Old Ideas in modern times

Why is it that when it comes to the American economy people tend to think that using the same ideas from decades ago will always work?  In 2002 people believed that going to war was going to fix things, because it worked during the great depression.  Then people thought that lowering taxes for rich people would fix things because it worked in the 1980's.  What people seem to overlook is that our economy is in a slump for totally new and complex reasons.

The great depression took place after investors realized that corporations completely lied about how much money they had.  As a result many companies went under overnight, causing mass layoffs, causing even more business to go under due to lack of customers.  The rich had no place to put their money, and there weren't any jobs for anyone else.  World War II came along, causing the government to sell bonds, giving the rich a secure place to stash their money.  The government took that money and used it t build weapons and hire solders, easing the burdens of families across America and pumping money into the economy.

Flash forward to the 1980's.  Banks played fast and loose with investors money, and cash dried up fast in the upper middle class.  People weren't buying common consumer goods as much as they once where, so a new tax code that would allow most upper middle class folks to keep their money seemed right.

But what about today?  The stock market is doing great, and corporations are making more than ever with fewer and fewer employees.  There are currently more millionaires in America that ever before, with more being made ever day.  The government has tried the old tactics that helped struggling economies in the past, but what about looking at the good years?  If we looked hard enough at the best economic eras in America's history, then we would in no small way find clues to solving the problems that we are having today.