Get your own Free Home Page
The 1950s set the stage for the demoralization of U.S. society in the 60s. At least five factors contributed in this regard.
1) The developement of the oral contraceptive provided an easy way for teens to indulge their hormonal imbalances (without fear of diaper related complications), resulting in a loss of respect for the opposite sex as well as for themselves, and an increase in sexually transmitted disease.
2) The Cold War gave rise to a mindset that global destruction was imminent (or at least inevitable) and encouraged that hedonistic philosophy of "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die".
3) The amalgamation of the Pentagon, Wall Street and eventually even the universities into a bureaucratic juggernaut that the politicians could barely understand (let alone control) led to a general decline in respect for all societal institutions, including the church.
4) Television evolved from an electronic curiousity into a powerful tool for selling things, leading to a vulgar fascination with success and ownership, which the economic prosperity of the 50s made possible.
5) Rock and Roll music, though a product of the factors above, also contributed to the problem as it became more libidinous and rebellious over the years.
Get your own Free Home Page