That '70s Decade

"In politics, the leftish consensus, known as Butskellism in Britain, was proving incapable of adapting to the demands of affluence. The hyper-individualismthat was the flip side of 1960s idealism was undermining the communality of the old consensus. The power of the liberal, consensual northeastern American intellectuals was undermined by the new assertiveness of the southern 'sunbelt'. Schulman points out that, given that Gerald Ford was never elected, every US president since 1964 has come from the sunbelt. For Schulman, 1984 represents the end of this phase, as Ronald Reagan’s reelection–his first win was largely a reaction against Jimmy Carter–signalled that the new, individualistic conservatism had won. In other words, the long 1970s was the period in which 'then' became 'now'."

Bryan Appleyard in The Sunday Times looks back, without anger, at the 1970s.