Waiting for the Next Kennedy

If all you knew about life in the 1950s was from George Tooker paintings, you probably wouldn't want to live there. At least they were in color. He lived in New York, surprise surprise. When we think of a historical period we usually reference it to what was going on in the big cities, not Iowa.
Was life this monotonous, lifeless, isolated and paranoid? These works were Kafkaesque, especially the Government Bureau. Bureaucracy, suspicions, hidden terrors, mistrust, alienation, big brother...
Well, there was a Republican president through the 50s. He wasn't a bad fellow, he did have a real military record and he was intelligent at least. But he didn't really do much with 8 years considering all of the obvious social injustices that were ignored. So what are all these people fearing or avoiding? Civil rights, gender equality the growing industrial military complex taking shape and control around the world? McCarthy and the paranoia of communism lurking everywhere? Probably all of the above.
It's almost as if the 50s were in black and white like that wonderful movie Pleasantville, then along came the promise of an exciting change of direction, in color with Kennedy .
So who is painting the Bush years ? The industrial military complex that Eisenhower warned about has reached it's zenith with the current generation of Republicans. We have our own ignored social and environmental issues today, always lurking in the background , and the glue that holds it all together once again is an irrational fear that outsiders are after us. Eisenhower warned Americans to be vigilant and educated so as not to be duped by big government.
What will Bush say when he leaves office? Adios suckers. Is it just another 8 years spent avoiding more issues than we engage, waiting for the next Kennedy to re-energize us with a new, positive vision of the future?