White House 2016
We are boiling in the pot and do not even know it, by and large.
There’s NO comparison between the 1950s & now. The United States was at the height of its cultural & economic power in the 50s. The USA of today, and for that matter ALL the Western nations; are collapsing. It’s not a simple matter of cell phones & micro-brews....it’s a matter of survival.
Though Eisenhower was actually an overrated President who sabotaged a true conservative, Robert Taft, he was leagues better than the Communist child copulators we have to deal with today.
In 1956, you could buy a nice ranch house in the suburbs of Pittsburgh for $12,500.
Face it. America has entered a post Christian neo pagan era of epicurean decadence. The vile Obama was not elected and reelected in a social or cultural vacuum. Drug use, abortion, pornography, sexual perversion are now not only the norm but are celebrated.
It’s scary when I go to a country like South Korea and feel more at home there and feel it’s more like the values I grew up with than the present United States.
Well... we have more air conditioning now. But from my view from a kindergarten desk the USA looked better then in many ways.
Idealistic and nostalgic.
Grew up in the 50s and 60s. Have no desire to go back. Family issues and hard times.
In 1956, there was an ebullient future. Enough said.
....and his parents investigated for child abuse by CPS.
I have no internet source proof for this, but SAT scores for College admission reached a peak in 1962. The testing parameters changed greatly, in 1974 I think, so comparisons are difficult. I don’t know if they have ever reached those levels since.
“In 1956, gum chewing and talking in class were some of the major disciplinary problems in our schools. “
In 1956 hall discipline was handled by trusted senior students who could “write up” fellow students for running, pushing, and such hi-jinks in the halls. Worked just fine and seldom — if ever — required a teacher to intervene. Members of these coveted hall patrol positions got to leave class 5 minutes early and return 5 minutes late.
Elementary school children were guarded crossing busy streets morning and afternoon by student patrols with flags. Traffic always stopped for us and drivers smiled and waved at patrol members. I don’t think a child was ever hit in California by a driver disregarding the student patrol.
White House 2016
In 1956, John Wayne, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe were some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world.
In 2016, our young people look up to “stars” like Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.
...
Presley and Monroe weren’t known for their virtue, and John Wayne drank too much.
In 1956, seat belts and bicycle helmets were considered to be optional pieces of equipment, and car safety seats were virtually unknown.
In 2016, millions of us are afraid to leave our homes for fear that something might happen to us, and if something does happen we slap lawsuits on one another at the drop of a hat.
....
Death rates for cars have gone way down since then.
In 1956, there were about 2 million people living in Detroit and it was one of the greatest cities on Earth.
In 2016, there are only about 688,000 people living in Detroit and it has become a joke to the rest of the world.
...
True, but there are millions more living in the nice Detroit suburbs. But it gets too cold no matter what year it is.
Just so happens I bought a full set of the World Book Encyclopedia, 1956 edition a few weeks ago. Reading through it gives you a good idea of America in the mid-50s.
My parents bought their house for 8500.00 in 1956
two bedrooms in the attic
two bedrooms upstairs, full laundry room upstairs, nursery and bathroom
full kitchen, dining room, living room, pocket doors between the front door and living room!, bedroom downstairs
we never locked the front door
we had eggs, milk and bread delivered to the house, the delivery men walked right in the back door and put them in the refrigerator
we had one phone, and one tv set
we played outside all day, even in the rain
we sat on the front porch and watched thunderstorms, I love them!
I think that house is now worth half a million dollars
Yes, life was better in the 50’s and 60’s
In 1956, we still had Democrat instituted Jim Crow laws; that, at least, has changed for the better, thanks to Republicans.