To those DU'ers who lived through the "Golden Age of Capitalism" (1940s to 1970s)-some questions...

[tech3149]

23. I'll agree with you on that

For most of us we were safe in our community. In fact it was that sense of community that kept most of us safe. I was born in the early 50's I grew up in a more rural setting but from the time I lived in Jersey and shared life experiences with people who might have grown up with you, the situation wasn't much different.
All the kids in the neighborhood played together, ate at each others house. If we got in trouble for doing something stupid, it wasn't unusual for the neighbors to make you suffer even if your parents didn't. All the neighbors knew each other and we would lend, borrow, or just plain help each other out expecting nothing in return. We weren't any better than people can be today, we just felt connected.
Why has it changed? I see quite a few reasons but one of the first is media and marketing. With all the media resources pumped at us we can easily isolate ourselves from our neighbors. Economic factors are also critical. Once those "good jobs" aren't really there any more, you do what you have to do to get by. Working more hours or two jobs and you don't have the time or energy to maintain that sense of connection with your neighbors, or maybe you just give up and go where you can get a decent job.
So say you give up and just follow the jobs, not all of us are outgoing and gregarious and don't just pick up where we left off in a new neighborhood, might be you know you're going to have to pack up in a year or so to find that next job.
I think part of the force of the transition was a reaction to the 60's. Did you ever hear of the Powell memorandum? Powell was a corporate slime attorney who saw the freedom and justice movement of the 60's as a direct challenge to the power structures of the country. He laid out a complete blueprint of how to counter counter it and advised all business leaders to follow his plan because it "was a war for their very survival!" That was like 1971. If you follow the creation of conservative think tanks, the assault on public education, restructuring and defunding higher education, and all the other points presented that basically challenge the idea of public good and democratic function, it's pretty much followed the outline to a tee.

Sorry for the long response but this is a great thread and one that really gets my dander up.