Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
While the songwriter remembers life being “so beautiful” when he was young, my own memory differs …
1950-53 - Korean War / 36,000 U.S. soldiers killed 1963 - President John F Kennedy assassinated. 1963 - Governor George Wallace of Alamama stands in University doorway to block black students 1965-74 - Vietnam War / 282,000 U.S & Allied military deaths 1967 - 3 U.S. astronauts burned to death during an Apollo launch pad test in Florida. 1968 - Reverend Martin Luther King assassinated. 1968 - Senator Robert F Kennedy assassinated. 1970 - National Guard troops fire on protesting students at Kent State University. killing & wounding several 1971 - American Arlines flight 191 crashes shortly after departing Chicago / 273 fatalities 1972 - 5 White House “plumbers” break into Democratic headquarters in Washington DC 1973 - “Saturday Night Massacre” as Nixon fires Watergate Special Investigator Archibald Cox 1973 - Spiro Agnew resigns as Vice President facing corruption charges 1974 - Prsident Nixon resigns under incriminating circumstances and pressure from own party 1977 - Two jumbo jets collide on Tenerife in the Canary Islands / 574 dead 1979 - Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Disaster in Pennsylvania threatens millions 1977-83 - Inflation runs in the double-digits, reaching 13.5% annually in 1980 1981 - Volker induced recession lasts 18 months. Unemployment reaches 10.8% of U.S. population 1986 - Space shuttle Challenger explodes over Florida. Teacher Christa McAullffe among the 7 dead. 1999 - Columbine high school shootings. 15 dead. A harbinger of things to come 2001 - Attack on the World Trade Center, NYC / 3,000 deaths 2001 - American Airlines flight flown into Pentagon. Death toll: 64 on plane / 125 in the Pentagon 2003 - Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas. 7 dead. 2007-2009 S&P 500 loses more than 50% of its value / World teeters on brink of depression
Note that Supertramp was London-based, and its band members were Brits, born circa 1944-1950, including song author/lead singer Roger Hodgson, born in 1950 in England. Song was released in March 1979. So they may have had very different perspectives. Just sayin'.
That said, to continue your points...
1963 - President John F Kennedy assassinated 1980 - Birth of MAGA 2001-2002 - dot com bubble burst I think there may have been a few wars in there, too? And a whole lotta other really bad stuff here, across the pond!
In order of magnitude the two Asian wars in my lifetime dominate. I went back and included them.
I wasn’t quite yet born when we devastated two Japanese cities with nuclear bombs which cannot differentiate between military / civilian targets. But, still, I’ll always be haunted by that.
My goal was to recall things that struck me especially hard at the moment (ie the singer’s childhood memories). No doubt some of the things that hit me hard at the time pale in comparison to greater tragedies. Didn’t even get into natural disasters or Covid.
Dickens : ”It was the best of times. It was the worst of times …”
MAGA? I was visiting London in November 2016 when the election results were announced. Wept off and on during the last play attended before returning to the U.S. - And the play was a comedy.
Born '54. I recall milk truck deliveries, even the old bread trucks delivering to the family across the street. Dodgers and Giants moved to the Left Coast. All the boomer kids, playing street-soccer, sort of a kickball game, but with bases. Burned my draft card. Never got along with my father, the cop. Woodstock. Trying to figure out girls. Vietnam, ya. Dreadful. Psychopath nuns teaching us in school.
Comments
1950-53 - Korean War / 36,000 U.S. soldiers killed
1963 - President John F Kennedy assassinated.
1963 - Governor George Wallace of Alamama stands in University doorway to block black students
1965-74 - Vietnam War / 282,000 U.S & Allied military deaths
1967 - 3 U.S. astronauts burned to death during an Apollo launch pad test in Florida.
1968 - Reverend Martin Luther King assassinated.
1968 - Senator Robert F Kennedy assassinated.
1970 - National Guard troops fire on protesting students at Kent State University. killing & wounding several
1971 - American Arlines flight 191 crashes shortly after departing Chicago / 273 fatalities
1972 - 5 White House “plumbers” break into Democratic headquarters in Washington DC
1973 - “Saturday Night Massacre” as Nixon fires Watergate Special Investigator Archibald Cox
1973 - Spiro Agnew resigns as Vice President facing corruption charges
1974 - Prsident Nixon resigns under incriminating circumstances and pressure from own party
1977 - Two jumbo jets collide on Tenerife in the Canary Islands / 574 dead
1979 - Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Disaster in Pennsylvania threatens millions
1977-83 - Inflation runs in the double-digits, reaching 13.5% annually in 1980
1981 - Volker induced recession lasts 18 months. Unemployment reaches 10.8% of U.S. population
1986 - Space shuttle Challenger explodes over Florida. Teacher Christa McAullffe among the 7 dead.
1999 - Columbine high school shootings. 15 dead. A harbinger of things to come
2001 - Attack on the World Trade Center, NYC / 3,000 deaths
2001 - American Airlines flight flown into Pentagon. Death toll: 64 on plane / 125 in the Pentagon
2003 - Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas. 7 dead.
2007-2009 S&P 500 loses more than 50% of its value / World teeters on brink of depression
Memory is a funny thing …
That said, to continue your points...
1963 - President John F Kennedy assassinated
1980 - Birth of MAGA
2001-2002 - dot com bubble burst
I think there may have been a few wars in there, too?
And a whole lotta other really bad stuff here, across the pond!
In order of magnitude the two Asian wars in my lifetime dominate. I went back and included them.
I wasn’t quite yet born when we devastated two Japanese cities with nuclear bombs which cannot differentiate between military / civilian targets. But, still, I’ll always be haunted by that.
My goal was to recall things that struck me especially hard at the moment (ie the singer’s childhood memories). No doubt some of the things that hit me hard at the time pale in comparison to greater tragedies. Didn’t even get into natural disasters or Covid.
Dickens : ”It was the best of times. It was the worst of times …”
MAGA? I was visiting London in November 2016 when the election results were announced.
Wept off and on during the last play attended before returning to the U.S. - And the play was a comedy.
The Logical Song is perfect for these days, eh?