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America Since the Bicentennial... Decay, Discord and Division (G&R 511)
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Fifty years ago, America celebrated its bicentennial with a coast-to-coast displays of bunting, flags, community ceremonies, and constant talk about "hope" and "unity." Now as we face our semi-quincentennial, the country is riven worse than it has been in at least a century, and perhaps since the civil war.
What happened in those intervening 50 years?
Scott and Bob, joined by frequent contributor and comrade Clayton Lust, discussed the world in 1976 and how it changed to bring us where we area today. We talked about politics--in particular how the Democratic Party, at the height of its post-Watergate power, moved rightward to promote neo-liberalism and pave the way for Reaganis. We discussed the massive economic shifts--brought on by deindustrialization, a huge decrease in union work, lower wages, and higher prices. And we discussed the cultural shifts that the era brought us--the popularity of Saturday Night Live, hopeful movies like Rocky with more bleak films like Network or Taxi Driver, and the creation of new music genres like punk and rap.
In all, in 5 decades, we've seen a huge transformation from hope and national pride, to division, anger, and even violence.
Guest bio//
Prof. Clayton Lust (@profclaytonlust.bsky.social)- Historian, activist, teacher, conqueror, warper of minds. Clayton Lust has taught at Houston City College since 2003.
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Outro// "Green and Red Blues" by Moody
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