Why the fifties weren’t all bad
Things we should have in America, but don’t:
- Free, high quality healthcare for all americans
- A good teacher in almost every classroom that makes a professional salary
- A well maintained transportation infrastructure.
- Government services that can be relied on.
- Affordable and efficient mass transit in urban areas.
- Extensive government funding for science, the arts and other intellectual pursuits.
- Free pizza in the lunchroom.
I don’t see why these should be radical proposals. Today, these are decried as “socialism”, as if this is a bad thing. What drives me crazy is that we used to actually have all of these things, during that golden era conservatives (at least social conservatives) look on with nostalgia. The decades immediately following the Second World War were, ironically, the closest that this country ever came to socialism. After the war the massive increase in government spending was sustained by the cold war. Free education was provided to huge numbers of men through the GI Bill. Free healthcare was provided through the Veteran’s Administration. Private corporations, funded by government grants and aided by nationalized industry invested heavily in research that provided jobs and economic growth. Large infrastructure projects employed millions and provided the country with a truly modern transportation system, while mass transit systems were yet to be completely destroyed. Investment in primary education was considered a priority to keep ahead of the communists. Investments in the arts, although flawed by the social conservatism of the day, were also considered and important way to keep ahead of the eastern block.
The economy did not destroy itself. The government did not go bankrupt (thanks to 95% tax rates on the richest americans) but somehow, since then, the country has decided that ideas like national healthcare, highly payed teachers and good transit are political suicide. What happened?
