Compared to now, they seemed like a more optimistic time, that's feeling more and more out of our reach as we approach 2017. I know everyone says "the past was more optimistic", but it really DOES feel like Obama's first term (2009-2012) had a more jubilant feel compared to his second (2013-2016).

In 2011, when Osama bin Laden was killed, our country felt united and as if it was progressing in the right direction. Contrast that to the past few years, where our country is split in half, political tensions are rising, and the pop culture (well ok, maybe just the Internet) has something of a grim, cynical feel to it. More people are embracing and normalizing cruel behavior because "It's funny lol" or "fuk da PC police".

Yes, I know the optimism of the Big O's first term was a fake dream and a distraction, all eras of optimism are — for instance, lots of bad sh*t happened in the 90s, crime rates apparently peaked that decade, but few of us noticed it because the economy was good, the pop culture of North America and Western Europe was giddy, and we felt giddy too — , yet sometimes I wish we could go back.

Yes there was some optimism in Obama's first term and things hadn't quite blown up quite as bad yet, though Obama had loud detractors from the beginning. I think Obama had generally good intentions but made some crucial mistakes. Now it's a complete mess and America has officially hit rock bottom. Obama underestimated ISIS and thought he got rid of the whole terror problem just by killing bin Laden, which was a mistake. Taking sides with the anti police extremist "Black Lives Matter" movement was a divisive mistake too. Then Trump announced his candidacy and the rest is history.

Yes it was. I answered this on past similar threads. The ambience of 2010-2011 especially was fresh and clean. We still even had YouTube. I said it once and I'll repeat, I miss early Drake, Nicki and Big Sean. Ariana Grande was also innocent since she was in Nick's hit, Victorious, a show I really miss. Cartoon Network was seemly making a comeback with Toonami incoming. I miss the hype of Saints Row 3 and Skyrim. Finishing high school at the time was a nice entrance to the era.

Glad to have been in my early 20s at the time.

Frankly, if I looked at this decade in 10 years, I would only feel happy about the early 2010s. Even though 2012 and onward gave me a unsettling feeling towards my life. I have to say that the Internet culture certainly played a huge role throughout this year. If it wasn't for how much the media paid attention to the Internet, I would most likely ignore this year in general. Although, I wish I could've ignored most of this year's culture, since it was rather cringeworthy to start with.  :-\\

I personally have to blame YouTube for all of this, since they caused a LOT of controversy towards its users. I mean, a lot. Not to mention that everyone on YouTube makes video like it's their own job. I really miss when most YouTubers made videos as a hobby, while making it funny for everyone. Nowadays, they're focusing more on sh*t like intense political analysis channels, a crap ton of Minecraft let's play channels, and god knows how many PewDiePie imitators.  8-P

Yes it was. I answered this on past similar threads. The ambience of 2010-2011 especially was fresh and clean. We still even had YouTube. I said it once and I'll repeat, I miss early Drake, Nicki and Big Sean. Ariana Grande was also innocent since she was in Nick's hit, Victorious, a show I really miss. Cartoon Network was seemly making a comeback with Toonami incoming. I miss the hype of Saints Row 3 and Skyrim. Finishing high school at the time was a nice entrance to the era.

Glad to have been in my early 20s at the time.

YouTube still exists...  ???

Economically yes. Other than that, I felt a similar dark feeling in the early 10s. It was just covered up by bright colours and artificial happiness. At least the mid 10s are more real. Even the music is better now than in the early 10s.

YouTube still exists..?  ???


In a literal sense, yes. It sadly does.  :\'(

In a literal sense, yes. It sadly does.  :\'(

YouTube is fine and it's still my favourite site. I always watch music videos on there. There is certainly no difference since the early 2010s. Late 2000s YouTube was different though because it was less profit based and more high quality videos were around. Anyways, I still think YouTube is a great site.

We were talking about this in the Longest Political Thread. Some people were slightly upset when Michelle Obama remarked that "this is what hopelessness looks like", when referring to the election, and comparing it to Obama's "Hope" campaign in 2008. I said that this doesn't have to be something we use unreliable gut feelings to compare, there are mathematically measurable ways to prove she is right.

75% of people described themselves as optimistic or excited about Obama in late 2008, that's in contrast with 46% for Trump in late 2016. 31% of people are "scared" of what a Trump presidency will bring, and a further 22% are concerned. For comparison, the number was 64% optimistic for George W. Bush in late 2000, and 70% for Bill Clinton in late 1992.

The contrast in these CBS articles/polls are pretty stark. It's pretty interesting to compare.

December 9, 2008 – Poll: U.S. Largely Optimistic About Obama
December 15, 2016 – Most think Trump will bring change, but most also think he'll divide the nation

The early 2010s were gritty and were dark in many areas. High unemployment rate, poverty, homelessness, towns hollowed out closed businesses everywhere etc. There was the Euro Crisis, the Greek bailout, the H1N1 epidemic, the G20 summits, and many other horrific events.

But despite all that, there was still that optimism: that the future will be brighter and that things will get better. It's definitely something that's very lacking right now (and for good reason).

I remember when the first revolution was live-tweeted in January 2011 (Egyptian Revolution), when my co-worker announced "Hosni Mubarak stepped down!" there was a lot of cheering in the store. There was the Arab Spring, and a lot of dictators like Kim Jong-il and Ahmadinejad died or stepped down in 2011, and as you said Osama Bin Laden was also killed. It truly felt like "the evil has been defeated" and that we were entering a new era of world peace.

Unfortunately, we got a lot of "Say hello to the new boss: same as the old boss" type situations, or even worse in the case of Syria/Yemen. A lot of the optimism has been converted into fear and discontent, and we're seeing that manifest in our current era.

Taking sides with the anti police extremist "Black Lives Matter" movement was a divisive mistake too.


Black Lives Matter is a human rights group that uses peaceful demonstrations to protest against the police murders and police brutality against innocent black men, where the police proceed to get off scot-free and are not brought to justice. There's nothing inherently wrong with being "anti-police". Police are human and they make mistakes. "Anti-police extremist" is essentially propaganda. None of the demands made by BLM are unreasonable, in fact, they are beneficial to all parties involved, as made evident by the police forces that have implemented key BLM demands. Both police and civilians (black and white) now live safer lives and in safer communities after the changes had been implemented.

Black Lives Matter is a human rights groups that uses peaceful demonstrations to protest against the police murders and police brutality against innocent black men who proceed to get off scot-free and are not brought to justice. There's nothing inherently wrong with being "anti-police". Police are human and they make mistakes. "Anti-police extremist" is essentially propaganda. None of the demands made by BLM are unreasonable, in fact, they are beneficial to all parties involved, as made evident by the police forces that have implemented key BLM demands. Both police and civilians (black and white) now live safer lives and in safer communities after the changes had been implemented.


BLM seemingly turns every case of a black man getting shot by police into a racist action (even when the cop is black), but there's always more details to the incidents. Usually the suspect involved was fighting with the police and resisting arrest, even attempting to take the cop's gun. Now there were some cases of injustice but not nearly as many as BLM claims. BLM also doesn't care about the lives black cops that die on the lie of duty, only the black men that fight with cops. I've read the obituaries of many black cops that died on the line of duty and there's never a single word from BLM about those black deaths. If I started fighting with a police officer and tried to take his gun, I'd also expect to be shot and I'm white. BLM is as I said an anti police propaganda organization that is doing nothing but stirring racial resentment.

Maybe it's my horrible personal life from that era. But 2010/2011 was darker in my personal life. And add in the doom and gloom vibes from doom and gloomers, of their predictions of the years after the 2008/2009 crash.
But people seem to think that the mid 10's overall, is darker.

Maybe it's my horrible personal life from that era. But 2010/2011 was darker in my personal life. And add in the doom and gloom vibes from doom and gloomers, of their predictions of the years after the 2008/2009 crash.
But people seem to think that the mid 10's overall, is darker.

I also found the early 10s darker partly due to my personal life.

I also found the early 10s darker partly due to my personal life.


:o

Maybe a little, but not too much. Why does this thread even exist?

BLM seemingly turns every case of a black man getting shot by police into a racist action (even when the cop is black),


You’re making that assumption that a person being black and a person being influenced by racism are mutually exclusive. They’re not. If black cops are shown to be more likely to kill unarmed black men than unarmed white men, then it’s safe to say that they are contributing or at least perpetuating the double standard.

but there's always more details to the incidents. Usually the suspect involved was fighting with the police and resisting arrest, even attempting to take the cop's gun. Now there were some cases of injustice but not nearly as many as BLM claims.


You’re using anecdotal evidence to build your viewpoints when there’s plenty of rich, accessible data out there that we can use. Between January 2015 and June 2016, 50 unarmed black men were shot, compared to an equal number of 50 unarmed white men. There are 5 times as many whites as blacks in the US. You’re 5 times more likely to be shot as an unarmed black man than as an unarmed white man. That itself is proof of an injustice.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/07/11/arent-more-white-people-than-black-people-killed-by-police-yes-but-no/?utm_term=.c991814b63eb (paragraph starting "U.S. police officers have shot and killed")


BLM also doesn't care about the lives black cops that die on the lie of duty, only the black men that fight with cops. I've read the obituaries of many black cops that died on the line of duty and there's never a single word from BLM about those black deaths.


Well, do you want to know what the difference is? The difference is that the people who murdered these cops were brought to justice. Their murderers were thrown in jail or even received the death penalty. Why are Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and Tamir Rice not deserving of the same respect and due process?


If I started fighting with a police officer and tried to take his gun, I'd also expect to be shot and I'm white.


And if you were an unarmed white man, and shot by police and severely injured or killed, you would want the people who attacked you to be brought to justice. You would want there be a video of the incident so the truth of the situation can be revealed, and not have your reputation be dragged through the dirt in the process. Are any of these demands unreasonable?


BLM is as I said an anti police propaganda organization that is doing nothing but stirring racial resentment.


That is a mischaracterization of what they do. Discrimination against black people in the country is very real and well documented throughout its history, and they are doing good work in trying to reduce and hopefully one day completely eliminate this injustice.

Definitely yes. I have never seen the country like divided this since maybe the early 1990's when the LA Riots happened and I was 12 or 13 years old back then. Its gonna get worse in the next couple years and than hopefully get better in 2019.

As long as Pitbull still makes music, I keep staying optimistic.

You’re making that assumption that a person being black and a person being influenced by racism are mutually exclusive. They’re not. If black cops are shown to be more likely to kill unarmed black men than unarmed white men, then it’s safe to say that they are contributing or at least perpetuating the double standard.

You’re using anecdotal evidence to build your viewpoints when there’s plenty of rich, accessible data out there that we can use. Between January 2015 and June 2016, 50 unarmed black men were shot, compared to an equal number of 50 unarmed white men. There are 5 times as many whites as blacks in the US. You’re 5 times more likely to be shot as an unarmed black man than as an unarmed white man. That itself is proof of an injustice.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/07/11/arent-more-white-people-than-black-people-killed-by-police-yes-but-no/?utm_term=.c991814b63eb (paragraph starting "U.S. police officers have shot and killed")

Well, do you want to know what the difference is? The difference is that the people who murdered these cops were brought to justice. Their murderers were thrown in jail or even received the death penalty. Why are Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and Tamir Rice not deserving of the same respect and due process?

And if you were an unarmed white man, and shot by police and severely injured or killed, you would want the people who attacked you to be brought to justice. You would want there be a video of the incident so the truth of the situation can be revealed, and not have your reputation be dragged through the dirt in the process. Are any of these demands unreasonable?

That is a mischaracterization of what they do. Discrimination against black people in the country is very real and well documented throughout its history, and they are doing good work in trying to reduce and hopefully one day completely eliminate this injustice.


I agree with most of what you said.

It's understandable when a group of people who have been shot, or beat, or something else, to be suspicious when a white, or black, police officer, attacks a person of their group. Even if they are suspicious, or having a triggered response. Their triggered response is from real facts, experiences, and truths. In essence, these suspicions and triggered responses aren't overreactions, but understandable and right reactions, even if it turns out that the shooting, or situation, wasn't about race.

Maybe a little, but not too much. Why does this thread even exist?


At least it's better than all of the generation threads we keep having.

YouTube still exists..?  ???


Where have you been for the past 11 years?  ::)

Where have you been for the past 11 years?  ::)

Exactly tell him that lol

Right now the only thing to be optimistic about is for Trump to make America great again, because it sure has not been great these last few years. Things have gone downhill fast during Obama's second term.

I know who can save us in 2020...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CExBGPuUkAA7w5r.jpg

(Mentally replace that '16 with a '20)

I know who can save us in 2020...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CExBGPuUkAA7w5r.jpg

(Mentally replace that '16 with a '20)


Pitbull would just put in more dumb songs for 2020.  >:(

Pitbull would just put in more dumb songs for 2020.  >:(


Except Pitbull's music isn't dumb. It's classy, intelligent and sophisticated.

I know who can save us in 2020...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CExBGPuUkAA7w5r.jpg

(Mentally replace that '16 with a '20)
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I don't think he'll run.

To answer the question, yes it did! The pop culture captured that perfectly. I'm aware we were in a post-recession effect during that time, but the music, fashion, and the vibe made it very joyful. It was much better than the dark era of terrorist attacks, robotomy, and pretentious attitudes!

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I don't think he'll run.


It's a shame. He's certainly more qualified than Trump...

It's a shame. He's certainly more qualified than Trump...
Maybe he might run one day. If Kanye and Lindsay can do it, so can he.

Except Pitbull's music isn't dumb. It's classy, intelligent and sophisticated.


Yeah, if you call that stuff as "classy". Maybe sophisticated (to a lot of people).

I know who can save us in 2020...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CExBGPuUkAA7w5r.jpg

(Mentally replace that '16 with a '20)


It's better than Kanye. Lady Gaga needs to run though. First she got the liberal vote and now with Joanne she's got a lot of Republicans.

Yeah, if you call that stuff as "classy". Maybe sophisticated (to a lot of people).


I do call his music classy. Maybe if you open your mind and check out some of his albums (I suggest Pitbull Starring in Rebelution which I consider to be his magnum opus) you might find you enjoy it.


It's better than Kanye. Lady Gaga needs to run though. First she got the liberal vote and now with Joanne she's got a lot of Republicans.


Lady Gaga is a hack. She couldn't even remain popular and relevant after 2011. Pitbull, however, went from Mr. 305 to Mr. Worldwide in 2011 and still makes big hits. ;) 8)

The late 10's so far have a very dark vibe. Maybe I'm projecting my fears after that assassination video. Maybe the late 10's will beat both the first 1/3 of the decade.

I do call his music classy. Maybe if you open your mind and check out some of his albums (I suggest Pitbull Starring in Rebelution which I consider to be his magnum opus) you might find you enjoy it.

Lady Gaga is a hack. She couldn't even remain popular and relevant after 2011. Pitbull, however, went from Mr. 305 to Mr. Worldwide in 2011 and still makes big hits. ;) 8)


Ouch!  8-P It stings like a bee!

Lady Gaga is a hack. She couldn't even remain popular and relevant after 2011. Pitbull, however, went from Mr. 305 to Mr. Worldwide in 2011 and still makes big hits. ;) 8)


At least Lady Gaga was the queen of the electropop era, while making badass songs compared to Pitbull.

At least Lady Gaga was the queen of the electropop era, while making badass songs compared to Pitbull.


How is Lady Gaga more badass than Pitbull? There's a reason why Pitbull still makes hits while Lady Gaga is a has-been that nobody listens to anymore.


Ouch!  8-P It stings like a bee!


;)