IMO the American experiment started to fail when we failed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Just before that was our high-water mark. Since then, downhill; yes, a few advances on particular issues, but the overall sweep toward greater rights and freedoms at that point stalled, sputtered out, and started first creeping, then racing backward.
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@DavidSalo That's right around the time when dog-whistles about bussing school children began and the divisive politics spiked.