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ketofauxtato t1_j6jdf2l wrote

Is it just me, or does everyone seem just a little bit happier?

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JagBak73 t1_j6jui89 wrote

It does seem that way. After 9/11, the country's optimism was shaken to its core. Then the financial crisis of 2007/2008 hit the public like a brick in the face, of which the economy only partially recovered from. The country's politics got more and more extreme and polarized, culminating to Trump's election win. And then covid came along....

That 90s optimism is long gone.

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Lemon86st t1_j6jxsjz wrote

American optimism has been in decline since the Kennedy assassination. Vietnam war, watergate, crack cocaine/opioid epidemic, AIDS/HIV, collapse of the manufacturing sector, just a few things that readily come to mind. it’s been a rough journey

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WhoBroughtTheCoolKid t1_j6kefcu wrote

So basically 1954-1958? Prior to that was Korea, world wars, the depression. Even in the 60s we had civil rights and segregation issues.

I feel like it’s always a rough journey with some brief smooth patches in between.

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Lemon86st t1_j6kf4ro wrote

So true, always been touch and go here in the land of Uncle Sam

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WhoBroughtTheCoolKid t1_j6kfuzi wrote

It’s true and I imagine most countries it’s pretty similar. I guess we should count our blessings that we aren’t experiencing civil war, invasion, an unstable government (kinda), or a dictatorship. Gotta be optimistic.

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