I was thinking the other day; the world has changed. I guess that was a pretty stupid and obvious thought but my, has it changed.
America really seemed to change about the time I was born - which was when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I believe people began to understand or at least some believed that the US Government was lying to them.
We know now that the US Government has lied thousands - maybe millions of times. I dare say that few of us reading this actually trust the government of the United States anymore.
But back in the Golden Age of Radio, people not only trusted the US Government, they wantonly laid down their lives for it.
But today? For goodness sake, even Superman has given up his US citizenship.
No, I'm not trying to get into a political discussion here but when I listen to OTR I think about how uninformed the people were.
And that's as far as I am going with this one. :D
©Jimbo 2010/2011
I think it was wise for you to stop right there. People is in the 40s believed more in the government because we were in WWII where most of the population believed we needed to defeat the two axis power countries. One of the few time we were all united.
ReplyDeleteSo very true.
ReplyDeleteAnd also how the US embraced Russia because the enemy of your enemy is your friend
If you read the news about Russia during the war, the men who ran the papers couldn't say enough nice things about the Russians. When the war was over - everyone saw who the real winner of WWII was - that would be Russia. Just look at all the land and influence they garnered.
Not as bad of a scenario as Hitler/Germany winning but clearly, not what Americans thought would happen after the war.
But I digress and stop here. :)
I think the loyalty and patrotism of the 40s brought on trusting the government. The less that happens brings on questioning of things. That is not bad either. It is how a country accepts and tolerates differences of opinion that counts.
ReplyDeleteThat's true. And probably like 911, the shock of being attacked "brought it home" to people and it's hard to imagine but I have a feeling the US was "together" for 3.5 years like we were for a week after 911. Do you think that's a correct statement?
ReplyDeleteI would fully agree with that statement, Jimbo. But I must say, that fully following your goverment because of emotional feelings also can be dangerous. Things need to be questioned and if you are doing the questioning you should be tolerated. There should be room for everyone's opinion. Our treatment of the Japanese population here was not so good. Yet, we united and did all those 'fat savings' and 'victory gardens' as relected on the radio and ads in the papers that you have illustrated throughout your blog.
ReplyDeleteI realize we have all the wars in the Middle East but I am surprised things didn't get much uglier against Middle Eastern-Americans during that time.
ReplyDeleteI did hear a lot of talk then, not so much now. I still think the resentment is there and it's targeted against - not the hijackers - but the Middle Easterners in general.
Just the other day I overhead two guys talking in a grocery store and the one said that women that wear head gear that covers their head and men that wear turbins need to be checked out as they can hide things there. Suspicion exits.
ReplyDeleteI still hear things as well..
ReplyDelete