2015 certainly changed ways America thinks

Jim Fall

That was the week that was, TWTWTW, TW3, however you want to remember it — it was pretty funny.

The American television takeoff on the British Broadcasting Company’s hit show of the mid-1960s did its part in changing how audiences looked at the news — and other — events of the week just past.

The BBC version featured David Frost, who ultimately made the transition to the more ill-fated NBC, Americanized version. It survived for almost two years. NBC’s re-run of the same premise didn’t make it quite that long.

The most memorable deduction from either series was most assuredly the name — That Was The Week That Was — or at least the many derivations thereof.

“The year that was” in 2015 was something that could have been an easy target for the craziness of the original TWTWTWs.

Drawing from a compilation published in the Dec. 25 issue of The Week magazine, there were some very interesting results — conclusions to be drawn — from one of its sections, Poll Watch.

Headlined “The way we were in 2015,” it draws attention to the status of America, Americans, through 2015.

Summarizing the collected results in its subhead, the magazine says, “We fear terrorism and worry about the state of the economy, but hope for divine intervention for our football teams.”

In the order presented by the magazine:

“How are we feeling?” is the lead-in.

“Pretty dismal,” is the generalized status.

According to various identified polls, 69 percent of us think we are on the wrong track, “the most pessimistic we have been in four years.”

Another, or maybe the same base of folks, 72 percent believe the U.S. isn’t as great as it has been and 61 percent believe the “American Dream” is broken.

Sadly,. 56 percent think most of today’s kids will grow up to be worse off than we are today.

On the good side, 40 percent believe this is the greatest country in the world, 34 percent rank us “among the best.”

Whose fault is it?

“Washington politicians, mostly,” and 54 percent don’t like the way the president is handling the economy. And there are 59 percent who thinks he’s wrong on foreign policy.

“A record 50 percent disapprove of the supreme court’s recent actions,” and 86 percent have an “unfavorable opinion of Congress.”

And half the folks polled in Pennsylvania would rather have Punxsutawney Phil than their current elected officials.

And our views are changing.

“A record 61 percent now support same-sex marriage” and the same percentage apparently approve of having a child out of wedlock.

Fifty-eight percent would vote for legalized marijuana, one percentage point more than don’t want a Muslim president.

“Smart phones and other gadgets are making us lazy,” according to 73 percent of those polled; 69 percent think they are ruining interpersonal communications.

“They could be right,” the article deduces from tabulations that show 38 percent say they “constantly check their smart phones.

“Thirty-six percent admit their phone is the first thing they think about when they wake up in the morning.”

“For fun,” half the country watches professional football.

And as if that, coupled with the cell phone stats listed earlier, weren’t scary enough, “26 percent believe God plays a role in deciding which team will win a game, and 53 percent say the Almighty rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success.”

It’s got to be true. I read it in The Week.

A whopping 26 percent of us admit to being couch potatoes — the most since 2007.

We are afraid of “A lot,” this Week says. A large-scale terrorist attack, 83 percent; 40 percent personally know someone shot or who used a gun to commit suicide.

Then there are the 44 percent of our fellow citizens who think “machines with artificial intelligence could wipe out the human race.”

So, what’s your take on the year that was? How do you fit in with those poll-answerers quoted by The Week?

I hope you will join me in looking at our New Year’s Eve glass as being half full rather than half empty.

We have a lot to be proud of, and at least that much more to look forward to as we begin 2016.

Happy New Year! `