America has jumped the shark -- discuss

[everythingsxen]

With the levels of insanity here in America, I feel we have jumped the shark. Discuss.

[ghostsofgiants]

1. Didn't America jump the shark during Reagan?

That was my impression.

[kenny blankenship]

4. I think we were eyeing the shark, judging the distance for our approach

and yeah, we had definitely had an agreement in principle to jump the shark at the earliest practical opportunity. We had formed an intent to jump the shark and had taken several irrevocable steps in that direction. But we didn't really start the jump proper until Bush I. That's when we started invading/attacking other countries like it was going out of style. Once that dog slipped his leash, the shark was all but jumped and the barndoor was terminally open with the spilt milk everywhere.
Now that we're retreating from Iraq (after a sordid attempt at a sequel to Operation Desert Storm applause applause applause) the whole world is sort of looking around with an arched eyebrow for each other, as if to say, "Do my eyes deceive me or has America not jumped the shark?"

[JHB]

2. Jumping the shark has jumped the shark -- discuss

If I never hear that phrase again it'll be too soon.

[everythingsxen]

3. I go through phases where I mildly dislike the phrase..

but most of the time I find it hilarious.

Typically because I imagine whatever is being referred to as literally jumping the Shark. (i.e. the Administration all trying to stand on a motorcyle jumping over a shark tank LOL)

[Brotherjohn]

5. Why imagine?

[Lexingtonian]

6. just WW2/Cold War America

We've been in the reruns and Theme Movie phase of that show for quite awhile, and it clearly hasn't gotten any better (to put it mildly) on second viewing. (Though doing it has resolved a few questions we had about it all in the first airing.) Under Reagan/Bush Sr we did the 1930s and 1940s issues over, under Clinton the 1950s...sad, ain't it. Under Bush we started with a review/recapitulation of matters roughly 1960 and we're up to rehashing the issues and behaviors of ~1975 now.

Dreary and unenlightened stuff, 99% of it, yes, and a dark cloud over the national landscape politically. The silver lining is we're picking up pace, rerunning stuff from ~4-5 consecutive years of the past each year of the present now, and we're continuing to accelerate. We should be done with it all around 2008.

Godd-mn near 20 years of post-Cold War hangover, all this crap.

[ForrestGump]

7. America IS the shark

A particularly aggressive one.

And we've got everyone else jumping.