The Golden Age Trump Remembers - From a Penthouse

Some Memories of America are More Privileged than Others

The Golden Age Trump Remembers - From a Penthouse

Some memories of America are more privileged than others

Donald Trump’s vision of American greatness is not a shared national memory. Less than 20% of the population today was alive during the post-WWII Golden Age of the 50’s and 60’s. Trump’s memories are from a penthouse in Queens, built by a wealthy father who created a real estate empire with government monies, while blocking blacks from his rentals. The version of America he remembers isn’t one most people lived through. For them, the Golden Age wasn’t golden.

Yes, many of that 20% voted for Trump, perhaps believing he actually could recreate a time when life was more comfortable. A time when they weren’t bothered with nuisances such as people of color and DEI, climate change and regulations. 78% of the country was white, and life was less complicated. It worked for his family because the rules were written in a way that rewarded whiteness, wealth, and connections. Much as the Trump Administration is trying to write them now.

Back then, the American Dream was a term that resonated across the country. Wages were up. The new suburbs were welcoming folks into brand new homes. But, it was also a time of deep inequality and systemic exclusion for millions of Americans. Redlining kept black families out of the burbs. Women were designated “homemakers.” Immigrants were limited by strict quotas. Industries were allowed to contaminate our air, water and soil. And, while kids watched “Leave it To Beaver,” people were getting beaten in the streets for demanding the right to vote or attend desegregated schools.

That’s the part of history that Trump and his Christian Nationalist cronies don’t mention. They offer up a version of America that skips over the struggles and feels good to remember. It never really existed the way many in the country think, but the propaganda works. When things feel uncertain, people are eager to believe that a shiny past can be resurrected.

Here’s the thing, though: chasing the past means ignoring how we got here. It means forgetting all we gained in the Civil Rights era. The Women’s Movement and the countless fights for equity were hard-won and far from finished. In Trump’s version of America “greatness” abandons progress while attempting to recreate a society that is tolerable for only a few.

Won’t Go Back

If we really want to make America great, we must stop the fairy tale about a past that was not so great for many. It is also time to stop equating patriotism with privilege. Wealthy idealogues have seized the narrative, and it is time to take it back - even the parts that are messy and painful. Greatness will come from the truth and building something better together.