Is America a better place today than it was back in
1956? Of course many Americans living
right now couldn’t even imagine a world without cell phones, Facebook or cable
television, but was life really so bad back then? 60 years ago, families would actually spend
time on their front porches and people would actually have dinner with their
neighbors. 60 years ago, cars were still
cars, football was still football and it still meant something to be an
American. In our country today, it is
considered odd to greet someone as they are walking down the street, and if
someone tries to be helpful it is usually because they want something from
you. But things were very different in
the middle of the last century. Men
aspired to be gentlemen and women aspired to be ladies, and nobody had ever
heard of “bling," “sexting” or
“twerking." Of course, life was far
from perfect, but people actually had standards and they tried to live up to
them.
So how did it all go so wrong?
Could it be possible that life in America peaked
back then and we have been in decline ever since?
Before you answer, I want to share with you a list
of comparisons between life in America in 1956 and life in America in 2016…
In 1956, John Wayne, Elvis Presley and Marilyn
Monroewere some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world.
In 2016, our young people look up to “stars” like
Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.
In 1956, Americans were watching I Love Lucy and The
Ed Sullivan Show on television.
In 2016, the major television networks are offering
us trashy shows such as Mistresses and Lucifer.
In 1956, you could buy a first-class stamp for just
3 cents.
In 2016, a first-class stamp will cost you 49
cents.
In 1956, gum chewing and talking in class were some
of the major disciplinary problems in our schools.
In 2016, many of our public schools have been
equipped with metal detectors because violence has gotten so far out of
control.
In 1956, children went outside and played when they
got home from school.
In 2016, our parks and our playgrounds are
virtually empty and we have the highest childhood obesity rate on the entire
planet.
In 1956, if a kid skinned his knee he was patched
up and sent back outside to play.
In 2016, if a kid skins his knee he is likely to be
shipped off to the emergency room.
In 1956, “introducing solids” to a baby’s diet may
have meant shoving a piece of pizza down her throat.
In 2016, we have “attachment parenting” which
advocates treating children like babies almost until they reach puberty.
In 1956, seat belts and bicycle helmets were
considered to be optional pieces of equipment, and car safety seats were
virtually unknown.
In 2016, millions of us are afraid to leave our
homes for fear that something might happen to us, and if something does happen
we slap lawsuits on one another at the drop of a hat.
In 1956, many Americans regularly left their cars
and the front doors of their homes unlocked.
In 2016, many Americans live with steel bars on
their windows and gun sales are at all-time record highs.
In 1956, about 5 percent of all babies in America
were born to unmarried parents.
In 2016, more than 40 percent of all babies in
America will be born to unmarried parents.
In 1956, one income could support an entire middle
class family.
In 2016, approximately one-third of all Americans
don’t make enough money to even cover the basics even though both parents have
entered the workforce in most households.
In 1956, redistribution of wealth was considered to
be something that “the communists” did.
In 2016, the federal government systematically
redistributes our wealth, and two communists are fighting for the Democratic
nomination.
In 1956, there were about 2 million people living
in Detroit and it was one of the greatest cities on Earth.
In 2016, there are only about 688,000 people living
in Detroit and it has become a joke to the rest of the world.
In 1956, millions of Americans dreamed of moving
out to sunny California.
In 2016, millions of Americans are moving out of
California and never plan to go back.
In 1956, television networks would not even show
husbands and wives in bed together.
In 2016, there is so much demand for pornography
that there are more than 4 million adult websites on the Internet, and they get
more traffic than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined.
In 1956, the American people had a great love for
the U.S. Constitution.
In 2016, “constitutionalists” are considered to be
potential terrorists by the U.S. government.
In 1956, people from all over the world wanted to
come to the United States to pursue “the American Dream."
In 2016, 48 percent of all U.S. adults under the
age of 30 believe that “the American Dream is dead."
In 1956, the United States loaned more money to the
rest of the world than anybody else.
In 2016, the United States owes more money to the
rest of the world than anybody else.
And there is one more thing that I would like to
share with you before I wrap up this article.
This is what the New York skyline looked like on
March 31st, 1956…
New York Skyline 31 March 1956
And this is the kind of thing that we are seeing
displayed on the Empire State Building these days…
New York Skyline Kali
For those that don’t know, that is an image of the
Hindu goddess of death, time and destruction known as Kali. And next month a reproduction of the
48-foot-tall arch that stood in front of the Temple of Baal in Palmyra, Syria
is going up in Times Square.
So now that you have seen what I have to share,
what do you think?
Has America changed for the better, or has it
changed for the worse?
Article reposted with permission from End of the
American Dream
Take a look at the future of America: The Beginning
of the End and then prepare.
