After the election, many people have commented on the Red State / Blue State divide and say things like "it's as if the Civil War never ended". But does it stop there? I don't think so. Let's walk through some of our tribulations and look at the common parallels with today.
Off the top of my head, in temporal order:
The Revolutionary War - Our newly created country trying to free itself from a foreign occupant, in the process engaging in many renegade acts against Britain that might be considered "terrorist" in nature. Modern parallel: Iraq, in reverse.
The Civil War - Our country divided against itself for a variety of reasons, both cultural and economic. Modern parallel: Red State vs. Blue State although to be fair to the true "purple" nature of our country, it's much more geographically spread out now, and the ideological range of social conservatism vs. social liberalism is playing a bigger role this time.
The Industrial Revolution - A rapid increase in technological progress which coincided with the growth in availability of cheap energy, intertwined with massive economic stratification brought by industry's reliance on Adam Smith capitalism. Modern parallel: Peak Oil. Whereas industry became a behemoth due to cheap energy, the decline of the latter is signaling significant problems for the former, along with the capitalistic foundations it relies on. The economic stratification caused by capitalism has also reached a head, with the gap between the rich and poor being wider than any time in this nation's history.
The Great Depression - The greatest economic collapse this country has previously faced. Modern parallel: The Housing Bubble. Don't pretend you don't know what's coming. And of course let's not forget one of the great outcomes of the Depression, SoSec, which is now fighting for preservation against an administration hellbent on its termination.
World War II - The rise of Fascism and the great war that resulted radically changed this country and the entire world. Modern parallel: The rise of American Fascism.
The Baby Boom - After WWII came the Baby Boom and along with it a series of cultural and economic shocks both positive and negative as the Boomers grew up. Modern parallel: The Retirement. They arrived en masse, and they'll be leaving en masse.
The Cold War - Gotta stop the Communists! Modern parallel: The War On Terror. The paranoia of distant threatening enemies is back in vogue. McCarthy, hope you're happy.
Vietnam - 'nuff said. Modern parallel: Iraq, again.
Nixon and Watergate - A secretive and corrupt president and a scandal that took him down. Modern parallel: Dear Leader, and the recent unveiling of Deep Throat. We can only hope this portends something good.
The 70's Oil Shocks - A wake-up call to our modern oil-dependent way of life. Modern parallel: Peak Oil, rapidly approaching, and we're already feeling the initial tremors. Only this time the shock won't be temporary.
Voodoo Economics - Trickle-down, anyone? Modern parallel: Voodoo Economics, again. Borrow and spend into oblivion.
The Gulf War - The first one. 'Nuff said, here we are again.
Obviously there are many things I've left out or missed, but I'd wager most of them would have parallels to today as well.
Is it any surprise then that even we well-connected people on dKos can't keep up with everything that's been going on? It seems like we're trying to deal with every battle or challenge this country has ever had in its lifetime, or some aspect of it (either a role-reversal, or a mirror-image aspect of an old issue).
And here's where I'm leading...
It's said that right before you die, your life flashes before your eyes.
Anyone else feeling the same vibes I'm feeling? I know I'm not alone on this.
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