Yes, that’s the more historic view. I mostly find Bill Maher incredibly exhausting, but when he points out how there is now a certain contingent that finds it so unfashionable (or worse, offensive) to be reminded that yes, things ARE measurably better in many ways for a multitude of things, I agree with him.
My parents were boomers. Both were leftists. My mother would always remind us what utter shit things used to be for women. For instance, applying for credit, or opening a bank account, without the approval of a husband or father, was not a guaranteed thing. Same thing for running a business. Then there is no-fault divorce. Not being fired only for getting pregnant. Being able to report sexual harassment.
I mean, you could probably fill a page of detailed info about how things have improved since the 1960s, just focusing on women.
It’s especially fashionable on the left to talk about how awful America has always been and so on w/o acknowledging the progress. The right, of course, views that much of that progress as a net negative…
There is always work to do, of course, but when people don’t acknowledge that improvements can and have been made, I wonder what kind of negative impact that has on those that would do that work. When you claim that things have always been terrible, the subtext could be taken as: “things will always be terrible and there’s no point in spending any effort to try to change your situation”.
Yes, that’s the more historic view. I mostly find Bill Maher incredibly exhausting, but when he points out how there is now a certain contingent that finds it so unfashionable (or worse, offensive) to be reminded that yes, things ARE measurably better in many ways for a multitude of things, I agree with him.
My parents were boomers. Both were leftists. My mother would always remind us what utter shit things used to be for women. For instance, applying for credit, or opening a bank account, without the approval of a husband or father, was not a guaranteed thing. Same thing for running a business. Then there is no-fault divorce. Not being fired only for getting pregnant. Being able to report sexual harassment.
I mean, you could probably fill a page of detailed info about how things have improved since the 1960s, just focusing on women.
It’s especially fashionable on the left to talk about how awful America has always been and so on w/o acknowledging the progress. The right, of course, views that much of that progress as a net negative…
There is always work to do, of course, but when people don’t acknowledge that improvements can and have been made, I wonder what kind of negative impact that has on those that would do that work. When you claim that things have always been terrible, the subtext could be taken as: “things will always be terrible and there’s no point in spending any effort to try to change your situation”.