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MNSHO, What has happened with the collapse of the schools (and parental authority) is that we have allowed your generation to be shamelessly manipulated into a commercial culture in which you are not given the finest traditions of Western Christian Civilization to carry forward as a duty, but a base,ugly, and fundamentally silly set of characters to use as role models.

I absolutely agree. And, unless you're in your sixties, we are probably in the same generation.

Look at the majority of the posts on this thread. Almost all of the free-traders and super-capitalists argue the above point, but, from the other side. They say that the commercialization of our culture is good and, in fact, should progress to other countries. You have stated my case rather succinctly. We have become a nation of consumers whose sole purpose in life is to buy.

I always bring up the fact that today, children in high school must begin planning for their retirement. While that in itself is not a bad thing the idea that, if they don't do it now they will not secure their future, can be a frightening and depressing task. When I was in high school all I had to think about was grades and girls. Now they are forced to contemplate Roth IRA's, 401K's, education accounts, etc. What kind of life is that for a 15 y.o.?

As a nation we are quickly becoming, instead of E Pluribus Unum, Unum E Pluribus (if I have that wrong, I never studied Latin). It is quickly becoming each man for himself in a way that is going to be deadly.

I grew up in the Midwest and when I moved here, the first thing I noticed was the closed way New Englanders are. The people around here mostly couldn't care less what happens to their neighboors. Where I came from we did care and actually looked out for our neighboors.

When I was in high school all I had to think about was grades and girls. Now they are forced to contemplate Roth IRA's, 401K's, education accounts, etc.

What is a nonsense. Fifty years from now 401K might not exist. Even in twenty years a lot can happen. Imagine predictions made in 1928 about 1948. Or 1913 about 1933, or 1972 about 1992. They should teach about less transient things like math or history (the past is more stable).

we are probably in the same generation

Why thank you for the implied invitation, raybbr! But, turning my personal, pre-WWII clock back to join your generation would be like a Third Chance for me to set things straight. Here's a hint: although I occasionally find Jay Leno somewhat droll, he sure ain't no Dave Garroway... much less a Jack Parr.

Speaking of generations, while I was away adventuring and incidentally defending the borders of the Free World, between 1960 and 1966, it's evident that I missed something big happening here at home. When I returned, the country had been somehow fundamentally altered. I have spent the years in between then and now trying to figure out what the hell happened ... and exactly what the mix of better and worse really is in the context of history.