The 1950s were a great decade..... (state, drugs, years, Latin)
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Arguing that a decade was great by listing only the good things is as meaningful as arguing that the decade was horrible by listing only the bad things. Bring back the slap happy '50's and you will also be resurrecting the bland conformity, heavily censored movies and television, McCarthyism, fighting in Korea, higher child mortality rates, lower life expectancies, juvenile delinquency ...do you have barricades for those complaints as well?
Standby for the "except for women and black people" brigade. They'll be here shortly to crucify you.
As Granstander said, in all fairness we have to acknowledge the downsides as well, and although I am white, I would be amazed if any black people looked on the 1950's as any sort of utopia. So although some in that "brigade" may be intemperate as you suggest, their basic point is valid.
And I say that as someone who remembers the 1950's with affection and regret. (I was six years old in 1950). Our schools were not raging out of control, recreational drugs other than alcohol were almost unknown in most communities, we kids could play outdoors after dark in our neighborhoods without any fear, it was common for families to live within their means, the father could provide for his family without the wife needing to work, divorce was rather rare, we knew our neighbors, the Big Brother/nanny state was not nearly so far advanced, and so on.
One downside was the widespread use of tobacco - SO many people smoked. And certain useful practices had not yet been instituted - the provision of seat belts in cars for example.
I am 70 and overall I am not convinced we have made any progress in living better lives. Notice the "overall". I readily admit to the advantages of medical advances, for example. Dental implants are wonderful, except perhaps for the costs. Car tires last longer and go flat less. But our actual lives as human beings are more impoverished, it seems to me.
Now 745,948. Don't like it, tell your story walkin'....
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