People were saving, Taxes were high though, homes required only one person working to meet mortgage obligations. Lots of growth in the US etc.. 8% gain in income in 1 year. (between 52-53) Interestingly enough one person in the article made 49K but paid 21K in taxes. Pretty high yet they were doing fine. So it seems higher taxes did not seem to have a negative impact. Then somehow it began to go downhill. I suspect when we got into the Vietnam conflict it began our path towards destruction over a very long period. http://books.google.com/books?id=i0...MBAJ&lr=&as_brr=0&rview=1#v=onepage&q=&f=true
Yes, on the whole people were happier. But they were racist, sexist, and homophobic. Now we are wiser. We know that any group should be allowed to break down the cohesiveness of society, no matter what the results are. NAMBLA - the North American Man-Boy Love Association would obviously be a positive addition to the scenes of tranquility in this magazine.
Who would have thought that the children in those images - probably one of the best raised generations in world history, would become the blood sucking baby boomers we know of today.
the B-52s on page 17 are kind of amazing still flying 56 years later with all the horrible crap that's happened in the last 56 years, so much of it bad, never forget the unseen blessing we've had no nuclear war in 1953, no nuclear war through 2009 would have been a pretty uncertain bet i think most people alive today have very little comprehension of that, although the President in 1953 sure predicted the future "A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction... This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence â economic, political, even spiritual â is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted." January 1961
Interestingly enough, the thriving military industrial complex paved the way to America's eventual downfall, which seems to be a major theme in that particular issue of LIFE. Nobody to blame but ourselves (specifically boomers).
The avg. home in 1950 was what, 1200-1300 sqft? (http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/us-home-size.html) The same tiny homes today still only require one working to meet mortgage obligations.