From a conservative point of view, the 1950s were a high point in American history. The nuclear family was still intact. Church participation was at an all-time high. Every town offered numerous social institutions to strengthen fraternity and community. Housing was affordable for almost anyone that had a career, and jobs were abundant. Rapid technological innovations and national pride created an American optimism that hasn’t been seen since. The solution to today’s ills is to mimic the 1950s. There’s only one problem with this – the 1950s were artificial. They were an aberration in American history.