Long-term prudence is how every system is supposed to work, but motive can't be considered in a system as diffuse as a government of 330million people. The US is Keynesian in bad times, and a giant tax cut celebration in the good times.

Unlike socialism, capitalism actually seems to fare better when under a siege mentality. The 50s to 70s was a period of strong growth and right-wing support for worker-friendly policies which made the lives of the ordinary person better, not least because of fear that poor working class conditions would lead to communist uprisings in Western Europe.

It does sound like socialism helped then, albeit indirectly.