There are so many things to unpack and discuss with how you framed this. Probably too much for a reply. ;)
Having dinosaurs in charge of everything is ridiculous as you mention. If they actually were in charge, the wisdom they would have gained through decades of experience would have diminishing returns with declining mental acumen and red vs blue bias. Truth is they are mostly just talking heads and cheerleaders looking out for their own financial advance. I can’t imagine having Trump or Biden as my only 2 choices and the supposed cream of the crop!
2023 does feel different though and I am trying to figure how much of that is true, and how much of that is you and I projecting our own perspective. We are drowning in information and over informed to the point where it simply has to feel different. What we do with that to balance risk on one hand and reach back to the magic of youth during the holidays on the other is a struggle. I like to put down the weight of the world regularly during these times and choose happiness as a gift to myself and others during the holidays.
I hope yours is setting up to be a wonderful one lined with gold but the radiant warmth of coal embers.
You're right of course, they're just figureheads and puppets for somebody else's agendas.
Perhaps what feels different about 2024 and going ahead is the fact that a lot of us have woken up and realized that in fact Covid didn't kill everybody, and there is a faint sense of normalcy that has returned. For us, for example, that "represents" in terms of us being back to doing arts and craft shows on a regular basis. Things might not be a lot better but at least it doesn't feel like we're "in jail" while things are getting worse.
Are things actually getting better? I suppose only time will tell. But I feel mildly hopeful because there is a vague sensation that the Old Guard is starting to lose their death grip on keeping things their way. Not even so much because they're directly wrong, but because they're becoming irrelevant.
I was watching a YouTube clip the other day in which a commentator was pointing out that even Republicans are starting to comment negatively on the policies that were put in place in the Reagan Era, almost as if they realize that we've been doing this for 40 years and it's not working. Personally, I always thought "trickle down economics" was a complete joke!
I am not even American so my opinion doesn't count for as much as someone who is but I think EVERYONE knows Reganomics sucked.
From my perspective, working with small businesses, things are less actually getting better than recovering from the impact of disruption. Even the most cautious are closer to their normal than they probably thought they ever could be again. The state of things on the social side are half worrying, and the other exciting seeing a rebirth with a newer set of rules.
There is either a troubling level of entitlement or I am just getting grumpy and old. The yang to that is hard work in rarer supply it seems so there are opportunities for those looking to put in the hours.
The boomers are running out of disposable income so their iron grip on leadership will perhaps loosen quickly enough that another 70year old gets elected again!