Reply #10: absolutely [View All]

[DBoon]

I lived then:

- Reagan made the word "nigger" respectable again. During the 1970's, racism was something low class and ignorant. Racists were jerks. Under Reagan, racism became "straight talk" - "cool" "sophisticated" people used racial insults to be "edgy"
- The number of homeless skyrocketed during Reagan's first years. You almost never found someone living on the streets out of necessity until then
- Along with skyrocketing poverty was a cultural turn against the poor. Poverty was no longer a national disgrace in the world's wealthiest country - it was the sign of a "loser" who deserved it
- The "war against drugs" started, beginning a long period of assault against civil liberties. Once you could start a job without taking a drug test. As long as you met the qualification you were hired.
- The only people who seemed to do well during the Reagan presidency were financial speculators and defense contractors. Everyone else sort of stagnated.
- The idea of public service vanished. The idea of sacrifice for the public good vanished. Thanks to Reagan, if this country ever faced a challenge requiring sacrifice for a common goal, we would fall completely apart.

My recollection of the Reagan years involved starting adulthood with a diminishing take-home pay (thanks to Reagan's tax "reform" and social security tax increase), and being increasingly priced out of the housing market, thanks to a flood of financial speculation in real estate.