Fallout takes place in an alternate reality; where instead of a truly free market emerging in the '50s, as we experienced IRL, the state continued to grow more powerful and more intrusive on the peoples' lives, on their economic wellbeing, and militarily. Sure, they had the same names and titles we all recognize; and they fought against the same "communist" threat of our 50s and 60s, but the "future is tomorrow" attitude ended up lost in the Fallout reality. Instead of being true to capitalism and the free market, they changed their principles to became just like their communist enemies... The expansion of the state brought on the apocolypse- not capitalism, and not the "future is tomorrow" mentality.