Why The1950's was the best decade in modern history....

[Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić]

In US 50s were golden age no doubt.

[Armenian Bishop]

I agree with the OP sentiment, about the 50s. It should be noted that the first half of the 1960's (60-65) was an extension and continuation of the mood and lifestyle of the 1950s.; however, there were some changes and significant differences as we moved into the early 60s. The Cold War continued to cast a shadow, during the 1960s.

The Korean War and Post World War II memories became more distant, in the early 60s, but WWII was still a powerful memory (throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s). The main difference can be found in the political atmosphere: While the mood and lifestyle was very similar, the first half of the 60s was more Liberal Oriented, whereas the last half of the 50s was more Conservative Oriented.

[de Burgh II]

The past is the past. No sense in dwelling over past glory days that aren't nothing more than relics of the past. Life is meant to be enjoyed in the present. Every generation has its upsides and downsides. If there is something you don't like about the present day, do what you can to adapt and find an activity that is enjoyable according to your tastes.

"Out with the old and in with the new."

[Lazio]

50s was just another decade of "buy your happiness": get a house in the suburbs, get a big car, buy lots of industrialized easy-cooking food - and then you can be happy and complete like the family on TV... we all know where that took us... that sounds more like a nightmare to me.

[Richmondbread]

50s was just another decade of "buy your happiness": get a house in the suburbs, get a big car, buy lots of industrialized easy-cooking food - and then you can be happy and complete like the family on TV... we all know where that took us... that sounds more like a nightmare to me.

Not everything is perfect, but overall you pick the lesser of the two evils.

[PaleoEuropean]

A lot of Korean War Veterans and their families might disagree with that. TV and reality are two very different things. For those that were too old or young for the Korean War sure. But a lot of people and families suffered which lead to the events of the 60's and 70's. The world didn't go to hell overnight.

[The Lawspeaker]

The 1950s and 1960s were the period when entire Dutch, (both East and West) German and British boroughs were wiped from the map. Whole clusters of monuments were whacked just to create space for modernist apartments, shopping malls and motorways. In the United States too, the 1950s were a period of destruction. This is what the 1950s to 1970s had in store for us:



And it wasn't just what you see in the clip (in Amsterdam and Utrecht). In Amsterdam, the Plan-Kaasjager of 1954, wanted most of Amsterdam's canals filled in and replaced with motorways with many of the old 17th century and mediaeval city replaced with modernist apartments. Thankfully, the man was laughed out of city hall.

Amsterdam: red are canals that would have been filled in. They and their surrounding areas would have been motorways. The striped area (the Jordaan would have been knocked over altogether).



Now combine that with the 1962 Plan Jokinen: this super-imposed on pictures.







Still with the plan back in mind as envisioned in 1967:




And then the plan for Utrecht of 1958:



Fuck the 1950s and fuck the 1960s. And when people thought that we were saved by the bell: this is what 1968-1973 had in store for Utrecht:



Guess what: this time, the nightmare came to pass.

[Centurion]

It was a beautiful era indeed.