There has never been any society in the history of the world that has been perfect. America was flawed in 1950 just as America is flawed today.
But that doesn’t mean that we should not reflect on how much things have changed over the past 62 years.
So which version of America would you rather live in?
America 1950 vs. America 2012 – you make the call….
In 1950, a gallon of gasoline cost about 27 cents.
In 2012, a gallon of gasoline costs $3.69.
In 1950, you could buy a first-class stamp for just 3 cents.
In 2012, a first-class stamp will cost you 45 cents.
In 1950, more than 80 percent of all men were employed.
In 2012, less than 65 percent of all men are employed.
In 1950, the average duration of unemployment was about 12 weeks.
In 2012, the average duration of unemployment is about 40 weeks.
In 1950, the average family spent about 22% of its income on housing.
In 2012, the average family spends about 43% of its income on housing.
In 1950, gum chewing and talking in class were some of the major disciplinary problems in our schools.
In 2012, many of our public schools have been equipped with metal detectors because violence has become so bad.
In 1950, mothers decided what their children would eat for lunch.
In 2012, lunches are inspected by government control freaks to make sure that they contain the “correct foods” in many areas of the country. For
example, one 4-year-old girl recently had her lunch confiscated by a “lunch monitor” because it did not meet USDA guidelines….
A preschooler at West Hoke Elementary School ate three chicken nuggets for lunch Jan. 30 because the school told her the lunch her mother packed was
not nutritious.
The girl’s turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips, and apple juice did not meet U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, according to
the interpretation of the person who was inspecting all lunch boxes in the More at Four classroom that day.
The Division of Child Development and Early Education at the Department of Health and Human Services requires all lunches served in pre-kindergarten
programs – including in-home day care centers – to meet USDA guidelines. That means lunches must consist of one serving of meat, one serving of
milk, one serving of grain, and two servings of fruit or vegetables, even if the lunches are brought from home.
In 1950, many Americans regularly left their cars and the front doors of their homes unlocked.
In 2012, many Americans live with steel bars on their windows and gun sales are at record highs.
In 1950, the American people had a great love for the U.S. Constitution.
In 2012, if you are “reverent of individual liberty”, you may get labeled as a potential terrorist by the U.S. government.
In 1950, the United States loaned more money to the rest of the world than anybody else.
In 2012, the United States owes more money to the rest of the world than anybody else.
In 1950, the U.S. national debt was about 257 billion dollars.
In 2012, the U.S. national debt is 59 times larger. It is currently sitting at a grand total of $15,435,694,556,033.29. Surely our children and our
grandchildren will thank us for that.
One of the only things that is constant in life is change.
Whether we like it or not, America is going to continue to change.
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, about 70 percent of all American adults were married.
Today, only about 50 percent of all American adults are married.
We are more independent, less religious, more addicted to entertainment and more doped up on prescription drugs than Americans used to be.
We have a higher standard of living than Americans in 1950 did, but we are also drowning in an ocean of debt unlike anything the world has ever
seen.
www.thecomingdepressionblog.com...
I think my children would have a better future being raised in 1950. There isn’t much dreaming about the American way of life for future
generations. Can you see how the government has grown and affects our daily life. It was never intended to do this.