Is this the most progressive decade since the 1960's?

[RFayette]

The Tea Party partially took over one of the big two parties. Occupy is best known from being rousted from parks.

But Occupy is much more popular than the Tea Party, and had many more people participating in it. Less powerful certainly, but more popular.

The Tea Party certainly has more people participating in it than Occupy ever did. It's just that most of the people participating in the Tea Party did so via behind the scenes support for their candidates, as opposed to park takeovers and riots.

Tea party rallies were often huge as well; it's just that they didn't destroy public property or break laws to try to make a point. 

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Tea party rallies were often huge as well; it's just that they didn't destroy public property or break laws to try to make a point. 

Uh, yes they did.

[RFayette]

Tea party rallies were often huge as well; it's just that they didn't destroy public property or break laws to try to make a point. 

Uh, yes they did.

Sure, but not to the extent of OWS.

[PJ]

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

Also, this is the second time within the past week that a conservative has had to clarify that they do not support slavery/segregation. lol

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

The difference is that Occupy has largely evolved into other movements such as Black Lives Matter. A lot of the people in Black Lives Matter were Occupy regulars.

What has the Tea Party evolved into?

[Del Tachi]

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

The difference is that Occupy has largely evolved into other movements such as Black Lives Matter. A lot of the people in Black Lives Matter were Occupy regulars.

What has the Tea Party evolved into?

An actual full-fledged political apparatus that's running the GOP. 

[Del Tachi]

I wonder what the first decade will be that is only "mildly progressive" or even "conservative."  I bet the 2020's will be quite liberal with demographic changes and millennials, but perhaps things will finally shift in the 2030's towards a stasis?  Obviously the 1950's-type social policies that I would like in place will never occur, but I really hope we don't move at this fast of a clip continuously.

The 1980s, 1990s and 2000s could probably all be described as "conservative" decades.  I expect the 2020s and 2030s to take-on this weird, neo-liberal, corporate, "the world now looks like the inside of an Apple store" type feel before we get an explosion of high-art and culture in the 2040s. 

Does this mean lots of classical music and old-style art, or a completely different form of "high-art and culture"?

Something new most definitely, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some neo-Classical elements crop-up.  I could imagine Greco-Roman inspired names like "Apollo" or "Dionysus" becoming popular among the first post-Millennial generation, for example.

The world now seems to be getting a lot "grayer" and as much as everyone loves the Millennials for their technology fetishism and almost total adoption of secular liberal values, they don't really seem capable of anything culturally momentous.  As soon as the post-Millennials have the numbers and influence to react against Millennials' over-institutional world philosophy, there's going to be a movement back towards a kinder, softer, more natural, more "human" culture.  I think a resurgence in the high arts would only seem natural as a reaction against the Millennial's overly-technological, very corporatist worldview, but there's probably a bit of wishful thinking there on my part.           

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

The difference is that Occupy has largely evolved into other movements such as Black Lives Matter. A lot of the people in Black Lives Matter were Occupy regulars.

What has the Tea Party evolved into?

An actual full-fledged political apparatus that's running the GOP. 

But do they have much public support?

[Del Tachi]

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

The difference is that Occupy has largely evolved into other movements such as Black Lives Matter. A lot of the people in Black Lives Matter were Occupy regulars.

What has the Tea Party evolved into?

An actual full-fledged political apparatus that's running the GOP. 

But do they have much public support?

They have their strongest Congressional majorities since the 1920s so I'd say yes. 

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

The difference is that Occupy has largely evolved into other movements such as Black Lives Matter. A lot of the people in Black Lives Matter were Occupy regulars.

What has the Tea Party evolved into?

An actual full-fledged political apparatus that's running the GOP. 

But do they have much public support?

They have their strongest Congressional majorities since the 1920s so I'd say yes. 

That's from gerrymandering.

[RFayette]

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

The difference is that Occupy has largely evolved into other movements such as Black Lives Matter. A lot of the people in Black Lives Matter were Occupy regulars.

What has the Tea Party evolved into?

An actual full-fledged political apparatus that's running the GOP. 

But do they have much public support?

They have their strongest Congressional majorities since the 1920s so I'd say yes. 

That's from gerrymandering.

And having motivated voters in off-years and a natural strength in rural areas/exurbs, of course. 

[Del Tachi]

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

The difference is that Occupy has largely evolved into other movements such as Black Lives Matter. A lot of the people in Black Lives Matter were Occupy regulars.

What has the Tea Party evolved into?

An actual full-fledged political apparatus that's running the GOP.  

But do they have much public support?

They have their strongest Congressional majorities since the 1920s so I'd say yes.  

That's from gerrymandering.

You can't gerrymander the U.S. Senate.  

[DavidB.]

The Tea Party partially took over one of the big two parties. Occupy is best known from being rousted from parks.

But Occupy is much more popular than the Tea Party, and had many more people participating in it. Less powerful certainly, but more popular.

lol

[Ban my account ffs!]

No because 'progressive' isn't a term with any objective definition or any realistic chance of acquiring one.

How about rather than being pedantic, you just go with the intended subjective definition the original poster went with?  It's not that hard to figure out. 

Otherwise, you are right.

[SWE]

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

The difference is that Occupy has largely evolved into other movements such as Black Lives Matter. A lot of the people in Black Lives Matter were Occupy regulars.

What has the Tea Party evolved into?

An actual full-fledged political apparatus that's running the GOP. 

But do they have much public support?

They have their strongest Congressional majorities since the 1920s so I'd say yes. 

That's from gerrymandering.

You can't gerrymander the U.S. Senate. 

What does this have to do with anything?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

The Senate has been gerrymandered by the failure to admit D.C. as a state.

[OSR stands with Israel]

The 1980s, 1990s and 2000s could probably all be described as "conservative" decades.

The 2000s were the most conservative decade in America's history - easily.

1920s were more conservative and so were the 1890s

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

No because 'progressive' isn't a term with any objective definition or any realistic chance of acquiring one.

How about rather than being pedantic, you just go with the intended subjective definition the original poster went with?  It's not that hard to figure out. 

I still think it's not really measurable in any honest way.

[angus]

The Senate has been gerrymandered by the failure to admit D.C. as a state.

This goes way over my head.  My understanding of the term gerrymander conflicts with my understanding of fixed senatorial constituencies.  

Okay, looking at the comment of Del Tachi I see that I'm not the only one who is confused.  I think you might have to explain this one for the benefit of us knuckleheads.


To the OP:  vote no.  Society is hellishly intolerant now in a way that the 60s were not, although it is much more comfortable nowadays.  At least for those of us with means.  We don't even have to touch any other people.  Just type and click and you can have as much social intercourse as you want.  I'm not sure that the people of the 60s would consider any of this progress.

[PJ]

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

The difference is that Occupy has largely evolved into other movements such as Black Lives Matter. A lot of the people in Black Lives Matter were Occupy regulars.

What has the Tea Party evolved into?

An actual full-fledged political apparatus that's running the GOP. 

But do they have much public support?

They have their strongest Congressional majorities since the 1920s so I'd say yes. 

That's from gerrymandering.

Republicans won the popular vote in the House of Representatives elections in 2010 and 2014, so you cannot attribute it all to gerrymandering.

Occupy and the Tea Party are both sharply declining in relevance, and we're only halfway through the decade.

The difference is that Occupy has largely evolved into other movements such as Black Lives Matter. A lot of the people in Black Lives Matter were Occupy regulars.

What has the Tea Party evolved into?

An actual full-fledged political apparatus that's running the GOP.  

But do they have much public support?

They have their strongest Congressional majorities since the 1920s so I'd say yes.  

That's from gerrymandering.

You can't gerrymander the U.S. Senate.  

The senate isn't designed to be representative of the will of the people in the first place.

The Senate has been gerrymandered by the failure to admit D.C. as a state.

Two more Democratic seats would not change control of the senate.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Most conservative: 1490's
Most progressive: 2010's

[Mister Mets]

The Tea Party partially took over one of the big two parties. Occupy is best known from being rousted from parks.

But Occupy is much more popular than the Tea Party, and had many more people participating in it. Less powerful certainly, but more popular.

A group that holds weeks long protests is unlikely to be bigger than a group that holds rallies and then goes home.

[ottermax]

As a society we seem more open-minded to certain issues than ever before, but only as long as they fit a mainstream agenda and don't deal with giving up certain privileges or benefits. Gay marriage, marijuana, general individual freedoms seem to be popular.

However when it comes to race relations (education equality, equal pay, reparations, integrated schools), welfare, prisons, Native American rights, corporate influence in elections, voting rights, and other issues of transferring wealth or privilege, the conversations are happening, but the actions remain weak or moving in the wrong direction.

Essentially we live in a decade with more liberty, but fewer/unchanged rights.

[JonathanSwift]

Yes, truly nightmarish times indeed.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

However when it comes to race relations (education equality, equal pay, reparations, integrated schools), welfare, prisons, Native American rights, corporate influence in elections, voting rights, and other issues of transferring wealth or privilege, the conversations are happening, but the actions remain weak or moving in the wrong direction.

In other words, progressive ideas are more popular now, but are less likely to be enacted.