What do you think was the best decade in America? (general, 1950's)

[Ashls]

I voted for the 90s mainly because of my childhood nostalgia and awesome music. The 1920s came in at a very close second. Women's sufferage, jazz, urbanization, moving pictures, fantastic literature, dancing, surrealism and getting rid of the corsets are all positives in my book (I'll do away with the organized crime, the Scopes Trial and the KKK).

The 1950s are overrated. McCarthyism, a conservative and materialistic society that stressed conformity, really bad pop music (the Libary of Congress has even dubbed the 50s as the decade with the least musical innovation) and above all, the repressive and constrictive roles expected of women. No thank you.

[History Rules]

1950's not even close!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Family values
Pride and self sufficiency
Majority of Children with a mother and a father
Small government
Safe streets
The 50's and every generation since we have regressed from these values, starting with the rebelious 60's and Johnson's "Great Society." The sexual deviancy of the 70's, the flourishing drug culture of the 80's, 90's continuing moral erosion, to the ultimate collapse going on now: Big government, dumbing down of America, reverse discrimination (See Sonia Sotomayor), zero personal responsibility (Credit cards). End result-- 50 years, the fall of an empire.

[round tuit]

When I think of the 50's I think of "innocence". Sure it wasn't the "perfect" decade...remember the Korean War? But it was the best.

[Brave Stranger]

1950s by far........that was a unified nation. It was the peak of American civilization.......what we have now is the slow death of the West.

[Fleet]

Originally Posted by History Rules

1950's not even close!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Family values
Pride and self sufficiency
Majority of Children with a mother and a father
Small government
Safe streets
The 50's and every generation since we have regressed from these values, starting with the rebelious 60's and Johnson's "Great Society." The sexual deviancy of the 70's, the flourishing drug culture of the 80's, 90's continuing moral erosion, to the ultimate collapse going on now: Big government, dumbing down of America, reverse discrimination (See Sonia Sotomayor), zero personal responsibility (Credit cards). End result-- 50 years, the fall of an empire.

Very true. I'm glad to see the '50s are far ahead of the other decades in the poll.
Contrary to what Ashls claims, the reputation of the '50s is very well deserved.

[Fleet]

Also, I think the '50s had a great combination of music.

There was still some leftover big-band sound (Jimmy Dorsey, for instance), popular solo type (Perry Como, Doris Day, Patti Page, Nat King Cole), real Rock 'n' Roll, vocal group sounds (The Platters, The Flamingos) country and folk.

[texdav]

For the country the 50's. For the people the 90's. People have it made now as far as working etc. In the 50's they worked much harder and actaually saved with little debt.Put a person now into the 50's and he would think he is starved and worked to the bone.

[virgode]

Originally Posted by Ira500

The 60's, dude. Man on the moon, civil rights, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, The Supremes, Abbie Hoffman, Women's rights, the environmental movement, Woodstock, gay rights...
At least it was an exciting decade.

Absolutely, mid sixties, early seventies. End of the Vietnam war,
Watergate too. Revolutionary changes in the US, happy to have
grown up and been a witness to that time era.

[tallrick]

While the 1950's benefitted from technology and the ending of WW2 the best time was before 1910. Back then it was easy to start a business, there was no corrupt zoning and big Government to ruin innovation. The Federal Reserve was not created so money maintained its value, and no great depression had been created yet. I wish we could have had the 1950's without all the mistakes made from 1914 till there. If so we would have advanced to technology we can only dream about. Instead we are working to support useless financiers and lawyers that have killed the American dream.

Without the corrupt Federal Reserve, alcohol and drug prohibition, regulation of industry and the creation of the college-industrial complex there would never have been US involvement in world wars, or things like Vietnam, Iraq or the like to destroy the lives of millions of Americans.

[round tuit]

A good read is "The Next 100 Years" by George Friedman. We are what we are because of our geography. the American Century began in 1991. Drop in population world wide brings worker shortage and finds Countries competing to attract immigrants. 2060's the golden decade. Mexico - US struggle over territory. Controlling sea lanes using space weapons. When we talk of decades, its like saying of the last 100 minutes, which ten minutes were your favorite? Brings the long view into perspective.