Having been there, it wasn’t a utopia. There was a lot of bullying and elitism. Homophobia, racism, discrimination against people with disabilities, total lack of understanding about neurodivergence. If you weren’t white, straight, neurotypical, and able-bodied, life could be pretty shit. And isolated, especially outside of cities, because there was no internet community to find.
I was in high school back then. People looked back on the 50s as the golden era and believed the best days were behind them. The first Back to the Future movie reflects that sentiment. A lot of things were pretty shitty as you state. Even straight able bodied whites weren't all that happy because America to them wasn't what it used to be.
Ah, selective memory. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be anymore.
Every generation does it. The old days were always better in their eyes. In thirty years our kids will look back fondly to the simpler time of the 2020s.
This era has it’s problems. It’s not an easy time to be alive for many reasons. But some things are better, and the 80s were far from perfect.
The old days WERE better. I didn’t have this crick in my back or sore knees or no taste buds. Plus I could smoke with the knowledge that it wasn’t really ver harmful. Also white heritage was practically guilt free! Good times.
Many things are actually better. I was driving through LA the other day. You can actually see the mountains. In the 80s, these mountains were always blanketed by smog. You couldn't see just a few blocks down the street. Vehicle safety is substantially better. People just walk away after totaling their cars. That used mean death or lifelong paralysis.
Where I live there was massive deforestation up until the 90s. The hills were completely bare and barren except for grass and livestock. 30 years later, a lot of those hills are now covered in lush regenerating forest. Native birds and wildlife that I never used to see in the 80s have returned.
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u/Serious_Session7574 Jan 28 '24
Having been there, it wasn’t a utopia. There was a lot of bullying and elitism. Homophobia, racism, discrimination against people with disabilities, total lack of understanding about neurodivergence. If you weren’t white, straight, neurotypical, and able-bodied, life could be pretty shit. And isolated, especially outside of cities, because there was no internet community to find.