My mother told me about getting the first TV in their neighborhood in the 1950s -- people were standing on their porch, staring in, trying to figure out what the hell the bright loud box was. Before that, they got their news from the movies and papers. Some newsreels went on until the 1970s, as seen in MASH.
She also told me about the government buying her best friend's house (and everyone else's house around there) to demolish them and put I-5 through the city. Before then, the only way from city to city were highways like Route 66, which wound through cities like residential streets.
I'm not sure how our present libertarian population would feel about governments applying eminent domain over thousands of miles of perfectly good farmland and housing.
She also told me about the government buying her best friend's house (and everyone else's house around there) to demolish them and put I-5 through the city. Before then, the only way from city to city were highways like Route 66, which wound through cities like residential streets.
I'm not sure how our present libertarian population would feel about governments applying eminent domain over thousands of miles of perfectly good farmland and housing.