Once Upon A Time in America

[NanceGreggs]

There was a time when politicians attacked each others’ positions when they disagreed, not each others’ patriotism.

There was a time when torture was something the other guy stooped to, but something we were morally above even considering.

There was a time when neighbors discussed their party affiliation, instead of not speaking to each other because of it.

There was a time when Support the Troops meant ensuring that soldiers were sent into combat well-equipped, well-trained, and well-rested, instead of being a meaningless sticker on the bumper of a car.

There was a time our government treated wounded veterans as honored servicemen in need of help, and not a financial liability in need of being gotten rid of.

There was a time when a president united a country when facing an adversary, instead of dividing it into those with him and against him, regardless of the facts, the truth, or the consequences.

There was a time when Christian values led to believing in His message of peace, tolerance and understanding, instead of believing in money-grubbing hucksters disguised as Christian leaders, willing to deliver the votes of the faithful to the highest bidder.

There was a time when moral values referred to how you lived your life, and not how often you excused your own immoral behavior by saying God had already forgiven you, end of discussion.

There was a time when hypocrisy was the downfall of a politician, and not a ticket to higher office.

There was a time when the poor and homeless were seen as down-and-out people in need of a helping hand up, and not as lazy slackers deserving of nothing more than a slap-down.

There was a time when journalists were watchdogs who questioned the government’s policies, instead of lap-dogs who sold the government’s agenda. In fact, there was a time when there were journalists.

There was a time when the American president was considered to be the smartest guy in the room, and not the dumbest guy in the country.

There was a time when the American presidency was decided by the voters, and not a decision made by the Supreme Court, or a decision made by questionable electronic apparatus.

There was a time when corporations spent their money convincing consumers of the quality of their product, and not convincing politicians of the quantity of their campaign contributions.

There was a time when banks made a profit by investing in the new homeowner, the new business operator, the new student, instead of making a profit by exploiting their naivete in an attempt to improve their lives.

There was a time when Americans were at the top of the list when companies were looking for employees, and not at the back of the line behind cheaper laborers in foreign lands.

There was a time when wearing a flag lapel pin was a sign of individual patriotism, and not a political statement to be judged by.

There was a time when attaining the wealth of the American Dream meant contributing your tax dollars when you got there, not contributing to office-seekers who would let you off the hook.

There was a time when disparaging the military service of your political opponent meant he’d never served and you did, not the other way around.

There was a time when announcing your five deferments because you had other priorities in a time of war fought by draftees would have resulted in derision, instead of a vice presidency.

There was a time when prisoners-of-war, torture, and innocent victims were called just that, and were not labeled as enemy combatants, enhanced interrogation techniques, and collateral damage in an effort to obfuscate the truth.

There was a time when spreading freedom and democracy wasn’t a euphemism for destroying a people in a pursuit of stealing their natural resources.

There was a time when the President of the United States spoke and people around the world listened without being outraged by the words, without questioning the truth of the words, without laughing at the words and the person who said them.

There is something to be said about being old enough to remember such things, because you can look back on what used to be, and find hope in the fact that it might be again.

But there is something truly sad in remembering things that your grandchildren might never accept as having ever been, because their world may end up being so incredibly distant from what once was.

[Raven]

1. This is one of the saddest things I've ever read.

I hated to read it and I hate to acknowledge that it is true. It must have been very hard to write.

[baldguy]

2. That ended Dec 11, 2000

And America began its slow descent into hell.

[rudeboy666]

3. And when was this time? n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

16. I'd say from the 1940's through the JFK years. Even during Vietnam, people

who opposed the war were called 'dirty hippies', not traitors.

[tnlurker]

4. I wish I could write this well

[TomInTib]

5. What a damning essay.

And every point is one hundred fucking percent spot-on.

[NanceGreggs]

6. Ah, a fellow American who remembers ...

... that once upon a time, a visit by the American president meant a parade in the streets, and not an uptick in sales of quick-burning effigies.

You know and I know, Tom, that our country was never perfect - but perfection was something we strove for, not something we dismissed as being non-profitable when it came down to the bottom line.

[TomInTib]

7. I felt as if I was swirling down a greasy funnel when I read your OP, Nance.

The Years were flying away like a flight of dis-oriented geese.

[snappyturtle]

8. I totally remember! I'm sixty.

I think we have been on the road to where we are now for so long that many really can't know what it was like--once upon a time. It's up to those of us who remember to keep our memories in the forefront of political consciousness.

Thank you for your thoughtful post. It goes without saying, but..........K&R!

[Prophet 451]

9. I'm only 31 but I remember

I wrote an article about the things I remembered. I can even vaguely recall when there were a few Republicans who still had real principles that you could name (and that didn't come from Atlas Shrugged). Whatever happened to personal honour?

Crap, I'm 31 and I sound like an eighty-year old.

[DFW]

10. Here is one more who not only remembers

But lived it and enjoyed it at the time.

I remember when Clinton was president, and people told me in
many different languages (I speak nine) that they were so
jealous, and could they please have him when we were done?
Was it THAT long ago?

Taxi drivers in Moscow, bankers in France, cops in Germany,
they all said the same thing. Was it THAT long ago?

When the Canadian ambassador to another country was proud to
have photos of himself and Clinton prominently displayed in
his Residence--was it THAT long ago?--and yet had to be harassed
by the wife of Bush's ambassador to that country into putting up
one of himself with Bush.

When Carter was president, and people said he's got his problems,
but they were SO happy that Nixon's gang was gone, even if Ford
was a decent guy. Was it THAT long ago?

When my girls, bilingual and dual nationals, were proud to display
their American side and their parents in photos on the wall with
the American President and Vice-President. Was it THAT long ago?

When, quite simply, any American could go to any other country on
this planet of ours and proudly say, "I'm from the United States,"
without having to apologize for it. Was it THAT long ago?

Maybe I just have a good memory.

Or maybe it really WAS that long ago.

[ejbr]

19. Sigh....You caused Barbara Streisand's "Memories" to swirl through my head.

Those were good times, weren't they?

[DFW]

21. Good to some, less good to others, but:

Unless you own Halliburton stock or ran a successful hedge fund
and got a billion dollar bonus, they were certainly better than
the ones we now suffer through.

[ladym55]

11. I remember when we used to stand for something ...

And we were trying .... Now if you truly stand for something you are unpatriotic.

It's hard to explain these things to my children.

[JeffR]

12. It matters little that we have never been the country we hope to be

It matters hugely that we seem to have given up trying.

K & R!

[DFW]

13. To quote from the old "Lone Ranger" joke:

What you mean "we," white man?

I'm still out here, 30 years on, talking to Europeans (occasionally
other continents, too, but I'm now station chief for Europe), trying
my level best to make sure, at least in my limited scope, that they
still will talk to us, want to do business with us, and, most importantly,
know that indeed, we have not lost our collective minds, that our
opposition to the current gang of crooks is alive and thriving. The worst
thing that could ever happen to our country would be for the rest of the world
to think that we are all taking the Cheneybush regime lying down.

The more they hear the opposite, the more they retain some modicum of confidence
in our ability to recover from our current dark times. They hear a LOT of the
opposite from me, anyway.

[The Wizard]

14. This list could be larger,

but there's plenty to ponder already.
As you read this, the government is scheming and devising new ways to deny disabled veterans their earned benefits. They are now trying to commingle Social Security and Veterans benefits, two unrelated issues. When lawyers do this they get disbarred. They have also empaneled selected "experts" to redefine service connected disabilities. This is immoral. If they succeed, many disabled veterans face a severe drop in living standards just so Paris Hilton can get tax relief.
There are still journalists in the conventional mediums, albeit a shrinking entity. Olbermann, Stewart and Colbert come to mind. Most of the real journalism taking place now is called blogging.
Our president is a nut.

[Solon]

15. When was this, 200 years ago?

For most of your list, well, that shit has always happened, especially the stuff about foriegn policy and torture, particularly throughout most of the 20th century. Excluding the specific mentions of the current administration, the rest of the list would be applicable to 1898, as an example.

[NanceGreggs]

18. If you think things under this administration ...

... are the way things have always been, you haven't been paying attention, or maybe you're too young to remember a different time.

[Solon]

23. I study history...

We had the U.S. Army kill strikers in mines and company towns in the late 19th and early 20th century, we fought wars based on complete fabrications not once, not twice, but numerous times throughout our history. We had Alien and Sedition acts passed and enforced several times, we had people locked up without trial for years, well before Bush. We had anti-war, pro-civil rights, and leftists killed and imprisoned in this country for political reasons at various times in our history. The death toll from actions such as this, in addition to our foreign policy, has killed at least 6 million people from 1948 to 1992. The fact of the matter is that these aren't extraordinary times, they are actually quite ordinary in the United States, its just that now, we are a little better informed thanks to technology.

Think about this, the United States has been, since inception, in an almost constant state of war with one group of people or nations after another for over 200 years. It would be harder to find a time when we weren't embroiled in some sort of conflict than to find times of peace, and most of those wars were wars of aggression.

[Irishonly]

17. So Sad, but So True

I remember the 60s well and the division in the country then. I have tired of saying that the Bush administration makes Nixon's look like Romper Room. I always thought it strange the hawks would shout to protesters to take a bath. I grew up in Iowa. I think every one took a bath.

I remember wearing black when Ray gun won the WH and being furious that no one would do what was right with Iran Contra. He made fun of his Welfare Queen story but there are neocons who still take it as gospel.

I would say I am the black sheep of my family. Most of my cousins are republicans with several Bushbots thrown in. I almost cried when I read Nancy's words. We do not talk politics and there are times I can't believe I am related to these people when I hear their rants. The hatred dripping from their voices chills my soul to the bone.

I am amazed at the hypocrisy. Neocons bring up Clinton's not serving but it's fine that the war mongers didn't. Their hero worship of Ray gun and Bush is frightening. They hate every one and every thing that doesn't march into step with their warped beliefs.

I remember the public and the journalists being outraged at the FBI and police infiltrating anti war protests. Now, the neocons and corporate media accept it as being the right thing to do.

Will we ever be able to go back?

[ejbr]

20. There was also a time when the opposition party was just that.

When the other side did something they disagreed with, that was antithetical to American principles, they would stand strong, united and undeterred from repeating and clarifying the offense of the other side until people "GOT IT". They would not shrug and waste their position as majority party. They would not jeopardize not only turning off the independents who got them into office, but also many progressives who will now become independents because of their defilement of their oaths.

[NancyBreen]

22. Thank you, again Goddess of Good Reason

Just about the time a person despairs over another veto or smirk, you bring a glimmer of hope in the future by reminding us of our past. Patience people.

[avrdream]

24. Shit, what is this thread doing so far down the list in GDP?

Sad, but true, Nance.

Thanks.