What is perhaps even most striking about the Twenties from the perspective of today is how fundamentally little the world has really changed. Sleazy media parade a sordid cast of characters before the titillated public. A terrorist bomb explodes in an urban public building, killing many. Young people wear loose and grungy clothes as a rebellious fashion statement. A volatile stock market, which some think is overvalued, rises to all-time highs, marked by occasional dramatic drops.
Easy credit causes people's charge accounts to balloon into unprecedented personal debt.
A sports star lashes out violently at a fan. Urban gangs spill blood to control illegal drugs. A young generation perceives the future holding out no hope. The business of the nation is unregulated business. And so it goes.