Did American culture go downhill in the 1980's?

[Winston]

I just talked to Mitchell, Steve Hoca's last interview guest. He and I are on the same deep wavelength and see many things in US society and culture the same way.

He told me something interesting. He said that the real decline of American culture actually begin in the early 1980's. You see, in the 1970's, if you were creative and unique, or an explorer type, you were considered cool. People admired you. The culture during that era was more free-spirited. (Mitchell grew up in the 70's, so he knew what it was like back then)

It was during the Reaganomic era of the 80's, that that all changed. Life became all about materialistic goals, achievement and competition. People became more shallow, competitive, materialistic, greedy and socially cliquish as well. Movies like "Wall Street (1987)" epitomized this.

I think this is true. Even though the 80's are considered "the good old days" in terms of music and TV shows, I don't remember it as being much friendlier than today. People still seemed kind of hostile, shallow, cliquish, exclusive, fake and not down to earth. I definitely wasn't happy back then. I did not feel accepted or liked. And I felt persecuted even though I did nothing wrong. (Someone once told me that everyone he knew who grew up in the 80's ended up having issues and baggage in life)

And the suburbs were isolating to the point of making me insane since there was no internet to preoccupy me during all my free time, so I had nothing to do, and was always lonely and bored and wishing I was somewhere else, or out having fun with people.

In fact, the last time I remember that people seemed normal in America was 1982-3. After that, the culture and values in America went downhill into materialism and greed to the extreme. From 1984 on, people seemed very mean. I don't know if that was because I moved to Fremont, CA, or because times had changed, or both.

Any of you notice this too?

[zboy1]

Yeah, during the 80s people became more selfish, materialistic, cliquey and unfriendly--but it was sure a hell-of-a-lot-of-fun growing up as a kid and a teenager during those times! Fun decade indeed!...But, you're right, Winston: Reagan and the era of "conspicuous consumption" certainly failed to improve the social climate or the women during that decade (or the 90s, for that matter)...And, Reagan was nothing but a corporatist Republican and not a 'true Libertarian conservative' like a Ron Paul or Gary Johnson. But having said all this...I would do anything to go back to those times--warts and all!

[Winston]

Someone on our FB group who disagrees with me about the 80's posted this video from 1987 as evidence. In it, a guy at a 7-11 talks to random strangers about what they are buying. The strangers certainly seemed more friendly back then compared to today. However, the hot blonde he talked to wearing blue was from France. And this was near Disney World, where people were in vacation mode. But in general, people did seem easier to talk to and less stuck up, as shown in this video.

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

I just talked to Mitchell, Steve Hoca's last interview guest. He and I are on the same deep wavelength and see many things in US society and culture the same way.

He told me something interesting. He said that the real decline of American culture actually begin in the early 1980's. You see, in the 1970's, if you were creative and unique, or an explorer type, you were considered cool. People admired you. The culture during that era was more free-spirited. (Mitchell grew up in the 70's, so he knew what it was like back then)

It was during the Reaganomic era of the 80's, that that all changed. Life became all about materialistic goals, achievement and competition. People became more shallow, competitive, materialistic, greedy and socially cliquish as well. Movies like "Wall Street (1987)" epitomized this.

I think this is true. Even though the 80's are considered "the good old days" in terms of music and TV shows, I don't remember it as being much friendlier than today. People still seemed kind of hostile, shallow, cliquish, exclusive, fake and not down to earth. I definitely wasn't happy back then. I did not feel accepted or liked. And I felt persecuted even though I did nothing wrong. (Someone once told me that everyone he knew who grew up in the 80's ended up having issues and baggage in life)

And the suburbs were isolating to the point of making me insane since there was no internet to preoccupy me during all my free time, so I had nothing to do, and was always lonely and bored and wishing I was somewhere else, or out having fun with people.

In fact, the last time I remember that people seemed normal in America was 1982-3. After that, the culture and values in America went downhill into materialism and greed to the extreme. From 1984 on, people seemed very mean. I don't know if that was because I moved to Fremont, CA, or because times had changed, or both.

Any of you notice this too?

I have Mittchell in my Skype contact list; I should personally put myself in touch with him. He, Hoca, and I were supposed to be on a Skype three-way, but things got "lost in the sauce" sotospeak.

Hoca personally told me I shouldn't be having any problems stateside because I'm not a bad-looking man. Ask him; those were his words. I think that's why he unfriended me from his Skype buddy list.

I didn't know that MGTOW's or TFL guys had to be big as Dwayne or as nice-guy-looking as Hoca. Hoca stays in shape over there in Ohio so he should go back to the Philippines and make magic happen.

I'm just saying.

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

Yeah, during the 80s people became more selfish, materialistic, cliquey and unfriendly--but it was sure a hell-of-a-lot-of-fun growing up as a kid and a teenager during those times! Fun decade indeed!...But, you're right, Winston: Reagan and the era of "conspicuous consumption" certainly failed to improve the social climate or the women during that decade (or the 90s, for that matter)...And, Reagan was nothing but a corporatist Republican and not a 'true Libertarian conservative' like a Ron Paul or Gary Johnson. But having said all this...I would do anything to go back to those times--warts and all!

I miss using those illegal phone dialers. Me, Tee-Tee, Julius, Carlos, and Javier (yes we were the Spic-Goon-crew back then) use to break into movie theaters and watch movies for free and break out (i.e. run like hell) when the cops bumrushed the theater trying to arrest us. I am still amazed that I never had a criminal record except for driving on a suspended license almost 15 years ago.

I used to spend all of the quarters of my grandmother's winnings from poker she hustled on people IN HER OWN HOUSE and NEVER HAD A GUN PULLED ON HER - at the arcade all day buying italian ices, california cooler (yes that was the cognac "syrup" of the mid 80s), grapes, nerds, butterworths, jawbreakers, hotballs cinnamon pepper drops for all the broke-ass bums in my 'hood (Parkchester BX and southside Jamaica Queens) AND (forgive the run-on here!) play 1943, Pack-Man, Yie Ar Kung Fu, Rush N' Attack, Centipede, etc all day man!!. For a bougeois woman, she had some spic-n.igger in her when it was poker-money time.

We used to fire off roman candles at peoples' faces and give them x-degree burns. We were foul but dumb as hell back then. We used to get jumped; we jumped people. The Bronx and Queens are so lame and tame compared to pre David Dinkins days! Ask Bane, Zboy1, well-informed, etc.

[globe-trotter]

Someone on our FB group who disagrees with me about the 80's posted this video from 1987 as evidence. In it, a guy at a 7-11 talks to random strangers about what they are buying. The strangers certainly seemed more friendly back then compared to today. However, the hot blonde he talked to wearing blue was from France. And this was near Disney World, where people were in vacation mode. But in general, people did seem easier to talk to and less stuck up, as shown in this video.

Winston, also keep in mind that in 1987, camcorders were somewhat of a novelty, so naturally people back then were much more enthusiastic about being filmed than they would be today. That's partly the reason why everyone in this video seems so cheery. It's the 'I'm on camera!' effect, which was a big deal back then.
I still agree with you, though, that people in the 80's were several shades more friendly than they are now. People today are cynical and douche-y by comparison.
As for when American society started declining, it's difficult to pinpoint an exact year--or even an exact decade--that clearly demarcates the fall of our culture. I think that American society has been declining for much longer than most people realize, even going back over a hundred years. We reached our present state of cultural decay incrementally, over many, many decades. It didn't happen all at once. Along the decline, certain events stood out as cultural low points in our history, but these events were just symptoms of an ailing society; they were not the cause of it.

[Ghost]

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[Taco]

Peak America was 1950 the country never improved after that. Food and land was very cheap and over 80% of the male population was employed in a high paying job. America women were still virgins when you married them.

16 Reasons Why America Is Collapsing
http://etfdailynews.com/2014/06/19/16-r ... -a-nation/

[pete98146]

Yeah, during the 80s people became more selfish, materialistic, cliquey and unfriendly--but it was sure a hell-of-a-lot-of-fun growing up as a kid and a teenager during those times! Fun decade indeed!...But, you're right, Winston: Reagan and the era of "conspicuous consumption" certainly failed to improve the social climate or the women during that decade (or the 90s, for that matter)...And, Reagan was nothing but a corporatist Republican and not a 'true Libertarian conservative' like a Ron Paul or Gary Johnson. But having said all this...I would do anything to go back to those times--warts and all!

I agree Zboy. Being stuck in the 80s wouldn't be a bad thing at all. Don't know if it's a product of social engineering but people these days are SOOOOOO agenda driven. Think of it as a sliced pie. One piece of the pie is woman's lib, one piece is gay rights, another piece is the democratic platform, the next one is republican platform and so on and so on.

In the 80s, the pie was just cut and there wasn't as much separation between the pieces as there is today. People were more unified and huge divides didn't exist. Fast forward to today and the separation between the pieces of pie is HUGE. Seems like everybody has their own agenda. But the problem with this is the more you worship your own cause, the more you despise others that don't see your point of view.

I'll give you a great example. I've had a very good friend who I used to work with in the 80s. We used to party all the time and we were best buds. He's a DIE HARD Democrat and he absolutely hates anybody who is not a Democrat. Well he unfriended me on Facebook and told me he never wants to see me because I'm not on board with his political views. This saddens me to no end.

[fschmidt]

The book "Marriage and the Family" by Zimmerman complains about declining morals and and increasing divorce, calling it a crisis. This was written in 1956. The author complains that the divorce rate rose from 1% in 1910 to 2.5% in 1947. So America probably did start going downhill in the 80s, the 1880s.

[Taco]

So America probably did start going downhill in the 80s, the 1880s.

Very true, all you have to do is look at the US birth rate, or lack of it. It started declining around 1850. By 1925 the US has the same fertility rate as the Philippines has today approximately 3.0 births per woman. Contrary to popular belief, low fertility rate is an indication of social, economic and political decay. Just ask the Romans.

US Birth Rate
http://www.elderweb.com/book/appendix/1 ... lity-rates

[Jester]

So America probably did start going downhill in the 80s, the 1880s.

Very true, all you have to do is look at the US birth rate, or lack of it. It started declining around 1850. By 1925 the US has the same fertility rate as the Philippines has today approximately 3.0 births per woman. Contrary to popular belief, low fertility rate is an indication of social, economic and political decay. Just ask the Romans.

US Birth Rate
http://www.elderweb.com/book/appendix/1 ... lity-rates

WOW.

1850.

Why so early?

What was the cause?

[Taco]

So America probably did start going downhill in the 80s, the 1880s.

Very true, all you have to do is look at the US birth rate, or lack of it. It started declining around 1850. By 1925 the US has the same fertility rate as the Philippines has today approximately 3.0 births per woman. Contrary to popular belief, low fertility rate is an indication of social, economic and political decay. Just ask the Romans.

US Birth Rate
http://www.elderweb.com/book/appendix/1 ... lity-rates

WOW.

1850.

Why so early?

What was the cause?

1860 was the civil war. Each time a country has a war the fertility rate crashes.

[Jester]

Sorry I hadnt looked at the graph before, just did.

(Would post it here if WINSTON WOULD EXPLAIN HOW TO POST A FREAKING IMAGE.)

Anyway, Taco, to e the graph is confusing.

Pioneering, optimistiic society is the only thing correlation I can think of between the high White birthrate in 1800, and the boomlet peaking in 1970. A sense mission, or purpose.

[Moretorque]

1980's is where they started to really flip the switch and change the country from producers to debt junkies completely dependent on the state, most people are still to stupid to figure out that over the last 30 or 35 years we went from a country of private property for the most part to renter peasants across the board and have become the most socially engineered country the world has ever seen.

Then since 911 they have really really ramped it up again even more.
All our rulers would have to do is crash the credit system and shut the imported fuel off and it would be see'ya for about 90% of us.

Reagan did exactly what they wanted which was deficit spending.