I grew up during the 1970’s, and part of me will always live there. While I would argue that some aspects of the culture then were better than they are now, for the country in general, it was hardly a golden age: Vietnam; Watergate; inflation; “national malaise;” Iran; etc. America seemed to be in an irreversible decline. Even the cars, clothes, and houses were ugly. It is no wonder we were looking for something completely different in 1980.
My wife and I watched the CNN series called “The Seventies” a few weeks ago, and even though we both lived through the times and internalized them, we were startled by some of the images–particularly the film of New York looking like a war zone. She observed, and was correct, that Trump’s dystopian rhetoric about crime, decline, and the inner cities appeared to be grounded in those images, which in no way reflect current conditions; after all, the debate that rages in New York City today is about gentrification, not decay. And so, the question for today is whether Trump actually believes the doom and gloom that he offers up by the tablespoon because it is a big part of his early experience.
I don’t think so. Trump was a big player in the Gatsby 80’s, as well. Furthermore, he didn’t really start talking about crime and urban decay until late in his campaign. I think it is just another instance of him finding and reviving a theme that played well with his constituents and milking it for political gain.