Posted on 12/08/2020 3:22:14 PM PST by Ennis85
as though they were a kind of golden age. They weren’t,Make America Not So Great Again
Europe was still recovering from the war, Russia, East Europe, and China were Communist, everywhere else was a remote backwater that no one cared about. With no competitors, we were fabulously successful.
I would also add that the demographic profile was great. There were huge numbers of healthy adult workers, hordes of little kids, and very few retirees to support. If there are 10 or 12 workers for each retiree, the workers have a lot of money available to spend on their families.
After 16 years of economic depression and World War II; the late 40’s and all the 50’s was a time of great optimism, and rightly so.
As someone who grew up in the 50s, I’d have to say they were pretty darn good. As a kid I could ride my bike anywhere without even a hint of fear. This was in a decent-sized city, Long Beach, California. Halloween was a kids’ holiday. Treats included homemade cookies, lots of candy, apples, etc. No one had to check for poison. Because our parents had had so little as kids, we were spoiled.
I know, that as we get older, we see our childhoods as a golden time, that’s just natural. But the 50s were special. Check out the ‘What’s My Line’ shows on YouTube to see some of the difference between then and now.
On the other hand I wouldn’t trade 50s medicine for today’s!
Other than sociocultural trends, the prime negative I see in the current age relative to the 1950s is the higher cost of housing even when adjusting for inflation.
You also got full sized candy bars in your trick or treat bags, lucky boomers!
Any of the final years prior to the collapse (of civilization) are worthy of retrospect.
Good points. Add that we had protective tariffs and didn’t start lowering them until the 1960’s.
I would like to go back and live in the fifties—when fascist governors didn’t lock down the economy and force everyone to wear masks in the face of an epidemic with a 99.5% survival rate, when blackshirted thugs weren’t roaming the streets beating up non-Communists, when everyone went to church on Sunday, and and when the music was listenable.
Muscle cars, everyone working and making it good on 40 hours
That just about describes my life 20 miles away in West Whittier. My old neighborhood hasn't changed much physically, but that lifestyle now seems to be from a galaxy far, far away.
I have heard stories from the old-timers talk of how in Brooklyn you could go out of your house without locking the door, leave the keys in the car overnight, and send your little one down to the corner store all without worrying a bit.
Maybe the 1950’s wasn’t perfect, but judging from shows like Happy Days and American Graffiti, it sure seemed downright pristine by comparison.
Top to Bottom’
Marilyn Monroe, Lee Remick, Donna Reed and Rosemary Clooney.
In case you didn’t know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mriXncI96lw
Why do people assume that dreaming of life returning to say the year 1960 or a bit earlier, want slavery or other bigoted treatment of others is building a stalking horse.
Although the Civil Rights Act seemed to be necessary, it was blasphemy on the Constitution. A simple fix would have “done the trick”, but reams of pages were used. A simple definition of Citizen, human or age of majority would have sufficed. None of the forced bussing, forced desegragation, and the Welfare State. For every positive that came from Civil Rights Legislation, there were two negatives.
There was also a semi pro bowling tournament every month in the Bay Area. I'd make $40+ a weekend, plus tips...in 1970 dollars, no tax withheld.
My buddies and I would go out on Friday nights and bowl until 4-5 AM, then go out to breakfast. My parents didn't mind a bit.
On my 18th birthday, my stepfather opened the refrigerator door, and told me I could grab a beer anytime I wanted, even though the drinking age in California was 21.
I must admit I was never that permissive with my kids, it's a different world today.
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