We Asked What They’d Undo… The Answers Reveal a Nation That CAN’T AGREE on Anything (Except That Everything’s Broken)
THE QUESTION THAT EXPOSED AMERICA’S SOUL
“If you could undo one change made to America in the last 50 years, what would it be?”
Fifty years. Half a century. From 1975 to 2025. An era that saw the end of Vietnam, the rise of technology, globalization, the internet revolution, 9/11, the Great Recession, smartphones, social media, political polarization, and massive cultural shifts.
Surely Americans could find some common ground about what went wrong?
NOPE.
The responses split almost immediately into warring camps, each convinced the other side represents America’s downfall. And the answers got dark. Really dark. Way darker than we expected.
THE OBAMA OBSESSION
The “Obama” Chorus
“Obama” (mentioned 10+ times as a single word) “No Obama or Biden” “Obummer!!!” (mentioned twice) “Racist Obama!” “King Obama” “Remove Obama” “Take out Obama” “Everything Obama fucked up”
At least 15 responses blamed Obama for America’s problems, either wanting to undo his presidency entirely or specific policies.
The intensity is striking. Not “Obama’s healthcare policy” or “Obama’s foreign policy”—just “OBAMA” like his very existence as president was the mistake.
Some got more specific: “Obamacare would be high on the list” pointed to the Affordable Care Act as a specific policy failure worth undoing.
What this reveals: For a significant portion of Americans, Obama’s presidency represents a fundamental wrong turn. Whether it’s his policies, his political philosophy, or something more personal (notice “Racist Obama”), they see his two terms as the inflection point where America went wrong.
THE TRUMP DIVISION
The Anti-Trump Camp
“There would be no Donald Trump” “Trump winning the presidency” “The elections of DJ trump, both times” “Trump” “tRUMP!” “Dump Donald Dumbass Trump” “The orange piece of 💩 never being in office!!” “Make sure our orange pedophile President can’t run” “Impeach that rascal trump!” “un-Elect the Captain Cocksucker of a president Trump” “Get rid of Trump”
At least 10 responses wanted to undo Trump’s presidency or prevent him from ever being elected.
The language here is notably more vulgar and angry than the Obama responses. “Captain Cocksucker,” “orange piece of shit,” “pedophile”—this isn’t policy disagreement. This is visceral hatred.
The Pro-Trump Implied Response
“NO 😂 TRUMP OR BIDEN” – This person wants BOTH gone, suggesting exhaustion with the entire political binary.
“MAGA” – One person listed MAGA as what they’d undo, viewing Trump’s movement itself as the problem.
What this reveals: Trump is just as divisive as Obama, maybe more so. His supporters see him as saving America. His detractors see him as destroying it. There’s no middle ground.
THE “ELIMINATE DEMOCRATS” FACTION
The Party Deletion Fantasy
“Outlaw Democrats” “Remove all demorats” “ELIMINATE DEMOCRATS !!!” “Eliminate democrats” “Abolish the Democrat Party” “Get ready of the democratic party they are trash” “Rid of Democrats” “Democrats ruining America” “Democrats stupidity” “The liberal democratic party” “There would be no Communist Democrats in our Government!”
At least 12 responses wanted to completely eliminate the Democratic Party from American politics.
Not reform it. Not defeat it electorally. Eliminate it. Outlaw it. Abolish it.
This is anti-democratic sentiment (small-d democratic). The idea that America would be better if one of the two major political parties simply didn’t exist reveals how far we’ve fallen from believing in loyal opposition and democratic competition.
THE BORDER AND IMMIGRATION BACKLASH
Seal the Borders
“OPEN BORDERS” “To lock up our southern and northern borders air tight” “All boarders 100% secure and no illegal invaders” “Make our imagination laws tougher” (presumably “immigration”)
Multiple responses pointed to border security as the change they’d undo—presumably undoing the loosening of border controls or increased immigration over 50 years.
The Religious/Cultural Immigration Fear
“Never have Islam to come to our Country” “Islam should be banned from the United States period!” “Letting Muslims into our country” “Chris King: Obama and letting all these Muslims into our country” “Patrick Jackson Sr.: Never have Islam to come to our Country” “Mark Cestaric: Letting Muslims into our country”
At least 5 responses specifically targeted Muslim immigration as something to undo.
This goes beyond border security into explicit religious discrimination. These commenters want to undo not just illegal immigration, but specific religious and ethnic groups being allowed in the country at all.
“Stop people who come here from bring other countries 💩views” captures the sentiment more broadly—keep out not just people, but ideas and cultures deemed un-American.
What this reveals: A significant faction views America’s increasing diversity—particularly Muslim and non-European immigration—as a fundamental mistake that should be reversed.
THE ECONOMIC AND TRADE REGRETS
Manufacturing and Jobs
“Having Manufacturing sent to China”
“Opening trade with China. We’ve enriched/empowered one of the biggest security threats in the world and impoverished millions”
“Just one? NAFTA or any of the free trade agreements”
These responses point to specific economic policy decisions that hollowed out American manufacturing. The China trade relationship and NAFTA fundamentally changed the American economy, moving millions of jobs overseas.
This is one of the few areas where there might be bipartisan agreement. Both Bernie Sanders supporters and Trump supporters hate NAFTA and the China trade deals for decimating working-class jobs.
Tax and Fiscal Policy
“Not change the income tax to help the wealthy”
“Taxing Social Security”
Two responses pointed to tax policy changes that either favored the rich or hurt retirees.
What this reveals: Economic anxiety cuts across political lines. People know something’s wrong with American prosperity, they just disagree wildly on what.
THE CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES
The Trans/LGBTQ Backlash
“And allowing trans to become a thing”
“Trans men should never be ‘Women of the Year’ or on the covers of men’s magazines like Playboy”
The rapid acceptance of transgender rights and visibility over the last decade is something multiple commenters want to undo.
The Religious Decline
“Prayer in schools”
“When America is no longer a Christian Nation we will FALL… Bible is Clear on being Unequally Yoked with Non-Christians”
Two responses specifically point to removing prayer from public schools (1962-1963 Supreme Court decisions) and the general secularization of America as the mistake to undo.
What this reveals: Cultural traditionalists see the last 50 years as a moral decline, particularly around religion, gender, and sexuality.
THE SPECIFIC POLICY REGRETS
Healthcare
“Obamacare would be high on the list”
The Affordable Care Act remains deeply controversial 15 years after passage.
Criminal Justice
“End cashless bail”
One person wants to undo recent criminal justice reforms allowing accused criminals to avoid jail before trial.
Voting Rights
“Return the voting age to 21”
This person wants to undo the 26th Amendment (1971) that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
Specific Fixes
“Stop inflation” – Not really a “change” but a problem to solve
“AI” – Technology advancement as a mistake
THE CONSPIRACY AND EXTREMES
JFK Assassination
“The CIA killing JFK AND getting away with it”
This person views the Kennedy assassination (1963) as a CIA operation that fundamentally changed America’s trajectory.
The Vague and Angry
“Liberalism being spread everywhere”
A general complaint about progressive ideology spreading through institutions.
“Apps on line 4jods” – Unclear what this means, possibly complaining about online job applications?
WHAT THE ANSWERS ACTUALLY REVEAL
America Is Hopelessly Divided
There is NO consensus. None.
Some want to undo Obama. Others want to undo Trump. Some want to eliminate Democrats. Others want to eliminate Republicans (though fewer explicitly said this). Some want to close borders. Some want to reverse trade deals. Some want to restore Christian dominance. Some want to undo cultural changes around gender and sexuality.
There’s not a single change that even 20% of respondents agreed on. The closest is Obama (mentioned ~15 times out of ~80 responses).
This isn’t normal political disagreement. This is fundamental disagreement about what America should be.
Many Responses Are Anti-Democratic
“Outlaw Democrats.” “Eliminate democrats.” “Abolish the Democrat Party.”
These aren’t policy positions. These are authoritarian fantasies.
A healthy democracy requires accepting that your political opponents have a right to exist, organize, and compete for power. Wanting to “eliminate” or “outlaw” them is anti-democratic.
The same applies to “Ban Islam” and “No Muslims allowed”—these violate the First Amendment’s religious freedom protections.
The Nostalgia Is for Different Eras
People aren’t nostalgic for the same past.
Some want 1950s Christian America. Others want pre-Obama America. Some want pre-Trump America. Others want pre-globalization America.
But they all agree: Somewhere in the last 50 years, America took a wrong turn. They just can’t agree on when or what.
The Anger Is Real and Deep
The language in these responses—”cocksucker,” “piece of shit,” “trash,” “fucked up”—reveals rage, not mere disagreement.
People aren’t just unhappy with policies. They’re FURIOUS. They view the other side not as wrong, but as evil, stupid, or deliberately destroying America.
Some Changes Can’t Be Undone
You can’t undo globalization. Manufacturing isn’t coming back to 1970s levels.
You can’t undo technology. AI is here. The internet isn’t going away.
You can’t undo demographic change. America is more diverse than 50 years ago and will continue diversifying.
You can’t undo cultural shifts. LGBTQ rights, women’s equality, religious pluralism—these aren’t reversible.
Many of these responses are fantasies about returning to a past that either never existed or can’t be recreated.
THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH
If we could actually undo ONE change from the last 50 years, which one would fix America?
The honest answer: NONE OF THEM.
Undoing Obama wouldn’t fix healthcare, racial tensions, or political division.
Undoing Trump wouldn’t heal the wounds his presidency exposed (and didn’t create).
Eliminating either political party would destroy democracy, not save it.
Closing borders completely would damage the economy and violate American values.
Reversing trade deals would raise prices and reduce efficiency without bringing back 1970s manufacturing jobs.
Restoring Christian dominance would violate religious freedom and alienate non-Christians.
The problems Americans are angry about aren’t caused by a single change in the last 50 years. They’re caused by complex, interconnected forces including globalization, technology, demographic shifts, economic restructuring, cultural evolution, and political polarization.
There is no one thing to undo that fixes everything. That’s not how history or society works.
WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY HELP
Instead of fantasizing about undoing the past, here’s what might actually improve America’s future:
Accept that your political opponents aren’t evil. They’re Americans with different values and priorities. Democracy requires this basic acceptance.
Stop viewing every election as existential. One party winning doesn’t mean America is destroyed. It means your side lost this round. There will be other elections.
Focus on specific policies, not tribal warfare. “Eliminate Democrats” isn’t a policy. “Reform healthcare” or “Secure borders while maintaining legal immigration” are policies worth debating.
Acknowledge trade-offs. Every policy has costs and benefits. Border security has benefits but also costs. Trade deals create winners and losers. Cultural change brings progress and loss. Pretending your side is all good and theirs is all bad is childish.
Build bridges instead of walls. The Obama-haters and Trump-haters have more in common than they think—economic anxiety, frustration with elites, feeling left behind by change. That’s common ground to build on.
But honestly? Based on these responses, Americans aren’t ready for any of that. They’re too angry, too tribal, too convinced the other side is destroying the country.
What would YOU undo from the last 50 years? Is there a single change that would fix America? Or are we too divided to ever agree on what “fixed” even means?
The Americans who answered this question revealed a nation that can’t agree on anything—not what went wrong, not when it went wrong, not who’s to blame, not what to fix. Some want to undo Obama. Others want to undo Trump. Some want to eliminate Democrats. Some want to ban Muslims. Some want to reverse trade deals. The only consensus is that something is broken. But with no agreement on what’s broken or how to fix it, we’re stuck in permanent conflict where each side views the other not as fellow citizens with different views, but as existential threats to be eliminated. That’s not democracy. That’s a cold civil war. And nobody wins those.
Michael (Mike) Davis is an experienced writer and freelance stylist specializing in men's grooming, skincare, hairstyles, and fashion.
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