April 12, 2013

Requiem for the Boomers aka "The Not-So-Great Generation"

We were a generation forever unable to perceive, understand, or tolerate the slightest gap between desire and gratification. We were a generation whose elite's utter deriliction of duty would be forgiven by the most moist and waffling of our weak Presidents, Jimmy Carter. It was like having the all the worse sins of your youth forgiven and expunged by Alvin the Chipmunk. We grew up learning, time after time, that radical actions have few radical consequences. Accordingly, in an effort to improve our progeny as we had been improved, we taught our own children that their actions, no matter how awful, would have no consequences whatsoever. It would turn out to be the toughest thing they would ever have to unlearn and very few had any success doing so. Unwilling, as always, to set a good example we didn't even try.

Posted by gerardvanderleun at April 12, 2013 8:33 AM
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

The not-so-great gen. I like that. Like, "MEH," only more pointed.

I make it a point to regard my father's generation (WW II) as often as possible because of the obvious reasons. Didn't SNL and Aykroyd do a skit once about little Johnny who didn't want to go to school one day? The next thing you know, the Soves were busting down the doors.

That was so funny.

Posted by: Casey Klahn at April 12, 2013 9:00 AM

I always called it the chickenshit generation. And it's my generation, unfortunately.

Posted by: chuck at April 12, 2013 9:50 AM

The generation that could find no rule it was unwilling to break. But can't figure out why the shit isn't working.

Posted by: indyjonesouthere at April 12, 2013 10:18 AM

We Boomers aren't much, but the WW II generation was no better. They gave us, among many other gifts, the Great Society, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Medicare (1965, I think) the Immigration Reform Act of 1965, Revenue Sharing (Nixon) the Floating Dollar (Nixon) and Affirmative Action (Nixon). President Reagan opened the door to the Endless Amnesty Program.

Most of the programs and policies that are killing us now were put in place by the so-called 'Greatest Generation.' Absolutely none of those programs were significantly curtailed by the 'Greatest Generation' Administrations, either. The three Boomer presidents, Clinton, Bush II, and Obongo, simply have built on what they inherited.

Of course, it is also true that the trends which were reflected in these programs were established long before the WW II generation came along.

Although Boomer Bashing is a game everyone can play, and is lots of fun, it is mostly irrelevant.

Posted by: Lorne at April 12, 2013 10:35 AM

Ya, the Greatest Generation wasn't. You can judge that by their kids. The GG had a nose job courtesy of the Great Depression and WW11, but you can't inherit a nose job.

Posted by: james wilson at April 12, 2013 11:42 AM

Fortunately the boomers had us prewar guys to manage stuff for them and temper their more outrageous actions. Unfortunately we're all in our 70's now and we don't feel like fixing all the stuff you broke. Have a nice consequence free day.

Posted by: glenn at April 12, 2013 1:02 PM

The Boomers, spending our grandchildren's money because they are too young and too stupid to object. Later on, when they figure out what we have done to them, we will be too old, too weak, and too senile, to stop them from putting pillows over our faces. Until then, party on on dudes.

Posted by: Fat Man at April 12, 2013 1:29 PM

Aw, what a bunch of crap. Does anybody remember the 50,000 "Boomers" who died in Nam? Nah, didn't think so. Does anybody remember that the "Greatest Generation," at least that part of it which survived WWII, spent their lives smoking, drinking at three-martini lunches, popping pills, and enthusiastic, obsessive adultery? Boy I could tell you stories about the Greatest Degeneration. The "Boomers" were just acting out in public their parents' secret lives. Who threw the Viet-Nam War away? It was the Greatest Degeneration, the politicians and "journalists," lying exuberantly about what a disaster Tet was. Who passed the nation-bustin' Immigration Act of 1965? The GD. Everything started going to pieces exactly when the GD started assuming power, in the mid-60s, before any "Boomer" was even 21.

Posted by: Shrewsbury at April 12, 2013 6:12 PM

The rot goes back farther than you think, guys.

If anyone should be blamed, I say it's our grandparents' and great-grandparents' generations. They were the ones who were "in charge" when the Progressive ideology that is ruining our lives now was first peddled to the public.

LBJ didn't ruin the country. FDR didn't ruin the country. Woodrow Wilson did.

My two cents' worth.

Hale Adams
Pikesville, People's Democratic Republic of Maryland

Posted by: Hale Adams at April 12, 2013 7:10 PM

We are trying now to set this example. We are standing up. We continue to try to speak in a way that we will be understood.

Posted by: Grace at April 12, 2013 10:49 PM

"We are trying now to set this example. We are standing up. We continue to try to speak in a way that we will be understood."

I presume you're NOT speaking like the OWS crowd or any of the 47%. They sound late '60's too.

Posted by: Vermont Woodchuck at April 15, 2013 5:01 AM