Why did we have to throw away the good qualities of the 50s at the same time as discarding racism, intolerance

Question

etc

I would agree that we have made necessary progress in many areas such as race relations etc but surely even liberals have to admit that generally people were more civil and courteous to each other in the 50s.

Also, I agree that it is important for some films to be realistic and project social comment, but was it such a bad thing when most Hollywood films were uplifting and had a positive message (ie not just those marketed as ‘family’ films today)?

Wouldn’t we a better society if we had kept some of the civility but gained tolerance?

Answer 1

There was a lot more good than bad about America in the 50s, but, a generation of spoiled brats that came of age in the 60s decided that, since American society was flawed, it had to be torn down and re-built to thier specifications.

Answer 2

I agree. I think we have made great strides in many areas while at the same time we have gone way backwards in many other areas. We have almost completely thrown out the values of the 50's. I believe that many of the problems we are dealing with today are in direct relation to the lack of values and the lack of importance on the family.

When families were important, society was great. We need to get back to that.

Great Question.

Answer 3

Conservative's Genetic deformations = more stupid

http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2006/11/03/blog-reaction-to-genetic-influences-on-political-behavior.html

Scientists study political-genetic link," by Anna Jo Bratton, Associated Press, 2 November 2006, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061103/ap_on_sc/politics_genetics (hat-tip to Mark Safranski).

John Alford's, Carolyn Funk's, and John Hibbing's research on genetic factors in political ideology, "Are Political Orientations Genetically Transmitted?" was recently presented at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Happily it also made the Associated Press:

Politics may not be in the blood, but it could be in the genes.

That’s the theory a team of political scientists and geneticists is trying to prove with extensive studies of twins, genes and brain scans.

“I perfectly understand that some people are skeptical,” said John R. Hibbing, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who is involved in the research.

Answer 4

Good qualities like what?

Krugman always talks about how wonderful the 1950s were because the guy in Wellesley had only a bit more in the bank than the guy in Watertown - - but today's guy in Wellesley or Watertown is better off than his counterpart from the 1950s and today's guy in Wellesley is far more likely to have gone to Watertown High.

Answer 5

Who says we aren't civil? Where do you live that people are not civil?

Society has changed drastically, especially in regard to the media. I believe that the news convinces people that the world is worse, despite their personal experiences.

...or I live in a happy, blissfully ignorant little bubble. =P

I don't know - I wasn't alive during the 50s, so I suppose I can't really comment.

Answer 6

Agree. Just because many things were wrong with post war America and Britain (I’m British) I don’t know why we had to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I would add sex to the things you mention - a greater openness and knowledge about sex can be a good thing but why did we have to go the other extreme and expose teen girls to the overt sexuality of Britney and Christina?

We can educate kids about sex, we don’t have to promote it.

Answer 7

I think you believe hollywood in the 50's. Unfortunately, we were never that civilized. The rich always dominated the poor and treated them like animals. Ozzie and Harriet were pure fiction...in real life there was turmoil.

We just don't hide behind the farce anymore.