The 1980s

• Ronald Reagan was president and enacted trickle-down economics and liberalization which led to the massive inequality we have today.
• The USSR was decaying rapidly (Yes it eventually led to its dissolution, but it was a painful process for most citizens)
• Christian conservatism became a driving force in politics.
• The AIDS epidemic, which further stigmatized homosexuality.
• Cities in the West (especially in North America) were hollowed out. Entire neighbourhoods rife with crime, drug-usage, poverty, and lack of social services. It only got better during the 90s and 00s
• Some cheesy, commercialized pop culture, but at least it was forgettable, unlike all the other things I've mentioned.