>2. That recent deterioration is most certainly embedded within a massive improvement over a longer horizon.
The point was that political discussion became more common on this board in the last five years due to this "deterioration." So whether things are better now than 60 years ago isn't relevant to that point.
GP comment posits a deterioration over the last 5 to 10 years.
1. That deterioration might be imaginary, due to recency bias. One would need to examine it carefully.
2. That recent deterioration is most certainly embedded within a massive improvement over a longer horizon.