Golden Age Syndrome

Golden Age Syndrome is a horrible affliction that can affect millions of Americans. It is the belief that at some point in the past everything was much better and our current problems are caused by getting away from that ideal time and way of life. It's mostly seen in Republicans and social conservatives, but people of all political stripes (even Democrats and rarely Libertarians) can catch it. The symptoms include strong belief in mythologies that never happened, fervent denial of reality, defense of the imaginary, and in the final stages, a refusal to move forward. These symptoms can cause otherwise rational people to ignore any problems that existed within their ideal time, no matter how glaring they are. People from that time take on super human qualities and no contemporaries can hope to stack up. They then become so enamored that any solution to a problem that does not automatically recreate their ideal is ignored.

There are many variances of this disease, with the most common being caused by the "moral decay" strand. This is most usually seen in Social Conservatives and is typified by the belief that America's failing morals are causing all of the country's woes. They often point to some ill-defined time in the nation's past where everyone went to church and no one ever even considered doing anything wrong. This argument is usually coupled with the claim that the nation has turned away from God. Never mind that this time in America's history never existed. Many of the founders were deists, and prior to that if you believed in God (the same one) the wrong way you were burned at the stake. In fact, at the founding of the nation there were no drug laws and prostitution was perfectly legal. There was also slavery, war, disenfranchisement, rum running, riots, and any number of other things that are generally considered to be negatives that are conveniently ignored. The simple fact is that this magically wholesome time never actually existed.

The second most common variant is "hero worship" and is can contracted simultaneously with "moral decay", but that is not always the case. Reagan, FDR, and Kennedy are often the focus of this sickness. They are placed on a pedestal as some mythical creatures that in single strokes did inhumanly amazing things. Reality cannot get in the way of that vision, and the faults and wrongdoings of these men (and women) are simply misunderstood or excused because of all the amazing things that they did. When the hero was around everything in America was better because of them. Libertarians are most susceptible to the "founding" subspecies of this variant. We can start to believe that there was a time when the Constitution was followed to the letter and the founders were all honorable and brilliant men. While they may have been for the most part, they were not without (many) faults of their own. In fact, the ink on the Constitution hadn't finished drying before Hamilton and Washington began circumventing it. Hero Worship can be the deadliest of the Golden Age Syndromes because it is the one that most often leads to paralysis. Unless someone is a perfect replica of the hero, they will not get any support in what ever they do, no matter how much the afflicted agrees with them.

There are many other variants still like "unbiased press." Though they all may be different, the symptoms are usually the same. The only known cures is healthy skepticism, research, and caring friends. You should not be ashamed of this disease, and seek help if you think that you may be suffering from it. If you think that a friend may be suffering, it is your responsibility to help them, no matter how much they resist. Through hard work and caring, it may be possible to eradicate this disease from the country. Always remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.