Are the times a-changin'?

As I am currently reading Bret Easton Ellis' acclaimed, American Psycho I came across something that I thought was a little disturbing. And no, contrary to popular belief, it isn't about the grueling and graphic subject matter, but this:

Well, we have to end apartheid for one. And slow down the nuclear arms race, stop terrorism and world hunger. Ensure a strong national defense, prevent the spread of communism in Central America, work for a Middle East peace settlement, prevent U.S. military involvement overseas. We have to ensure that America is a respect world power. Now that’s not to belittle our domestic problems, which are equally important, if not more. Better and more affordable long-term care for the elderly, control and find a cure for the AIDS epidemic, clean up environmental damage from toxic waste and pollution, improve the quality of primary and secondary education, strengthen laws to crack down on crime and illegal drugs. We also have to ensure that college education is affordable for the middle class and protect Social Security for senior citizens plus conserve natural resources and wilderness areas and reduce the influence of political action committees.

But economically we’re still a mess. We have to find a way to hold down the inflation rate and reduce the deficit. We also need to provide training and jobs for the unemployed as well as protect existing American jobs from unfair foreign imports. We have to make America the leader in new technology. At the same time we need to promote economic growth and business expansion andhold the line against federal income taxes and hold down interest rates while promoting opportunities for small business and controlling mergers and big corporate takeovers.

But we can’t ignore our social needs either. We have to people from abusing the welfare system. We have to provide food and shelter for the homeless and oppose racial discrimination and promote civil rights while also promoting equal rights for women but change abortion laws to protect the right to life yet still somehow maintain women’s freedom of choice. We also have to control the influx of illegal immigrants. We have to encourage a return to traditional moral values and curb graphic sex and violence on TV, in movies, in popular music, everywhere. Most importantly we have to promote general social concern and less materialism in young people.

The problem, as I see it with this diatribe, is that it was written in 1991, and besides the litany of problems and injustices listed here, only one thing has really changed -- Apartheid. Well, at least it's a great thing to have changed. 

But really, as that passage was written almost 20 years ago --when the freakin' U.S.S.R. fell -- it is still essentially true and still causing a shitload of problems to this day. It just makes you want to shake your head. Well, at least it should if you have a fuckin' soul.

And we say history repeats itself, but does it change enough to repeat itself?