June 4, 1968: When America truly started going down the wrong track

[harumph]

4. I would say, after Nixon, there was a chance to right the ship.

Sadly, our macho culture thought Carter had been a wimp with the whole Iranian hostage crisis and voted for Reagan. Reagan was the introduction of supply-side economics, tax cuts for the wealthy, poo-pooing of alternative energy, and, the common practice of disparaging the poor and non-white citizenry on the one hand and the valorizing of so-called "job creators" on the other. The beginnings of right wing radio expansion were during the Reagan era. Managing to be both an arrogant puppet and self righteous prick (see his HUAC testimony) not enough people had the wisdom to see through the bullshit. The morality of the demographic - the 30% that intractably support TSF, was formed during Reagan era. The dismantling of the Soviet Union began during Reagan's time and the stupid fucking republicans had NO PLAN IN PLACE to assist the transition of the former CCCP to a democracy. Instead, the CCCP was sold off for scrap to the Oligarchs. To be fair, Clinton didn't do shit for Russia either. I remember arguing in the 1990s that if we didn't actively step up to the plate to help Russia inoculate themselves against the toxicity of the former Soviet Union, it would become the failed crime state with nukes. One idiotic decision after another.

Edited to add: I believe the reason we did not assist Russia economically was because our corporate class were afraid of competition. Russia has an educated citizenry and amazing natural resources (but) has lacked sufficient capital and supply chains to leverage them. Now it's run by a parasitic oligarchic class with an extraction mindset. The oligarchs could not care less about innovation as long as their territory provides enough oil and minerals to fuel their yachts.