People crack and fracture in different ways when their own lives are becoming unbearable. Self mutilations, escapism in substance abuse, violence against family members. Fight or flight is one part of the broken family survival instinct, aggression and having to 'grow up fast' in males, hyper-promiscuity in females. That's probably a large part of why there was a baby boom at the end of ww2.
Which isn't to say I'm absolving these nasty women of guilt or agency, far from it. But this is what happens when a society breaks down.
the baby boom of the late 1940s may have had several causes, but I'm pretty sure some things that helped were (a) good benefits for veterans that gave families some financial security, (b) national debit and inflation were still in control, so dad's paycheck could cover most if not all family expenses, and (c) moms were willing to stay home and raise the kids, not dreaming of some lofty corporate position.
The 'we are the victor' psyche-boost and celebrations were likely a big thing that got people in the mood for marriages and babies as well. b) and c) compared to today are worlds apart, but compared to anything post great-depression things probably held up pretty well in the 40s.
$1T debt every 3 months is not normal.. but back then, it would have had every able-bodied citizen marching on DC to burn it and slay every thieving government staffer they could find.
According to both of my grandfathers (WW2 and Korea vets) the men wanted to get the fuck home and begin life and start/continue their families after seeing so much death- and destruction.
When I was twelve years old, one of my friends explained the Baby Boom this way: "The horny soldiers came home from the War, and fucked their wives night and day."
People crack and fracture in different ways when their own lives are becoming unbearable. Self mutilations, escapism in substance abuse, violence against family members. Fight or flight is one part of the broken family survival instinct, aggression and having to 'grow up fast' in males, hyper-promiscuity in females. That's probably a large part of why there was a baby boom at the end of ww2.
Which isn't to say I'm absolving these nasty women of guilt or agency, far from it. But this is what happens when a society breaks down.
the baby boom of the late 1940s may have had several causes, but I'm pretty sure some things that helped were (a) good benefits for veterans that gave families some financial security, (b) national debit and inflation were still in control, so dad's paycheck could cover most if not all family expenses, and (c) moms were willing to stay home and raise the kids, not dreaming of some lofty corporate position.
The 'we are the victor' psyche-boost and celebrations were likely a big thing that got people in the mood for marriages and babies as well. b) and c) compared to today are worlds apart, but compared to anything post great-depression things probably held up pretty well in the 40s.
$1T debt every 3 months is not normal.. but back then, it would have had every able-bodied citizen marching on DC to burn it and slay every thieving government staffer they could find.
According to both of my grandfathers (WW2 and Korea vets) the men wanted to get the fuck home and begin life and start/continue their families after seeing so much death- and destruction.
When I was twelve years old, one of my friends explained the Baby Boom this way: "The horny soldiers came home from the War, and fucked their wives night and day."