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6. SERVING THE CAUSE IN CHANGING TIMES (1945-1985) American historians who tried during the forty years which followed the end of World War II to furnish some perspective on the times in which they were living often used superlatives to describe the changes which were occurring in almost every aspect of American life. They also pointed to the inaccuracy, at least in the short run, of many of the assumptions solemnly made about the future of this country during the dark days of the depression. For example, instead of leveling off and then declining, as predicted, population continued to increase, growing from 131,700,000 in 1940 to 226,500,000 forty years later. Instead of relapsing into depression once wartime stimuli were withdrawn, the American economy entered upon its longest period of sustained prosperity in American history. Those who during the 1930s could not see any future investment opportunities similar to those which had spurred economic growth in the past had failed to reckon with the capacity of technology to refine old and devise new goods and services for eager consumers to purchase. After a decade and a half of depression's and then war's privations, Americans were ready for new houses, second automobiles, television, home freezers, power lawnmowers, record players, and much more. Thanks to wartime prosperity and bonuses for overseas service, as soon as the war ended consumers had the purchasing power to match many, if not all, of their desires. This was just the beginning. There appeared to be no end of the new generations of creature comforts which entered the market each year and found willing buyers. Introduced in 1950, the credit card armed consumers with a form of extra purchasing power easier for most of them to use than any previous forms of credit had been. The hopes which many Americans had in 1945 that the surrender of the Axis powers would usher in a prolonged period of international peace, one in which the major world powers, led by their own country, would cooperate to minimize tensions, were quickly dashed when the United States and the Soviet Union embarked upon radically different courses in world affairs. One may debate 73