Baby Boom Soviet Launch of Sputnik into Space and Assassination of JFK Essay

Baby Boom, Soviet launch of Sputnik into space and Assassination of JFK

The Baby Boom played into the Consumer Culture of the 1950s because there was literally a population explosion in post-War America. People wanted to settle down, have families, and buy the things advertised on TVs. The middle class emerged as comfortable, successful and somewhat more materialistic than generations of the past. They had disposable income and keeping up with the Joneses became a reality for many, which fueled the Consumer Culture even more.

Sputnik was the Soviets’ first satellite into space—launched into orbit in 1957. Sputnik II followed one month later, and the Space Race began. Americans feared the Soviets would control space and be able to fire missiles at the U.S. from space. Thus, it became imperative that the U.S. be able to counter the Soviet space initiative. That is what Eisenhower authorized the National Defense Education Act and what NASA was created. NASA of course relied upon German ingenuity and engineering, with Werner Von Braun at its head. The U.S. would go on to win the Space Race with the Apollo moon landing in 1969.

I do not believe Oswald acted alone. The Warren Commission concluded that it did, but as Stone showed in his JFK film and as the House Select Committee on Assassinations showed in 1976 there was evidence indicating a larger conspiracy in the death of JFK. Oswald’s own background and connection to Intelligence makes the entire “official” story somewhat hard to believe. Ruby’s assassination of Oswald was surely allowed to happen—just like the “suicide” of Jeff Epstein this week appears to have been allowed to happen. Whenever someone is killed whose words and insights could have shed light on a great deal of behind the scenes information, it stands to reason that there is more to the story than the idea of the lone “nut” acting on his own.