At my recent college reunion, I reminded my 1951 classmates of our good fortune in having lived in America’s golden years. The half-century from the end of World War II to the economic debacle of 2008 gave substance to the concept of “American exceptionalism,” which is being questioned today.
The world acknowledged then our
prosperity and global power, our social
harmony and thriving middle class. The dollar was seen as the world’s currency, English as the world language, jazz, and Hollywood movies as the world’s entertainment.
By Daniel Rose