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USA had more violence and strife in the 1960s, with the assassinations of a president, attorney general, and popular civil rights leaders, a bitter divisive fut

USA had more violence and strife in the 1960s, with the assassinations of a president, attorney general, and popular civil rights leaders, a bitter divisive futile war that killed tens of thousands of American youths, and a generation that was tuning out from their elders because the society was devoid of consensus and had no clear pathway to renewal. Canada, on the other hand, has enjoyed the unbroken reign of Queen Elizabeth II the whole time.

refurb 5y ago
Canada had the benefit of the War Measure Act, suspending Charter rights during the PLQ crisis of the 1970's. But otherwise, I do agree that to say the US is in some sort of crisis seem pretty laughable compared to the 1960's.
quattrofan 5y ago
dredmorbius 5y ago
I think you'd find reasonably strong support for the argument that the United States has a long history of poor adherence to its ideals of liberal democracy, including at least 86 years during which the ownership by persons of another human being was law of the land, a 500 year genocide against the original inhabitants of the land, armed suppression of populist, worker, and labour movements, imperial aggression and invasion of its multiple neighbours (Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, ...), numerous high-level political assassinations, a national political surveillance organisation run as a personal feifdom from 1924--1972, and with numerous internal fascist, militia, nationalist, and genocidal movements, amongst others, including an instance of a rogue President who ordered surveillance and burglary of political opposition in the 1970s. There was a period of respite from that following Nixon's resignation in 1974, the Church and other hearings over FBI and CIA overreach, and the attainment of some of the goals of the Civil Rights and Peace movements of the 1950s--1970s. None of that obviates the argument that there's not been a considerable backsliding and numerous unprecedented developments in the subsequent decades, including over the past administration and to the present.

refurb 5y ago

Canada had the benefit of the War Measure Act, suspending Charter rights during the PLQ crisis of the 1970's. But otherwise, I do agree that to say the US is in some sort of crisis seem pretty laughable compared to the 1960's.

quattrofan 5y ago

dredmorbius 5y ago

I think you'd find reasonably strong support for the argument that the United States has a long history of poor adherence to its ideals of liberal democracy, including at least 86 years during which the ownership by persons of another human being was law of the land, a 500 year genocide against the original inhabitants of the land, armed suppression of populist, worker, and labour movements, imperial aggression and invasion of its multiple neighbours (Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, ...), numerous high-level political assassinations, a national political surveillance organisation run as a personal feifdom from 1924--1972, and with numerous internal fascist, militia, nationalist, and genocidal movements, amongst others, including an instance of a rogue President who ordered surveillance and burglary of political opposition in the 1970s. There was a period of respite from that following Nixon's resignation in 1974, the Church and other hearings over FBI and CIA overreach, and the attainment of some of the goals of the Civil Rights and Peace movements of the 1950s--1970s. None of that obviates the argument that there's not been a considerable backsliding and numerous unprecedented developments in the subsequent decades, including over the past administration and to the present.