Okay, maybe Jimmy Carter didn’t say that things suck so bad, that’s it’s like it was when he was president.
What he actually said was that America is no better off today than it was in the late ’70s.
But he was saying how wonderful it was then.
Only, I remember it being no-so-great. I was around then. I turned 18 in 1976, before Carter was elected. And I remember his administration through the eyes of someone out of high school, going to college, working jobs, buying groceries, putting gas in the car, and paying taxes. You know, adult things.
I was there in the 1970s. And the late ’70s sucked.
So, I find that I actually agree with Jimmy Carter. At least, I agree that, today, America isn’t in any better shape than it was in the late 1970s. Because, other than ’70s music, the rest of the ’70s pretty much sucked. And, even late ’70s music had disco, so it kinda sucked at times, too.
Think about this:
- Double-digit unemployment.
- American not respected by the world.
- Fears of running out of oil.
- A complete incompetent in the White House.
- Democrats screwing things up so badly that their majorities in Congress are in jeopardy.
Am I talking about the late ’70s or today?
Yes, I am.
But don’t get too confident that changes for the better are in store. In the 1980 election, 41% of Americans voted to reelect Jimmy Carter.
See? We’ve had stupid people voting for a long, long time. We need more smart people voting this year. If you know any, tell them there’s an election.
And, whatever you do, do not let the stupid people know about the election. They’ll just screw it up. Like they did in 1976. And 2008.
I was a little younger, but quite aware during carter 1. I remember the malaise. The escapism that disco represented. The sense of inevitable doom from the soviets. My family was doing well by then, but I remember the double digit inflation, the DJIA in what, the 700’s? and the prime rate so high taking a mortgage was like putting the house on a credit card (we had to do that temporarily). I haven’t missed an election since I was eligible to vote, except maybe a couple of primaries while I was at university.
Frank “turned” in 1976? Into a sparkly vampire? Or was one side done?
[Fixed it. Smartass. – B.]
Disco is what happens when you let democrats be in charge. when they were in charge in the fifties, we got rock and or roll. The sixties, hippies. Does anyone else see a pattern?
I believe they are also responsible for Glam Rock in the 80’s and Grunge in the 90’s. What a smelly lot they are, indeed!
1974 and I had just returned from the summer to the University of Iowa. My hair was way past my shoulders and we did every chemical substance that passed our way. We had a favorite “head bar” where all the hippies like us use to hang out and listen to excellent music. So my buddy (who was a real stoner) and I walked into the COD Steam Laundry and it and been turned into a DISCO over the summer. It was like wow man! Let’s like split, man! This is too far out for us!
Yeah, the era of President Carter and Paul Volcker as Fed chairmain:
* Double-digit inflation
* Double-digit interest rates
* Double-digit unemployment
It’s basically how we paid for the war in Vietnam. Oh, and Basil, let’s not forget his “national malaise.” Turns out he was right – but for the wrong reason. People with malaise are still around along with their malaised children – as zombie Democrats.
Chrissy “Tingles” Matthews wrote the malaise speach. “I’m unpopular, therefore you are sick.” Wha ta crock of arrogant @%$&*%%@!*”# Jimmy also alowed thwe American embassy in Tehran to be taken over, giving rise to militant Islam. We are where we are right now thnks to Jimmy.
Hillary Flammond: My uncle was born in America.
Nick Rivers: Oh, really?
Hillary Flammond: But he was one of the lucky ones. He managed to escape in a balloon during the Jimmy Carter presidency.
Things were completely different, it was not the same at all. I was young and hot and Reagan was on the horizon.
Because, other than ’70s music, the rest of the ’70s pretty much sucked.
Actually, ’70s music sucked as much as the rest of the ’70s.
Here’s the perspective of somebody who was not only around, but (legally) an adult in 1970: Things sucked in 1970. Things started getting better during the two-plus years that Gerald Ford was President. Inflation was decreasing. The economy was expanding. Congress was doing stupid things, but that’s pretty much what Congress is for, right? Then we elected Jimmy Carter President (I voted for Gerald Ford). Inflation took off. Interest rates rose, in large part because Paul Volcker, who was then the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, kept the Federal Reserve’s interest rates high. Inflation continued high – until 1982, when Ronald Reagan had been President for one year (the consumer price index rose 8.9% in 1981 but only 3.8% in 1982). At the end of 1979, I was convinced that I would never own my own home no matter how fast my income increased. By mid-1984, I owned my own home in Silicon Valley. The music still sucked, but it sucked in the ’60s, in the ’70s, and has continued to suck ever since. But until January last year, we’d never had another President as bad as Jimmy Carter.
Jimmy, dear, go
gentlyravingly mad into that good night.Vote democrat! Because sitting in your car for three hours on a line for gasoline was really fun the first time.
I was only 10 when Carter was elected, but when I was 12, I got a paper route, so for the last two years of his presidency, I read the headlines every day.
So yeah, I’m VERY aware of what Carter did to this country.
It wasn’t pretty.