IMO the next thirty years of politics will be better than the last twenty years

[micrometers]

Here's why. All of the nasty people are really old.

The worst on the right are Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. Only senior citizens pay attention to them. The worst on the left are...Olbermann and Maher. Not many youngsters are into them.

Young evangelical Christians aren't into divisive culture wars like their parents were. In general, higher education has molded people into more compassionate and tolerant people than the previous generation, and IMO the world has become more fair than it was in previous generations, such that bigotries don't permanently alienate and radicalize people.

 

[monovillage]

I'm glad you're so optimistic about your own bigotry, I doubt it will work well for you, but best of luck.

 

[Kadarin]

The thing is... As all the cranky old people die off, their ranks are replaced as currently middle aged people gradually both go senile and get ossified in their beliefs, losing their ability to adapt to new situations. It's a problem that never ends.

 

[bfdd]

I just hope everyone will eventually have enough of being wannabe slave owners and trying to dictate the world and lives around them. Then we can get on to some real "tolerance" and move forward for progress. So sick of this "OMG I KNOW WHAT'S BEST" non-sense. You don't, I don't, no one does, shut the fuck up and live your own life.

 

[Steeplerot]

There are a lot of older people that never fell for the divisive crap. But yeah, I always suspected that the tea party right wing foxnews types are trying to carry on the old bigotries of their parents, good riddance. There is no room for irrational hate and ignorance in modern society. In the free market of ideas conservatism always fails in the long run, it only carries on through them playing victims and isolating themselves culturally, very hard to do in this day and age when cold war mass media like tv and radio that breeds lockstep rigid thinking is going the way of the dodo bird.

When mass media is not centralisd and monopolized by greedy men conservative will be like calling someone a brainwashed hate filled cultist. Which they are. Even the word makes no sense to young people, what the hell do they conserve? The worst of the 20th century culture? It's (almost) dead Jim.

 

[bfdd]

There are a lot of older people that never fell for the divisive crap. But yeah, I always suspected that the tea party right wing foxnews types are trying to carry on the old bigotries of their parents, good riddance. There is no room for irrational hate and ignorance in modern society. In the free market of ideas conservatism always fails in the long run, it only carries on through them playing victims and isolating themselves culturally, very hard to do in this day and age when cold war mass media like tv and radio that breeds lockstep rigid thinking is going the way of the dodo bird.

There's no room for your irrational fear of freedom either. Irrational hate, irrational fear, same fucking thing. You have so much irrational fear you want to central plan the world around you. How is that any different? It isn't and you're a tool.

 

[boochi]

If we continue on our current course, this country will split in the next 20 years. Our debt is getting so out of control that states will simply opt-out, split away and Washington won't be able to do anything about it.

 

[Steeplerot]

There's no room for your irrational fear of freedom either. Irrational hate, irrational fear, same fucking thing. You have so much irrational fear you want to central plan the world around you. How is that any different? It isn't and you're a tool.

And the dumbass cold war red baiting that has nothing to do with the modern world will be nice too. What world do you live in? Do these folks fight the soviets still in their fevered dreams to wake up with soiled depends? Damn you commiez!!! Totally culturally irrelevant in 2012, and conservatives wonder why everyone think you are social pariahs, here's a hint: it's not because we hate liberty, it's because you all are full of anger about a bunch of made up garbage for armchair warriors whose war you never got to fight. Luckily. But yeah, soldier on cold war heros..you all sure showed Castro huh?

 

[bfdd]

And the dumbass cold war red baiting that has nothing to do with the modern world will be nice too. What world do you live in? Do these folks fight the soviets still in their fevered dreams to wake up with soiled depends? Damn you commiez!!! Totally culturally irrelevant.

Damn commies! lols toolbag, I never said anything about the cold war or "red baiting". I don't even care that you're a communist or what you believe. In fact, I like that you believe those things and that you are trying to live in the world you want to live in. What I don't like is that you want to force your world view on me and everyone else. you're no different than religious fundamentalist idiots.

If you wanted my respect you'd lead your life by your values and not try to project them on the world around you.

 

[Infohawk]

In general, higher education has molded people into more compassionate and tolerant people than the previous generation, and IMO the world has become more fair than it was in previous generations, such that bigotries don't permanently alienate and radicalize people.

There's definitely a chance things will get better in the future but it's not all as clear cut as you think.

As Kadarin said, people are aging every day. I'll add that while you say higher education is paying off, there are a lot of Central American immigrants who don't have college educations and are happy to vote against things like gay marriage in California. That's a good example of new sources of division cropping up even though the old white people you dislike are going away. Human nature is not going to change when Rush Limbaugh dies.

It probably all comes down to whether we have enough economic wealth to preserve something similar to people's current standards of living. If gas is at $20 a gallon I imagine there will be plenty to fuel alienation and radicalization of people.

 

[davmat787]

The OP's optimism is welcomed, but I think much depends on what the next boogey man is. Recently, it was Nazi Germany, then the cold war with the Soviets, and then muslim terrorists. Many negative aspects of policy can be tied to the fear created by these eras of fear.

If we can go the next 30 years without being introduced to a new source of fear, whether false or real, I think we can start focusing on our own internal problems more efficiently.

Oh, and there will always be old curmudgeons to put up with. But you can also learn a lot from the eldery's life experience too, don't dismiss one just because they are old. Most cultures revere their eldery, while we celebrate youth.

 

[micrometers]

There are a lot of older people that never fell for the divisive crap. But yeah, I always suspected that the tea party right wing foxnews types are trying to carry on the old bigotries of their parents, good riddance. There is no room for irrational hate and ignorance in modern society. In the free market of ideas conservatism always fails in the long run, it only carries on through them playing victims and isolating themselves culturally, very hard to do in this day and age when cold war mass media like tv and radio that breeds lockstep rigid thinking is going the way of the dodo bird.

When mass media is not centralisd and monopolized by greedy men conservative will be like calling someone a brainwashed hate filled cultist. Which they are. Even the word makes no sense to young people, what the hell do they conserve? The worst of the 20th century culture? It's (almost) dead Jim.

well, I think the last twenty to thirty years was Jim Crow being cleansed out of the American system. Think about it. Civil Rights happened in the 1960's. before that time, there were a lot of people who experienced Jim Crow. If you were 20 years old in 1964, you are 68 today. The children of white segregationists IMO are not at all racist like previous generations.

Most of Rush Limbaugh's listenership is over fifty. Their children don't care for him.

 

[Steeplerot]

Damn commies! lols toolbag, I never said anything about the cold war or "red baiting". I don't even care that you're a communist or what you believe. In fact, I like that you believe those things and that you are trying to live in the world you want to live in. What I don't like is that you want to force your world view on me and everyone else. you're no different than religious fundamentalist idiots.

You said I hate freedom, so whatever, I think you right wingers wouldn't know liberty if it smacked you upside the head. I could care less what you do, but stay off my shoes. Everyone knows this, but somehow conservatives think they are some morally righteous defenders of liberty, fact is you all have been on the WRONG side of just about every social issue since Lincoln. So stuff it. Conservatism is bunk. And no, I don't recruit. If you wanted my view of liberty I would tell you YOU need to find it, for all of us it is something different, in the end everyone wants to feed their family with as much dignity as possible. The details are up to you.

 

[micrometers]

The OP's optimism is welcomed, but I think much depends on what the next boogey man is. For awhile it was Nazi Germany, then the cold war with the Soviets, and then muslim terrorists. Many negative aspects of policy can be tied to the fear created by these eras of fear.

If we can go the next 30 years without being introduced to a new source of fear, whether false or real, I think we can start focusing on our own internal problems more efficiently.

Oh, and there will always be old curmudgeons to put up with. But you can also learn a lot from the eldery's life experience too, don't dismiss one just because they are old. Most cultures revere their eldery, while we celebrate youth.

Here's something interesting. During the Reagan years when Reagan was spouting off about how evil the Soviets were, the Soviet leadership was comparing him to Hitler.

What's interesting is if you watch the Republicans campaigning, they are making arguments that might have been true during the 60's, 70's, and 80's, but aren't true anymore. Stuff about government waste and bureaucracy and so forth. But yes, the older generation does have valuable experience, but I also think that many are stuck in the impression that they formed during their working years, and haven't really updated those impressions.

 

[Steeplerot]

well, I think the last twenty to thirty years was Jim Crow being cleansed out of the American system. Think about it. Civil Rights happened in the 1960's. before that time, there were a lot of people who experienced Jim Crow. If you were 20 years old in 1964, you are 68 today. The children of white segregationists IMO are not at all racist like previous generations.

Most of Rush Limbaugh's listenership is over fifty. Their children don't care for him.

This subject kinda irks me, I grew in the 80s ( I will be 40 soon) really excited about our future, (i grew up watching shuttle launches and such) Reagan and his moral majority ghouls then Limbaugh literally lost us a lot of time pulling us back into the 50s. Now we on 2012 are in many ways debating nonsense we hashed out in the 50s early 60s. Anyhow, I agree, but there was a backslide. All the coke that generation did in the me decade I guess turns people paranoid.

 

[1prophet]

Things aren't going to get better but worse, the politicians will just get more creative if possible using wedge issues to try to keep the peoples eyes off the impending end of the American dream for the majority of the middle class and below.

 

[irishScott]

For once I actually agree with you. The GOP will eventually wise up, right now they are largely alienating younger voters such as myself and basically ceding them to the Democrats.

 

[monovillage]

The thing is... As all the cranky old people die off, their ranks are replaced as currently middle aged people gradually both go senile and get ossified in their beliefs, losing their ability to adapt to new situations. It's a problem that never ends.

With luck you'll be one of the aging people that get the alternative to getting old and cranky.

 

[davmat787]

Here's something interesting. During the Reagan years when Reagan was spouting off about how evil the Soviets were, the Soviet leadership was comparing him to Hitler.

What's interesting is if you watch the Republicans campaigning, they are making arguments that might have been true during the 60's, 70's, and 80's, but aren't true anymore. Stuff about government waste and bureaucracy and so forth. But yes, the older generation does have valuable experience, but I also think that many are stuck in the impression that they formed during their working years, and haven't really updated those impressions.

Are you suggesting concerns regarding government waste and bureaucracy are not valid concerns these days, a relic of the 60's, 70's, and 80's?

Regardless, not sure what this has to do with my comment that you replied to.

Now, was Reagan right or wrong regarding his stance that the Soviets were evil? I would think that is a matter of opinion, and who specifically he was referring to. Obviously, just because someone lived in communist USSR does not make them evil. On the other hand, they certainly did a lot of evil things.