| | Several modern conveniences were introduced during the post-World War II Era including refrigerators, televisions, and many other household appliances we still use today. America began to gain its status as one of the richest nations in the world. | | Several modern conveniences were introduced during the post-World War II Era including refrigerators, televisions, and many other household appliances we still use today. America began to gain its status as one of the richest nations in the world. |
| − | You might ask yourself whether the 1950s was a more ''conservative'' time than today. Some, your teacher include, think that the nation is perpetually becoming more conservative as liberal ideas are perpetually demonstrated to be failures. Like a young athlete or musician is perpetually improving from practice and growth, the nation might be constantly becoming more conservative. Yet a glance at television shows from the 1950s suggest it was a more conservative time. Was it really? Consider all the issues, such as the tax rates (they were much higher in the 1950s), restrictions on freedoms (interest rates were fixed by the government then rather than by the free market today), the draft (it was required of young men then, but enlistment is voluntary today), unions are less of a problem today, communism (there were far more American communists in the 1950s), Second Amendment rights are more secure in most places today, the threat of all-out nuclear war is less now, there are fewer restrictions on political speech today, and -- perhaps most important of all -- homeschooling is legal today, but was illegal in the 1950s. Some of the post-World War II legislation, such as the Full Employment Act of 1946, which tried to guarantee employment for every citizen, seems like silly socialism today. (Note, however, that the Council of Economic Advisers established by that law still exists to advise the president about the economy today.) | + | You might ask yourself whether the 1950s was a more ''conservative'' time than today. Some, your teacher included, think that the nation is perpetually becoming more conservative as liberal ideas are constantly demonstrated to be failures. Like a young athlete or musician is always improving due to practice and growth, the nation might be constantly becoming more conservative. Yet a glance at television shows from the 1950s suggest it was a more conservative time. Was it really? Consider all the issues, such as the tax rates (they were much higher in the 1950s), restrictions on freedoms (interest rates were fixed by the government then rather than by the free market today), the draft (it was required of young men then, but enlistment is voluntary today), unions are less of a problem today, communism (there were far more American communists in the 1950s), Second Amendment rights are more secure in most places today, the threat of all-out nuclear war is less now, there are fewer restrictions on political speech today, and -- perhaps most important of all -- homeschooling is legal today, but was illegal in the 1950s. Some of the post-World War II legislation, such as the Full Employment Act of 1946, which tried to guarantee employment for every citizen, seems like silly socialism today. (Note, however, that the Council of Economic Advisers established by that law still exists to advise the president about the economy today.) |