When America Was Great...

[ripskater]

Man, you really do think the 50s were just like Leave it to Beaver and the Andy Griffith show, don't you?

That's Hollywood, but some things in the show were a reflection of the times.

 

[therealdope]

I bet even though we didn't have as much, our people were more thankful for what things they did have.

I highly doubt that. I can guarantee you that I am a lot more thankful than people in the 50s. First of all, I have a lot more to be thankful for --- including the fact that I don't have to live in the 50s. You think women were thankful that they literally had to stay in abusive relationships, had limited rights, and couldn't get credit cards without a co-signature from a man? That's half of the population.

People in the 50s were also too busy coughing up a lung from the cancer sticks sold to them by Joe Camel, to be thankful for a lot of things other than wishing for their death to come quickly because there was no treatment for lung cancer.

 

[ripskater]

I highly doubt that. I can guarantee you that I am a lot more thankful than people in the 50s. First of all, I have a lot more to be thankful for --- including the fact that I don't have to live in the 50s. You think women were thankful that they literally had to stay in abusive relationships, had limited rights, and couldn't get credit cards without a co-signature from a man? That's half of the population.

People in the 50s were also too busy coughing up a lung from the cancer sticks sold to them by Joe Camel, to be thankful for a lot of things other than wishing for their death to come quickly because there was no treatment for lung cancer.

That's fine. There are good and bad things about every decade. I still believe Trump was right and that the late 40's and 50's were a great time for us.

 

[Gutter Chris]

And lack of air-conditioning in just about every building, and smoke filled work places/restaurants/bars, lower life span, lack of plumbing for a huge portion rural areas, lack of upward mobility for the working class, rudimentary health care technologies (can't see it an x-ray, 'cause that's all there was), ... running water for rural places.

Spot on about a lot of that sucking but being able to smoke everywhere would be fn awesome

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

That's fine. There are good and bad things about every decade.

Having to get your man to co-sign for your credit card >>> rampant infanticide, drug addiction, society splitting apart on lines of race/religion, terrorism, record income inequality, 10+M illegal immigrants, massive government debt, Obama...

 

[ripskater]

Having to get your man to co-sign for your credit card >>> rampant infanticide, drug addiction, society splitting apart on lines of race/religion, terrorism, record income inequality, 10+M illegal immigrants, massive government debt, Obama...

Lol.

 

[Gervinho]

I highly doubt that. I can guarantee you that I am a lot more thankful than people in the 50s. First of all, I have a lot more to be thankful for --- including the fact that I don't have to live in the 50s. You think women were thankful that they literally had to stay in abusive relationships, had limited rights, and couldn't get credit cards without a co-signature from a man? That's half of the population.

People in the 50s were also too busy coughing up a lung from the cancer sticks sold to them by Joe Camel, to be thankful for a lot of things other than wishing for their death to come quickly because there was no treatment for lung cancer.

Only people who were enjoying the 50s were white men. none whites, women, gays would all say that was terrible time.

 

[M3t4tr0n]

I would say that Trump is right. America was great in the 50's. There is a lot we could learn from that time. The exception of course would be how we treated our black citizens.

Dont forget how we treated some of our latino citizens and others.

 

[therealdope]

America is history's greatest leader in innovation and technology - its probably the most competitive first world country to live in and that does involve a separation between have and have nots - but its definitely the greatest in the world today -

And virtually all of it came after the 50s. Let me just rhyme off a few things that the US innovated and continues to dominate.

Electronics - advancement in micro-electronics started in the 60s.

The concept of federal funding of research and shift away from patents and R&D being held by a few corps: mid- to late 1960s.

Dense electronics/ICs - 1970s

Large computers - 60s/70s. Computer science followed in sync

Software - 70s/80s

Biotech/Advanced pharmaceuticals - thing genentech and Amgen 70s/80s.

Re-usable space vehicles - 70s/80s

networked computers - 80s/90s

Greentech - 90s

Nanotech - 2000s

Internet commerce - 90s/2000s

big data/analytics/social media: 2000s

If that's 'losing' then I'm happy to self-declare being part of the losing class.

 

[Joe]

ah yes, back when unions were strong and tax rates were in 70 percentile

 

[therealdope]

Spot on about a lot of that sucking but being able to smoke everywhere would be fn awesome

Ummm - no. I still remember transatlantic flights with smoking. It was terrible --- even in non-smoking class (LOL).

 

[therealdope]

Wait I thought right now the US has had the least social mobility in its history?

If that is true then the 50s had to have had a greater degree of social mobility by definition.

If its false then bernie is a lying prick and the corporations don't really dominate society all that much.

Well of course he is cherry picking some scenarios to support his thesis.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Yeah we're such losers

That's why people risk everything trying to get here

 

[therealdope]

I totally left out the second computing revolution ...

Personal computers - late 70s

UNIX - 1970s

multi-user systems - 70s -90s

OOPs - and no, Bjarne Stroustrup did not invent it (he worked at IBM anyway).

 

[KONG-D'SNT-TAP]

Wait I thought right now the US has had the least social mobility in its history?

If that is true then the 50s had to have had a greater degree of social mobility by definition.

If its false then bernie is a lying prick and the corporations don't really dominate society all that much.

 

[Seano]

So what do you guys think? Is this the time in history when America was "great" and if so then for who? Do you guys think it was great for minorities, women, and lgbt peoples?

Yes it was. America was respected, feared and had one of the strongest economies in the world.

Today we are ridiculed, spit on and much of our productive industry is gone.

But at least 2 dudes can get married now.

 

[Gutter Chris]

Ummm - no. I still remember transatlantic flights with smoking. It was terrible --- even in non-smoking class (LOL).

Ive been smoking for 20 years. I miss the smoking section and bars clubs and bowling allys so blue with smoke makes your eyes burn. A flight with all that stale air however does seem a bad place to smoke for 14 hours straight though .

Today we are ridiculed, spit on and much of our productive industry is gone.

But at least 2 dudes can get married now.

Wouldnt it be great if both of those statements could be true at the same time ?

 

[M3t4tr0n]

I disagree with Trump. I believe things are getting better and better more and more as time goes by. Twenty years ago a black man in the white house and gay marriage was unthinkable.

 

[M3t4tr0n]

Yes it was. America was respected, feared and had one of the strongest economies in the world.

Today we are ridiculed, spit on and much of our productive industry is gone.

But at least 2 dudes can get married now.

What about how minorities and women were treated?

 

[therealdope]

What about how minorities and women were treated?

Are you asking Seano to think beyond the perimeter of his (very short) arms reach??

Seriously?