Anthony DeanNew post: I look at reasons why there's less hype for America's 250th anniversary vs. the 1976 bicentennial, especially in media.
https://www.diversetechgeek.com/why-less-hype-americas-250th-anniversary-vs-bicentennial/
TLDR: A) Trump, B) less of a monoculture vs. the 1970s (see: the internet), C) the World Cup is happening at the same time, and D) the nature of modern media conglomerates vs. their 70s counterparts (much bigger, more concerned about mergers/international box office/etc. than flag-waving, etc.)
Have any of you read "Captain America's Bicentennial Battles," the "Superman sent back to 1776" 70s Action Comics bicentennial story, or Marvel's recent "1776" special?
Sean Kleefeld@dtgeek I've got Cap's Bicentennial Battles but not the others.
Space Catitude 🚀In 1976, I was a pre-teen kid with an optimistic outlook and a lot of confidence about the USA (possible naivety).
Of course, we were just bouncing back from the Nixon era and Watergate. But the economy was strong, technology still felt like it was pushing forward, and the music was upbeat disco.
It still felt like we'd just gone to the Moon, and we successfully softlanded Viking 1 on Mars that year (almost on the bicentennial -- it was delayed to July 20th, making it the anniversary of the Moon Landing instead).
This time, I don't even know what we're celebrating. Feels like the country has been trashed.
bitsavers.orgLooking back, we were about to elect Jimmy Carter and that the Repugnantcants would finally die.
You have every right to feel that the country was trashed, and we know exactly why.
thanks to the "Southern Strategy" they didn't die
MsMerope@TerryHancock @dtgeek
I have purposely not been paying attention, but this time around this does not feel like a celebration of the country. It feels like a celebration geared towards one specific individual who tragically seems to be running the country into the ground.
The wet may have won the Cold War, but whatever this war is has definitely been in Russia’s favor.
Miss GayleWe haven't celebrated in a while, and don't plan to this year, either. This place is a banana republic in drag.
Christopher Brown
Harold S@TerryHancock @dtgeek plus we were just coming past Vietnam. That was a big part of my childhood.
After I posted, I waffled over whether to edit Vietnam in, actually. My father and my uncles were all in that war.
There was positivity in the war being past, but also a lot of personal and national trauma from the loss (including people not admitting it was a loss, and worse, people thinking it could have been won -- a very popular belief among the veterans in my family).
So yeah, that was a big factor in the national mood, too. We needed something to celebrate, I guess.
@TerryHancock @dtgeek I agree. My brother served, some of my older classmates were lost.
So much happened like you mentioned, Nixon, MLK, RFK.
Also, good things like women’s rights & the civil rights act, gay rights, regular Americans showing their opposition to the war, even Carter was a decent president.
It seemed like a new and possibly exciting time.
Today feels like nothing is working for the average person
So much happened like you mentioned, Nixon, MLK, RFK.
Also, good things like women’s rights & the civil rights act, gay rights, regular Americans showing their opposition to the war, even Carter was a decent president.
It seemed like a new and possibly exciting time.
Today feels like nothing is working for the average person
@TerryHancock @dtgeek I understand!
My father (WWII) vet who supported the war and my brother, when he came home on leave, would have heated arguments about the validity of continuing the war..
I was just afraid of being drafted.
They discontinued the draft before I was of age, then Carter started up the requirement to register for selective service….
@dtgeek I think you could've stopped after #1
@SKleefeld heh. 🙂 Still, felt there was more than just the Donald to blame (this time).
Randall Lee@dtgeek My mom seems to be the only person I know that cares about the 250th . I've been tasked with finding a decorative flag that is anti-government but patriotic.
Megan Lynch (she/her)
anguinea@dtgeek
School photos wearing red, white & blue and posing with a miniature liberty bell. Copies of the Declaration of Independence everywhere. A commemorative quarter. Kids painted the fire hydrants with stars & stripes. Cities painted their water towers, too. They sought out bicentennial trees to celebrate and planted new ones. Grandmas crocheted red, white & blue granny square vests, ponchos and Budweiser can hats. No escape. I think it helped that both years could be referred to as ‘76. 🤷🏻♀️
School photos wearing red, white & blue and posing with a miniature liberty bell. Copies of the Declaration of Independence everywhere. A commemorative quarter. Kids painted the fire hydrants with stars & stripes. Cities painted their water towers, too. They sought out bicentennial trees to celebrate and planted new ones. Grandmas crocheted red, white & blue granny square vests, ponchos and Budweiser can hats. No escape. I think it helped that both years could be referred to as ‘76. 🤷🏻♀️
Muro deGrizecoAmerica is really fucked up right now, and it's just getting worse.
Why would we celebrate that?