Were the 1990's the peak of Western Civilization?

[opebo]

Holy crap you people are depressing.  We haven't had the "peak" of Western Civilization yet.

Wow, you seriously believe that? Its been in decline all our lives.

But I voted 'yes' to support my pal BRTD.

[opebo]

Wow, you seriously believe that? Its been in decline all our lives.

When do you think the peak was?

Late sixties early seventies like Lief said.

[opebo]

even with the strange American definition of middle class taken into account, how could one argue that the American middle class was destroyed in the late 60s/early 70s? I don't get that.

Unless you talk about an exclusively white middle class...

No, both blacks and working-class whites have seen a plummeting of their incomes since the 1973 peak, black 'middle class' (in the american sense) perhaps even more so than the whites.  But both are in abject desperation.

[opebo]

Enlightenment was the peak of Western Civilization.

Except of course for the fact that it was an error.

[opebo]

Leo Naphta, I presume?

How could be an error the beginning of the death of superstition and the triumph of man, art and science?

Well, I suppose such-a-thing is a little too precious,  Mynheer.  Wham!

[opebo]

...Building contractors from Dublin, Ireland to Dublin, California, and everywhere in-between were getting sweetheart deals from municipal governments to construct housing that even today remains vacant.

What the heck?  The overbuilding had nothing whatever to do with municipal governments, angus.  It is just the normal cycle of under-regulated markets - boom and bust.  Its capitalism, thought you liked it.