I honestly can’t say what has caused the decline in living standards over the last fifty years – or even if there has been one. In many ways, we have it really good right now – especially in the areas of medical care and electronic devices. That said, my grandfather supported his family quite nicely on only his income as a bank teller. I recall that he loved to snack on Gruyere cheese – well out of my price range these days at $20 per pound. Due to the untimely death of my father, my mother was forced to raise two children herself on a secretary’s salary without any kind of public assistance. We kids never knew that we were “struggling”. She was able to get a $20,000 mortgage on a nice suburban home for all of us. (I checked Zillow and the place is worth $600,000 now!) We always had plenty to eat, including food items (like leg of lamb or prime rib) that I certainly can’t afford these days. I’m not complaining, mind you, but it sure seems like “everyday” people in the fifties and sixties could afford things that today’s middle class can’t. But hey, we’ve got wide-screen TVs!
And the best programing on those big screen televisions continues to be shows from the 60’s. The technology has improved while the creativity has taken a dive.
One thing I point out to my kids is that in the old days, singles and couples without kids could live very respectably in a boarding house for a relatively modest amount. They had a room, a communal bath, and at least breakfast and supper. Such places have been totally regulated out of business. Communal bath? Out. Non-commercial kitchen? Out. Not handicap accessible? Out. The list is long. And boarding houses were often run by widows who provided a great service and were in no way a burden on the taxpayer.
For all the technological progress we have made, many, many things have changed for the worse over the years. I’m sure you can think of your own examples.
Comments
I honestly can’t say what has caused the decline in living standards over the last fifty years – or even if there has been one. In many ways, we have it really good right now – especially in the areas of medical care and electronic devices. That said, my grandfather supported his family quite nicely on only his income as a bank teller. I recall that he loved to snack on Gruyere cheese – well out of my price range these days at $20 per pound. Due to the untimely death of my father, my mother was forced to raise two children herself on a secretary’s salary without any kind of public assistance. We kids never knew that we were “struggling”. She was able to get a $20,000 mortgage on a nice suburban home for all of us. (I checked Zillow and the place is worth $600,000 now!) We always had plenty to eat, including food items (like leg of lamb or prime rib) that I certainly can’t afford these days. I’m not complaining, mind you, but it sure seems like “everyday” people in the fifties and sixties could afford things that today’s middle class can’t. But hey, we’ve got wide-screen TVs!
And the best programing on those big screen televisions continues to be shows from the 60’s. The technology has improved while the creativity has taken a dive.
How true.
One thing I point out to my kids is that in the old days, singles and couples without kids could live very respectably in a boarding house for a relatively modest amount. They had a room, a communal bath, and at least breakfast and supper. Such places have been totally regulated out of business. Communal bath? Out. Non-commercial kitchen? Out. Not handicap accessible? Out. The list is long. And boarding houses were often run by widows who provided a great service and were in no way a burden on the taxpayer.
For all the technological progress we have made, many, many things have changed for the worse over the years. I’m sure you can think of your own examples.
Just give me internet and Amazon and you can have my food, my retirement, and my vote.