I would say that the golden age, for all the fears of an emperor [Soviet style] in Russia or China doing something very stupid, really started in ~1950, for the west at least. Then you saw the development of parts of E Asia especially but also other sections of the world. The stupid idea of the "end of history" after the collapse of the Soviet empire and with China looking like it might liberalise was always a delusion - as there are always going to be competition and conflict.
To me the rot really started in ~1979-80 with the rise of hard right [by the standards of the time] governments in Britain and the US and with the Iranian revolution being high-jacked by reactionary Islam and the following Sunni reaction. But then that's when my young dreams of progress and success for Britain started to fade so possibly that's a point which occurs for many people when they reach that age?
60
I would say that the golden age, for all the fears of an emperor [Soviet style] in Russia or China doing something very stupid, really started in ~1950, for the west at least. Then you saw the development of parts of E Asia especially but also other sections of the world. The stupid idea of the "end of history" after the collapse of the Soviet empire and with China looking like it might liberalise was always a delusion - as there are always going to be competition and conflict.
To me the rot really started in ~1979-80 with the rise of hard right [by the standards of the time] governments in Britain and the US and with the Iranian revolution being high-jacked by reactionary Islam and the following Sunni reaction. But then that's when my young dreams of progress and success for Britain started to fade so possibly that's a point which occurs for many people when they reach that age?