we were (or i was) brought up in a common sense era. our folks, whether or not formally educated had sense. they could figure out what was in their best interest and in the interest of their communities. people were employed and could take care of themselves and their families. people went to mainstream churches where the whole community could discuss important issues of the day. they cared about their communities and the environment (i remember the first earth day). they didn't agree on everything but they did believe in progress. that tomorrow would be better than today.
since then we have been subjected to years of anti-government, anti-community propaganda starting with reagan and his anti-community campaign.
one result is that we have been taught to hate each other. i suppose because we fight each other for scraps.
reagan was mild compared to the young crop of rabid right wingers who were born into his world. they have never known anything but to glorify greed.
they are cut-throat competitors with no moral compass. fed on reagan and ayn rand they see themselves as special, the idea people, and others beneath contempt. the poor especially.
in this land of "self-evident" grace god rewards the virtuous with money and curses those he condemns with poverty. they are the root of all evil and problems.
i was an adult when reagan took office. i could see that his anti-government, trickle down, champion of capitalism, blame the poor for all problems, approach to government was ruinous, that it would not end well.
yet some of my friends embraced reagan's message. it spoke to some sense in them that they were being ripped off, short changed, and having to work too hard. and rather than see that the tax breaks for the rich were the cause of their woe, they accepted that it was the fault of the poor. reagan's welfare queen was sapping them.
i couldn't really understand the attraction to reagan's message but it turned out to be much worse than i thought at the time.
reagan was just a tool. the uber-rich behind him were and are evil.
i believe he did not know how much of a tool he was but it does not matter. he was a slick, friendly, grandfatherly, confident, and an ex-democrat gone republican, commie fighter. people trusted him. even those who disliked his policies liked his persona (not me but many americans were taken in by his act).
and that was it. america was hooked. the rich were living high off our social security savings and paying politicians to legislate in their favor.
as the rest of us got poorer we got meaner. we just aren't that nice of people anymore. if my kid can go to a charter (read private) school on the public dime who cares where your child goes to school. if you cared you would get him/her into a charter too.
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