General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Snowden Saga has revealed something else [View all]Cleita
(75,480 posts)and other social safety nets that didn't exist during the days of Victoria, when "the sun never set on the British Empire". They still have the same freedoms and liberties we do and a certain amount of order in their society in spite of some rioting in ethnic neighborhoods, something we have gone through in the past too. They went through two world wars and got involved somewhat in our imbroglios because they are our allies so that really has not helped their economic growth over the decades.
We too will probably not be as prosperous as we were during the period between the Great Depression and 1975. Yes, I date the beginning of our decline domestically to the Nixon presidency. That's when we started eroding the middle class and has brought us to where we are today. We will have to go through a certain amount of struggling to regain a middle class again, but I believe it can be achieved once we kick the war hawks and billionaires out of our government.