It's only taken me 9.5 years, but I'm finally making my 2000th post. A serious question for DUers...

[appalachiablue]

120. Pray that this is the last throes of the Reagan Rev.! although a stronger, more unified front

against it would have been more effective, obviously. One appears to be taking place finally with the new interest in populism in spite of years of the GOP and some centrist Dems. going along with breaking unions, outsourcing and ending publically run schools, prisons, hospitals and govt. agencies and programs. As well, the reduction of vital safety net programs taking place from austerity and steady shift to deregulation and privatization that's been happening for 30 years here, in the UK, elsewhere and even some in Sweden which they're trying to reverse.

Late in responding to your reply Re the lack of Dem. leadership esp. in the 40-60 year old age group. The info. was helpful Re distinctions between the views of boomers, the smaller Gen. X population and millennials.
The books of authors Strauss and Howe which progressive Thom Hartmann has discussed, particularly *'The Fourth Turning' (1997) point out behavior patterns of American and other generations that have produced Civic-Heroes, Adaptive-Artists types in 80 year cycles depending on societal circumstances. Interesting although a bit too early to factor in the enormous influence of globalization, climate change and rapid advancement in AI now that will displace 50% of US workers in the next 20 years, as Oxford-Martin and other experts forecast.

The thought that older millennials will start to fill in the gap with more activist political reps. is positive even in view of dominant private and corporate sector growth esp. in technology, the pervasive contempt for govt. and the public service area and major reduced funding of govt. at all levels from lessened tax revenue because of lowered incomes and tax breaks for the wealthy. The large millennial age group has been left a lot to handle clearly, even as so many are positive, creative and energetic.

The revived appreciation of what Roosevelt, Eleanor, Labor Secy. Frances Perkins and others put in place with the recovery and New Deal relates directly to the Crash of 2008, the largest financial crisis in 80 years brought on by the deregulation of banks with the repeal of Glass-Steagall in 1998 and the allowance of risky derivatives stock trading soon after. The post-crash financial losses in home values and 401K retirement plans from Wall Street banking fraud, home foreclosures, unemployment and misery highlighted the critical importance of financial reforms FDR had put in place, his safety net and the social programs of LBJ. There are many similarities in the two eras unfortunately.