If you really want to understand the vast changes that have occurred in America over the past 50 years, all you have to do is watch James Bond. Back in 1962, the first Bond movie, “Dr. No,” was released, catapulting Sean Connery to international stardom. Even President John F. Kennedy expressed admiration for Ian Fleming’s fictional British secret agent.

Connery’s Bond was ultrasuave but politically incorrect. The guy smoked constantly, drank, gambled and womanized without remorse. He was a rogue and couldn’t care less what anyone thought. He was also brutal, liberally exercising his license to kill in the cause of justice, of course.

Now we live in a new age, and we have a different James Bond: Daniel Craig. His Bond is a much more sensitive soul than was Connery’s. In the 23rd Bond film, “Skyfall,” Craig rarely smiles, goes about his business with grim determination and looks like he’s in the gym quite often. While Connery’s Bond spent his spare time chasing ladies and drinking martinis, Craig’s is apparently training for the triathlon.