PILOT SPIN
Spin Zone => Spin Zone => Topic started by: Dav8or on April 12, 2016, 09:03:56 PM
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In your opinion, when was the USA at it's peak greatness, power and strength? Or, alternately, when was it closest to the ideal America?
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In your opinion, when was the USA at it's peak greatness, power and strength? Or, alternately, when was it closest to the ideal America?
Post WW2 until the Beatles landed.
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There is no good way to answer the question as phrased. Economically, maybe post-WWII, 50s-60s, but there were serious shortcomings with civil rights, polio was taking people down, cars were built to last 3 years or 100,000 miles and spewed pollution, lakes were burning from the crap polluting them, we were hiding under our school desks from the Rooskies, women weren't getting paid properly, birth control was illegal in several States.
The 70s gave us wage and price controls, Watergate, Jimmy Carter, stagflation and 15% mortgages, Iran hostages and the Cadillac Seville.
The 80s were good economically and a lot of the other crap had been fixed. The 90s saw huge jumps in tech and computers, airlines were in the second decade of deregulation and the greyhound trade could afford to fly.
I don't think there is any one easy answer.
What I would like to think is that we ain't seen nuthin yet. Put someone in the White House who doesn't think the U.S needs to be brought down a peg, who doesn't think the U.S. is the cause of all the world's problems, who believes in the free market, give him a congress who understands all this, and watch the amazing things that can happen.
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Post WW2 until the Beatles landed.
Good answer, except that I would start the with prior to the end of WWII. By then our might was established. Our national pride was at it's peak and everyone believed that the USA was on the side of good and right. That lasted until Vietnam started to go go to hell in the late '60s as we proceeded to put a man on the moon. It even survived our ill-fated incursion into Korea.
Another perceived time of greatness would be during the American Westward Expansion when "Manifest Destiny" was in vogue. Although the American Indian and the Mexicans might vote differently.
By time Jimmy Carter was done we were well into our spiraling descent. RR tried to right the ship, and almost succeeded but he was limited by two terms (and age). GHWB just didn't have what it takes to keep the upswing going.
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1791
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I'd vote for the whole 1950-1970 span.
50's: America had just come off of the successful WWII campaign, and enjoyed great manufacturing success as we were one of the only industrial countries without severely damaged infrastructure. We rebuild the world, profits were made, and the middle class was born.
60's: Space race, great technology push on many fronts, some setbacks, but still a great decade for the USA.
By the 70's: We were beginning to have oil issues, and big pushes from a Japan that was now back online with a much more modern and efficient manufacturing infrastructure, putting big dents into the American car, steel, and electronics industries.
It will be hard, if not impossible, to achieve in the future what was done 1950-1070.
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Mase - I believe it is incongruous to say there were civil rights problems in the 50-60s...and I'm not picking on you or your post but using it as an example of what I see a lot here.
What happened during that time was a realization and pushback from problems that were structurally codified into law and regulation by specific and intentional mal-enforcement of great ideals that existed, but only on paper. I argue that condition effectively still persists today much to the chagrin of the regulars of the forum.
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Victims can't be victims without having an antagonist to blame.
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I argue that condition effectively still persists today much to the chagrin of the regulars of the forum.
Racism still exists.
So does the White Rhino (no pun intended).
But neither are anywhere near the levels of the past.
I was at the park on the river near my house this weekend. There were two "mixed" families having a ball. When I was a kid, that would have never happened because of fear. Today, nobody paid them any attention.
Keep telling yourself that things are no better and you will find that you believe it.
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Racism still exists.
So does the White Rhino (no pun intended).
But neither are anywhere near the levels of the past.
I was at the park on the river near my house this weekend. There were two "mixed" families having a ball. When I was a kid, that would have never happened because of fear. Today, nobody paid them any attention.
Keep telling yourself that things are no better and you will find that you believe it.
Sure things have changed, but we lie about the degree of change and lie about what has changed and therefore the path forward.
Nobody noticed???isnt that an oxymoron?
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...pushback from problems that were structurally codified into law and regulation by specific and intentional mal-enforcement of great ideals that existed, but only on paper. I argue that condition effectively still persists today much to the chagrin of the regulars of the forum.
Can you tell us what specific laws codify discrimination today, and what laws are being mal-enforced?
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Sure things have changed, but we lie about the degree of change and lie about what has changed and therefore the path forward.
Nobody noticed???isnt that an oxymoron?
I didn't say "nobody noticed". I said "nobody paid them any attention".
If you want to disagree with me, at least don't make shit up to disagree with.
I noticed. And it gave me a good feeling about the future.
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Can you tell us what specific laws codify discrimination today, and what laws are being mal-enforced?
Affirmative Action.
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Can you tell us what specific laws codify discrimination today, and what laws are being mal-enforced?
I reread my post and I didn't get the switcheroo of timeline you did. Perhaps it's the sleep deprivation talking.
Congratulate me: I became a dad again, 6 days ago.
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I reread my post and I didn't get the switcheroo of timeline you did. Perhaps it's the sleep deprivation talking.
Congratulate me: I became a dad again, 6 days ago.
Congratulations.
(uh, the Baby was with your wedded wife; wasn't it).
Sorry; couldn't resist. Congratulations to you and your wife. I am sure you will raise the little rug-rat right.
Now, what are you doing on the internet. There are diapers to be changed and barf to be cleaned up.
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Congratulate me: I became a dad again, 6 days ago.
How much you want to bet that in ~20 years he/she marries a white Christian? ;)
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Congratulations.
(uh, the Baby was with your wedded wife; wasn't it).
Sorry; couldn't resist. Congratulations to you and your wife. I am sure you will raise the little rug-rat right.
Now, what are you doing on the internet. There are diapers to be changed and barf to be cleaned up.
I'm at work, making the dollars. Oops time to go. Next stop: IR Groundschool. I'm exhausted.
Yes. My wife and I have 3. 1 girl and now 2 boys.
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I reread my post and I didn't get the switcheroo of timeline you did. Perhaps it's the sleep deprivation talking.
Congratulate me: I became a dad again, 6 days ago.
Congratulations to you and your family!
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How much you want to bet that in ~20 years he/she marries a white Christian? ;)
Interesting wager. Interesting that you would have the idea of such a wager.
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I didn't say "nobody noticed". I said "nobody paid them any attention".
If you want to disagree with me, at least don't make shit up to disagree with.
I noticed. And it gave me a good feeling about the future.
I claim sleep deprivation as a defense. Ha!
What's yours?
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I'm at work, making the dollars. Oops time to go. Next stop: IR Groundschool. I'm exhausted.
Yes. My wife and I have 3. 1 girl and now 2 boys.
Ground School is ok. But before climbing in that cockpit, remember IMSAFE.
(the F is for Fatigue).
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Congrats. It's a wonderful thing.
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I claim sleep deprivation as a defense. Ha!
What's yours?
I'm a retired racial bigot and the wife's at work.
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I'm a retired racial bigot and the wife's at work.
What's a racial bigot? And how does one retire at that? Did it pay great benefits? Part of the White Supremacy "hook-up" network?
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I reread my post and I didn't get the switcheroo of timeline you did. Perhaps it's the sleep deprivation talking.
Congratulate me: I became a dad again, 6 days ago.
So THAT'S your excuse for being AWOL from Pilot Spin? Pffft.
Congratulations!! Boy or girl?
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Don't believe we have yet hit our peak. I might change my mind when we have to build walls to keep people in.
Gary
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I reread my post and I didn't get the switcheroo of timeline you did. Perhaps it's the sleep deprivation talking.
Congratulate me: I became a dad again, 6 days ago.
Mazel Tov!
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Don't believe we have yet hit our peak. I might change my mind when we have to build walls to keep people in.
Gary
I just thought about the irony of the wall. Trump wants to build a wall to keep people out, and Hillary wants to build a (figurative) wall to keep companies in.
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Post WW2 until the Beatles landed.
This^^^^^^ When JFK was assassinated, and the hippie generation came of age, we started to decline quickly.
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I reread my post and I didn't get the switcheroo of timeline you did. Perhaps it's the sleep deprivation talking.
Congratulate me: I became a dad again, 6 days ago.
;D :D consider yourself congratulated!! ;D ;D
Best wishes!! I'm way past the parent stage, was wonderful though.
Gary
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This^^^^^^ When JFK was assassinated, and the hippie generation came of age, we started to decline quickly.
Reminded me of a poignant song by John Fogerty...
They sent us home to watch the show comin' on the little screen
A man named Ike was in the white house, big black limousine
There were many shows to follow, from 'Hooter' to Doodyville
Though I saw them all, I can't recall which cartoon was real
The coon-skin caps, Yankee bats, the Hound Dog man's big start
The A-Bomb fears, Annette had ears, I lusted in my heart
A young man from Boston set sail the new frontier
And we watched the Dream dead-end in Dallas
They buried innocence that year
I know it's true, oh so true
'Cause I saw it on TV
We gathered round to hear the sound comin' on the little screen
The grief had passed, the old men laughed, and all the girls screamed
'Cause four guys from England took us all by the hand
It was time to laugh, time to sing, time to join the band
But all too soon, we hit the moon, and covered up the sky
They built their bombs, and aimed their guns, and still I don't know why
The dominoes tumbled and big business roared
Every night at six, they showed the pictures and counted up the score
I know it's true, oh so true
'Cause I saw it on TV
The old man rocks among his dreams, a prisoner of the porch
"The light", he says, "At the end of the tunnel was nothin'
But a burglar's torch"
And them that was caught in the Cover are all rich and free
But they chained my mind to an endless tomb
When they took my only son from me
I know it's true, oh so true
'Cause I saw it on TV
I know it's true, oh so true
'Cause I saw it on TV
https://youtu.be/YwhxeaVfk3s (https://youtu.be/YwhxeaVfk3s)
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In honor of Merle, and on point to the discussion, I present:
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In honor of Merle, and on point to the discussion, I present:
I guess he was right. Fords and Chevys now easily last beyond ten years.