1920s-1990s similarities

[darklordoftech]

- “peace and prosperity”
- rising income inequality
- division over trade and immigration
- a sentiment that there’s “no real difference” between the parties
- failure to take overseas threats seriously (fascism in the 20s, Al-Qaeda in the 90s)

[Person Man]

- “peace and prosperity”
- rising income inequality
- division over trade and immigration
- a sentiment that there’s “no real difference” between the parties
- failure to take overseas threats seriously (fascism in the 20s, Al-Qaeda in the 90s)

That sounds like now

[darklordoftech]

- “peace and prosperity”
- rising income inequality
- division over trade and immigration
- a sentiment that there’s “no real difference” between the parties
- failure to take overseas threats seriously (fascism in the 20s, Al-Qaeda in the 90s)

That sounds like now

I don’t think the first and last points sound like now, but the middle three points do.

[Person Man]

- “peace and prosperity”
- rising income inequality
- division over trade and immigration
- a sentiment that there’s “no real difference” between the parties
- failure to take overseas threats seriously (fascism in the 20s, Al-Qaeda in the 90s)

That sounds like now

I don’t think the first and last points sound like now, but the middle three points do.

Or at least that is the media’s narrative more so than ever. Unemployment is at the lowest in 50 years. Greed trumps fear on Wall Street. The Russians and neonazis are out of control.

[pbrower2a]

If it is economics, mass culture, and politics, then the 1920s look much like the Double-Zero decade.

the business cycle: early, short recession (dot.com and Enrob bust), speculative boom, intensifying economic inequality, and ending in a dangerous recession (after a year and a half after the respective peaks of 1929 and 2007, stock market values were down by more than one half)

Mass culture -- mostly empty and forgettable. If you are fifty years old or older, do you remember anyone nostalgic about the mass culture of the 1920s? 1930s, sure, even if that decade had a Depression -- but at least the movies and music were pretty-damn god. I'm in my sixties so I am in no position in which to judge pop music --But there is no shortage of excellent movies.   Unusual strength of Christian Protestant fundamentalism.

politics -- eight years of Dubya vs. twelve years of Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover; Republican Presidents and majorities in both Houses of Congress with a plutocratic agenda.

My opinion of both decades is expressed in my impression of one book: Sinclair Lewis' Babbitt: it made great sense for understanding the 1920s and the Double-Zero decade, but is not so apropos for any decade in between. 

Besides 00 if you want to see similar elections, see 1912 and 1992 with the elder Bush losing, a strong third-Party nominee, and Clinton taking the role of Wilson.