An early Baby Boomer, born in 1948 this post war pundit watched (pun intended) the beginning of the broadcast television age, featuring I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Ozzie and Harriet show, Leave It To Beaver, Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club, The Roy Rogers Show, Superman, Looney Tunes, Captain Kangaroo, The Howdy Doody Show and more. A technological wonder, no less an important marvel than today’s Smart devices.
The 1950s were a time of a non-existent (TV) American family that has never been reproduced. My generation was raised watching June Cleaver cleaning her house all dressed up and wearing pearls. I do not recall my mother (of that peer group) dressed as such doing daily chores.
After the horrors of World War II and coming off the Great Depression era, America needed a pause. Europe and Asia needed to rebuild themselves after their self imposed stupidity. The so-called Happy Days established an Americana right up there with Norman Rockwell‘s vision.
The 1950s set the stage for our 21st Century. It established a ‘can do’ approach that persists to this day. Many do not know that the transistor, the basis of all modern Cloud solutions was invented in the late 1940s and came into fruition during the 1950s. Enabling the Apollo moonshot ten years later.
On the down side, the Korean War draw and the Cold War with potential Nuclear Holocaust loomed large and set the stage for defeat in Vietnam. This first American rout would not be our last. Afghanistan!
“Déjà Vu All Over Again”
Apologies to Yogi Berra, it does feel sometimes like we are in a pre-1950s era. Economic uncertainty, global political unrest, domestic turmoil, Covid-19, even pending European military hostilities, Asia etc. are all taking their toll on our collective psychic. It all seems so similar to the late 1930s.
The British Minister at the time, Neville Chamberlain, perceived as the appeaser did not live to the see the rout of 1940’s totalitarianism. Had he, he might offer some thoughts about our current situation. Winston Churchill most certainly would as would Ronald Reagan, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Abraham Lincoln and others.
Economically, the world fell apart. Since the safety nets of today that did not exist back then, the impact was massive. However, our safety nets are under attack. Inflation may destroy the middle and other classes. Just like it did in the 1970s—Stagflation. The worst of all possible economic worlds.
Our parents and grandparents survived significant and in some cases life threatening problems. Collectively, society emerged stronger and perhaps happier. Paraphrasing from the TV series Mission Impossible, “Our mission, should we choose to accept it is to rise to the challenge and makes this world a better place for those who follow.”
We also remember the 1950s as so good because the 60s and 70s were subsequently very bad. This does not need to be the case with this social/economic cycle. We are not doomed to repeat that history and can change our destiny.
Seems that we are not really trying. Have we become the nanny state? Making our parents and grandparents so proud.
And Yet
The 1950s were by no means perfect. Long simmering civil rights tensions began to manifest and certainly many did not enjoy the environment many of us fondly look back upon. However, this period was a pause that would be rudely awakened, perhaps when JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Or maybe earlier when Rosa Parks took her stand (or seat) on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 about the time Martin Luther King Jr. was coming into prominence.
Throughout the 1960s a number of horrendous crimes would be committed against innocent children, activists and others–ultimately leading the assassination of Dr. King. Moreover, the 1970s would start with Kent State and the Jackson State killings.
Lessons Learned
For many, the 1950s were happy days, for others not so much. Guessing most readers were not alive during this period and perhaps even their parents were too young.
History is the ultimate task master. Dooming new generations to relive the past. However, this need not be the case. We can and should learn from the follies and successes of those who precede us.
The 1950s were unique in many ways. Many in my generation believe that to be true. However, it seems we are reliving the 1930-1950s era and the outcome might be similar.
Our challenge is to make sure that does not happen. History need not repeat itself. It is up to us.
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