When was America Great?
Its always been great!
Make America Great Again. A wonderful idea.
But-- now that America is no longer great (and therefore has to be made "Great" again)...a logical question arises:
When was America great in the past?
And perhaps more importantly...what can we do to bring America back to our days of true greatness?
Does anyone here on NT actually know? Please post your comments and suggestions (for making America great yet again) below!
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Well there was slavery... "the Indian thing"...women not being allowed to vote...
crack, heroine and stuff
Still see lots of people wearing these MAGA hats...which makes me wonder....why hasn't Trump made America great again? he's been in office a while...and America still isn't Great!
The great depression doesn't count just because it has the word great in it......
If I had to take a stab at it, it was between the time that the Soviet Union fell, and when things went to hell during the operation in Mogadishu. Otherwise we've sucked until you compare us to every other country in the world.....
So what hasn't Trump-- with all his talk of promising to Make America Great Again...not been able to do it?
In fact, since he's been in office, if anything the situation has gotten worse, not better!
Well some people think he closed the border, rebuilt the military
and banned the Chinese from bringing their virus here...again.
Then there is the new Space Force...
and the old Pandemic Team at NSC.
I wonder what we will call this oncoming depression/recession?
Remember, in order to believe in the MAGA thing, you have to live in the Fox bubble, ignore the constitution, and cast out your critical thinking skills. That is if you had any in the first place.
The Obama/Biden/Hillary recession/depression of 2020?
FlyNavy I had been under the impression that you were pretty much a Republican...???
But lately it seems you have been a bit critical of Trump.
Was I incorrect in assuming you were a Republican?
(This is not meant as criticism..I was just curious)
Well according to Trump (as well as other members of The Trump Crime Syndicate) there will be no recession. In fact, due entirely to his brilliant leadership, things are actually getting much better...and he hopes to have the economy "open" soon-- parts of it even open by as early as May 1st!
P.S: I could be wrong of course-- but lately I've been doing a lot more selling of stocks than buying.
I am now much more into cash in my acct. than I've been in many, many years.
IMO whether or not there will be a serious recession or depression coming or not is not the question-- the question is how much worse will it get-- and how long 'till we return to some semblance of "nortmal"/
We will call it all Hillary's fault! (Or...all because of AOC...)
Well, not "we" but rather dear leader and in fact the entire Trump Crime Syndicate!
(There I go again with my TDS...LOL
Very moderate democrat that has voted on both sides of the aisle since the late 1970s..
I'm data driven.... My news sources are the BBC, Reuters, and NPR.
We did land on the moon, Gorbachev, Pope John Paul, and Lech Walesa ended the Cold War, over ramming was the cause of the explosion on the Iowa, and I cannot confirm nor deny that we have nuclear weapons on our nations carriers.
Perception is so funny. I am always classed as a far left liberal Democrat when in reality I am affiliated with no party and vote based on what I find out on my own about the candidates. I am actually a social liberal and fiscal conservative.
You may be thinking of Ed-NavDoc Krishna.
Ya I know all those squid look alike so it's easy to confuse the two but the Navy fly-boys are a bit smarter, more forward thinking, than the deck swabbers, (just joshing Doc).
Careful there Hermit.... I'm one of the few they would let off the boat.
Hope you've been well.
To renew a phrase....
When your neighbor loses his job, it's a recession....
When you lose your job, it's a depression....
When Trump loses his job, it's progress!
Political position is identical to relative position in physics. How far left someone is becomes dependent on how far to the right the observer is.
I hope you're well today Veronica.
I'm doing fine, thanks.
Did run out of supplies the first week of April but was able to cobble together enough of an online order from Walmart's grocery pick up service to last me till June sooo for now nothing has really changed in my world.
I did get a smile from the two gals that brought out my order when I actually saluted them and offered a heartfelt, "Thanks" for their service on the front lines".
So right on the position.
I am doing well today. Everything going well in your world?
Just took a 30 minute break from work, and went out for a walk with my better half.
Sun is out, birds are chirping, and my feet were cold when they hit the bathroom floor this morning.
In other words: Fine as frog hair lady!
The sun is shining now, half an hour ago it was snowing. I am headed out for my daily walk (as recommended by the PTB at my work).
Have a great night.
Would you buy gold at this time?
There was a time when I think the British Empire was greater than America. And the French had to rescue America in the war of 1812 - remember the burning of the White House. However, I guess America was great just before the Great Depression.
But I have a question. If America was already great, what is the sense of the slogan "Make America Great AGAIN"?
America was great when the country could feed itself, clothe itself, and house itself. America was great when the country could supply its own needs. America was great when the country could produce enough to supply the needs of other countries who were not as fortunate.
When America was great the country would build, manufacture, and produce enough to meet any emergency at home and abroad.
Now the United States cannot even manufacture disposable face masks in sufficient quantity to protect hospital workers, let alone protect the population. Now we are forced to cower in our hovels waiting for container ships to arrive. That's not leadership by any stretch of dictionary definitions.
Now the United States cannot even manufacture disposable face masks in sufficient quantity to protect hospital workers, let alone protect the population. Now we are forced to cower in our hovels waiting for container ships to arrive. That's not leadership by any stretch of dictionary definitions.
Well, "dear Leader" has been in office quite a while now. And he started with republicans controlling both houses of Congress!
So yes-- he's been a dismal failure.
Why?
Of course, you're talking 'bout this guy, right?
Ask the bureaucracy and Congress 'why'. Ask Wall Street 'why'. Ask New York 'why'.
It's easy to expect any President to fix everything while ignoring all the obstacles. It's any easy way for those who do nothing to avoid responsibility or accountability.
President Joe will be an extraordinary President because he is very talented at doing nothing. That's the advantage of following the advice of experts; the follower can remain blameless.
Sure he forced them too...
Had nothing to do with the uber rich CEO
who decided that the "tax" he would typically pass on to the consumer
was too burdensome on his income.
Wouldn't life be easier if we all lived like a partisan meme?
btw, wasn't it Bush who outlawed incandescent light bulbs?
is there a meme for that too?
In name only. He started out with enemies on BOTH sides of the aisle, and not much has changed since except the little letters following their names. This is what happens when you run on a platform that promises to "drain the swamp". The Swamp Monsters band together to block you from doing so at every juncture they can while trying not to endanger the public impression that they hate each other...
Too many variables.
In the 50's the average size of new home construction was approaching 1200 sq ft while the overall average was 950 sq ft.
Most had one bread winner who made $3,300 a year while a new car was $1,500.
My Mother, while now savvy with CD's and Vanguard, kept her cash in a fire box in the dining room closet and the china closet,
first drawer on the left, an envelope system identifying the mortgage, electric bill etc with all deposits and withdrawals written in
pencil. ( Never ever use ink under some dire threat of extreme punishment )
Was America great with no air conditioning, no internet, an infant TV industry and 5 people per household sharing
2 bedrooms and one bathroom?
Yeah, those were the good old days... gas was 25 cents per gallon, no emission controls, brakes made from asbestos.
Leap forward.
Today's average new home is air conditioned 2700 sq ft with 3 bedroom and 3 bathrooms
and the appliances talk to each other.
They don't talk to us very often as each home requires two breadwinners making 59,000 a piece
to pay for trucks that average $44K and cars that average $38K and every family has at least two,
and the average person spends 7 hours a day on the internet over and above their jobs.
Are we better off with cleaner air & rivers that no longer burn? ( except for fracked water with methane )
Supermarkets and department stores that lack nothing?
Come'on mannnn.
In the 1920s a Ford Truck was priced at $850. Today's Ford trucks are priced at $85,000. Based on that one data point, $1 million today was the equivalent of $10,000 in the 1920s. In the 1920s the DJIA index was 100 to 300 points instead of the 20,000 to 30,000 points today. That only shows that the buying power of the dollar has eroded.
All those innovations you listed were manufactured and produced in the United States. The United States was not importing radios, televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners, microwaves, or home appliances. All those innovations were produced in the United States to supply the United States. The United States was not importing machine tools, heavy equipment, steel, oil, or raw materials. The manufacturing infrastructure of the United States depended upon a supply chain in the United States.
Domestic manufacturing and production did not hamper introduction of innovative new products into the market place. And domestic manufacturing allowed people to afford bringing those innovations into their homes. Domestic manufacturing did not erode the buying power of the dollar. The broad prosperity achieved by the United States was provided by domestic manufacturing and production. And the United States was able to share that prosperity with less fortunate countries because the United States was capable of producing in abundance.
As you point out, the self reliance of the United States allowed a single wage earner to support a family and afford the luxuries supplied by domestic manufacturing.
The greatness of America was provided by self reliance on its own capacity to innovate and produce those innovations for the American people. The United States was not dependent upon foreign countries to supply its own needs and wants. As with the buying power of the dollar, dependence upon foreign supplies has eroded the greatness of America.
oh come on Nerm
the base line of an F150 is $29, 000. Top of the line is $67,000.
Can you find an F350 Superduty for $85K.
Sure, but don't blow smoke, like it's anywhere close to an actual average.
Capitalism triumphed because our citizens of our country voted against our own interests
by buying Sony instead of Motorola
and Toyota instead of Ford.
Then it spread.
Bottom line, are you better off now than you were in 1950?
I am.
Is my life better off because of innovations? Yes, of course.
Am I better able to afford those new innovations? No. The innovations are less affordable today than in the 1950s.
As you point out, stripping all the innovations from a Ford truck lowers the price. Being an early adopter of innovations is less affordable today. In the 1920s the Ford truck, itself, was the innovation.
And that doesn't change the fact that the DJIA index was between 100 to 300 in the 1920s compared to today's index of 20,000 to 30,000. We may have more money today but that hasn't made anything more affordable.
Agree to disagree.
Always has been and always will be. That's simply an individuals choices and experiences.
The guy with the 1913 estimate hits home with me.
There are many times we "were Great" while at the same time we had issues we needed to address. No country has ever been 100% "great". That being said, I would say that we lost our modern "great" image around the time of the Vietnam War, and it has been a pretty much constant, if slow, slide downhill from there. Our biggest mistakes have been to allow Corporations and the Elitist to gain control of our government, but even that started before the ink was dry on the Constitution...
And that's gotten considerably worse under Trump!
It's gotten considerably worse under every President since Kennedy IMHO!
It's not some kind of absolute measure of all things. People look back and think "oh we did this thing better back then." There's nothing wrong with that and sometimes it's actually true. It shouldn't be twisted into the idea that all the bad things were good. When people do that, I think they're being dishonest and unfair.
For example, if you think America was great 60 years ago because we had more manufacturing jobs, that's fine. That doesn't mean you think more racism was better.
It's not some kind of absolute measure of all things. People look back and think "oh we did this thing better back then." There's nothing wrong with that and sometimes it's actually true. It shouldn't be twisted into the idea that all the bad things were good. When people do that, I think they're being dishonest and unfair.
But that's not what the hat says!
But the slogan ("Make America great Again") implies that overall America used to be much better than it is now.
Sure. But that doesn't mean everything was better than it is now.
Just like porn - you'll know it when you see it.
After reading all the comments, I'll stick with what I've said before - Scotty! Beam me back to 1950.
yeah, the 50s were good if you were a white, straight, male. Sucked for everyone else.
white, straight, male AND the right religion.
In 100 years, hopefully.