Don’t bring back the 1980s

ramon hallandale fl — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:10:08 GMT

my freind.

of all the stupid things i have heard in the last 19 years since the 1989 ended this has got to be the stupidist. Last time i checked. You tell me.?

last time i checked. I dont remember any school shootings in 1980 or 1985. Or church shooting or college shootings.

Or 17 million illegals. Or work today get fired today economy. in 1985

I dont Remember us being Enslaved to a service economy. in 1985

I also dont remember Pants down to the floor. I dont remember the bloods and the crips and cartels controling our streets. in 1980 or 1985

I dont remember in 1985 Everyone having to Mandatorily have a mutual fund just in case.! of who knows what.? in 1985 A matual fund was optional.

Today it's mandatory. These Funds eat more than 20 percent of our salaries

but are needed cuase of employment Insecurity.

Employment security was rampid in the 80's. So mutuals where never needed. And transiantcy Was unheard of in the 1980's. Today job jumping is everywhere. and mutuals are needed for survival.

in 1985 there was need for one. And you where an idtiot if you had. Cuase there employment security.

In 1985 ( and i know cuase i use to buy it every day ) i dont remember milk being at 4.30 cents.

in 1985 or i don't remember out sourcing of 6 million jobs.

I don't Remember in 1985 A person having to compete with a 3 rd worlder for a wage.

in 1985 I don't remember people having to work all hours of the eve or Night just to make a living.

And in 1985 i dont Remember

Insurace for a car being 250 dollars a month.?

a 200 percent increase in 25 years.?????????

hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm

in 1985 i dont remember a car payment being 450 dollars......

a 250 percent increase.....

In 1985 i dont remember Gasoline being 2.50 cents.

In 1985 or 80 or anytime in the 80's i dont Remember

the defeceit being 3 trillion...

my freind

the biggest worry we had in 1985 1980 1988 and 1987.

was Madonna and micheal jackson...??...

and

that

was

it.

I will argue Agaisnt your position anywhere you like in t v or web or anywhere.

those where the greatest days of most peoples lives over 30.

And they where 1000's of times better And more sound than any day after

1990.

Infact the post Soviet Era and Cold Era Management of this country after 1989.

Has been an abomination.

by my account the only thing that has worked after 1990. Without worry

Is direct deposit lllolll....

i absolutely Reject and refudiate your opinion and your argument.

on all levels...

thank you.

the 1990's and the first 10 years of this century.

Has been a total Net loss. complete loss and transfer of wealth ever known.

so please go reaching somewhere else.

thank you..........

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Val, Southwest US — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:23:14 GMT

My illiterate friend here, has a few points, which, sadly, you must wade through his poor grammar and spelling to figure out.

The 80's DID have drugs, coke was my favorite then. The music was great, the politicians were sleazy, but the money had its own troubles and the world was afraid of Ronald Reagan. Nancy, on the other hand....

We had our own troubles, this decade has it's own. But it is nearly over, and when it is, there will be two years of panic over 2012 when the Aztecs (and Nostradamus)said the world would end, which it didn't in 2000, so I think there will simply be more cults and suicides. No decade is better or worse than any other, they simply have their own quirks.

Happy New Year.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

ray — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:29:50 GMT

This editor and her kind modernists of today will never admit it. but that's ok. What she and other like her are really trying to say.? is that with the Internet with the media
with computers. cell phones cable wirless ,..,,.llloll,..,., instant commnication.,.,,..,.

etc,.,

why cant We equal the greatness of the 80's.

i think thats what shes really trying to say. (in code ) llol..

Answer to that. Honey the 80's blew these times away on many levels.

but especially economic.

they where by no means perfect. but great compared to now.? In fact when you think about it.?

+ +

it's the last 2 decades that made the 80's look so good. lloll...

+ +

like i said in defesne on my generations teen years lloll.... and in defense of the greatest decade...

i will argue her point by point in any media venue.

And win.!

+ +

.,

my tip is go fix the time your in now. and leave the 80's alone where it belongs in the hall of fame. along with 1950's 1940's. 1812 1776 1918 1920's

lloll...

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Common Sense??? Mid-West — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:39:42 GMT

Irregardless of the grammar of the first comment - many valid points were made but the biggest change of all since the 1980's - the lack of "common sense" anywhere!

Everything today is "me me" - be impressed with me! Do not worry about tomorrow or the next day - just "me"!!!

Yup - so many couples - like in two people w/no children or pets - need brand new 2500+ sq ft homes (first home must be brand new - starter home - what is that??); brand new SUVs; go all over the world on vacations; eat out all the time - easy credit has meant easy times and now the house of cards has come down!

The 1980's were a major turning point in many ways but at least back then - there was still some common sense i.e. 20% down; starter "existing" home; 30-year fixed rate mortgage; people actually wore clothes that fit them and those that had children actually knew how to discipline them and teach them how to be adults; greed with everything was not running un-regulated and rampant everywhere and it goes on and on but those days are gone!

Don’t bring back the 1980s

ray — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:56:57 GMT

This editor and her kind modernists of today will never admit it. but that's ok. What she and other like her are really trying to say.? is that with the Internet with the media computers. cell phones cable wireless ,..,,.llloll,..,., instant commnication.,.,,..,.

etc,.,

why cant We equal the greatness of the 80's.

i think thats what shes really trying to say. (in code ) llol..

Answer to that. Honey the 80's blew these times away on many levels.

but especially economic.

they where by no means perfect. but great compared to now.? In fact when you think about it.?

+ +

it's the last 2 decades that made the 80's look so good. lloll...

+ +

like i said in defesne on my generations teenage years lloll.... and in defense of the greatest decade...

i will argue her point by point in any media venue.

And win.!

+ +

.,

my tip is go fix this disastorous Work enviroment we are in now.

and leave the 80's alone where it belongs in the hall of fame. along with 1950's 1940's. 1812's 1776 1918's 1920's and maybe the 1840's.

lloll...

and face facts the 00's and 90's where a flop largley along with 60's early 1970's 1930's 1800's 1790's.

flop flop !!

Don’t bring back the 1980s

ray — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:04:32 GMT

man look the 80's where great period. im telling you. that it's these mordenists. that cant believe there time is such a failure. and a calamity. That now they are now going after the greatest decade.

And i knew this time would come too... after people from those days largely faded...

reagan trump micheal jackson madonna at least there influence...

now comes people like the editor questioning the greatness of the era...

And it's economics.

+ +

i think it's just a Contomparay and Modernist Reaching.

if you ask me..

totally reaching... the early 80's.?

of course the early 80's was a fiasco this guy was correcting jimmy carter and his mess...

Just Reaching

like i said go fix the time your in now. Go see if you can equal Even one year of stability......??....

that was even close to the worse year between 1982 and 1989.

and that year was 1983.

Go see if you can find even one year between 1989 too 2009

as stable as even that year.

man take a hike llloll.....

Plain reaching.....

if you ask me...

+ +

and i picked the worse year.... go find any year as stable as '83 even the worse year..

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Luis T Puig, Union City, NJ — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:42:08 GMT

Agree with "Common Sense??? Mid-West"... the 80's got us going on a great track after the disastrous 70's, don't you remember? I DO!

then, the "me, myself and I" crap that has gone on to permeate not just our country but by now the entire planet started in the "gay old 90's"...

...yes, happy happy joy joy, happy happy, joy joy...!

...the Cold War was over and lets spend and borrow and create a fake great economy, a fake financial ballon on the back of easy credit, fake business suscesses (Enron and the Dot.com mess anyone) and goverment slashing military budgets in half to create a fictitious "budget surplus" while the dark clouds of terrorism and wars were coming our way...

but it didn't matter, "Monica please come here and satify me...!"...yes, "me myself and I" all the way! .... sure, lets start lending to people who don't even have a job, or even illegal aliens...yes you too can buy a 1/2 million house with no job and no papers...! lol!

nice!

so please, thank the gay old 90's for the mess we are in today... and yes I do miss the 80's, at least things were more predictable.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

True American — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:52:17 GMT

Really--people don't realize how good or what “proud of being an American” meant back in the 80's. Today, every single minority has turned into a majority simply by bullying (read: small dog big bark) or labeling people--and let’s not forget this whole "PC" crap / movement. I'm not at 1/2 of my life expectancy yet I'm already turning in my grave.

I-kid-you-not-folks, times right now are absolutely horrible when you look at things taking place and people not truly understanding (or caring) what's in play right now. I fear for my kids' future, because America (if it continues down the current course) is not going to be America anymore in the next 10 years.

Instead of standing up and fighting for what is right, America is cow-towing to the lowest common denominator. Instead of respecting people’s opinions and the majority consensus, people care only about themselves and what’s “good for them”. There is no personal responsibility, there is only blame.

What is comes down to is people simply don’t care except for themselves, and only want more (from the government) without working or earning it. This is what you call the death of a republic.

Great job people.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Will, Lake City, FL — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:19:53 GMT

I would gladly take the 1980s over this decade!! I would gladly take the 1980s over the 1990s!! We were so much better off. We were not bogged down in two wars half-way around the world. We were NOT in debt to Red China in the BILLIONS (TRILLIONS?) of dollars! In fact, there's no way in hell Ronald Reagan would have let us get so in debted to a communist country. Damn, I wish I could call Mr. Peabody and his Wayback Machine and go back to a time (1980) before all this mess!

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Ryan, Wisconsin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:28:27 GMT

Well, there was one bad part about the 1980's: the apparent lack of education in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Sorry, "ramon hallandale fl", but how can you expect someone to take your points seriously when the second word in your post is spelled wrong? It's spelled "friend", buddy. You should just stick to playing with your Reagan and Ollie North Cabbage Patch dolls and let people that have higher than a fourth grade education do the talking.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Michell, Greenwich, CT — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:29:41 GMT

Hey Common Sense there is no such word as irregardless.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

ray — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:47:39 GMT

folks even with my bad spelling Miss editor.

I Resta mundo my case. And big ups to union city thats where im from...

+ +

like i said leave the 80's alone go fix your own calamatous time.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

ray — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:03:35 GMT

like i said miss Eve Tahmincioglu

dont ruin our wonderful memories. and also i rest my case llloll.... real easy case cuase... its really easy to proove how bad these times are. and to get wide support for my opinion.

this is an arguement you cant win. Cuase people really had fun back then. and enjoyed there lives.

So it dosnt matter what the data shows. Poeple are always going to defend the 80's.

actually Eve Tahmincioglu

there is one person who thinks like you.?

JIMMY CARTER lllllolll......

hahahahahhahah......

heheheh...

he might be the only other anti 80's guy out there ...

+ +

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Magnum Serpentine — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:07:54 GMT

We are in an economic depression. I do not remember that happening in the 1980s. Also medical, insurance, and gas were very inexpensive. People could afford a home in the 1980's. And people who built houses were paid 25-30 bucks an hour.

Who is Eve Tahmincioglu ???????

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Bob, Omaha, NE — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:31:54 GMT

My God. How illiterate are you folks? I guess Barbara Bush did know what she was talking about when she kicked off her literacy campaign as first lady. She had been to enough Republican conventions to know we were in trouble. Anyway, you are all proof that people were just as dumb then as they are now.

I was a teenager in the 80s. You folks have really bad memories. Here's a list of problems in the 80s:

Crack cocaine - Remember the Colombian cartels?
The Cold War - Remember all that debt?
Street gangs - The movie "Colors" (1988) came out in 1988.
Assasinations and attempts - Reagan, Sadat, Pope, Indira Ghandi, John Lennon
Terrorism on airlines.
Hostages in Iran.
Kidnappings in Beirut.
Worst drought since the Dust Bowl.
Family farms going under.
Amnesty for illegal aliens lead to more illegals.
Reaganomics
October 1987 crash of Wall Street
AIDS
New Coke
Iran-Contra - Arms to terrorists courtesy of the US.

Wow! That was a great decade.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Larry, Orlando, FL — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:02:40 GMT

I really miss the late 80's too. You could still make a decent living as a retail salesman because people had plenty of money in their pockets. I used to sell copies of Wordperfect and Lotus 1-2-3 for hundreds of dollars a copy and people wouldn't blink at the price. Today salaries are in the toilet and everything is either pirated or made in China leaving no margins to support the workforce.

Back in the 80's the FTC and the Postal Inspector actually attempted to protect you from criminal solicitations. Today your email is filled with illegal scams and nobody can be bothered to investigate due to the overwhelming volume.

During the 80's a mugger would take your wallet and maybe a couple of credit cards. Today, an identity thief from overseas can steal your entire credit file, clean you out and ruin you for life in a matter of hours. And most law enforcement could care less about actually apprehending anybody.

Do you want to know why the economy is in the toilet, just look at wages going back to Ross Perot's televised warnings. We have been driven into a bottom-feeder society. We wouldn't need so many NINJA home loans if companies were still paying honest wages.

As another poster from Utah mentioned, Ronald Reagan would have never put us into a situation where we were answering to China. They now holds $2 Trillion in reserve US currency and approx $600 Billion in treasury notes. If they dump that, they could crush us. At least back in the 80's we still had enough sense not to be indebted to potential adversaries.

Reagan also would NOT have blown-off a Russian invasion of Georgia, and a Chinese assault on Tibetans. At least he knew how to speak of liberty and freedom for others under duress.

The best reason why the 80's were much better than now. . . Food Safety. You didn't have these huge recalls of salmonella peanuts, ecoli beef patties, tomatoes & peppers. Nobody was getting imported melamine in their baby formula or pet food either. The globalism of the 90's just brought us 3rd World health standards.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Larry, Orlando, FL — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:13:21 GMT

I really miss the late 80's too. You could still make a decent living as a retail salesman because people had plenty of money in their pockets. I used to sell copies of Wordperfect and Lotus 1-2-3 for hundreds of dollars a copy and people wouldn't blink at the price. Today salaries are in the toilet and everything is either pirated or made in China leaving no margins to support the workforce.

Back in the 80's the FTC and the Postal Inspector actually attempted to protect you from criminal solicitations. Today your email is filled with illegal scams and nobody can be bothered to investigate due to the overwhelming volume.

During the 80's a mugger would take your wallet and maybe a couple of credit cards. Today, an identity thief from overseas can steal your entire credit file, clean you out and ruin you for life in a matter of hours. And most law enforcement could care less about actually apprehending anybody.

Do you want to know why the economy is in the toilet, just look at wages going back to Ross Perot's televised warnings. We have been driven into a bottom-feeder society. We wouldn't need so many NINJA home loans if companies were still paying honest wages.

As another poster from Utah mentioned, Ronald Reagan would have never put us into a situation where we were answering to China. They now holds $2 Trillion in reserve US currency and approx $600 Billion in treasury notes. If they dump that, they could crush us. At least back in the 80's we still had enough sense not to be indebted to potential adversaries.

Reagan also would NOT have blown-off a Russian invasion of Georgia, and a Chinese assault on Tibetan protestors. At least he knew how to speak of liberty and freedom for others under duress.

The best reason why the 80's were much better than now. . . Food Safety. You didn't have these huge recalls of salmonella peanuts, ecoli beef patties, tomatoes & peppers. Nobody was getting imported melamine in their baby formula or pet food either. The globalism of the 90's just brought us 3rd World health standards.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Marc, NYC — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:12:41 GMT

I think a lot of people remember the '80's as a great time for the same reason that the comedian Sinbad tells so many jokes about how simple the '70's were...at the time they were children or teenagers. A 15 year-old boy reading a newspaper looks like a very smart young man because you don't see it that often. When you're young, you're not concerned with inflation or the stock market. People were concerned with illegal immigration, gay rights, there was Howard Beach and many other racial attacks...AIDS...Does anyone remember Ryan White having his home burned to the ground in Florida? Crime was rampant, girls were having their earrings snatched out of their ears on the street. Don't look now, but somewhere there are well-fed, well provided-for kids who think right now is just terrific.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Annie, Copenhagen — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:51:15 GMT

Ok folks, deep breaths!

I was in high school, then college in the 80's. I feel nostalgia for a lot of the pop culture stuff and many things were far less expensive... certainly people were not being given the insane home loans of the last decade, at least in part because houses cost only about 1/5th of what they cost now.

Still, I was also around for the "evil empire" rhetoric that made me and most of my classmates doubt that we'd get out of high school alive. The 80's were the decade of "greed is good", so I don't think we can say it was a more altruistic time. I was around for the beginning of the downturn late 80's, early 90's when it was incredibly difficult for even college grads to find jobs and another Bush was buying socks at JC Penneys, claiming that it would stimulate the economy...

The 90's felt good to a lot of people because so many of the fears that had come to a head in the 80's seemed to be receding: the Cold War, recessions, unemployment, people coming off welfare rolls... When the election got stolen in 2000, I think people just assumed that it wouldn't matter much because things were going reasonably well and they believed that a president could only mess things up so much... if we hadn't learned by the end of the first 6 months of Bush Jr.'s hapless administration, 9/11 and its aftermath shocked us into realizing that EVERYTHING mattered, everything and nothing. The glut and hangover we've experience in the last few years is textbook-predictable: we've been having a national midlife crisis trying to come to terms with our own mortality and vulnerability.

Now is the time we need to take a deep breath and realize that every time has its wonders and challenges. How we react to the wonders and challenges of today (An african american president/a woman nearly getting the nomination vs. rapacious corporate greed coupled with criminally irresponsible regulation for example) will determine whether we look back on the next decade with fondness or disdain.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Rich, North Carolina — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:02:56 GMT

As I remember the post-Carter 80's we had the greatest economic expansion in my life time. I don't fondly remember any past decade's fashion. In hindsight they all look stupid.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

fred, lancaster, ny — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:33:12 GMT

Hi Val, I'm surprised, you being the grammar/spelling queen, you got it wrong. It's its, not it's, as in, "decade has its own". Also, the definition of illiterate is "unable to read or write", so ramon is probably not illiterate. But thanks for the attempted insult . The 80's rocked !

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Disgusted with Revisionist Economics, San Diego, CA — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:28:36 GMT

Wow. Now everyone admits the 80s were crap. Back then, if you couldn't find a decent job, it was your fault. And the Reagan years were not the great era that Republicans like to make it out to be. Ten percent unemployment. Vote with your feet. Catsup is a vegetable. Government is the problem not the solution. Conspicuous consumption. Ignoring AIDS as the gay plague. Trashing education and taxing scholarships.
The seeds of our current problems were sown during those years and we have been in a 28-year run-up to the current economic collapse. But things are definitely worse now. The real unemployment rate is higher now because back then we didn't include military personnel in the ranks of unemployed back then. The banking failures now are more pervasive than during the S&L crisis. And the Wall Street greed is good philosophy has evolved into wholesale fraud. And least in the 1980s I could get a student loan for less than prevailing mortage rates before the Republicans trashed education in this country and relied on importing cheap talent from abroad.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Shawn — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:30:37 GMT

It's true each decade had it's "bad highlights" but it is only getting worse on a global scale. Never before has the world economy been affected by the U.S. credit-bubble-burst. Since the whole world takes a share in the credit system - they (and we) are all to blame. The only way to fix our decade is not throw money at it (since the dollar has been undermined by the credit system) but rather completely change the credit industry. Take a lesson from ancient jewish nation of Israel. Their debts were forgiven after 50 years (everyone started over). Now, if someone thinks long and hard there will still be a way to make money in this proposed system. If we are going to exchange goods on the basis of a corrupt credit system then a complete overhaul is needed! If it is broke - fix it!

Oh, and stop looking back on 1980's... it's the past. We need to worry about now.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Bernie, Pa — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:36:33 GMT

How soon we forget the S&L's!!!!!!!!!!

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Ed — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:53:29 GMT

The 80s were fantastic! Great music and a great President. Reagan led the country out of Carter's "misery index" My father, a plumber, was out of work for part of the Carter years. High interest rates crippled the economy and virtually destroyed the housing and construction industries. When Reagan came into office, he went back to work. We did not take any flack from foreign despots either. Reagan and his ideas and policies won the Cold War. People had money in their pockets, America went back to work,we beat the Russians and it was cool once again to have pride in your country. As I member of the class of '86 I have fond memories of the 80s. I would gladly return.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

RavenMaven — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:37:58 GMT

OK, So everyone looks back at the 80s through whatever glasses they are wearing now. For most of us, it is nostalgic and familiar and reminds us of when we were in the prime of our lives ( not realizing that most of us are still in the prime of our lives). Politically, we faced a tsunami of world issues that in the hands of a lesser administration, could have been disastrous. Economically, we dealt with the aftermath of Carter's historically bad handling of the economy. Militarily, we returned from the ash heap of the Viet Nam experience to once again be the world's pre-eminent military force fighting for freedom and democracy. Along the way, we racked up quite a few bills to pay.

Socially, the country rebounded from the wasteland of Disco, became fascinated with the future ( both in film and fashion), and embraced good old American values again. Night Ranger and Whitesnake were being played on "Top 40" radio stations and nobody would ever dream of walking around in public with their pants around their knees.

No economic condition of the 1980's could hold a candle to what we are facing right now. We dealt with the left-over inflation from Carter's mess, and then enjoyed a pretty significant rebound, ( although to do that, Reagan did have to incur and push off some debt, which we are still dealing with now). From an education standpoint, kids had it rough then and some still do, but now we tend to make the test simpler rather than make the kid smarter. Its easier that way and doesn't make the child "feel pressure to overcome their social disadvantages to compete academically with kids who are not disadvantaged" which I think is about as intelligent as allowing banks to lend out more money than they have and then being surprised when they fail. Our society is so dumbed down now that we don't recognize when the basic structure of what makes this country great is at risk of collapse. I'll bet a lot of you think that the actions that our government is taking right now are a good idea.

Pity.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Paul Miller, Woodbridge — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:58:52 GMT

In the 1980s, we were a little more than a trillion in public debt. Today, its over $10 trillion and climbing fast.

I realize this article is focused on the private sector more so than the public, but that public debt has to create additional vulnerabilities for the private sector.

Additionally, demographics (retiring baby boomers) are working against us.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

AngieS, Washington DC — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:06:19 GMT

Man, you guys are living in LA LA land! The 80's stank! My parents almost lost our home when the interest rate skyrocketed to 22.8%. Remember the S&L scandal - the one that John McCain was at the center of?? Remember when engineers were waiting tables because they couldn't get work in their field? Remember living with Ronnie Ray Gun's finger on the button and the very real possibility that he might punch it in one of his astrology-influenced fits? Maybe you guys wouldn't get that one, anyway...when you grow up living in Hawaii where everything is ground zero there's a distinct worry about the possibility of nuclear war... The 80's were horrible, hideous and nausea inducing and it's all reflected in the clothes we wore, the music we listened to and the life we led "partying like it was 1999". WAKE UP!!

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Ashtoreth Hostility — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:36:40 GMT

Hey, if you don't want that coat, send it to me! I'll make it look _good_. Throw me some photos, I'll let you know if it's up to my 'standards' and we can talk about shipping. Let these idiots fight over fiscal policy, and we'll concentrate on what really matters in the long view.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Grady — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:50:30 GMT

Don't forget the original nutjob school shootings - Patrick Purdy killed 5 and wounded 29 at a school in Stockton, CA on 1/17/89, then he killed himself...Laurie Dann killed 1 and injured 5 before she killed herself on 5/20/88 at a school in Winnetka, Ill.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Luke Douglas, Headland, Alabama — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:52:26 GMT

Larry,

Your comment "As another poster from Utah mentioned, Ronald Reagan would have never put us into a situation where we were answering to China." is dead wrong.

It was the Ronald Reagan policies of 'de-regulation' that set the foundation for the current mess that we are in. I voted for the man, twice! So if you think I'm an idiot, I must be. After all, I also voted for Bush Jr twice. You would think that my 60 years of living would give me great wisdom but if you look at most members of Congress, they are my age or older.

But my point is still valid. If you go back to the underlying reasons for our current economic mess, the basic foundations of those problems was the 'de-regulation' crusade of the Reagan administration.

Oh! And the 80's weren't that great as you may not remember but we had a stock market crash in 1987, but I do concede the 80's were better than the past 9 years.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

jack, Grand Rapids, MI — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:57:05 GMT

Someone who is complaining about grammer shouldn't use the non-word, "irregardless".

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Theron, Oregon — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:58:05 GMT

Lost in all the grammar correctness in the comments is that it should be '80s, not 80's. Nod to Fred in Lancaster, tho makes this error while chiding another for an apostrophe error.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Tash, Chicago, IL — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:30:24 GMT

I think the "teens" of the 80's (of which I am one) cannot be the source for knowledge on the economy of the 80's. 30-somthings are not old enough to have a grasp on the economic conditions of those years. My memory is a clouded bliss of days in the 80's - all was good, colorful (very), techno, fun - yeah, cause I was a teenager. Not because the world was such a great place. If I think back to the perfect time in my life it would be the 80's. Not because the 80's were perfect, but because I was a teen and my biggest concern was how hot I look in my stonewash jeans and double stacked socks, rockin' to the King of Pop chowin' on a BigMac (cause I didn't even know what a carb was). Now, these days are bleak to me because I have a house, bills, job, kid, adult worries. My parents had those same worries in the 80's and will tell you it wasn't all florescent goodness for everyone. That is just how it was to me. But the 80's economy had its bad, and very bad, years and so do we now.
Don't mistake your Happy Days for a strong economy. As far as I was concerned, if I could afford the latest .99 cent cassette single of "Purple Rain" then the world must be in great shape. Man, what I wouldn't give to be that naive again.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Kurt , Plainfield, IL — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:55:55 GMT

Remember the Carter misery index! Reagan cut 22.8% interest to 7.5%. Won the Democrats "cold" war without firing a shot. Cut the most inhumane progressive taxes wherein you had to calculate whether working overtime was worth it or not. Reagan oversaw the greatest expansion of our economy ever! Expanding the economy in spite of super-spenders Tip O'Neil and Rostenkowski. Spending did go up to 2% of GDP but now Obama wants to raise it to 27% GDP. The highest level in history. Absolutely unsustainable. Forget the absolute numbers, look at the percent of GDP. Clinton's 90's were the product of Reagan's economy and Bill Gates bringing massive productivity gains to small business.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

frank cipriano, cleveland, ohio — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:59:51 GMT

If you truly think the 80's was worse than what we are experiencing now, then you must be smoking crack.
For you I have one word - OUTSOURCING. No, make that two - GREED.
Jack Welch, "the worlds greatest CEO" started at GE as a plastics engineer making in the mid to low 20,000'S & left being worth between 600-900 million.
How many jobs did he eliminate?
Lincoln Electric was founded on the premise that if you worked there & worked hard that you would not only receive a bonus every year if they were profitable but also NEVER be laid off.
Well guess what they had lay-off's last year and the beginning of this. But the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported last week that CEO gave himself a 32% pay increase.
The problem is that we do not manufacture here in the good old USA any longer. Just think about when you last bought something that said "Made in the USA".
Mr. Obama never even mentions the M word (manufacturing), which is the only way to create well paying jobs.
Everyone wants to make a living doing nothing but taking from others. Labor is fast becoming obsolete.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Ryan, Yakima, Wash. — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:12:41 GMT

Okay, so I was born in 1982 and I couldn't remember much from the decade except for what happend in my town, I think America was probly better off in the Reagan years than the W years. Agreeing with Ray, our economy didn't suck back then, everybody wasn't all paranoid about (ID theft, school shootings, terrorism, online predators, "PC" crap, job outsourcing - and when you phoned customer service, you actually talked to someone in America that spoke clear English, illegal immigrants taking over our country and our economic resources, we weren't scared about the big 3 automakers collapsing, etc.) Yeah, the 80's were really fun and carefree that it's too bad I was born 15-20 years too late to really be apart of it. Because the way the world is now, the 2000's is no time for a child to grow up nor try to afford college. But then again, I hope Mr. Obama can change all of that last statement between now and November 2012.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Chris Robertson, Colorado Springs, CO — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:15:57 GMT

Wow. You guys need to be careful with calling each other illiterate!

Don’t bring back the 1980s

ronald macadoo — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:23:56 GMT

I cringe mostly when I think about the 80's. Parachute pants and feathered hair make a bad combo for elementary school pictures. Parachute pants seriously? How can anyone compain about "pants around the knees" when a lousy invention like the parachute pant was around. Oh yeah skinny ties and hair metal were not exactly a crowning achievement either. On the other hand Karate Kid came out in the 80's so the whole decade wasn't a waste.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Chris — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:55:01 GMT

The 80's were not any better nor any worse than any other decade. I generally look back at them with fondness, but obviously it wasn't 'wine and roses' for everyone. I remember the explosion of the Challenger, I remember the fall of the Berlin Wall. I remember Miami Vice, I remember Tiannemen Square. I was young then, maybe that is why life seemed so much more simple. I'm not sure it is that time changes, but that people do.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Brian, Alexandria, VA — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:08:16 GMT

I'm sick and tired of people always bashing the 80's. The 80's at least was before American Idol and boy bands;.. music still existed. You can easily consider the clothes and the hair back then funny now, but it wasn't considered that way then. If you want to compare economic swings and world violence; believe me, every decade will have them. And if I could get into Doc Emmett Brown's Delorian, I would go back to the 80's in a heartbeat! I have faith in Obama, but we are going to be suffering from the effects of GW Bush's disastrous presidency for a long long time to come..

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Robert, Harrisburg, PA — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:32:03 GMT

The Big Hair had it's place though .... not today of course, but then it was emblematic of a certain amount of, what would now be called "transitional", overt sleazy cheapness.... and proportional amounts of that are always to be considered....

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Mel, Boston, MA — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:33:05 GMT

The 80s were a great time to grow up in! For those of us over 40 who remember the 80s fondly, check out the website http://www.thegreat80s.com for some great memories of a great decade.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Margie W — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:31:20 GMT

The 1980's, 70's, 60's, are remembered as happier times in America, considering what we face in this new century. The last eight years have been a nightmare. But life goes foward.
Going back, no. Solving today's problems, yes.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Becky — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:11:26 GMT

Reagan made the 80's a great abundance but the people coouldn't handle it. They left the teaching of their parents, justifing their greed. Didn't watch the politians because they were busy building the "house of cards". Didn't raise their children, left them to their own. Our morals have declined and now our economy is following suit, just like those who follow the world of fashion.
What America wants America gets.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Ken, Phoenix AZ — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:45:51 GMT

All losers blame somebody/something else for their problems. The 80s were great for those that took responsibility for their lives. This decade has also been great. I killed it then and I'm killing it now. I love to eat the lunch of all you whiny losers who think the world owes you something.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Chuck - Warsaw, Indiana — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:49:27 GMT

You have got to be kidding. All of this discussion over an article that started out as nothing more than humor?

From there it clearly turned to the darker side of that decade; which is what seems to be what has brought about all of this discussion. My question to all of you is simply this - WHY? Do you really feel totally compelled to defend (or attack) that time frame, or are you simply trying to get you 15 minutes of fame in print?

Every single decade throughout history has had positives and negatives. If the decade in question was your favorite - GREAT. But please try to remember that it wasn't all peaches and cream. If you hated those years, you too need to take time to realize that there were a great many good things that transpired then.

Many of you have taken on the money issue that was raised in the original article. Most seem to question its validity while some seem to suggest it simply didn't go far enough. However, I haven't seen a single person take on the inflation rate difference between that time and now. There was an individual who stated - in part - that they did not remember $2.50 (or 2.50 cents - which makes no sense at all) for a gallon of gasoline during the decade in question. I do not question this at all; however, what does that same $2.50 in today's terms relate to during the time period being discussed? Was gasoline really less - or more - costly then if inflation is considered?

Yes, I too have spent WAY too much time on this silly article (no offense meant Ms. Tahmincioglu). But this one has me wondering if all of the responses by everyone was really worth it. Do any of you feel that you have won anything? Have you been able to overwhelmingly prove your point and thus make the naysayers on the other side see - with perfect clarity - your point? Put simply - have any of you convinced any of the others from the other camp that they are wrong to the point where they have embraced, with open arms, your point of view about the decade in question?

If you feel you have, I would suggest that you are more delusional than Ray is if he feels he is an English major.

I hope you all have a great rest of your life and never learn that you were ever wrong. Incorrectness is a hard pill to swallow.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Larry, Orlando, FL — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:21:06 GMT

Luke

You may be correct that the seeds of large deficits were planted in the 80s along with deregulation. However back in the 80s China was still depending on wheat shipments from the West and most of their citizens were on bicycles. Nobody could imagine that 29 years later they would be in this position. You can't lay this at the feet of RR.

The issue of us being indebted to China today is just a stark reminder of how much has changed between the 80s and the 00s. The future can't always be foreseen in computer models. In another 30 years India may be calling the shots.

Getting back to the comment about GW; running the 2nd Iraq War on Chinese loans was shortsighted. Reagan was not a fan of Communism and I still maintain that he would not have handed a Cold War adversary that much power over our economy. This is a strategic misstep which I hope we can correct.

Thank you for your directed comment.

PS. I wouldn't call you names on this board.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Craig — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:21:53 GMT

The best time or worst time for anyone is inescapably the one they are in right now (to smack a bit of Mr. Dickens). "Now" is all you can control and "now" is the prism through which you view yesterday and tomorrow. Nostalgia is an amazingly powerful thing... both ways... to the good or bad. I like what Spalding Grey always said... you don't really remember anything. You only remember your last memory of it. So, 1989 or 2009, it's all relative and ultimately personal for each and everyone who had the fortune to be alive to experience both.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

juanita linn, olympia, washington — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:15:37 GMT

I too reminese on the 80s to a point. Madonna was singing like a virgin in a wedding dress telling our youth that it was ok to be slut and still wear white. It was all about sex,drugs and rock n roll; all in that order until Aides came along to put people in check that there are reprocussion to sleeping with everything in two legs and morals seemingly went to the way side. The it's all about "me"; gee that was exciting and no one on this entire page even mentioned the "yuppies". Remember them? The kids that were wearing Armani, Rolex watches, driving BMW's; all on mommie and daddy's money. Oh yeah, the 80's did not have spell check!

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Poots, Shrewsbury MA — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:35:48 GMT

To: ramon hallandale fl

I agree with you on many of your points; HOWEVER,
p-l-e-a-s-e learn to spell and punctuate!!! A great point is often lost when your blog is full of irritating mistakes!!!

Don’t bring back the 1980s

jon, sacramento, ca — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:06:55 GMT

I was 20 in 1980. I joined the service. I don't recall the "recession" back then being ANYTHING like what's happening now. Yes, some of the fashion was questionable, but so it what passes for fashion now - multiple facial piercings that are far more unpleasant to see than the 80's headbands, shoulder pads, and leg warmers. The 90's were the beginning of the bad times IMHO - and the new millennium has been even worse.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

AnnMarie, New Jersey — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:51:16 GMT

Every decade -- every year -- has its high points and its low points.

Given all the commentary here, I thought it might be a great idea to recall Billy Joel's 1989 song on this subject!

49 harry truman, doris day, red china, johnnie ray
south pacific, walter winchell, joe dimaggio

50 joe mccarthy, richard nixon, studebaker, television
north korea, south korea, marilyn monroe

51 rosenbergs, h-bomb, sugar ray, panmunjom
brando, the king and I and the catcher in the rye

52 eisenhower, vaccine, englands got a new queen
marciano, liberace, santayana goodbye

Chorus
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

53 joseph stalin, malenkov, nasser and prokofiev
rockefeller, campanella, communist bloc

54 roy cohn, juan peron, toscanini, dacron
dien bien phu falls, rock around the clock

55 einstein, james dean, brooklyns got a winning team
davy crockett, peter pan, elvis presley, disneyland

56 bardot, budapest, alabama, krushchev
princess grace, peyton place, trouble in the suez

Chorus

57 little rock, pasternak, mickey mantle, kerouac
sputnik, chou en-lai, bridge on the river kwai

58 lebanon, charles de gaulle, california baseball
starkweather, homicide, children of thalidomide

59 buddy holly, ben hur, space monkey, mafia
hula hoops, castro, edsel is a no-go

60 u-2, syngman rhee, payola and kennedy
chubby checker, psycho, belgians in the congo

Chorus

61 hemingway, eichmann, stranger in a strange land
dylan, berlin, bay of pigs invasion

62 lawrence of arabia, british beatlemania
ole miss, john glenn, liston beats patterson

63 pope paul, malcolm x, british politician sex
jfk, blown away, what else do I have to say

Chorus

64 - 89 birth control, ho chi minh, richard nixon back again
moonshot, woodstock, watergate, punk rock
begin, reagan, palestine, terror on the airline
ayatollahs in iran, russians in afghanistan

wheel of fortune, sally ride, heavy metal, suicide
foreign debts, homeless vets, aids, crack, bernie goetz
hypodermics on the shores, chinas under martial law
rock and roller cola wars, I cant take it anymore

Chorus

We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on...

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Ray — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:33:43 GMT

Ok folks

As the person who bought this blog out

Of life support

I passionately

Defend my era.

These times are ruff for us all but attack the greatest era ever known

In modern times

And. For. The. Most. Lowest reason. Chase you. Can't make. Your. Time

Work

Too far. So I had. To comment

I will be writting more about this later

And. No one. Has to make. Ten million. Points

Just. Vote.

1. For. 80's. Are. Better

2. For. These times. Are. Better

That's. It.

Me. 1

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Earl Dunaway, Clarksville, TN — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:03:18 GMT

I also remember the 80's fondly. The later generations have slowly turned our entire nation into too many seperate factions to count. We have divisions by race, immigration status, age, politics, religions, etc. How can anybody even call themselves americans anymore? We are a nation that has willingly divided itself. Political correctness will, (is?), the death of this nation. People now grow up with such a sense of entitlement, offense is taken with any percieved slight. Our entertainment industry has been on a slippery slide to the bottom of the moral ladder for a long time, (possible beginning with the 80's and Madonna). The nation is going to hell in a hand-basket. I miss the 80's.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Washington, Ia — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:41:33 GMT

The 80's sucked!! If you were a kid in the 80's, sure you thought it was great, because most people do look back on their childhood with fond memories. For the first poster that said there were no gang problems in the 80's, I was hanging out around Chicago at that time and I beg to differ.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

David, Fairfax, VA — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:50:00 GMT

It's amusing that this author labels the 1980's as horrible based on the economy of the first three years of that decade and ignores the dramatic economic expansion and wealth creation of the other seven years. The recession of 1980-82 was a result of the destructive policies of Jimmy Carter and Democrats who held more Congressional seats from 1977 until 1981 than they hold now. It was only in 1983, after Reagan's policies kicked in that the economy boomed. For those of you who want to re-write history, please Google the election of 1984. You don't win 49 states if your policies have failed. The 1980's were wonderful. Those who think otherwise obviously belong to the unproducive classes who won't work, aren't capable of creating wealth or opportunity and prefer to live a life of government dependency. For those people the 1980's were certainly a dark time.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

JimBo — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:47:30 GMT

Hey Val, you're paying $4.30 for milk? You need to be shopping at Wal-Mart (not available to most of us in 1980).

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Wuzzzaaap — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:01:34 GMT

Well, i was just a kid then. I knew zilch about politics, but i also don't remember anyone worrying too much about the state of America's economy. The only real threat to our borders was an imagined movie threat starring Patrick Swayze about Russians parachuting into our lands and having to be fought off by armies of...highschoolers? LOL. Yup, weird times. But if i had to chose i would rather be in these times because i believe in Obmama, and i know we will be ok in a few months.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Rick Cain — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:30:56 GMT

I think people forget that Reagan had absolutely nothing to do with the collapse of the Soviet Union. It collapsed due to a failed KGB plot to arrest President Gorbachev and replace him with a pre-chosen KGB leader. The plot fell apart because it was disorganized, there was bad communication between plotters, and Boris Yeltsin used the opportunity to grandstand and rally the people to bring Gorbachev back. It cemented his position as future leader due to his popularity and the weak Gorbachev regime.

Back in Washington, the bumbling Reagan, whose brain was riddled with Alzheimers, did pretty much nothing. Nancy Reagan and her personal astrologer pretty much ran the country during Reagan's 2nd term for that reason.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Rick Cain, OKC, OK — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:31:21 GMT

Don’t bring back the 1980s

jTE Dallas Texas — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:20:07 GMT

Thanks, Poot! How painful to read through these comments and half of them are so poorly written I cringe to think these people have jobs other than working at McDonald's....geez!

Don’t bring back the 1980s

ray hallandale — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:24:38 GMT

first let me clear up my post.

I reacted on three levels. one comical second emotional third serious.

the comical you see. the emotional is when i talk about how fun or how much good times we had. And then teasing the editor and other stuff.

but the serious is what i first put in the blog. And that is and first i agree with some of the things other people have put that the 80's werent perfect either. They had big problems. one of the post put clearly what the problems where. But at the time we tought those were gigantic.

+ +

And even those problems where going to progress into "better " problems.

+ +

what we never could of imagined Is.? these problems going the other way.

+ +

As in problems with the Basics. And that is what i was getting at And getting at.

Basics:

milk 4.50

gas 2.50

Rent 1200

Rent 1000

car insurance 250

electricity 100

++

that is what im getting at. If you dont have a hold of the basics. Then the rest pointless....

+ +

So these 20 years after the 80's should of sceen a holding of the dollar. It should of sceen Alt energy. It should of sceen tripling of salaries.

It should of sceen expansion of big business. It should of had top Employee Rights. it should of sceen minimum wage at 14 an hour.

It should of sceen employment gurantees of 5 or 10 years. It should of sceen Alot really.

+ +

And what it has sceen is the exact Reverse.

So it's a break down of basics.

+ +

is different than """problems"" problems are aids crack defecit Or crime.

+ +

this is the basics. You cant get no where if you are Spending 90 percent of your income to live.

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basics

+ +

You can get no where if you can get fired at any moment

+ +

basics

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you cant get no where if you have to learn a new skill every 4 years

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you cant get no where if you work 60 hours a week ( family becomes like a stranger lloll )

.... a.) in 1985 they thought you where a wacco if you worked more than 40 hours. today normal

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This stuff is the basics. !!!!

+ +

you can get no where if the car you drive Costs you 10 days to pay it

250 for gas
250 insurance
250 car payment.

means the first 12 days of the month you paying for car

1000 rent next 7 days you working for rent

400 food eletricity

+ +

that means what you saving.? 3 days of work

+ +

no man break down of basics

+ +

You cant get no where if your main Industry is something that dosn't exist. Service !!!! what the hell is is service it can mean anything

so that means what anything can get you fired too.?

No man America where made to build things work with there hands and mind And construct and advance Service advances nothing. Just a small business man. It decimates the employee. turns him into tool almost.

My proof is 1990 till today. Service has lead us into 4 recessions. Count them It's an unstable industry. useless in my book. It requires that you hold half your income in an investment. And it requires Unattainable goals. And a never ending Apprenticeship.

Instead of mastering of one skill.

Like a 20 year Gm worker would. how many times have we had to switch careers already. And it at the very least cuases massive Transiantcy ( sorry dont know how to spell that )

+ +

basics how can an employee be protected with out unions You guys threw them out in 87 So now no protection. Basics !!!

+ +

How the f can you compete against against a mexican building a shoe for 1 dollar an hour. But these people canceled Tarrifs through nafta. in '90.

And you freeking people did'nt say a word.

So now they destroyed the manufactoring sector. When we had strong Tarifs we had Strong jobs !!!

And Strong Salaries

+ +

Basics !!!

+ +

basics man basics

+ +

And i spell good enough for any of you clowns llllolll....

+ +

basics man basics !!!

+ +

We need to get back to them.

+ +

And we need to stop this obsession with Globalisim. Which has been a disaster for us.

+ +

And cut all these people loose and say take care of your own countries Grow your own economies. And employ your own people. How you do it is your problem.

+ +

And we have to invest on everything National.

+ +

Meaning from here out.! We need a strong sense of nationalisim. Us First Us only.

+ +

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Julia, Manchester, England — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:17:15 GMT

I can't help but think some posters here are young and swayed by what's currently 'fashionable.' Ten years ago, they'd be saying how great the 70s were (despite never having really experienced them) and how much the 80s sucked.

For 90s kids, it was trendy to sneer at the 80s and praise the 60s and 70s. For 00s kids, it's trendy to sneer at the 90s and praise the 80s.

So take it from someone who actually was an 80s teen ... the 80s weren't all that.

There are some things I miss about the 80s - better television and the proliferation of youth tribes - the New Romantics, the punks, the goths, the hair metallers et al. Youth culture today seems so homogenised by comparison.

But the music largely sucked, in comparison to the music of the 60s and 70s. Over-produced, over-commercialised, with that horrible, clean, pink-and-silver crystalline sound. If you wanted decent music in the 80s, you had to look beyond the top 100 and go indie. That's another thing I miss about the 80s - indie was actually indie.

The idealists of the 60s and 70s are in hindsight rightly perceived as naive, but people back then were at least nicer to each other. People started getting nastier in yes, you guessed it, the 80s.

Then there was the Cold War. Hard to believe now but people literally lived in fear of imminent nuclear attack, not helped by sensationalist TV shows such as The Day After and Threads.

To say nothing of the high levels of unemployment. The rich and greedy might well have had the time of their lives in the 80s, but for the average person looking for work, the decade was nothing short of a living hell.

Things started to pick up in the last year of the decade, which stylistically and musically was pretty much a precursor to the coming 90s anyway.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Luke Douglas — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:55:41 GMT

Larry,

My comment about the deregulation policies of Ronald Reagan was very specific and I still believe it is the underlying reason for our current financial difficulties we are experiencing today. The changes in China only exasperated the problem because our runaway national indebtedness has been bought mostly by China. If we didn't have this crises in our financial markets and government debt, China would be a non-issue.

But the real culprit in all of this is not our President or Congress over the past 30 years. It is the American voter who has continually re-elected the same bumbling idiots that has gotten us into this mess. Democrats will do anything to make Republicans look bad and Republicans will do anything to make Democrats look bad, while the country is going down the drain.

The sad thing is, most of us vote against someone other than for someone which is probably influenced by so much negative political advertising. I look at the voting ticket and try to decide who will do the least damage instead of who will do the most good.

In my 40+ years of voting, I can honestly say, I have never been so disillusioned about the future of our country and how our children as well as our grandchildren will be called on to pay for the mistakes of our generation.

Don’t bring back the 1980s

tony marren provo,utah — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:16:08 GMT

What was the 1980's like?
Reagan as President was the seemingly Big Boss
College was Yuppie oriented
Designer golf shirts was haute fashionista
Lands End,Eddie Bauer,Calvin Klein
Hey,its amusing how we look back at that decade and rewrite its history into this whimsical like chapter of Lost Innocense...it had BS like any chapter of our nation's development

Don’t bring back the 1980s

Brooklynn,Jacksonville Fl — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:33:37 GMT

this is crazy.
i was born in 1992.
and i can tell from what i've read.
and what i am experiencing at the moment.
life & communities have changed. drastically in the past ten years.
people arent as friendly as they were back in the day. you cant walk outside without having to worry about "watching you back" or locking your doors without worrying that someone will break in your house. there is no sense of security now a days!

my [step] father is in the militay.
navy to be exact.
& is never around. he is always working and not to sound trashy.
but a complete a**hole. towards me and my family.
treats my mother like crap..... as well as his kids.

back in the 80's life wasnt like this. life wasnt this hard. if you respected your parents then they respected you. im doing all of this tryingto get him to except me and i cant even get a little. noda.

men in the 80's were prefect.
loving caring.

all the way.

thanks!(:

Don’t bring back the 1980s

steph,Ma,Duxbury — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:01:18 GMT

Quick question is the world going to end in 2012??
I sure hope not.