There used to be a joke about how Iran was the only other country in the world beside the USA using the Imperial system of measurements because of all the US military equipment that was sold to them. Could be a related phenomenon.
See when you say this, you are referring to a previous time. That's what that means, but there is nothing there. Only your idealism trying to ignore the reality of our history. Why do you want to go "back" to a fantasy? What America needs is a revolution that goes well beyond the New Deal. That was just a way to appease the working class to keep the same power structures in place, and it bought the ruling class time to regroup. That is why we are here now, because of how power functions in the imperial core of global capitalism. That is the problem at the root. That is why politicians are bought and paid for every election. The mythology of 'American values' is something you can not let go of for your own growth. It is very sad to see. You must kill the brainworms you have to understand the world and America as it is, not how you believe it to be.
I'm not aware of a historical period in the USA that was actually progressive (even like 51% so) when you take into account domestic and foreign policies and realities.
I want to see US Imperialism hexaGone!