Shifting Politics

Reading a post by JohnRoth in the Beginnings spoiler, I was struck by his comment of wait three hundred years for the politics to shift. It has been my impression that politics shift, in ooh so many ways, much faster than that. Fifty years ago, we were worried about Korea, the Cold War with Russia, the war in Viet Nam, the next ice age (yes, ice age ) and civil rights for blacks and Indians. Twenty five years ago, we were worried about Korea, the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, climate change, the war in Bosnia and HIV. This year, we are worried about Korea, the Cold War with China, the war in Afghanistan, global warming and civil rights for gays.

If you go back through recorded history, the same pattern repeats over and over. The names change. The causes change. The concerns change. Human nature does not change. We always find something to contend about and with.

KNick wrote:Reading a post by JohnRoth in the Beginnings spoiler, I was struck by his comment of wait three hundred years for the politics to shift. It has been my impression that politics shift, in ooh so many ways, much faster than that. Fifty years ago, we were worried about Korea, the Cold War with Russia, the war in Viet Nam, the next ice age (yes, ice age ) and civil rights for blacks and Indians. Twenty five years ago, we were worried about Korea, the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, climate change, the war in Bosnia and HIV. This year, we are worried about Korea, the Cold War with China, the war in Afghanistan, global warming and civil rights for gays.

If you go back through recorded history, the same pattern repeats over and over. The names change. The causes change. The concerns change. Human nature does not change. We always find something to contend about and with.

We aren't happy unless we have something to argue over......

All good points, but I'd like to point out that the overall situation has changed for the better. I'm of the vintage that could have been conscripted for Vietnam but was lucky to miss the draw so can do the old "when I was a lad" thing but in an optimistic way.
My grandfather was a Light Horseman in WW1 who survived the Beersheba charge in a war that regularly saw tens of thousands slaughtered every day. My dad flew Kittyhawks and Spitfires in WW2 where millions died (but less than WW1). I managed to miss Vietnam where many thousands died, and my sons dodged Iraq/Afghanistan where thousands died (but less than Vietnam).
In economic terms every generation has lived better. When first married we used to travel a mile to the phone box each month to call relatives while my kids at the same life stage have a mobile (cell) phone each, land line, email, Facebook etc. I used to stuff my shoes with cardboard while saving to get them resoled, but now all have cupboards full of shoes.
In social terms; my gay friends have no hesitation in showing it now but would have been in big trouble years ago. I can remember when government offices sacked women if they married, and when women couldn't legally drink at the local pub bar.
I'm somewhat smug in noticing that what were my radical views at University in the 1970 period are now mandatory mainstream norms. The local paper ran a campaign to have me excluded from University because I advocated subversive ideas like caring for the environment, condom vending machines, protests against 8 of 9 local councilors being real estate developers, racial discrimination, and equal rights for all.
Funny how 30 odd years later my career included being drafted to write government policy.
Pessimists believe we unfortunately live in the best possible world, while optimists believe we fortunately live in the best possible world. I believe we live in an excellent world that is slowly improving, but unless we are vigilant will revert to what the mean spirited narrow minded minority want.

Daryl, you and I must almost the same age. One grandfather served in the US Home Guard because he was considered to essential to fight (rancher-farmer with no sons), the other because he was foreman on the Northern Pacific building the RR across the northern US, nor was he a citizen yet. They were both to old for WWII. Dad fought in Korea and was on the last troop ship out that didn't go to Viet Nam. I got drafted in boot camp (enlisted while still 17. Draft # was 1). Got shot at off the coast up north. I had never met or seen a black before my 15th birthday. He was the adopted son of a Methodist minister. I had never met anyone who I knew was gay until I had been in the service for about three years. One of the most memorable was a US Marine Master Sargent who had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in Viet Nam. My last boss was as openly lesbian as they come. She was a good boss, too. So, while I do agree that the world is materially a better place for most, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Not everyone has our advantages, or our experience.

Pessimists believe we unfortunately live in the best possible world, while optimists believe we fortunately live in the best possible world.

And idealists WANT to live in the best possible world.

I'm somewhat smug in noticing that what were my radical views at University in the 1970 period are now mandatory mainstream norms. The local paper ran a campaign to have me excluded from University because I advocated subversive ideas like caring for the environment, condom vending machines, protests against 8 of 9 local councilors being real estate developers, racial discrimination, and equal rights for all.
Funny how 30 odd years later my career included being drafted to write government policy.

Progress...

In economic terms every generation has lived better.

That trend is unfortunately breaking up. The last couple of decades have gone "backwards", but because of the commonalisation of exploiting low cost countries to massproduce cheap goods, we cant see it yet.