Not sure if my parents were just shielding me when I was younger during Bush/Obama times or have things always been this bad? (ignoring the pandemic part). So much has been going on, I’ve become numb.
No, this is a new low for the US. There have always been problems but trump has divided the country and made everything worse.
If you honestly only blame him, then you are contributing to the problem
*We* divided the country. The responsibility is with each one of us. Most of us cannot even find a single figure from “the other party” that we appreciate - that is either because “the other party” is 100% evil, or we have serious judgement issues.
People are more likely to protest and be unhappy during poor economic times, especially with what's been happening to the erosion of the middle class. Add racial injustice on top and it's not a good mix.
Yes, it has been worse. Racial injustice was way more prevalent and violent pre 1970’s. The country was in an actual civil war. The Great Depression shattered any illusion of prosperity for a few generations’ worth. BUT I’d argue that, while it isn’t as objectively bad now as it was, it has the potential to be the worst time in modern history. Income disparity is at an all time high, unemployment is through the roof, bonafide corruption is back on the menu, we’re slogging through a pandemic, the US president is a man who has a rich history of mismanagement and is a narcissistic snowflake, and we all no matter how poor or rich have these emotional tinderboxes call smartphones that can send us into a frenzy (see: Myanmar and Facebook, India and WhatsApp). Violence may be around the corner. And with violence, once that box gets opened and it becomes even the slightest bit normalized, then it’s hard to close it. The proliferation of semiautomatic weapons around the nation is an extra dimension added to the potential volatility - few civilian populations have ever been as collectively armed and lethal as the United States
For over 400 years
Thank you
Exactly, the current US is a grand experiment in the context of civilized society. There has never been a society with so many diverse cultures and backgrounds living together without actual subjugation, oppression, and slavery. That comes with enormous challenges but there has never been a better place to live in history than present day America.
Current riot seems much worse.
Are there Korean store owners defending their stores with rifles and shotguns? I haven’t really been paying attention to the news.
People rioting, looting, burning and vandalizing the neighborhoods they live in is criminal activity Its has nothing to do with social justice or race tensions. It's bad people taking advantage of a fragile system and it's not ok that law abiding societies and business owners have to deal with criminals and terrorists. Now they will bring in military and inact Martial Law if these morons dont stop this.
This is not a new low and it has always been like this. Any one saying otherwise is probably white or some other non black ethnicity and ignorant.
Protesting is ok...rioting not ok. Are you crazy, violence brings violence. So you think robbing a Target, hitting car windows of commuters on hwy 101 or burning down a public library is not ignorant behavior? You think that is ok? Why would you put it on one race when there is all ethnicities taking part in these criminal activities. This is not justice for George Floyd or making a point to stop police brutally. And you acting like this is ok is even scarier Boeing. Hope you enjoy being locked in curfew in addition to Shelter in place...because this is where it's going.
What do you mean “like this?” A heavily biased media? Race baiting? Sharp political divides? People with nothing better to do? Yeah this is the worst that’s ever been. Opportunities? (Pre Covid) Education? Yeah it’s the best that’s ever been. People allow themselves to be trapped in a victim mindset now and I don’t understand why. It wasn’t like this growing up.
Yep, it has over a hundred years history slavering people while the rest of the civilized world stepped out of slavery for thousands of years
Polarization increased after 2012(Trayvon Martin). Was decently calm during 2000s because of 9/11. In general, yes there has always been tension and we’ve had more than a few riots over the last 60 years. Having 20+ million people unemployed and mentally stressed looking for a physical outlet due to pandemic has definitely played a large role in exacerbating this one.
Dude. 2000s were "calmer" because the racists were picking on Muslims / browns instead.
True, but in comparison I say calmer because there were no protest or riots