1958/ POTENTIAL EDITORIAL

Hold on! It is 1958. We have been through so much this last 50 years and yet we own 50% of the world’s GDP. We are so much more than fancy cars and hula hoops. With the Great Free Enterprise and Americanism, we have nearly conquered the world. Once Godless Communism is gone, we will certainly have a peaceful planet.

Imagine 2018. Mr. and Mrs. America will  drive a car that with a push of a button it can be either a boat or a plane! House will be made of a substance that can turn various colors so one can have a different color house according to the season. In your development, an artificial moon lights the streets at night. Why? It is an antenna for 200 to 300 channels of television.

Be right there in and among the action.  You can travel all over the world and see so many new movies. You are part of the program!

How would you like a three day week? Yet, you get paid for 5 days. Frankly, Mom and Dad of the middle class will be rich making just 20 times less than that of the super-rich. Negroes, colored people and other minorities are going to be happier too.

Streets will be covered so that you don’t have any bumps and snow will instantly melt. Don’t you think that a huge mass  transit  that in a few hours can get you from one coast to the other will be great?

Health care and the attended research are going to wipe out cancer(s) and just about every other disease. However, the experts say, there is one that can’t be beat. It is the common cold. It moves so fast and is air born and easy to get.

Mom and Dad are not getting along. They take that yellow pill called Valium and all is well at the household of the future.

So fantasy becomes reality and it is just around the corner. I hope to see you on the other side of the time line of the next 50 years. My gosh, that is 2018!

(The above is an approximation of articles written in popular science magazines of the late 50’s.)

Prof Joel Snell

Emeritus

Kirkwood College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa