between, Jimmy and BHO, Carter only got into office because of the incredible unpopularity of Republicans due to Nixon/Watergate. GW Bush was hated by the media, did a lot to satisfy the Dems and piss off a lot of conservatives. I think between that and BHO being a smooth talker and black, shoed him in, similar to Carter

At 24 I voted for Reagan, nuff said, Hoo Rah.

Clinton was an embarrassment. Liberals were more noticeable and ramped up their hatred for the Bush's when Clinton was impeached.

People like BHO have been around a long time, look up fabian socialists. The Socialist Party never gained popularity so they adopted/hid in the democratic party. They have always been in hiding, not letting their true intentions be known until they get in office.

BHO has doubled down on liberalism, he didn't clearly run a campaign with his marxist agenda just as other liberals won't, they would never get elected if they did. He did say he wanted to change America as we know it, he is succeeding.

Carter was known for his poor economy and decision making, another similarity we are seeing now.

It took a long time to get where we are today and it will take a much more conscious effort on who we vote in to represent us in the future.

Edited October 15, 2011 by kieefer

[Oh Shoot]

Can you put that in context and shortly explain it please?

Look up Yogi Berra quotes. It was a similar malapropism on Dwight D.'s part, but rings rather true today. I'd translate it as "the situation we're seeing now is so extreme that for all practical purposes it is unprecedented ".

- OS

[Guest lostpass]

Here's what I remember.

Carter ruined the country.

Reagan was going to ruin the country even more.

George Bush was really going to ruin the place.

Bill Clinton was the downfall of the country without a doubt.

GWBruined the country, no turning back

Obama is such a huge liberal, what with the expanding gun rights and republican health care bill and all, that we might as well be a third world country right this second.

What I learned from all of this: Anyone you disagree with will ruin the country. Presidents have way more power than I actually understand, apparently there is a ruin not ruin button in the white house. Democrats hate america and switch the button to ruin. Republicans love America and switch the switch to not ruin.

I'm kidding, politics is not more decisive now than it was in the olden days. Economic stratification has occurred (a serious problem but difficult to address with a global economy) but the biggest thing I've learned is....

America is hard to keep down for long. In years past we were going to get beat by the Japanese. Now the Chinese are going to take our money.It could happen, maybe our years are over.

I used to think that America was made great by unions, pour skilled craftsmen would out compete their skilled craftsmen any day of the week. Then quality control and automation came along. So our skilled craftsmen weren't so necessary anymore.

America was over, but it wasn't. America came back stronger than ever. So I don't worry about America much, It is effing America after all. A country that is better than the politicians that run it, a country that is better than the land it inhabits. We've hit a tough patch but things will get better.

[Oh Shoot]

....We've hit a tough patch but things will get better.

- OS

[Mike.357]

I almost can't believe OS glossed right past LBJ, no mention at all.

I was a youngin then but he had to follow Camelot and had to deal with Viet Nam. It was so bad he wanted no part of running for a second full term. I have no idea if he was a good president or not, but I always wondered had he chosen to run for a full second term would Nixon have ever been elected. I always kind of thought Nixon was the worst president of my life, but Obama is a landslide the worst.

Hopefully we won't have Barry Obama to kick around anymore.

[Guest GunTroll]

And the Ford years?

[Oh Shoot]

I almost can't believe OS glossed right past LBJ, no mention at all....

Was before I could vote, so didn't mention, but yeah, should have. I really began following politics during Camelot, remember well the tenseness of the Cuban Missile Crisis (thought we might have to "duck and cover" )....LBJ admin certainly affected me, what with Nam and all..I won't bore the rest of TGO about how I got out of the army by trying to enlist!

LBJ is best known for two shameful milestones: Vietnam and The Great Society. Certainly the socialist juggernaut of the latter has contributed greatly to our current Welfare Class, sense of entitlement just for having been born, and untenable economics as the demographics have evolved -- greatest lowering of the top to meet the bottom example in our history. Let's not forget the Gun Control Act of '68 either, as for relevance to TGO (then again, viewed in the light of assassination of two Kennedys and MLK, parts of it are more understandable).

It really is amazing, as LostPass has hinted, that we're actually still a viable country at all looking back at some of these guys. Certainly The Gipper and (have to admit it) Slick Willie, have been the only overall successful presidents of my adulthood (done the least damage). Kennedy didn't get a chance to truly compete for a historical judgement, but I suspect he would have failed overall too.

HST barely counts, I was just a tyke -- Ike, of course, was in my lifetime, and from my mostly historical estimation only, was overall in our top echelon of presidents.

- OS

Edited October 15, 2011 by OhShoot