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You are way off-base. 60 years ago was 1950. Check out the typical 1950's home, car, life expectancy, literacy rate, etc, and you'll see that things were not so rosy as you imagine.
If you want a typical 1950's sqft home, single car, and time home with the kids it is quite achievable on a single income:
Just give up your computer, cell phone, sat/cable tv, second car, 2500+ sqft Mcmansion in the exurbs, health insurance, modern medications, charter schools, college fund, etc. Move to a 700-900 sqft home or townhouse within walking distance (or carpool to) your workplace and VIOLA, it's the 1950's for you all over again!
Don't forget your suit and tie. Sorry about the price of cigarettes (and the inability to chain-smoke them at work), that IS different.
In 1950, I was 12 years old. Everything was fine. My dad, with grade 4 education, worked 40 hours a week, and could afford everything the family needed and most of what we wanted. And he saved enough to send me to college.
If you grew up when most people had just about everything they wanted and needed, it's hard to be convinced that times are better when most people cannot afford much of what they need or want.
You are way off-base. 60 years ago was 1950. Check out the typical 1950's home, car, life expectancy, literacy rate, etc, and you'll see that things were not so rosy as you imagine.
If you want a typical 1950's sqft home, single car, and time home with the kids it is quite achievable on a single income:
Just give up your computer, cell phone, sat/cable tv, second car, 2500+ sqft Mcmansion in the exurbs, health insurance, modern medications, charter schools, college fund, etc. Move to a 700-900 sqft home or townhouse within walking distance (or carpool to) your workplace and VIOLA, it's the 1950's for you all over again!
Don't forget your suit and tie. Sorry about the price of cigarettes (and the inability to chain-smoke them at work), that IS different.
Good point!
I was born in '59, up until I was ten our family did a weekly bath. One bath-tub of hot water; my father took a bath, then my mother, then each child. I was youngest so I got it last [after my three older siblings].
My father had a really good job too. Construction Electrician working for the IBEW.
Just poking around the net, I found a couple interesting facts:
1. The ENTIRE population of the world could fit inside the state of Texas with over 1,100 sq.ft. of space assigned to each person. That would leave the rest of the planet, empty.
2. In terms of food calories, the United States alone produces enough to feed the entire current population of the Earth.
What is not attainable/sustainable is a Western, specifically American, lifestyle for each inhabitant of the planet. We simply do not have the resources. However, space and food are not something we are running out of.
Just poking around the net, I found a couple interesting facts:
1. The ENTIRE population of the world could fit inside the state of Texas with over 1,100 sq.ft. of space assigned to each person. That would leave the rest of the planet, empty.
2. In terms of food calories, the United States alone produces enough to feed the entire current population of the Earth.
What is not attainable/sustainable is a Western, specifically American, lifestyle for each inhabitant of the planet. We simply do not have the resources. However, space and food are not something we are running out of.
You are way off-base. 60 years ago was 1950. Check out the typical 1950's home, car, life expectancy, literacy rate, etc, and you'll see that things were not so rosy as you imagine.
If you want a typical 1950's sqft home, single car, and time home with the kids it is quite achievable on a single income:
Just give up your computer, cell phone, sat/cable tv, second car, 2500+ sqft Mcmansion in the exurbs, health insurance, modern medications, charter schools, college fund, etc. Move to a 700-900 sqft home or townhouse within walking distance (or carpool to) your workplace and VIOLA, it's the 1950's for you all over again!
Don't forget your suit and tie. Sorry about the price of cigarettes (and the inability to chain-smoke them at work), that IS different.
In 1970 my dad made $19,000 per year as a master engineer. We live modestly, in a mobile home, and drove 1 car (pickup actually, with a camper top). We had one television (black and white), which we watched very rarely and when we did, it was as a family.
Presently, I live well on about $24k per year. Even with the luxury of a second car, internet access and a couple of cell phones to replace the land lines we did away with a couple of years ago.
As for the other items on the list you provide, we are fortunate that we do not have any need, nor desire for them. I think that many people pay way, way too much for "entertainment". It boggles my mind how much money people throw away simply renting movies! And going to concerts and sporting events is outrageously expensive not to mention spending $60+ each month for satellite television.
In 1950, I was 12 years old. Everything was fine. My dad, with grade 4 education, worked 40 hours a week, and could afford everything the family needed and most of what we wanted. And he saved enough to send me to college.
If you grew up when most people had just about everything they wanted and needed, it's hard to be convinced that times are better when most people cannot afford much of what they need or want.
Exactly people are so brainwashed to believe that everything is getting better, all the time. That they can't even see that the standard of living in this country peeked a long time ago, and has been steady declining since.
50 years ago, the average price of a new home sold in the US was $18,000. Now it is over $300,000. The average cost of full-time college tuition, fees, room and board, books, and personal expenses was $2700 a year. Now it is over $30,000. Which is about the breaking point. I know people why are just saying F it. They can't afford to go to college. What is the future of this country going to be when people can no longer afford education?
Location: planet octupulous is nearing earths atmosphere
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in 1960 or so the world pop was like 3 billion, next year the pop is going to hit 7 billion. how long do you think we can keep going.?? soon the pop will hit 0 growth, it's a fact. you can only fit so many sardines in one can.. and space is a pipe dream, thoughts of terraforming mars or other planets for habitation is just that a freaking dream that will never come true. in the movie space odyssey 2001 and 2010. they portayed humans in deep space all the way out by jupitor in huge orbiting space stations, well we are in the year 2011 and not even close to what they portrayed in those two movies, 2001 space odyssey was made in 1968.. the way things are going i would not want to be around in 50 years.. glad i wont be
i do feel sorry for the youths, they are the ones going to have to deal will all the chaos we created.. they will be saying things like, "what the hell did our greedy ancestors do to this planet". but hay a few souls will rise up out of the ashes of a apocalyptic world to perpetuate the same crap all over again, it's the human way, always been and always will be. a few greedy souls will ruin the whole batch of apples.. and so the cookie crumbles..
in 1960 or so the world pop was like 3 billion, next year the pop is going to hit 7 billion. how long do you think we can keep going.?? soon the pop will hit 0 growth, it's a fact. you can only fit so many sardines in one can.. ... .
Yes, and if we DOUBLED the population of earth, not only would it then take Texas to house the entire population of earth but then we might have to include Rhode Island.
Yes, and if we DOUBLED the population of earth, not only would it then take Texas to house the entire population of earth but then we might have to include Rhode Island.
Well, forest beekeeper, you have to understand that we have to FEED all those people and it takes LAND (and plenty of it) to produce the crops and meat for that purpose. I read somewhere that it takes something like 14 acres to produce one pound of beef (or something like that). Yes, we CAN fit all the people into Texas, but taking into consideration arid parts of the world, such as the Sahara, Gobi and other deserts; and the areas far to the north that does not support much in the way of agriculture - we have to wonder where the food is going to come from.
Even our massive oceans are feeling the pinch of overfishing to support the large earth population. What is going to happen when we don't have enough food to feed everyone? Not to mention clean, potable water.
The world is OVERPOPULATED with regard to the resources that it takes to care for them, despite the fact that there is still PLENTY of space for them to lay down and die.
And in terms of caloric need the USA by itself produces more than ample food to feed the entire planet.
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they will be saying things like, "what the hell did our greedy ancestors do to this planet". but hay a few souls will rise up out of the ashes of a apocalyptic world to perpetuate the same crap all over again, it's the human way, always been and always will be. a few greedy souls will ruin the whole batch of apples.. and so the cookie crumbles..
