Generations may play some role, but I think the extent of that is unknowable. On the other hand, I think it's pretty easy to attribute these upheavals to outsid

Generations may play some role, but I think the extent of that is unknowable. On the other hand, I think it's pretty easy to attribute these upheavals to outside influences and circumstances of the times. The abolition of slavery arguably came about because of the industrial revolution. Moral arguments for abolition had existed for centuries. They just weren't widely accepted until machinery made them economically convenient. Then and only then did people become "enlightened" enough to end the institution. During WWI, many men left the country and women moved into the workforce and other positions of greater influence in society. When the men returned, a conflict was inevitable, and the suffrage movement came to a head. I assume 1970 is referring to both the Civil Rights movement and the hippie movement. Both happened when the baby boomers were in their 20s, so I suppose there was a bumper crop of young people at the time, and the hippie movement was defined by a pretty narrow age range. So those may have been generational, but not part of a larger pattern that I can see. As for the current day, civilian resentment of police brutality and overreach has been building for decades, with much of it being a result of the war on drugs. I believe it's in the limelight now due to the internet and the existence of camera phones. The militarization of police is also more visible because they increasingly dress like soldiers, and this is a constant symbolic reminder of their attitude towards civilians. This change in apparel is a direct result of the GWOT. Military gear (both new and surplus) is now cheap and easily available. There's also a tacti-cool veteran culture that arose out of the wars, and everyone from cops to airsofters to Call of Duty players likes to emulate it. Add the COVID-19 mess to this mix and you have a recipe for disaster. Still, it remains to be seen whether 2020 is actually part of this "pattern" anyway. No fundamental shift in society has occurred yet. So far it's just been a rough year.