Sometimes I wonder if all our national travails are the fault of my generation (1946 - 1964). Already there are occasional stories about greedy and self centered baby boomers. I totally reject the idea that an entire era of children born after WW II poisoned the waters of American "exceptional ism". Most of us learnt the value of work, worship, and responsibility from our parents, members of the Greatest Generation. I believe a few historic events and small groups transformed the best decades of the twentieth century into the disorder we now experience.
For America the Korean War was an undeclared United Nations effort. We sacrificed thousands of our best men in a "conflict" which was poisoned by the geopolitics and vested interests of world politicians. Vietnam was another undeclared "conflict". Both of these wars involved warriors controlled by more politics than clear military objectives. Neither Korea or Vietnam involved all the people of the nation as there were never any clear security risks to our homeland. Also, during the Vietnam era true news reporting collapsed and in it's place came a new media with it's own agenda of political views. Too many people gave up thinking and accepted the "uncle Walters" as truth sayers. Uncle Walter and the leaders who got us into Korea and Vietnam were not Boomers.
From the 1950's to present, politicians and special interest groups built upon Franklin Roosevelt's idea of a "Fair Deal". Education, labor, welfare, home loans, civil rights, commerce, transportation, natural resources, huge tracts of western lands, and many other aspects of American life came under the control of the federal government. Federal bureaucracies grew and families disintegrated as individuals gladly surrendered their liberty and personal responsibilities for handouts. At the same time many politicians sought to capture more voter blocks by appealing to any cause or group no matter how depraved. These same politicians saw more votes and power in dividing the loyalties of Americans by economic class, race, and ethnicity. Many of these progressives were not part of the Baby Boom generation, but rather members from the Silent and Greatest Generation.
Today in our America: illegal aliens vote, every form of sexual depravity is recognized - even celebrated, millions of unnecessary abortions are performed, prosperous businesses and their agents are demonized, the Constitution is rejected, taxes are rising to pay for the dole, our national defence is slashed, our public education system ranks low among the world's other nations, leading members of the federal executive, judicial and legislative branches are treated as royalty, and our nations capital has become a Kingdom for Bureaucrats. All of these things did not go south because of my generation.
As a boomer I often wonder what happened to the world and values our parents worked so hard to give us. I worry that my grandchildren and their grandchildren will live in an increasingly unpleasant America. I don't feel guilty since most of my kin and friends seem to emulate the qualities which built our great nation. Even as I recognize change as inevitable whilst the decades roll along, there have been too many bad changes in our society. In my opinion, I see many bumpy years ahead for coming generations but I trust their knowledge of this difficult period will eventually bring America back to it's greatness.
For America the Korean War was an undeclared United Nations effort. We sacrificed thousands of our best men in a "conflict" which was poisoned by the geopolitics and vested interests of world politicians. Vietnam was another undeclared "conflict". Both of these wars involved warriors controlled by more politics than clear military objectives. Neither Korea or Vietnam involved all the people of the nation as there were never any clear security risks to our homeland. Also, during the Vietnam era true news reporting collapsed and in it's place came a new media with it's own agenda of political views. Too many people gave up thinking and accepted the "uncle Walters" as truth sayers. Uncle Walter and the leaders who got us into Korea and Vietnam were not Boomers.
From the 1950's to present, politicians and special interest groups built upon Franklin Roosevelt's idea of a "Fair Deal". Education, labor, welfare, home loans, civil rights, commerce, transportation, natural resources, huge tracts of western lands, and many other aspects of American life came under the control of the federal government. Federal bureaucracies grew and families disintegrated as individuals gladly surrendered their liberty and personal responsibilities for handouts. At the same time many politicians sought to capture more voter blocks by appealing to any cause or group no matter how depraved. These same politicians saw more votes and power in dividing the loyalties of Americans by economic class, race, and ethnicity. Many of these progressives were not part of the Baby Boom generation, but rather members from the Silent and Greatest Generation.
Today in our America: illegal aliens vote, every form of sexual depravity is recognized - even celebrated, millions of unnecessary abortions are performed, prosperous businesses and their agents are demonized, the Constitution is rejected, taxes are rising to pay for the dole, our national defence is slashed, our public education system ranks low among the world's other nations, leading members of the federal executive, judicial and legislative branches are treated as royalty, and our nations capital has become a Kingdom for Bureaucrats. All of these things did not go south because of my generation.
As a boomer I often wonder what happened to the world and values our parents worked so hard to give us. I worry that my grandchildren and their grandchildren will live in an increasingly unpleasant America. I don't feel guilty since most of my kin and friends seem to emulate the qualities which built our great nation. Even as I recognize change as inevitable whilst the decades roll along, there have been too many bad changes in our society. In my opinion, I see many bumpy years ahead for coming generations but I trust their knowledge of this difficult period will eventually bring America back to it's greatness.
No comments:
Post a Comment