Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
They'd love computers and tv (but not the long tv ads, the tv ads used to be very short.)
They'd be appalled that their straight laced society had been replaced by very loose morals. But their closed society had a lot things going on that we never heard about.
They'd be sicked by the lowering of standards in our schools. You can graduate today, knowing practically nothing.
They'd love the way women can now choose whether to work or stay home.
They wouldn't like the fast paced life compared to the 50s when they had time to walk to their neighborhood stores and didn't have to drive everywhere.
They'd hate the increase in crime and drugs. Drugs back then were something that was rumored to exist in ghettos, that's all.
They'd despise the lack of discipline in kids. Children should be seen and not heard--that was the norm. Kids had FUN but they did not rule the family.
They'd hate all the money we have to spend on technology when back then, life was cheaper and simpler. Kids made up their own games.
None of the above is what I would think. My thoughts would be more along the line of how did such a technological country become so morally bankrupt? What's with folks making a living on welfare? How did our political system change and not for the better? What happened to NASA and space exploration? Since when are we looking at having to fight a war over something as stupid as religion- now there's a reason to go kill somebody. When did we decide that being a Christian was something dirty? Since when does a group a people have special rights just because they want to have sex with the same gender? There are a lot of pluses and minuses. The pluses are technological and mechanical. The minuses are what we have allowed ourselves to become. But another plus, my grand parents and parents both thought the world was going to hell in hand basket before they died. I'm assuming that it's just part of life's cycle that our youth days were better.
In regards to "beatnics and drugs, I never saw a beatnik. That was a Kalifornia thing at best. We didn't have hippies here until my college days and that's the late 60's. Drugs have been around forever it seems but they were not anything here in the 50's, yet another Kalifornia thing. People here still had enough common sense to know to stay away from them unless they just wanted to their life in the toilet. And while I can appreciate the name of a book, why would I want to read about something I already know about as I lived thru it? I'm sure the 50's were different for most everybody depending on where you lived. My wife from Lansing Michigan doesn't know squat about the car culture but I was in the middle of it racing hot rods in Texas. We know little of the surfing era but I'm sure you know a lot. Folks in China would be oblivious to any of it. Read a book about what, some guys experiences? I have enough of my own but thanks anyway.
I was here in the 50's, born in the 40's. The world was a much, much safer place then than it is today because of technologies. We've come to rely on computers for most everything including our utilities and our vehicles. Considering a EM burst will render any of those toast and it doesn't require much intelligence to trigger one, we are more vulnerable than we were December 6 1941. To the plus side, basic cell phones are almost a must these days as it gives you access to emergency services that in the 50's made you look for a gas station and a pay phone. There was no 911, you called who you needed. The internet is for most folks a plus. It gives you information that is up to date whenever you need it. Otherwise, an encyclopedia was yer best friend. The medical fields are miles ahead of the 50's because of technologies. But the home PC has replaced children outside playing which is causing early diabetes and grossly over weight children. Gaming is the big thing for kids these days. Our education system SUCKS so bad it's hardly recognizable to us older folks. You either learned it or you failed and took the grade over. Today with the No Child left Behind crapola is just that, crapola. Our kids are being taught how to be model socialists, not individuals. Parents are no longer responsible for their children's actions in the school yards. Our schools are raising the children these days. When I was in school God help you if you got sent to the principals office. The worst part was when yer dad got ahold of ya. Divorce was not common and was thought of as only trashy people get divorced. Now marriage is more like going steady until I get tired of you. Jeez, marriage today can be between two folks of the same sex. Gay folks were called queers and it was not a good thing. You could fill the trunk of a large car for 20 bucks with groceries. You had FRESH food at home that mom cooked, not this ready to eat crap you get today. And everybody in the family sat down together every evening for supper where you got to tell about your day. TV of the 50's was pretty much basic and there was little to no reference to sex. If you watch the old stuff, all the men wore suits and the women wore full dresses and there were no four letter words. Today you can all but see folks having sex and the four letter language is apparently common place on TV. We got to see about 28 minutes of program per 30 minute show whereas now an hour program has 40 minutes of show and 20 minutes of commercials. Hardly worth watching the old light bulb anymore. We had prayer at school to start the day. Now the Democrats have shown that being a Christian is not a good thing as they booed it at their convention this year. Sorry, but I'm a Christian and we can chat about it if you like. Hope yer hospitalization is paid up. There was no welfare back then like it is today. The church took care of it's folks. That's why folks went to church and were known in the church. If they had any issues like the husband came down sick, the church folks would take care of his family until he was able to do it himself. Poor folks got a lot of hand-me downs and nobody looked down at them. Now folks make a living screwing over the Gov't programs and DEMAND freebies. Back then if you demanded a freeby you'd end up in jail. And back then jail was not a nice place like it is today.
But everything moves forward. Sometimes it's for the better and sometimes it's for the worst. There are some goods things and there are some real bad things that are going on in this country since the 50's. I'm glad I got to live during the good times. I would hate to be a young person these days as the future looks mighty dim.
^^ I too was born in the 40s and your posting took the words right out of my mouth! Excellent!!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
