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The 1950s was certainly no panacea. The USSR already had the hydrogen bomb, and the 1950s were rife with Communist paranoia nationwide. Nobody had the information they needed because there were only three fledgling TV channels and most people did not own a TV until the late 1950s. The only reliable sources of information were the radio and newspapers. Technology was virtually non-existent by today's standards. All computers were "evil," at least according to Hollywood. The Internet would not exist for at least another decade.
Furthermore, the draft was still in effect during the 1950s, and the Korean War had just begun in June 1950 and last six years before a ceasefire would be declared. Since there was no victory, or defeat, and the war continues to this day, the Korean vets returned home and were quickly forgotten.
For those who pine for the 1950s, I do not think they realize how good they have it today, or how dependent upon technology they have become.
Are you serious? Unheard of? Things must have changed a lot in the six years between the time you went to school and I did. Human nature has NOT changed in all those years. You can ask every relative of yours anything but their responses are not the gold standard.
That's nostalgia talking. The statistics say otherwise.
Maybe I just went to a better school with more civilized students. or maybe there are revisionists at work trying to make it seem as if this is not a sign of the breakdown of our society. I also never saw students fighting with each other like I did in the 80s.
That's nostalgia talking. The statistics say otherwise.
No, I just asked her (my Aunt). She said "absolutely" (that a paycheck went farther back then). Back then and even today, she has had to budget carefully and she said it was definitely easier before inflation really went up.
Maybe I just went to a better school with more civilized students. or maybe there are revisionists at work trying to make it seem as if this is not a sign of the breakdown of our society. I also never saw students fighting with each other like I did in the 80s.
Yes, I'm sure that's it, not! I never saw students fighting at school, either. Bullying takes on many forms; it's not just fighting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fleet
No, I just asked her (my Aunt). She said "absolutely" (that a paycheck went farther back then). Back then and even today, she has had to budget carefully and she said it was definitely easier before inflation really went up.
That's reality talking!
From my link in post 311:
1950: Food-34%, clothing 12%. And this was with a lot of women sewing their own clothes. Housing was 21%.
1970: About 21 percent of a consumer’s income was spent on food and about 29 percent of a consumer’s income was spent on housing. About 8 percent of a consumer’s income was spent on apparel.
So the only thing that went up in 1970 was housing.
1950: Food-34%, clothing 12%. And this was with a lot of women sewing their own clothes. Housing was 21%.
1970: About 21 percent of a consumer’s income was spent on food and about 29 percent of a consumer’s income was spent on housing. About 8 percent of a consumer’s income was spent on apparel.
So the only thing that went up in 1970 was housing.
Sometimes statistics don't compare with real life (reality). Not to mention statistics not being 100% foolproof/accurate. Someone who had to watch money carefully for 40+ years would know if a dollar went farther when she started handling finances compared to later years.
Yes, I'm sure that's it, not! I never saw students fighting at school, either. Bullying takes on many forms; it's not just fighting.
From my link in post 311:
1950: Food-34%, clothing 12%. And this was with a lot of women sewing their own clothes. Housing was 21%.
1970: About 21 percent of a consumer’s income was spent on food and about 29 percent of a consumer’s income was spent on housing. About 8 percent of a consumer’s income was spent on apparel.
So the only thing that went up in 1970 was housing.
Those percentages will also vary depending upon the geographic location. The mid-west has always been historically cheaper than either of the coasts. Even more so prior to the Interstate system being developed during the 1950s. Rail was still the best way to transfer goods and commodities during the 1950s.
You guys can argue against the statistics all you want, but I've read over and over that food and clothing are cheaper (percentage wise) now than they were in the 50s. One article I found while searching on google said food was below 10% for the first time ever in the early 2000s. Food is relatively the same over the entire country, as is clothing. Housing varies a great deal.
I would not rely a ton on someone's memory from 40 years ago, either.
I think as far as costs go there is a lot of difference in what people expect today as compared to the 50s. Houses we had were 2 bedrooms - my sister and I always shared a bedroom, even when we came home from college. We had two cars but only because my father had a company car for travel. We didn't go out to eat a lot but there weren't fast food places on every corner. My mother cooked fresh food and none of us was ever overweight.
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or maybe there are revisionists at work trying to make it seem as if this is not a sign of the breakdown of our society. I also never saw students fighting with each other like I did in the 80s.
