Gen Xers were told that by 2000 most of the really good wildlife would be extinct, the population would be horrible, there would be mass starvation, global warming was going to cause more mass starvation, there would be no Social Security (don't know why that would matter as there would be so much mass starvation that nobody would really have a chance to get old), crime and drug usage would be horrible, etc, etc, etc. The basic message was that the world was going to hell-in-a-handbasket and there really wouldn't be much to save. We were on our own and shouldn't look anywhere but to ourselves for much of anything.
Now that I think about it, such a message might just very well breed a libertarian/conservative mindset. It would also breed a teeth-grinding intolerance against social programs and redistribution of the wealth. Add to the drumbeat unstable families and the whole latch-key nightmare and you've just created a generation of survivalists with very little patience for people who sing "I just gotta be meeeee!"
Lol, are you drinking coffee? :)
BTW, I agree, and the very legitimate 'intolerance' part is what is so alien to boomers.