I Grew Up During The Cold War

[Baron2024]

We had problems in America but we had democracy and we were free. I always felt badly for those that had to live in a totalitarian police state like East Germany or Soviet Russia. As I get older, I amazed to find that true tyranny has arrived in this country without a shot being fired. I hope that justice and democracy prevail but even if it does it will be a difficult fight. We are cursed to live in an unusual time in American history. We used to be a beacon of democracy and now we are in danger of falling into the shadow of tyranny. I hope that democracy survives and is reborn again in America.

[KT2000]

1. As Marc Maron said

We live in a democracy where people can vote in a fascist that destroys the country.

The acceptance of the alignment with Putin against all of our allies is unbelievable to me.

[Seinan Sensei]

7. Another irony of Democracy

is that it requires a strongman or strongwoman with vision, character, and influence.

Someone who uses their stature and wherewithal for the good of society (vs. for personal gain).

Someone for whom Power does NOT corrupt.

[KT2000]

11. There is something else too

the population needs to be able use their brains.

A lady across the street told me that Michelle Obama is a man. Another neighbor - PhD in nursing thinks Hilary Clinton is a pedophile. Now Russian sources - DC Weekly - is telling Americans through social media that Zelensky took the money from the US and bought two huge yachts.

[mitch96]

14. "the population needs to be able use their brains." BINGO!! ding ding ding... Half the population have traded

their thinking for a red hat and a slogan...
m

[Figarosmom]

2. Tsf is alienating use from

The rest of the free world

[Skittles]

3. it just kills me that fellow Americans VOTED for this fascist crap

sickening

[BadgerMom]

4. Me, too. But even after voter suppression, we outnumber them.

Despite all of their crap, they couldn’t break 50%. If they turn the military and cops on us, it will be difficult. But we’ve got to oppose them.

[boonecreek]

5. I was in 7th grade during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Oh so fun wondering if we were going to go up in a nuclear cloud.

[Baron2024]

6. I Was Around Later

Nixon was my earliest memory of a President. Ford, Carter, then Ronnie Reagan. But the fear of a nuclear war was always there. I found that young people really lived every day, because it was not guaranteed. Current times are a different sort of feeling of dread.

[Buns_of_Fire]

9. I was in 6th grade, in south Florida, doing "duck and cover" drills

in a classroom with floor-to-ceiling windows on the west side. Those were the good old days.

[boonecreek]

15. We didn't do duck and cover.

They would herd us down to the "basement", actually the ground floor and
have us stand an arm's length from the wall. Apparently the Chicago BoE was
still fighting WWII.

[multigraincracker]

8. Bigotry is about the same as I remember it.

[oldsoldierfadingfast]

10. I was born in Feb. 1940...

(just celebrated the 5th anniversary of my 17th birthday) into a family still trying to survive the Great Depression. With the advent of WWII, neighbors gathered around my grandma's kitchen table to listen to radio news. munch on her left-over cold biscuits and whatever they brought to share - and possibly take a sip or two of her home-made blackberry wine.
My 'playhouse' was under that table and to this day, inside my head, I can still hear the voice of Gabriel Heater saying, "There's no good news in the world tonight!"
History is easier to remember when you have lived through it even if you were seeing it with different eyes due to your own age at the time.
I have lived thru a number of skirmishes and wars; including the cold one as 'fall-out' basements were dug and stocked.
I was around for measles, mumps, whooping cough, diptheria, TB, and polio.
I was around for our internal battles; segregation, civil rights, medicare, natural and man-made disasters, etc.
Most of all, I was around to see how our country handled all the crises; and handle them, we did. And pretty darn well. I know as I was around during the times of prosperity and growth.
Our country was never perfect, but we did have two things we could show to the world - #1 Our Constitution and #2 How people from all walks of life can come together and with some compromise get things done for the betterment of society as a whole as that is how democracy works.

What I have never seen is what is happening to our democracy today! My heart not only cries, it bleeds for the the younger generations living in this country now, never knowing what tomorrow may bring.

[no_hypocrisy]

12. The thing that gets me is how TSF is marketing his regime change by

implying that he's improving democracy.

[Martin Eden]

13. Trump is openly colluding with Russia to destroy NATO and hand Ukraine to Putin

And the Republican Party enables it. A few are grumbling about abandoning our longtime allies in favor of the Russian dictator, but they won't do a gaddamn thing to stop it.