Seventy years of decay or improvement?

In 1955, the Fifty States – and the world – were far different places than the States here in 2025 or the world today.

As freedom goes, as liberty is found or lost, we sometimes think everything is worse today than in the past. Especially in that “Golden Age” when “The Greatest Generation” was nearly over the trauma of the Second World War and busy producing Baby Boomers and “Made in America” products of all kinds.

Go back to that time with us and let’s do some comparisons.

In 1955 we are told this, as compared to 2025:

A new house cost about $11,000 dollars. Today? 500,000. That is 45 times as much.

An ounce of gold cost $35 dollars. Today? Pushing close to 3,500. That is 100 times as much.

A new car? $1900 bucks. Today? $48,700. That is 24.5 times as much.

A dozen eggs? 27 cents then. Today? (Safeway in SD) $4.50. That is 17 times as much.

Average income in 1955? $4,200 FRNs. Today? Somewhere around $65,000. That is 15 times as much.

Economic conclusion? Based NOT on the value of the ever more worthless dollar, we Americans (and most of the people in the world) are far, far wealthier today than our “prosperous grandparents” (or parents or whomever) in 1955.

Of course, in 1955 there were just 166 million Americans, less than half of the 344 million estimated in 2025. That has a significant impact.

But it is not just what things cost that is far different (in real terms) today than seventy years ago. Consider what we take for granted today that people (not even Americans in urban areas) did NOT have in 1955:

The more obvious are electronic devices: home and laptop computers. And those computers we call smartphones. For that matter, telephones in general. In 1955, only two-thirds of American households had telephones (landlines, dial phones and often party lines) (look it up). And only 45% of American homes had a television (black and white, broadcast only, no cable, maybe 16-28 hours a day of broadcast, no recorders). That’s right, not even BetaMax! Today, 91% of Americans have smartphones: computers in our pockets! With video!

The food was not only more expensive, but took longer (and cost more) to prepare: gas and electric stoves were available. But no microwaves, no household blenders, no air-fryers, no coffee machines, and not much in the way of toasters, grills, etc. Dishwashers? Kids or hired help.

The truth is, in 1955 only 57% of Americans had electricity! Which meant propane stoves or wood stoves. And ice in iceboxes, not refrigerators. And white gas or kerosene lanterns or candles for light.

This may come as a shock, but in 1955 25% of American households did NOT have flush toilets! They also didn’t have portapotties (chemical toilets). They had outhouses, or they had to share a toilet in some other building.

The methods of transportation available, especially to ordinary people, were far more limited in 1955. Yes, we had automobiles and pickups and trucks and vans. But they had poor mileage, frequently broke down, and were much less safe. BUT they did not have the emissions controls that make modern vehicles mechanical nightmares. And the governments did not steal as much in taxes on gasoline or registrations or all the other things that we have to endure today. Interesting, in 1955, private drivers (at least in many States) did not have to have driver’s licenses.

The highway system contained very few highways considered good by 2025 standards: no Interstate Highways and few freeways or expressways. Although 93% of “highways” were paved then, but there were only 37,700 miles of highways. Today, there are 1.1 million miles of paved highways in the States.

The major method of long-distance travel in 1955, even for rural areas and small towns, were railroad, followed by buses. Airline travel was a luxury and much more limited.

Material things in general? Today despite the loss of many things like long distance train and bus travel, locally-grown food, gardening, and other nostalgic things, Americans are far, far better off.

But these are material things. What about such things as liberty, overall freedom, and specific economic and personal freedoms? Here, the comparison is not so favorable for 2025.

Local governments, in particular, have grown far more powerful, even while they are regulated more and more by State governments and the Feds. The adoption of massive enforcement codes has made life more and more complex (and miserable) for their residents and businesses. And with that insatiable power and lust to regulate has also come a massive amount of greed for money. Not just from their own residents and businesses but from travelers (tourists especially) and from State and Fed subsidies. Money is itself power, and taking money away takes away liberty.

In 1955, despite the aftermath of WW2 and the excuses of the Cold War, the FedGov was not the omnipresent and seemingly omnipotent micromanager for virtually all Americans that is the case 70 years later. Using national defense, consumer protection, and especially environmental protection, in 2025 virtually every moment of every day of all Americans is impacted directly by Fed regulations, interpretations, and the whims of bureaucrats. Nearly starting at birth.

We can point to some expansions of our personal and even economic liberty. The ease of personal transportation has greatly reduced the impact of increasing regimentation of public transportation. The internet and ability to print and copy and take and save images has also greatly expanded the freedom of communications and to some degree liberated us both from many government controls and even more from the power of many “private” businesses. But at best, we enjoy a small increase when we take everything into consideration.

Health and medically? We overall live long and can live in better health than people in 1955. Despite the continued corruption and insane costs, we can choose to be more healthy, and to avoid many of the hazards which were barely recognized or understood 70 years ago.

In summary? We have much greater potential to be free today, than Americans had seven decades ago. But the reality? We have lost significant liberties. And we must recognize that and work to restore them.

Dear readers, what are your thoughts?

READ MORE

Source: https://freedombunker.com/2025/07/26/seventy-years-of-decay-or-improvement/