Generational war is brewing

Tracey Press ^ | 11/10/05 | Froma Harrop

[A CA Guy]

I walked to school in the snow over several miles in winter myself in NY with my sister starting at the age of 5-6. That was just life.

True, if the parents that time could have afforded more than, perhaps my sister and I could have arrived in school in a more appropriate manner.

[thoughtomator]

None of that is a surprise to me, and I've repeatedly said that there are some boomers who did do the right thing. I've also noted that there were more who did not. None of what you said contradicts that. I know the general history of the Vietnam war. How does this change the behavior of boomers who fled overseas and turned universities into enemy strongholds, those who created the perpetual anti-war movement and still staff it to this day in farcical attempts to replay that war? And then we have the John Kerrys and Al Gores who did go to Vietnam and still ended up traitors to the nation afterwards.

[Myrddin]

In fact my very first computer was an S-100 computer that had a hand wire-wrapped backplane with each chip individually soldered into their respective daughter boards that I had to custom interface to a surplus teletype. When you say you fix your own computer, does that mean you only pull and plug boards? Fix to me is using a logic probe to find the bad IC and replace it. Anything else is just pop and swap IMHO.

I was late to the party. My first computer was a Heathkit H-8. I built it from parts. It still works today. I did wire-wrap my first bit-mapped graphics board and wrote all the driver software for HDOS to make it run.

[laney]

Many children went hungry, they lived on Potatoes potato soup Potato everything so they would feel full
No welfare or Social Security back then, Many people dirt poor.

[RadioAstronomer]

But, but I can wipe a hard drive clean with software and reinstall everything just like it was before.

Me too. :-)

[wtc911]

I think the 50,000 dead boomers were made so in part by the enemy with a big assist from the leftist boomers stateside in the press.

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Let's see, the Tet Offensive, after which 'greatest generation' icon Walter Cronkite announced that the war was lost, took place in February 1968. At that time the oldest boomer was 22. By the time the 'greatest generation' abandoned Viet Nam the oldest boomer was 27. The tens of thousands of boomers killed in VN (avg age - 19) died in a war started, mis-managed and then abandonded by 'greatest generation' leaders elected by 'greatest generation' voters. You have opinions but they are not supported by the calendar or the facts.

[laney]

If you have the answers, maybe you should go to some of the VA hospitals and tell the Vietnam Vets why they were drafted into that war..

[A CA Guy]

Yes, it was possible their parents did not seek help in hand outs from a local church, neighbors or families.

Before the times you talk of there was the great dust bowl across much of America where also many had to leave various regions for different areas to support their families.

There have always been charities for meals and I would for all meals like to see charities handling them instead of any food stamps today.
I'd rather they see the hand that feeds them and be grateful instead of expecting it like some birthright.

[RadioAstronomer]

WOW!

It seems the author is correct. There is a war between the generations, at least mentally.

[A CA Guy]

I was thinking more about Nam, where many were lost that didn't need to be and where a nation was abandoned because the will of the people was destroyed by the press which were mostly all leftists and boomers, especially in the print press and at that time people read the news.

[RadioAstronomer]

And sadder still we are all freepers. You would think we would be all on the same side.

Sigh.

[laney]

I agree with you on that...I think all people on welfare should be guaranteed a job and have to work in some of these hurricaine stricken areas..if they won't no more welfare..

[sarasmom]

I proudly present my derriere for your ministrations.

[laney]

The country was divided because Young Men were being DRAFTED and had no idea why they were fighting a War far from HOME in the Jungles of Vietnam...

[A CA Guy]

I frankly wouldn't blame many of them to stay away in places like Texas and to use the new opportunity to keep their new jobs to sustain their families.

If it is possible that those on assistance can service a disaster area without really jeopardizing their own health, sure, like cleaning trash off the street, why not?

[cookcounty]

You think it's bad here, just give France another 20 years, when almost all the old pensioners will be white French and most of the taxpayers will be North African muslims.

[RadioAstronomer]

I'm feeling all of my 54 years tonight.

I hear ya. :-)

[A CA Guy]

I know lots of vets from that war and many were more perturbed that there was seemingly no will to win it.

It was a politically infected war instead of a straight out military war and that more than anything betrayed some soldiers and those in Nam that fought with us.

Many people were toughened by that war to take on many professions. I know lots of CEOs, doctors, professional athletes who served that got their discipline from the military, at least according to what they tell me.
Some were shot up and never took their purple hearts because they saw people who lost a limb. Very UN-John Kerry, God bless them.

Many were introduced to excessive drinking and recreational drug abuse and those types had lots of stalled lives when they came back.

[RadioAstronomer]

I was late to the party. My first computer was a Heathkit H-8. I built it from parts. It still works today. I did wire-wrap my first bit-mapped graphics board and wrote all the driver software for HDOS to make it run.

Whoohoo! I still not only have my S-100, but I still have an H-8/H-9. :-) Mine still works as well. However, the floppy drives need to be realigned. (CP/M rocks! LOL)

[Myrddin]

You can refuse to admit it all you want, but previous generations didn't work all that hard. Working 9-5 was standard. Nobody, except government bureaucrats, work such easy hours anymore.

I've worked full time since 1976 and NEVER worked 9-5. The tuna fleet work typically consumed my time from 7 AM to 9 PM M-F and some weekends as necessary. My initial work at PacBell was engineering. A nice 7:50 AM to 4:20 PM M-F job that left me time to teach school T/Th from 6:30 PM to 10 PM. When I moved to the computer side of the house, 7 AM to 7 PM was a normal schedule...no overtime pay...straight salary.

My dad spent YEARS at sea. Not exactly 9-5 office work.