I second your points. And I would argue that, materially, we are better off than that time as well, if one is looking at it from a strictly materialist perspective.
However, our populace has become completely dispirited. A large portion of that material wellbeing is propped up by welfare. Culturally and morally we are in the pits. If there is not a shift back towards traditional American ingenuity and know-how, there is going to be a continued downward projection. See how quickly our working and middle classes are being picked off one by one as drugs and promiscuity replace decent blue collar jobs and a sense of responsibilty. There is simply no place in society for a large number of millenials who don’t have what it takes to be upper level managers, designers, lawyers, etc.
And I believe that is part of the plan of the elites who are currently in power. De-industrialization of the US and contraction of the average American lifestyle in the name of “fairness”.
Changes in material assets are physical objects and can be measured. Since '45 both income and amassed wealth for the average American after adjusting for inflation has been doubling every three decades. That kind of progress comes only from hard work, saying it comes from government redistribution is crazy.
We don't measure and compare changes in moral and spiritual well being. For that we just preach about how bad everyone else is and how holy we are. I can say I'm better than you. Sure, I can't prove it w/ numbers but I can say it and feel smug. Maybe not, I don't feel smug at all when I talk that way, I just feel like a creep.
Agreed.