Life in the 50s better?

keith99

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There is a thread in the Christians only version of this forum. I thought it would be interesting to open one where everyone could contribute.

Here is the OP from that thread:

With Trump out of office, Republicans would prefer life in the 1950s, survey shows


"A recent survey released by the Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) found that only 29 percent of Republicans say that American culture and way of life have changed for the better since the 1950s."
 

bekkilyn

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While I do believe that some things have drastically gone in the wrong direction, I don't believe that looking rosily back at some past time is the way to go either. It's what we decide to do now and in the future that is important.
 
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keith99

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One of the reasons I created this thread is this jem from the linked article:

"In its heyday, a set of linked institutions reinforced White Christian America’s worldview across generations: the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), the Boy Scouts, the Masonic Lodge, and the local country club with limits or even outright bans on membership for Catholics, Jews, and ethnic minorities,” he wrote.

I was in the same YMCA club starting with Indian Guides (grades 1-3) through Jr.High. At that point the group sort of broke up. I returned as a camp leader when I was in college. I always had a foot in the door because one of my dads best friends was a YMCA director (the actual top of the local professional staff).

My club had at least 1 Catholic family. My father was an athiest and did a lot to support our local Y. One thing that comes to mind is he pretty much single handedly and without using existing sources raised enough money to make a camp kitchen on wheels.

When I returned as a leader I found it attractive because of a group of 3 guys who had been very active as leaders for a few years. As in out at camps for most of the summer. At least one of those guys was Jewish.

Camps were put on by local YMCA's that meant the specific camps reflected the local community. So many of the camps I went to were white as white can be. Not all because Northeast (Northeast San Fernando Valley) and South Pasadena-San Marino YMCA were too small to have enough kids for a standard mountian camp (20 cabins that held 10-12 kids each). So they combined forces. I worked with about 8 YMCA's over time because professional staff moved and recruited me. Thinking about it these 2 were the richest and poorest of those I worked with. And that meant legitimately upperclass whites with very working class Latinos, some of which were flat out poor, as in out of money a few the day before payday.

I also recall one mountian camp where the group after us was from South Central Los Angeles. The The one very interesting thing is they were teh only group I remember that had 3 busses. It was something special for those kids and I'm sure the Y involved had to fill every bunk for economic reasons.

That was 50s and early 60s. So I'm calling the statemnet in the article misleading if not an outright lie.
 
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Neostarwcc

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From what my Grandparents told me of the 1950s, I imagine it was a pretty cool time. In the 50s my mom's dad worked furnaces and my dad's father worked on the St Lawrence seaway. (A bridge allowing travel from the US to Canada in our area. It no longer exists) moms dad helped with the seaway too but he didn't play as big of a role. My grandfather was a draftsman.

Dont forget in the 50s too the war was over and everybody had elevated morales. Or am I wrong and we fought a war in the 50s after wwII?
 
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timothyu

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Or am I wrong and we fought a war in the 50s after wwII?
This era was the beginning of wars compliments of the military-industrial complex President Eisenhower warned about. The first of a continual line of profitable wars was Korea
 
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Paulos23

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Dont forget in the 50s too the war was over and everybody had elevated morales. Or am I wrong and we fought a war in the 50s after wwII?

The Korean War was in the early 1950's.
 
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sandman

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Morally I think things were probably more upright..... and probably households and families were more intact.
The world has seen a constant decay...and no matter what anybody wishes for we won't be going back to the 50's, and I am thankful ...... after seeing the cars ...no thanks..... I enjoy the luxury and speed of my current vehicles.
 
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rjs330

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I think, like any period of history there were good parts and bad parts. The 50's were certainly not good for everyone.

That goes for anytime in history. I think people look back and like the strong points of the 50s and ignore the weak points. There are things I would love to go back to regarding the 50s while at the same time reject or do away with the other things that are distasteful about the time.

Going back to the 50s doesn't mean we would embrace everything about the 50s.
 
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Nithavela

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Oh I see. Didn't have much peace then.
Don't worry. The USA has been constantly at war for all but 12 years of its existence.

Ah yes. The vietnam war also started in the fifties.
 
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Carl Emerson

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In the 50's before TV folks had time to do stuff.

Life was way less sophisticated most folks earned around the average wage.

These days screens demand the last remaining moments, folks earn either way below or way above the average wage. Consumerism reigns.

I have on my wall, a couple of pen and ink drawings of street scenes in Cairo. They took 150 hours each. We built our own radios. Spent bulk time outdoors hunting and fishing, fixed our own cars, wrote letters, and the local minister visited each family.

Someone stole our time...
 
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