We weren’t and it’s just looking back on the best parts of history that make us all believe that the past was better than today.

The 80s had the AIDS epidemic which was completely insane because on one hand, everyone was trying to raise alarms about it and on the other was the religious right saying that it was God’s will that people they hated should just die.

There was the constant threat or possibly of global nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the US … there’s a reason why several major pop songs from that era have undertones of war and death … ‘99 Balloons’, ‘Everyone Wants To Rule The World’, ‘I Melt With You’, ‘Forever Young’

Africa was fighting against apartheid … war in Afghanistan … crack epidemic in the US … and so much decorative wood paneling

There were several major concerts and events that highlighted famine in Africa … and artists sharing their frustrations that the little bit of millions they raised was just barely enough to keep some people from starving for a few months.

Computer technology was taking over at an amazing pace which was exciting but also frightening because no one knew where it was leading … it was like being in a race car with a maniac driver and you didn’t know if you were going for a thrill ride or going to crash in a fantastic fireball on the racetrack.

Just about every year or every second year, some religious/new age/prophet was announcing their prediction for the end of the world … I remember 1990 New Years as being the first major New Year that people thought we were all going to die … the next one was in 2000.

The 80s and 90s were just as crazy, insane and out of control as the world is now … we just like to think that it was better back then … but it really wasn’t. The only difference is that we all have front row seats now and we can watch the idiocy and insanity in real time on the internet.

Leaded gasoline

bc they didn’t have Tiktok