Challenge: Extend the "Long 50s"

The "Long 50s" refers to the period beginning sometime post-WW2, generally said to have ended with the Kennedy assassination in 1963.

It was a time of peace and prosperity, with a strong middle class and industrial base for the United States. And though there was some counterculture, and it was the era of the rise of the teenager and Rock n' Roll, the mainstream was all about keeping your head down and not making a scene (something likely grown of the fact that the parents had lived through Depression and World War, if not fought in it, and now that things were good, they didn't want to rock the boat).

The challenge here is to extend the "Long 50s" period further. It doesn't necessarily mean prevent achievements such as Civil Rights, but overall to keep that 50s feeling era where it was hip to be square for the mainstream, as well as facets of the era if at all possible (such as extreme anti-Communism and faith in the government doing good).
 
Avoid Vietnam.

Without Vietnam the counterculture could be more about Sex and Rock and Roll, and less about War/anti-War.

Without the strife of the 60s, the Kennedy assassination becomes less of a ending and more of a blip.
 
Korea makes a good case study for this!:p

I don't know if you're talking about South or North, but I'll assume South since you do seem to be on the internet. North Korea too could definitely be a candidate for this. They haven't really ever had a "strong middle class and industrial base", but they sure are good at perpetuating the illusion of such.
 
Avoid Vietnam.

Without Vietnam the counterculture could be more about Sex and Rock and Roll, and less about War/anti-War.

Without the strife of the 60s, the Kennedy assassination becomes less of a ending and more of a blip.

Could Eisenhower's Operation Dropshot of dropping nukes on early Vietnam do it?
 
The "Long 50s" refers to the period beginning sometime post-WW2, generally said to have ended with the Kennedy assassination in 1963.

It was a time of peace and prosperity, with a strong middle class and industrial base for the United States. And though there was some counterculture, and it was the era of the rise of the teenager and Rock n' Roll, the mainstream was all about keeping your head down and not making a scene (something likely grown of the fact that the parents had lived through Depression and World War, if not fought in it, and now that things were good, they didn't want to rock the boat).

The challenge here is to extend the "Long 50s" period further. It doesn't necessarily mean prevent achievements such as Civil Rights, but overall to keep that 50s feeling era where it was hip to be square for the mainstream, as well as facets of the era if at all possible (such as extreme anti-Communism and faith in the government doing good).

There are a few generalized assumptions in this.

Firstly the period you're talking about had the Korean War, US interventions in Lebannon, the Cuba Missile crisis, duck and cover and the McCarthy era witch hunts. There was also the civil rights movement triggering violent reactions in the South.

According to measuringworth.com the US economy grew by 2.62% per annum between the years 1945 - 63. Between 1963-73 it grew by 4.37% per annum so the golden age of prosperity is AFTER Kennedy.

I think you're basing your golden age theory on comfortable old TV shows, movies and pop songs that look clean and innocent. This was called censorship (from the top as well as self censorship) and the only way to keep the long 50's is to keep the old rules in place.
 
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