1950s America: A Utopia?

[Death Metal]

German last names were stylish until the nazis came around. English last names were some of the best at the time, however.

Yet no one expected Eisenhower...

That's because Eisenhower was part of the Spanish Inquisition.

[The Scientific States]

It was great so long as you were white, upper class, Christian, not a ebul commie, had "family values" and weren't homosexual it would've been great for you.

Otherwise life would probably suck for you.

In other words, if you were a Lesbian arabic anarchho-communist free-love muslim woman, you're screwed.

Did I hear communist? Sounds Un-American, lock him away.

[Valkalan]

Were the 50's utopic? It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. The period was characterized by a spirit of confidence in the strength of the US and an optimism for the future. I personally like the styles and television shows of the time. However the era was also characterized by a morbid fear of foreign ideologies, problems relating to civil rights, and a high tax rate for the highest income bracket.

[Hetalian Indie Rio de Janeiro]

What? I didn't understand any of that.

I'm saying the mainstream of the values and attitudes of Americans sound reactionary to me.

Not like they are all trying. Japan got a 'perfect dictatorship' similar to Mexico's (where the Lib Dem are their PRI), it doesn't mean the Japanese are all fierce right-wingers and have authoritarian politics.

[Minarchist States]

Yet no one expected Eisenhower...

That's because Eisenhower was part of the Spanish Inquisition.

NOONE EXPECTS... THE EISENHOWER INQUISITION!

[Mkuki]

What? I didn't understand any of that.

I'm saying the mainstream of the values and attitudes of Americans sound reactionary to me.

Not like they are all trying. Japan got a 'perfect dictatorship' similar to Mexico's (where the Lib Dem are their PRI), it doesn't mean the Japanese are all fierce right-wingers and have authoritarian politics.

Values of the 1950s?

[Siaos]

So for the majority of the population it was great........

I'm not sure how much of the general population was upper class...but yeah a lot of people in that time period led generally happy lives, while others did not.

At the time(For white heterosexuals), unless you were lower class, life was pretty decent, even from today's standards.

[Lerodan Chinamerica]

Alright, I'll give you that. But my point was that FDR's regressive taxes and destructive programs exacerbated what could have been a short recession.

Hardly. It was because of the New Deal that it was over as early as it was. It's true most of the New Deal jobs were essentially welfare, but this gave Americans a paycheck, and with that paycheck came the means to consume products more readily than they were before. The real reason the Depression lasted as long as it did was because during the Hoover era, consumerism was so dismally low because the working class couldn't afford to be consumers. FDR reversed that trend.

The underconsumption theory is not supported by any real evidence. I have a bunch of sources that'll prove you wrong, but I don't have them on hand at the moment (I'll TG you when I get 'em). But basically, consumerism was at record high levels during the 1920s, largely attributed to Mellonomics, which essentially cut the top rate to around 20% and the bottom rate from 8% to 0.5%. Workers could spend more of their income on goods and services, which was reversed by FDR's regressive excise and Social Security taxes.

We've hijacked the thread enough as it is, so let's continue this some other time.

[Death Metal]

It was great so long as you were white, upper class, Christian, not a ebul commie, had "family values" and weren't homosexual it would've been great for you.

Otherwise life would probably suck for you.

In other words, if you were a Lesbian arabic anarchho-communist free-love muslim woman, you're screwed.

Pretty much.

Really the best thing about the 50s was that MacCarthay's trying too hard ended up neutering the HUAC as well.

[Hetalian Indie Rio de Janeiro]

I'm saying the mainstream of the values and attitudes of Americans sound reactionary to me.

Not like they are all trying. Japan got a 'perfect dictatorship' similar to Mexico's (where the Lib Dem are their PRI), it doesn't mean the Japanese are all fierce right-wingers and have authoritarian politics.

Values of the 1950s?

Of anytime.

Americans of the Northeast and the West Coast are centre to me. The others are all right-wing to far-right.

[The Scientific States]

I'm not sure how much of the general population was upper class...but yeah a lot of people in that time period led generally happy lives, while others did not.

At the time(For white heterosexuals), unless you were lower class, life was pretty decent, even from today's standards.

Pretty much. Life for me would suck in the 50's for me given my leftism. Id stick out like a sore thumb.

[Vicswampia]

Well thankfully Polish Americans are completely integrated now and no one is firebombing... Italians on the other hand...

Not really, they weren't liked, just like other typically Catholic communities.

[Pacifornia]

That whole Zoot Suit riot fiasco in LA in the 40s tells me life sucked for people of color. My ethnicity still gets crap in the 2010s

[Siaos]

Values of the 1950s?

Of anytime.

Americans of the Northeast and the West Coast are centre to me. The others are all right-wing to far-right.

I'm wary of using the term "far-right" for democratic parties. Far-right tends to mean fascist or monarchist.

[Empire of Narnia]

So for the majority of the population it was great........

I'm not sure how much of the general population was upper class...but yeah a lot of people in that time period led generally happy lives, while others did not.

I don't think the 50's was just for the upper class. It was good for the middle class, upper class and a some of the working class. The economy was also better in the 50's so the people in general were wealthier. The 20's is an era that was pretty much just for upper class. The 50's had a much broader appeal.

[Mkuki]

Values of the 1950s?

Of anytime.

Americans of the Northeast and the West Coast are centre to me. The others are all right-wing to far-right.

Interesting... That said, the United States doesn't really have a unified value system.

At the time(For white heterosexuals), unless you were lower class, life was pretty decent, even from today's standards.

Pretty much. Life for me would suck in the 50's for me given my leftism. Id stick out like a sore thumb.

What's ironic is that unions experienced their highest levels of membership during the 1950s. Then again, many unions were pretty anti-left.

[The Two Jerseys]

Let me see: I'm in the ideal demographic, and the cars were huge monsters with chrome everywhere, giant tailfins, and whitewall tires.

So yes, it was heaven on Earth.

[Vicswampia]

high tax rate for the highest income bracket.

Since when is that bad?

[Death Metal]

Hardly. It was because of the New Deal that it was over as early as it was. It's true most of the New Deal jobs were essentially welfare, but this gave Americans a paycheck, and with that paycheck came the means to consume products more readily than they were before. The real reason the Depression lasted as long as it did was because during the Hoover era, consumerism was so dismally low because the working class couldn't afford to be consumers. FDR reversed that trend.

The underconsumption theory is not supported by any real evidence. I have a bunch of sources that'll prove you wrong, but I don't have them on hand at the moment (I'll TG you when I get 'em). But basically, consumerism was at record high levels during the 1920s, largely attributed to Mellonomics, which essentially cut the top rate to around 20% and the bottom rate from 8% to 0.5%. Workers could spend more of their income on goods and services, which was reversed by FDR's regressive excise and Social Security taxes.

Well of course FDR is going to look bad when you cut the years between the stock market crash and FDR being elected completely out of the equation.

Consumerism WAS high before the crash, yes, but came to a dead stop after and it wasn't until FDR came around that it (eventually) started up again.

You're basically blaming the heart attack on the double bypass. But yes, this is way off topic so I'll end there.

[Warda]

Well thankfully Polish Americans are completely integrated now and no one is firebombing... Italians on the other hand...

Not really, they weren't liked, just like other typically Catholic communities.

The 1950s were a equally opportunity period of hate. Everyone hated everyone!

[Austro-German Prussia]

high tax rate for the highest income bracket.

Since when is that bad?

Oh great, another person who bases his ideals on principle rather than fact.

[The Scientific States]

I'm not sure how much of the general population was upper class...but yeah a lot of people in that time period led generally happy lives, while others did not.

I don't think the 50's was just for the upper class. It was good for the middle class, upper class and a some of the working class. The economy was also better in the 50's so the people in general were wealthier. The 20's is an era that was pretty much just for upper class. The 50's had a much broader appeal.

I'm pretty sure there were massive wealth gaps and poverty created by the economic boom.

[Seperates]

If by utopia you mean "a temporary time in which many of the issues of society were either ignored or subverted by the happiness and relief at the war being over with a short time of war-time jobs still being available"... then yes, it was a utopia.

[Warda]

I don't think the 50's was just for the upper class. It was good for the middle class, upper class and a some of the working class. The economy was also better in the 50's so the people in general were wealthier. The 20's is an era that was pretty much just for upper class. The 50's had a much broader appeal.

I'm pretty sure there were massive wealth gaps and poverty created by the economic boom.

uh no

[Death Metal]

high tax rate for the highest income bracket.

Since when is that bad?

When it's 90 fucking percent, it's bad. That's like, 50 percent more than it ever should be when not in an absolute economic crisis.