I don't think so, not to this extent.. I have been *observing* lol I mean learning from Americans for several decades now and I haven't observed that yet.. Prez's have always been the butt of jokes but they are generally light-hearted and not sinister.. I think Obama was made fun of a lot and there were even times when he laughed along with them... I can't imagine Trump laughing at any jokes about him!
I was around when Obama first came in.. I found that fascinating... people seemed happy to have him, there was a perception that he could literally walk on water and that he would *save* America from all the ills that it was suffering from...I have no objection to Obama at all but I did feel then that it was too much to expect, that it wouldn't be achievable on that scale expected of him... one man could not do all the things expected of him... seems I was right on that one but then again he has achieved improvements, even if the detractors claim otherwise... I think that the expectations were just too high and people too impatient.. look what they went for instead!
On the other hand... perhaps back then I was fortunate not to encounter so many of the *other* kind of American that we see now and that represent the typical Trump voter... so perhaps there was unease then too...however, I can tell you this.. the world respected America for having the first black pres, we all thought it was an enlightened step... and he spoke sanely and reasonably, regardless of whether you agree with what he said... In any event tho there wasn't the level of division and dissent there is now... and in terms of world respect, the world looking up to America, is a retrograde step.
It seems to me, it started during "Bush Jrs" Administration.
Though I've been saying for years - the government is at fault for encouraging divisiveness between people. Always asking people to lump themselves into categories ... age, gender, ethnicity are mandatory questions upon hire so the EEOC can divide people into categories. Same thing with college applications. > You don't have to answer them, but nobody tells you that.
Then their "equality policies" attempt to make up for past discrimination by punishing people who had nothing to do with it. Guess government is following the Old Testament saying about "the sins of the fathers being visited upon the sons" (or something like that).
When the REAL issue today is less the ethnicity of someone, and more their economic situation. "The rich get richer" because they can afford better schools - and better education leads to better jobs, with higher pay.
I was referring to the vitriol ... as what seemed to have started during Bush Jrs Admin. At least, I don't recall it being so widespread and "loud" in any administration prior to that, in the last 50 years.
And we have come far, in terms of racism.
Though there is no way to totally eliminate discrimination ... at least, not without the ability to forcibly alter people's thoughts. And I shudder at the thought of government having THAT ability.
Blatant disrespect of Constitutional Rights.
You think Trump treats media bad? Lincoln had newspapers that disagreed with him burned, and imprisoned editors.
Placing the "Union" above States, to the point of killing over.
Remember, he didn't care about slavery as long as the "Union" was kept intact.
Lincoln was content to let slavery exist - until saying the war was about slavery was the only way to keep Europe from helping the Confederacy.
Marguerite, the Beloved 