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Around the mid 60s everyone just kind of decided they should have things they want without paying for it, and that somehow it would work out.

Free love and easy divorce without it affecting family formation.

Drug use without social dysfunction.

Gov spending without taxes, or at least with other peoples taxes.

A war in Vietnam where rich kids get deferments.

Fed money rather then balanced budgets.

Loose on crime laws without getting more crime.

Solving racial divisions not by changing hearts but government dictate.

Labor unions wanting better and better terms even as the products they were making were getting worse and worse.

Just an incredible explosion of lack of responsibility.

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author

Everything that you listed above happened, but I think that it is important to recognize that it was a small minority of people who were doing those socially destructive actions during this time period. Most Americans were still following the straight and narrow (and still do).

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While the 1947-1965 period was certainly unusually upwardly mobile and with large amounts of economic growth for the 20th century, I'm not sure it would have been unusual by 19th century standards.

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author

You might be correct, though economic growth in the 19th centuries had many very serious recessions.

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