2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Fifties were a better time. We need to return to a better Democratic Party. [View all]GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Everybody was better off? All the things you call 'social issues' we're in fact economic issues. Blacks were oppressed so they could be exploited for cheap labor. I I grew up in the south in a community of 2-3 bedroom houses. At least a third of the families had part time African American housekeepers. That area is still middle class but most owners are blue collar where back in the day they were white collar. White collar now live in 4-5 bedroom homes. Same thing with other races and all women. Remember when out schools were so good? My wife's aunt in her 80's finally explained why they were so good. Women had three career choices; secretary, teacher or nurse. And they were paid about what they are today. If you force half the talent in America to work in those three professions you can bet you're gonna have some fucking good secretaries, teachers and nurses. Much of that incredible talent has fled to better paying professions. I will be the first to say we need to pay our teachers more, but don't pretend we put more into our schools then than now. We just used depressed wage labor.
Finally, you leave out the state of the rest of the world. Europe and Asia have been bomb to the Stone Age a decade before and if they wanted something they had to buy it from the United States. Hopefully I do not need to expound on what this meant for labor in the United States.
Looking to the past is a conservative trait. Liberals work for a better future. I agree there were some policies in the 50's that were better. But your thesis is threadbare.
And finally, when you use an example a small, all white city in New England as an example you tip your hand. You say it is not your place to speak for blacks but then do just that. Try using Birmingham or Little Rock.