The Second Gilded Age

We are indeed are in and have been in the Second Gilded Age for the better part of two decades, but this decade has seen the effects and consequences greatly amplified and destructively evident. Unfortunately the activism and anger towards the greedy selfish elitists has been all but missing as the middle class and poor have been stymied by powerful legislation enforced ruthlessly by law enforcement officials; and by agents and elements of distraction such as obsessional celebrity worship, liquor, drugs, fast food, cable television, video games, pornography, spectator sports, and popular culture entities such as rap music. With the end in sight of this long period of American cultural and political malaise due to strongly changing economic circumstances that are increasingly worsening beyond the point of toleration by many, hopefully this replay of the Gilded Age will be history soon. It will be wonderful to see the progressive reactions and changes coming in the next several years to bring the society more into economic balance. They promise to be quite extraordinary if what we saw historically in reaction to the first Gilded Age is any kind of reference.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/04/28/gilded_age/index.html?source=rss

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