Take a look at electronics, computer and media. In the 1960s you might have a land line phone with a couple of extensions. You may of had a 19" color TV that received three to eight channels. Computers were only for large companies. You might have had a phonograph and a collection of albums with scratches. You may of had a family car which probably had seat belts that you didn't wear.
Today, you probably have a cell phone for each member of the family. You probably have a 27" color TV or larger in a couple rooms in your house. You might even posses a high-definition television set. You are probably connected to cable or satellite, with 70 to hundreds of channels. You probably have at least one computer, connected to the internet. You probably have an IPOD with 1000s of songs at your fingertips You may have a VCR recorder, DVD player, and or TIVO. You probably have a microwave. You probably have a car for each adult in the family, your car has lap belts which you use, and may have air bags.
Your doctor had a much more limited choices of tests, operations and drugs to give you. The elderly now have cheaper prescription drugs. Social Security now provides a greater percentage of living cost than before.
If you were a young man you were subject to the draft. More women and blacks go to college these days. Race relations are better than the 60s.
Flying is much cheaper today. There is more variety of food choices.
So what else is better or worse for the middle class than in the 1960s?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
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6 comments:
The first thing I noticed about your post was that a lot of the things you mentioned were things that were for indoor use. People used to go outside. The air was cleaner. A gallon of gas was 19 cents. People could let their children play out after dark in the yard. Doors and windows could be left unlocked. Cars were never locked and usually the keys were left in them. You could fish/swim in streams, lakes and rivers without fear of contaiminents. Most people actually trusted the government. Friendship was more than a word. You never heard about drive-by shootings. Companies appreciated loyal workers and they were rewarded. Food was "fresh" and tasted better. Many doctors still made house calls. I'd trade all the rest of my todays and tomorrows for a few of those yesterdays
First, the lakes and rivers were a lot more polluted in some states then tdoay. You can swim the Hudson now, you couldn't back then.
The air was a lot dirtier in LA and other places.
People can still leave their childern out to play. But people are just my worried now. You can also install video cameras outside to monitor them.
More people mean more opportunity for crime.
This blog was started because another comment said the accumulated wealth of the rich was harming the middle class. Besides increase envy, I don't see how the rich getting more wealthy affects the middle class negatively.
Well duh, where do you think that extra wealth is coming from, the "tooth fairy"?
I agree with msanthrope, also the music was much better in the 60s, so was the poetry, literature, art and cinema. People could stop a war then,they can't today. People were free in the 60s today they are tazered and clubbed for just talking back to a police officer. Even journalists now get thrown in jail for just doing their job. One fourth of our population has seen prison time and a tenth are currently in jail, our environment is about to collapse like our banks, we had the potential to make the middle class permanently wealthy, with free health care, free higher education , clean energy and no terrorism, unfortunately the middle class voted Republican way too much forcing even the democrats to go to the right to get elected, so the middle class deserve what they are getting today, high health care costs, high food costs, no money for college and soon no home. As for the food we torture animals before we kill them and store our fruits and vegetable for months in warehouses before we use them no wonder the food sucks big time.
In the 60s we didn't torture and war criminals were prosecuted.
Where the America's morality goes so goes its economy...God Bless America!
Well, I guess you don't remember the dogs being set on demonstrators. Nor 1968 democratic convention in Chicago.
Again, I am talking about the economic well-being of the middle class.
BTW, we still have all the music that was created in the 60s.
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