The Boomer Gen did there absolute best (worst)
to suck all of the marrow from the skeleton of
America, before they go off and die.

The America of my youth (I think back to the Bicentennial in 1976)
bears almost zero resemblance to the shell of America today.

In 1976 All Americans were proud we had reached the Bicentennial.
Republicans stood next to Democrats, stood next to women, stood next to
men of all colors and races. And this was in conservative Nebraska.

We have allowed ourselves to be pitted against one another and pulled apart
by political television, by increasingly partisan politics, and by the
rich, which foisted it all upon us, so they could rob the bank and bankrupt
the country.

2 events I believe were central to America heading into such a death spiral.

1. When Rupert Murdoch convinced Ronny Reagan to change the television
broadcast rules in the 1980's, so that 'news stations' no longer had to
meet certain 'truthfulness requirements' and could start churning out
partisan spin, by the boatload. And thus was born Fox News and a hundred
imitators.

2. Citizen's United. When the SCOTUS basically sanctioned the wealth takeover
of free speech in the country, and in buying elections. All of this favored
whatever party catered the most to the rich, and accelerated our political
race to the bottom, with the GOP proving they were the most craven, and would
do anything for the rich to remain in power.

Throw in Dick Cheney famously saying 'Deficits didn't matter' and the multiple
enormous tax cuts by the GOP for the rich (5 tax cut for the wealthiest since Reagan)
and you have the general outlines of the disaster as its unfolded.

When America becomes a corpse, and the walls finally cave in, both sides will be at fault,
but the GOP will have the Lion's Share of the blame, as it was they that instituted the
most harmful changes to America, which lead to this spiralling down.

Yeah...did u even read what I wrote Snoof?
Do I sound happy by the changes which have
taken place since then?

It has been all down hill since then. Unfortunately...

Timing is everything. Unfortunately, the lotto of 'our time' is up to chance.
All we can do is make the best of what we are given, and in what we can earn.

And if all goes to hell in America, which again, is a matter of 'when it does',
I can always bugger off to Canada, Ireland, Mexico, or SE Asia like the host of
other Ex-pats b4 me.

The ones who I feel sorry for, are the poor. They are stuck with whatever comes.

Hey Madbomber, why don't you tell me how I feel?
Jerk. Typical GOP, playing the victim again...
Hey Bomber, it's not 'all about you'. I was speaking
of the poor in general, whether or not you qualify is
your thing. My point was, the rich and affluent are mobile.
They can escape the 'collapse of nations' or wars. The poor
cannot. They have far less options when a nation tanks.

And Sitz, sure there are some good things, several
things that are better in America than 'back in the day'.
But what I was referring to was the 'Arc that American Politics
has taken over the last half century', and that has definitely
been towards the more partisan, the more contentious, and the more
mean spirited. America has been divided, rent apart, like never before in
my life. And it didn't used to be that way. Once upon a time, back in
the 70's, pre-Reagan, we still all identified as Americans. And those
across the political isle were not seen as 'the enemy'.