RolandX, you're exactly right! 
In many cases, trying something new means trying something old. 

After all, true knowledge is indigenous knowledge.
Healthy food is organic food, existing before food became manufactured. 
Labour policies were never given sufficient time to work. 

The 1970s had a strong middle class. Yes, women were doing different kinds of work back then, and one-third of humanity were under "communism", and thus not competing with the West in trade, but that's irrelevant now.