According to a new poll, 72%(!) of Americans “think their country isn’t as great as it once was.” Really? When was America greater?

1776-1865: Slavery.

1865-1914: Reconstruction era; rise of the Ku Klux Klan; institutionalization of legal discrimination in America; women and minorities can’t vote.

1914-1918: WORLD WAR.

1918-1939: More lynchings; segregation.

1939-1945: WORLD WAR.

1945-1955: Segregation.

1955-1975: Vietnam War; Nixon; still lots of racism.

1975-1988: Constant threat of global nuclear war; Reagan era; still lots of racism.

1988-1991: Crack era; War in Iraq; still lots of racism.

1991-2001: Clinton era. (Is this the fabled golden age that all Americans are referring to????)

2001-present: Terrorism; War in Iraq; global warming; but lots of good TV shows, slightly less racism, and modern medicine.

When were those good old days?

[Photo: AP]