They knew a lot back then that most today don't have a clue about. The average liberal/SJW needs to hear some of the amazing quotes from decades ago by past presidents regarding socialism, debt, the new world order, military industrial complex, government secrets, conspiracies, wasteful government spending, and many other matters.
The JFK speech at the beginning of Muse's "Defector" song barely scratches the surface of how much warning we have had over the past hundred years about America's current problems and possible future problems.
Seriously, the key to the future was given to us in the past.