Did anyone ever expect to live in the time when it could be truthfully said

[sarisataka]

Andrew Jackson was the second most uncouth, classless and generally despicable person to hold the office of President?

[Intractable]

1. When I was young, I believed that we (the world as a whole, but especially Americans) were on a path toward

ever-increasing democracy, where new technologies would help to set us free.

Every day, as an old man, I am amazed at how wrong I was.

[PatSeg]

3. As I get older

I amazed to realize how little I don't know and apparently never did.

[IronLionZion]

4. It's unfortunate to see it in several countries currently

Those who don't want students to learn history, are definitely trying to repeat the worst parts of history.

[flashman13]

10. That's why they want to erase history.

[jfz9580m]

11. That's partially the theme of two books

I am skimming called - ‘Progress: a History of the World’s worst Idea’ by Adam Miller MacDonald and more indirectly ‘More Everything Forever’ by Adam Becker.

They are kinda soothing at a time like this. In retrospect that was a naive way of looking at it. I was dubious about all that, but had not thought as explicitly about it. I think neglect of and such rapacious exploitation of the environment (extending now to people as we are colonized for these stupid technologies) is the underlying issue.

[Roc2020]

2. I was telling someone

something similar the other day. By a wide margin he will go down as the most despicable incompetent unintelligent person ever to hold that office.

[Mr.WeRP]

5. I never imagined we would be the country of Dumb Nazis

And yet, here we are.

[Mossfern]

6. I went to Andrew Jackson High School

Our school song stated that he was audacious and "nearly" always right.
Very bizarre - located in Queens NYC.

[SeattleVet]

7. Superman's tagline has to be changed ...

to, "Truth, justice, OR the American way.

How far we've fallen.☹️

[Fil1957]

8. The first president I remember was JFK. So as small kid I just assumed that all presidents were pretty much like him.

Boy, did I get that wrong. Since he was assassinated, I have been continuously disappointed in Democratic and especially Republican presidents. And it gets worse and worse. Martin Luther King may have said "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice".

But in my lifetime it could be said that regarding U.S. Republican presidents, "the arc of presidential history bends toward pure evil and incompetence".

[NNadir]

9. By comparison, Andy looks like Miss Manners.

[Joinfortmill]

12. Nope, but we are. Sigh.

[progressoid]

13. I guarantee that the majority of Trump voters have no idea who you are talking about.