[Crazy Horse GT]

Originally posted by Mr 5 0
The 1950's.

Technology wasn't anywhere close to today, obviously, but you had over-the-air TV (no cable) and most of the appliances that make daily life comfortable. Cars were primitive by 2003 standards (carbs, leaf springs, drum brakes all around, skinny bias-ply tires, etc) but like our cars today, far ahead of what folks once drove back in the 1920's. They were reliable, comfortable and some were fast - for the time. They also rusted like crazy and were not nearly as well made as a car of today, so it wasn't all good. You could take a (prop) airliner coast to coast or overseas and long-distance telephone conversations were common, so it's clear that life wasn't totally primitive on all counts during the 1950's, even from a 2003 perspective, even without the 'benefit' of cell phones.

As 'HotRoddin' mentioned, most men, even a factory worker, could support a family (and Mom stayed home to care for the kids, willingly). Taxes were far lower than today, which accounts for most of the earning differences between the '50's and today. Morals were respected as well as upheld and supported by society. Americans had far fewer STD's and abortions as well as far fewer illegitmate births. People got married and if they lived togeter without benefit of marriage, it was sneeringly called: Shackin' Up and not respected. America also had segregation but the church was often the center of many black neighborhoods and the illegimate birth rate was actually lower for blacks ('negros' in the '50's) than for whites back in 1950. You could go to a movie and not have to watch men and women pretending to have sex (in graphic detail and full color) 15 minutes after they meet. TV might have been black-and-white but it was something the whole family could watch and Ricky and Lucy as well as Jackie Gleason and even Milton Berle made all America laugh without one smutty 'joke', sex scene or cursing, if you don't count Berle's cross-dressing gags. Even in real life, everyone didn't feel the need to use the 'F-word' every few seconds. The only people who used hard drugs - or any drugs at all - were jazz musicians and losers. In the 1950's almost half of all Americans smoked cigrarettes and every home had a few ash trays sitting around - even if the owners didn't smoke - guests probably would, and no one really objected, even at the office. Children generally respected parents and people were more civil to each other in public settings. Schools didn't need police patrolling the hallways (and shouldn't need them now - but we do). You could leave your car unlocked in most suburban neighborhoods - and many folks did - with no problems.

1950's citizens didn't have the internet or even home computers nor did they have video games of any kind - but they managed. Everybody had dinner together and they talked to each other. People would actually read for recreation. Imagine that. The public schools were far superior and while a college education was harder to obtain then, you really knew something when you graduated and the college diploma was well-respected because of that. Crime was simply much less, according to the numbers and even driving was probably more fun as we had far fewer people and vehicles using the roads. No CD's (vinyl records only), not even tape, no DVDs or even VCRs but 1950's folks did quite well without them, it seems.

The comparisons are endless, of course, and some things have noticable changed for the better (such as air quality) but on contrast, the 1950's look like a good time to have been alive, especially if you were young - and had a V-8 Ford.

hell yeah. exactly, then you had those sweet 49 ford's.