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malthaussen

(18,503 posts)

137. Eh, I think France works, not so much America.

Fri Jul 12, 2013, 10:00 PM

Jul 2013

The difference is in the level of desperation. The white population of the colonies was in a position where labor was precious and money was scarce. France was in a state of economic chaos and the polarization of wealth much greater. There was genuine upward mobility in the colonies, there was little in France. When the situation exploded in France, it drenched the continent in blood.

This is why I have forboding feelings about the next revolution, if it comes. Those who complacently think the youngsters are too apathetic and conditioned to lotus-eating may just have a surprise coming. But so far, there seems to be little to tie the disparate pockets of despair together in the US. But one can never really predict if a catalyst will come.

And then we can look farther forward. The Revolution created Napoleon. Who knows what genius may lie in the wings?

-- Mal

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Does this atmosphere, this feeling in the air, remind you any of the late Sixties...? [View all] kentuck Jul 2013 OP

No. virgogal Jul 2013 #1

I agree. There was a feeling of anticipation and hope back then. nt Mojorabbit Jul 2013 #40

"There was a feeling of anticipation and hope back then"... awoke_in_2003 Jul 2013 #71

What He Said RobinA Jul 2013 #133

For me, it's more like the frustration of the Carter years - hedgehog Jul 2013 #2

Feels more like the twilight years of the USSR, slowly the conditions getting harsher Katashi_itto Jul 2013 #33

It was the Cold War KT2000 Jul 2013 #46

I agree Katashi_itto Jul 2013 #47

If things continue in their present form, Unknown Beatle Jul 2013 #84

To say nothing about the secret off-budget programs. How many billions there? We'll never know. AAO Jul 2013 #94

Yes, I think that's on target. Jackpine Radical Jul 2013 #96

Nahhh---we have Netflix now and Xbox... trumad Jul 2013 #3

No, not really. HappyMe Jul 2013 #4

No. DURHAM D Jul 2013 #5

That's a joke right? Maximumnegro Jul 2013 #9

No, I don't think so... awoke_in_2003 Jul 2013 #72

How is it a joke? truedelphi Jul 2013 #115

i know for a fact they did... madrchsod Jul 2013 #18

No! Elwood P Dowd Jul 2013 #6

No. Maximumnegro Jul 2013 #7

A generational watershed may have just occurred carolinayellowdog Jul 2013 #8

i just read an piece about young folk are paying more attention because... madrchsod Jul 2013 #14

ya...i was watching a film on youtube about the airplane madrchsod Jul 2013 #10

White Rabbit and Lather... kentuck Jul 2013 #13

at 47 minutes ... looks like the Beatles on the rooftop (Let It Be sessions) napkinz Jul 2013 #67

Well it sure reminds me of the sixties! hamsterjill Jul 2013 #11

Yes, it does, and I'll tell you why. displacedtexan Jul 2013 #12

Agreed. History can repeat. CakeGrrl Jul 2013 #19

That was not my intent nor a "veiled pipe dream"... kentuck Jul 2013 #26

Ridiculous assertion marions ghost Jul 2013 #32

Your opinion. CakeGrrl Jul 2013 #52

Can we have a Great Society without war and surveillance? Seems like the Dem leadership want both. Erose999 Jul 2013 #21

In a perfect world, yes.But I'll take imperfect Dems over Repubs any day. n/t displacedtexan Jul 2013 #24

The Great Society never happened. The war took that away. upaloopa Jul 2013 #23

Revisionist? I was there, protesting the war in the streets displacedtexan Jul 2013 #27

The Electoral College put Nixon into office Art_from_Ark Jul 2013 #114

And so are you... kentuck Jul 2013 #30

no history becomes what the majority says it is upaloopa Jul 2013 #31

No we did not turn our back on a democratic president zeemike Jul 2013 #82

Not to mention, in the '68 election, you had to be 21 to vote. Fuddnik Jul 2013 #89

"Lick Dick in '72" zeemike Jul 2013 #92

I had to buy a couple of dozen. Fuddnik Jul 2013 #97

It's interesting that in the first Presidential election that 18-20-year-olds Art_from_Ark Jul 2013 #116

That and RFK very conveniently died in LA. Warren Stupidity Jul 2013 #119

Hell no! Half the people on DU support giving away upaloopa Jul 2013 #15

Yep. (it's not about security...bummer) nt snappyturtle Jul 2013 #22

Well, if we complain too loudly about our Constitutional rights being stripped away... Maedhros Jul 2013 #81

And it ain't Social Security. Fuddnik Jul 2013 #90

This message was self-deleted by its author upaloopa Jul 2013 #15

Not a bit NoPasaran Jul 2013 #17

We can count our "friends" in the house and senate lately on one hand. And still have fingers left. Erose999 Jul 2013 #20

i was too young but were many of the DEMS far right and fascistic? boilerbabe Jul 2013 #25

There was not the split that we have today. upaloopa Jul 2013 #29

Not exactly the sixties... But there's a certain feelng in the air nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #28

I simply do not see that analogy as having anything approaching accuracy. Blackford Jul 2013 #38

The past is prologue my friend nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #42

We learn from the past. Blackford Jul 2013 #43

Ah but that's where you are wrong nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #44

I disagree completely on the current pattern Blackford Jul 2013 #45

You know...I hear more and more the distress nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #51

I am not assuming "the revolution" will involve bullets. Blackford Jul 2013 #54

Funny, yesterday I was cooling my heels nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #56

Aecdotal evidence is just that, anecdotal. Blackford Jul 2013 #57

You would not know an extreme left nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #59

I would ask that you please refrain from ad hominem attacks. tia n/t Blackford Jul 2013 #61

You mean like you did? nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #62

I did not make an ad hominem attack in any post. Blackford Jul 2013 #64

You did nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #66

I imagine that's what the Tsar and his ministers said.... socialist_n_TN Jul 2013 #102

My friend...some of the things I have been hearing in the back country nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #111

Always a judgement call nadin....... socialist_n_TN Jul 2013 #122

IMHO, NOLALady Jul 2013 #58

Hey there nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #63

I am fine, my friend. NOLALady Jul 2013 #91

1760's America or France? n/t malthaussen Jul 2013 #135

Either works. nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #136

Eh, I think France works, not so much America. malthaussen Jul 2013 #137

Here is a thought for you nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #139

Not a bad comparison at all malthaussen Jul 2013 #140

Not at all. I was not into politics in the '60s, RebelOne Jul 2013 #34

Nixon v. McGovern was in '72. I remember it well. Not the sixties. Blackford Jul 2013 #37

Me too. :( tweeternik Jul 2013 #104

No, not at all. Then there were two things we do not have now, Unity and Unifiers. 1-Old-Man Jul 2013 #35

Having lived through the late sixties, no. n/t Blackford Jul 2013 #36

Almost... it reminds me of the lead up to Watergate. Waiting For Everyman Jul 2013 #39

in the 60's a couple of kids with minimum wage jobs could have shared a flat in the village Douglas Carpenter Jul 2013 #41

Well the Republicans are taking civil rights back to the 50s felix_numinous Jul 2013 #48

Deleted by Author - I misunderstood the post I was responding to - sorry. 1-Old-Man Jul 2013 #128

No. And I hope no one gets too carried away. AllINeedIsCoffee Jul 2013 #49

you need more than coffee Skittles Jul 2013 #79

That's a real blast from the past pinboy3niner Jul 2013 #50

You got that right, brother. kentuck Jul 2013 #78

You left out disillusionment with our leaders. East Coast Pirate Jul 2013 #53

yes mstinamotorcity2 Jul 2013 #55

It reminds me of the 1910's & 20's Myrina Jul 2013 #60

I agree. Plus the viscious clampdown on dissent from the prig Woodrow Wilson. Seems byeya Jul 2013 #65

Echoing other boomer postings... The Time is Now Jul 2013 #68

I call it a dictablanda nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #73

And a big DU welcome to you zeemike Jul 2013 #88

"Young wolves, show us your teeth." John Steinbeck Tierra_y_Libertad Jul 2013 #69

You don't need a weatherman mwrguy Jul 2013 #70

but you need one to know when the hurricane will hit Skittles Jul 2013 #80

You ain't seen nothin' yet! DeSwiss Jul 2013 #74

If by "dawn of a revolution" I'd say yes,...HOWEVER.... Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2013 #75

The generation gap... onyourleft Jul 2013 #129

I've got another kicker for you... Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2013 #130

I agree with... onyourleft Jul 2013 #131

Honestly, that "feeling in the air" only brings one thing to mind... sbh Jul 2013 #76

For both good and ill: No, it does not. WinkyDink Jul 2013 #77

we're getting there, slowly. liberal_at_heart Jul 2013 #83

Nope. Not even close. MineralMan Jul 2013 #85

Perhaps I should have asked? kentuck Jul 2013 #86

I was. See below. I miss it. DevonRex Jul 2013 #98

If you can remember the sixties, you weren't there Fumesucker Jul 2013 #100

Not one little bit. femmocrat Jul 2013 #87

No. tavernier Jul 2013 #93

Not at all. If people march for voting rights it will. LGBTs stood strong and changed America. DevonRex Jul 2013 #95

Change will happen when the Baby Boomers die off FreeBC Jul 2013 #99

what the fuck is wrong with baby boomers? madrchsod Jul 2013 #103

You're welcome for that whole Civil Rights Movement Le Taz Hot Jul 2013 #118

Jury Results aikoaiko Jul 2013 #121

No democrank Jul 2013 #101

I was born in 1967 so I can't say burnodo Jul 2013 #105

Nixon was giving the double VICTORY signs because they got away with it. Coyotl Jul 2013 #106

Yes and no. And I was there and politically active then.... socialist_n_TN Jul 2013 #107

Speaking as someone born in 1949, I say no, not even a bit. scarletwoman Jul 2013 #108

Was there a bellbottom jeans sighting Riftaxe Jul 2013 #109

I was too young then to fully understand what was going on.., Iggo Jul 2013 #110

No. It reminds me of the early 30s when there BlueToTheBone Jul 2013 #112

No, It is Sadly Very Different. School Teacher Jul 2013 #113

world population in 1967 under 3.5 billion olddots Jul 2013 #117

Mid to late 60s, I'd say. nt bemildred Jul 2013 #120

That is pretty accurate bemildred.... socialist_n_TN Jul 2013 #123

I think that is probably the most accurate. kentuck Jul 2013 #124

I was there. I agree, more mid than late. Just warming up the engines still. bemildred Jul 2013 #125

Were people in coffee shops using the free wifi to post JoePhilly Jul 2013 #126

Nope, in fact just the opposite. Back then they actually talked to each other face to face 1-Old-Man Jul 2013 #127

No. truebluegreen Jul 2013 #132

Not even remotely PlanetBev Jul 2013 #134

A sort-of related question. malthaussen Jul 2013 #138