Appendix to "Existential Lottery Winners"

Summary of 20th Century American Political Eras
2001-18 Progressive Era, climaxing with WWI (dates from McKinley assassination/TR inauguration)
19-32 Inter-War Era, climaxing with Great Depression (from treaty of Versailles?)
33-52 New Deal Era, climaxing the Century with WWII, and its climax year, 1944
53-63 Golden Age I , ending abruptly with JFK assassination
64-80 “Years of Turmoil” Attempted generational coup by baby Boomers (b. 47-67). Its failure with 1980 Iran Hostage Incident? Its productivity. Carter presidency anachronistic.
1981 through 2008 is Golden Age II. Though its energy is spent, the period will continue on, in denial of the changes occurring, until the 3-D Administration (Dumb Duck Dubya) completes its futile, Buchanan-like term of office. One can only hope that we, too, will be so lucky as to find a Lincoln who will point us to the future (no doubt, at the cost of his/her life, as was true with Lincoln, and then so many others during the Years of Turmoil).

Three Phases of Golden Age II
81-92 Reagan Era, its climax with Gulf War I
93-2005 Post Cold War. Ending with Katrina, first days of September, 2005. Not the natural disaster itself, but the implications of the governmental response or lack thereof.

2006-2008 Drift until the era ends—it could be seen to end if the Democrats were to overturn control of the House in 2006. Then, the 2007-08 Congress will undoubtedly be a hot spot, with now Nancy Pelosi in the spotlight for the party, until the Presidential election takes over. In the meantime, things could get very sticky for many Republicans. This side show—even a side show deserves a spotlight—if it occurs, it will make things even more complicated for the apocalypse we now call the 2008 Elections. This election will be run as a repudiation of the Tyranny of Bushite Misrule by all but one party in this election. The Republicans just have to decide whether they will be that party. This once again returns the discussion to the question of John McCain, to be taken up subsequently.

2009-?? The Long Thing.

The Bushites would have you believe that Golden Age II ended with September 11, starting a generation(s)-long GWOT, also known as “the Long War”. Of course, we here still living innit know that isn’t true: we’ve been told we must undergo “treatment” for our “addiction to oil”, but we haven’t got a space open yet for our chosen rehab unit. We may or may not emerge from our coma this year (hint: it only partly depends on the voters; the rest is just the vicissitudes of the House’s electoral roulette wheel, tricked up as it has been by both parties), or we may stagger on through the apocalypse we now call the 2008 elections to the inauguration of our chosen anti-Bushite.

James Howard Kunstler would have you date the next age, which he also believes will be extended for decades, from publication of his The Long Emergency. Alternatively, from the date when oil production reached its peak. In the case of the paperback version, with its Epilogue sent to the printer just after Katrina, that would appear to be August 30, 2005.