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

[Del Tachi]

I'd say so.  Also, in terms of popular culture the 2010s seems on track to maybe even compete with the 1960s, and its at least on the same level as the 1990s. 

[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. 

[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.           

[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. 

[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.  

[Del Tachi]

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.

The GOP has its strongest Senate majority since the 1920s and certain posters are trying to claim that they are unpopular/have unpopular ideas.