United Liberty
Baby Boomers: The Worst Generation?
Mon, 02/09/2009 - 1:21pm | posted by Michael Orion Powell
President Barack Obama’s skin color clouds one other progressive aspect of his presidency: he is the first post-Baby Boomer elected to the nation’s highest office. This is a cause for celebration, as the Baby Boomers may likely have done more harm to America than any previous generation.
Don’t believe me? Here is a list of the sins of the Boomers, or as I call them, “the Worst Generation:”
The Worst Generation’s crowning achievement is Woodstock. They’re actually proud of the fact that they spent their youth dressed like transients and having sex in the mud. The Greatest Generation’s crowning achievement, on the other hand, was defeating fascism on the beaches of Europe.
Whereas divorce was frowned upon by the Greatest Generation, the Worst Generation left millions of children fatherless and directionless.
The Worst Generaton has left us with a Social Security time bomb.
The Worst Generaton’s politicians and political commentators have had an unthinking devotion to the state of Israel that has increased anti-Americanism abroad and would have made Dwight Eisenhower shake his head in shame.
The Worst Generaton gave us Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Jesse Jackson and Hillary Clinton. The Greatest Generation gave us Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy. “Generation Jones” gave us Barack Obama. ‘Nuff said.
The Worst Generaton escalated the Drug War well after it was clear that it had failed.
The Worst Generaton gave us racial quotas and political correctness.
As a member of the baby boomer generation, I am inclined to agree with your assessment to a degree. The BB generation gave us a number of money hungry, go for yourself group of white males who took this country and bled it dry.
White women are not responsible, black women are not responsible and we know black men aren’t responsible because white men were busy having them locked up.
Your points are duly noted.
“White women are not responsible”
Well that’s hardly arrogant on your part to claim that simply because of your gender that you can be excluded from any blame regarding the outcome of the world around you. Nice and sexist, always a great thing to read.
Got a kick out of this blog. But Obama isn’t an Xer. As many nationally influential voices have repeatedly noted, Barack and Michelle Obama are part of Generation Jones, born 1954-1965, between the Boomers and Generation X. Google Generation Jones, and you’ll see it’s gotten a lot of media attention, and many top commentators from many top publications and networks (Washington Post, Time magazine, NBC, Newsweek, ABC, etc.) specifically use this term to describe Obama.
Great op-ed on exactly this topic in USA TODAY last week:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/01/stuck-in-the-mi.html
Generation Jones? Never heard that term before.
Anyways, after reading the USA Today article, I edited Obama’s generation and linked to said article. Thanks!
“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” - Thomas Jefferson
Having been born in 1965, I had taken great satisfaction in not being associated with a “generation”. Alas, no more. But in the spirit of things, I’ll propose an idea I can live with. But first some background.
In 1990, my mom hitched a ride with my wife and me as we headed to Chicago (from St. Louis) for Thanksgiving with the in-laws. On the way home, we were cruising down Lake Shore Drive when suddenly my mom says, “Oh John, that’s where you were conceived.” After I regained control of the car and my composure, I saw that she was pointing at the Drake Hotel, standing tall and proud against Lake Michigan. It seems that in the Winter of 1964, my dad had returned from his Air Force tour in Vietnam/Thailand. He met my mom in Chicago enroute to Wisconsin to pick up a Rambler he ordered. And well…Even now I’m blushing.
So here’s my proposal. I will like to henceforth be considered part of the Drake Generation. I’d be willing to share this distinction with any of the elite people conceived at that historic hotel. If you know anyone, give them my contact info and I’ll start printing the “Made at the Drake” t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc.
And here’s the car that caused it all: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1965_Rambler_Classic_660_Cross_Country…
You could go straight to the factory to pick up your car and save a bundle. A practical chap, my dad was.
btw Mike…Good post. I couldn’t agree more about tiresome baby boomers.
I recently found out that I came about when my mom and dad had temporarily gotten back together. I was their third child. They had a rocky relationship but viewed themselves as soulmates and thus kept coming back into each other’s company. Nevertheless I got all anxious about the chanciness of the event. That’s life, though: beautiful chaos.
“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” - Thomas Jefferson
We might not have said that if Kennedy stayed alive, although he pledged to fight anyone in the pursuit of another’s liberty.
And I think it a bit harsh to blame the baby boomers for the Israel situation; that really started years before when the Allied Forces willingly accepted the plans for the ‘independence’ of Israel before 1948.
As for Woodstock, well, I’d pretty much take that as the freedom to do what the hell I please; you want to see what I’ve seen going on in rave clubs; it makes Woodstock look like a nun’s convention.
I’m not one for blaming previous generations, and there has been plenty of generations since that could have looked into the social security problem so no; every generation is in some way to blame for the mess that’s here today, but I am not going to lay blame on a bunch that saw death to a degree that would make me grab every lovely woman that was willing in case today was my last day; isn’t that what they say when you have a close shave with death. They were desparate years for many countries, even though victory was ours, but they were also getting over the worst human created s—t storm ever.
You don’t have to look any further than Pearl Harbour. It’s still as fresh in history because of the shock it caused, but the soldiers in the middle got it everyday. How can people blame a generation for going to the extremes of peace after that disaster?
However, I will also add it brought about the birth of the Public Communications Brigade and I absolutely think they are the prime reflection of what your government wants you to be. It’s amazing to think the thing we are fighting is reflected most in schools where the PC brigade insist on the same clothes with the same socks (or else our brains will fall out) and fingerprints taken of your children without parental consent (oh no, you probably haven’t got that one yet), teach unproven and censored history, lessons drilled into children by stereotypical teachers telling you how special you really are (you don’t realise until after they are actually trying to lift your spirits before the bad stuff hits you) and no short hair; we have to learn from Samson you know; talk about things you wouldn’t let happen to yourself (you may not have any of these yet, but if you think any of these are coming you have a look at these http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=829222 It’s an interesting stream of complaints about people under the restrictive procedures in our schools. BEWARE!
On Israel, the post-war decision to create Israel seems like it was made in haste. Harry Truman said after the fact that he would not have supported the creation of the state of Israel. On the other hand, American leadership has progressively gotten worse at upholding any sort of standard for Israeli behavior, with George W. Bush the worst. Hopefully we’ll see a change in attitude with Obama.
The Greatest Generation and previous generations experienced far more hardship than the Baby Boomers. The 1930s were a time of extreme economic poverty, organized crime and global instability. Nevertheless, fathers of that generation were legitimate and didn’t leave behind a generation of lost, directionless youths. The Baby Boomers completely failed at being responsible adults and their bad habits have often been passed onto their children.
Experiencing hardship in life (and apart from the possibility of being drafted into the Vietnam, what hardship was there really for Boomers? Hmmm?) is not a blank check to forsake responsibility.
Of course, all those bad habits were the personal choices of the Boomers. Nevertheless, as personal and collective lifestyle decisions they are completely up for ridicule.
(Note: I realize the situation is and has been different across the pond. Please don’t transplant any of my views of American Baby Boomers onto Europeans.)
“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” - Thomas Jefferson
I completely agree that it is irresponsible, but was it because the military had been irresponsible with life during WWII, so they took the same philosophy - not an excuse, just a theory of post traumatic stress disorder; did they pass the doom of war on to a generation that later pushed ‘peace and love’.
Of course, Michael, the official Israeli declaration depended very much on America’s support and therefore looked hastened, but the suffering of the Jews was a much talked about issue as they were hated in Europe, but they planned long before 1948 to expel the Palestinians, http://ilanpappe.com/?p=56. You will note that the author is Jewish and a Professor.
History is always painted up to look better than it was, and I just cannot believe the Israelis would not contact the British and the States when they had powerful allies in both governments. Pogrom brought the haste to the situation when the surrounding European countries refused the Jews entry.
All those countries suddenly recognised them so they could sell them arms, but why would the likes Czechoslovakia or more notably, South Africa, recognise Israel at the drop of a hat then start selling arms and equipment to them? Bloody shame really, because they are very shrewd business people. Society has a habit of doing what the baby boomer generation did. retracting away (always to the extreme) from the original cause of stress, that’s all I’m saying; was it a reaction in society from a terrible period in history (I’m talking society as in general public; the politicians around in the 40s, 50s and 60’s were not baby boomer generations, although, right enough, in present day politics you’ve got a point)?
Sorry; my computers running slow, double clicked.
I tell you what else; when you read the comments below can you figure how Britain has just been voted the least racist country in Europe! I do not hate Americans and I don’t blame them for every disaster that has happened either. That’s typical of the new child who arrives in the sixth form of British schools; fully brainwashed in my opinion.
You will notice clearly how children the age of sixteen instantly dismiss national press (the Telegraph is a popular middle class newspaper) for loyalty to school and therefore government.
I will not apologise on their behalf, but I assure you the feeling is not mutual.
Wasn’t it the previous generation that created afirmative action & de-segregated schools? The boomers were busy making “Christian” private schools in the 70’s so their kids wouldn’t have to go to school with… um err… be bussed across town.
I do find it interesting though, that before the boomers we had great Republicans like Ike, a robust political dialog, and a high voter turnout. Now that the boomers are aging out, and the next next generation of kids is coming of age, the whole political landscape is changing, and our voter turnout is coming back up.
“Another means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to exempt all from taxation below a certain point, and to tax the higher portions or property in geometrical progression as they rise.” - Thomas Jefferson, 1785
Indeed, this generation is making me feel sorry for what more will come! Imagine if this is like that, how will the next one be. It’s really upsetting, because I think about my kids, how hard it will be to make them understand how important reading and learning is..taking in consideration that they’ll see the other kids doing absolutely nothing! But, I guess their personality will make a difference.
This is the truth: Baby boomers are the reincarnation of Sodom and Gomorra. The only thing that kept them from bringing ultimate shame to America was a green illegal plant. Fire with fire phenomenon, I guess. History will judge you right. And before you are dead, you will be aware of how you will be remembered. No generation after the 1900 generation had the luxury to die and not know how they will be assessed. You boomers will not have this luxury either. You suck. Thanks for making the Gen X’s pick up your bill, you narcissistic self-centered bigots. I hope the next generations will treat you with only the minimal respect required to stop the destructive wheel/cycle you put in motion. DO NOT TELL ME YOU RESPECTED YOUR ELDERS!! No boomer respected his/her elders. You were the most disrespectful, instant-gratification generation ever. A shame generation in the history of America. You will get what you have sown. We all do. I love these laws that no level of voting power can change. You boomers are now trying to vote yourself pure, vote yourselves white. Wrong. Not possible. Not even the wealth of your murderer-hero Andrew Carnegie could do that. Please, stop talking. You have talked all your lives. Nothing but talk. Nothing else to show for your existence. But talk. Please, stop bashing the later generations in the hope that you will demoralize them into committing heinous crimes and behaviors. All so you will not look that bad in history books. You do that, knowing well that no generation will ever reach the decadence and moral decay that your generation reached. Be proud – You are not strong, just dirty. Stay that way. Of course, I am just a spoiled little brat. Wrong. I don’t care about you. I just care that now I have to support your wrinkled skin with my hard earned pennies. Remember one more truth that Baby Boomers have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt: Age does not have a direct relation to Wisdom. All you Woodstock Hanoi Janes! Read this! Thanks for welcoming the soldiers home with a shower, of your spit and drug phlegm and mucus. Nice…. Try to exit gracefully… and quietly. And may God have mercy on your souls.
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