The 1950s. Actually living under the shadow of thermonuclear war, but now remembered as some kind of ‘golden age’ by a certain kind of white person
Probably because of the shining Whiteness of it all. In Australia the White Australia Policy was still in place. In the UK the numbers of black people around was tiny (some communities in Cardiff, Liverpool, but immigration from the Commonwealth/former colonies had not really kicked in). In the US, Jim Crow and Northern racism were still in place (though beginning to be challenged). Meanwhile, homosexuals were still vigorously kept “in the closet” (and blackmailed/shaken down by cops etc). And “Mother Nature” – it looked like she was under the thumb, thanks to pesticides, weather modification etc etc. White technocratic men were in control and would stay that way. Then came the 1960s…
As a friend noted, by the way –
Domestic Violence and rape was still legal in marriage, thanks to the church and conservative politicians. Contraception was almost unheard of. Women needed their husbands permission to be sterilised. This is where the baby boomers came from, and why there were so many of us. And why many of us became hippies. It would be a real eye opener for many if someone interviewed some of the women from that time. Men, just arrived back from murdering, raping, bashing people in other countries got the taste for it. A whole local family with 5 children was shot by one of those heroes when I was about 7.
See also
Who tilts at windmills? Explaining hostility to renewables
https://theconversation.com/who-tilts-at-windmills-explaining-hostility-to-renewables-77762
and the academic article –
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629617300877