You’ve seen many versions of the meme: It shows a stereotypically ’50s-looking family and claims one breadwinner (Dad, of course) could comfortably support the whole family, providing a nice house, a decent car, a vacation every year and college for the kids.
It’s not strictly true, of course, but it turns out that almost everyone fervently believes this or wants to believe it — no matter where they are on the political spectrum.
This one simple meme supports whatever you want to support. It has a meaning for everyone!
Anti-taxers without a clue:
Well, that’s because they weren’t taxed so much back then. (In the late 1950s the top marginal tax rate was about 91 percent according to the LA Times.)
People who hate foreigners:
In my day, we didn’t send all our money to foreign countries! (We don’t now, either. In 2021, we spent 0.01 percent of the federal budget on foreign aid, according to USAFacts.)
People who bought their house 40 years ago:
Those 1950s houses were small. If you bought a smaller and simpler house, you could live on one salary. (Maybe, but builders tend to construct larger houses, making it harder to find a small one. Tiny houses aren’t the answer either — they cost more per square foot than a traditional house.)