Ash, sorry if my response came off like a personal attack. I think you have misguided presumptions about what kind of lifestyle we’re entitled to in this country. However, I do not think you are whining.
Enron_by_the_sea has some good insights about the affects of WWI and WWII.
Also, the Social Security programs and corporate pension programs that are just now starting to break were in full swing in the 50s. It’s pretty easy to take a cut of the baby-boomers wages to subsidize retirees, as long as the workforce is growing rapidly.