Posted on 12/11/2005 10:11:05 AM PST by LouAvul
They partied and protested, then grew up to dominate America with their chutzpah and sheer numbers. Yet now, as the oldest of the baby boomers prepare to turn 60, there are glimmers of doubt within this "have it all" generation about how they will be judged by those who come next.
The ferment of the '60s and '70s -- when boomers changed the world, or thought they did -- faded long ago. Nostalgic pride in the achievements of that era now mixes with skepticism: Have the boomers collectively betrayed their youthful idealism? Have they been self-centered to the point of shortchanging their children? Anthony DeCurtis, one of the boomers' pre-eminent rock 'n' roll journalists, hears the occasional barb from his creative writing students at the University of Pennsylvania and it gives him pause.
"There's a fear that there's going to be nothing left -- that they're going to be picking up the pieces for this six-decade party we had, cleaning up the mess," said DeCurtis, 54. "There's some truth to that, I guess."
The boomers -- 78 million of them born from 1946 to 1964 -- are wealthier and more numerous than any generation before or since.
They have controlled political power long enough to stack the financial deck in their favor.
"It's economic and policy imperialism," said University of Oklahoma historian Steve Gillon, 48, author of "Boomer Nation."
"The boomers have set up institutions that will continue to benefit them, at the expense of other groups, as they grow old and live longer than any other generation," Gillon said.
"It's spend what you want, cut your own taxes -- the ultimate baby boom philosophy of 'We want to have it all.' We're not a generation that's had to deal with the reality of sacrifice."
(Excerpt) Read more at modbee.com ...
The boomers are actually split into 2 groups, those who were and stayed liberal, and those who rejected such(either initially or over time.) Most of the latter will probably fare well in their final days with good family relations. Many of the former can look forward to enjoying the fruits of their actions while abandoned in a nursing home.
Way oversimplified, but makes the point.
I'm a boomer too. I started out liberal in the early 70's & considered myself a feminist, at one time I wanted to join a commune. I've been a vegetarian, a pothead & pretty much a hippie in my youth.
Now I'm older & wiser, I've come full circle & in many ways, am even more conservative than my parents. I'm embarassed to say that I think in great numbers - baby boomers are the worst parents I've ever seen.
I hate those commercials on TV that hearken back to our pasts, with vintage rock music from the days, telling us to get our retirement in good shape. It reminds me of how selfish & self-centered we still continue to be.
It will take a few generations to correct some of the damage we've done. I just hope the younger generations "revolt" & go back to the right way.
Having said that, I still think the 50's & 60's were the golden years for childhood - THEY WERE GREAT! We've been the luckiest generation ever.
boomer ping
Wow!
I agree with you, LouAvul. I am also a boomer. The arrogance and self-centeredness of Dr Grossman is almost beyond comprehension. He should have thought through this "not going to die" stuff before he and his peers legalized abortion and slowly-but-surely, drip-by-drip, ushered in euthanization of the elderly and "inconvenient." Depending on how he raised his own children, in the not-too-distant future, he may find himself on the receiving end of everything he worked so hard for.
How arrogant and ironic!
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Speak for yourself...I'm a first round 'boomer' and I'll stack my contributions to this country (and those of all my brothers and sisters) up against those of any previous group. If you think you've done harm then get busy and redeem yourself...just leave those of us who got it right out of your "I'm a boomer and we suck" party.
It's that carefree childhood that never demanded that children take responsibility for anything, never hold a job, and never grow up that made the Baby Boomers the self-absorbed and immature people they were and sometimes still are. A golden childhood of carefree fun does not prepare one for the responsiblities and hardships of adulthood.
Two words: Leisure Suits.
All boomers share equal responsibility for those.
It's no coincidence. When an artistic media is finally perfected, it is always followed by dissent and experimentation by those who can't stand to live in the shadow of greatness. It happens everywhere this way, expressed as wave-like peaks and troughs of human activity.
Seems that the depth and wretchedness of the latter is directly proportional to the height and beauty of the former. Which bodes well for the coming decades....
You maybe. Don't lump alll of us together.
Well said and I agree completely.
Also the "greatest generation" was not so great in many ways.
Don't buy it one bit. Sorry. Look at this next generation. Sitting on thier buttocks getting fat watching TV or playing Vid games.
It is more than a little unfortunate that Bill and Hillary Clinton have managed to become the symbols of our generation.
I resent the stereotype of boomers as being liberal and selfish. I cut my political teeth on Barry Goldwater's 64 campaign. Most boomers were not liberals, hippies, drug users or hedonistic. The only real problem with boomers is our numbers.
And LBJ was the symbol of the previous.
Oh, man! Is that a cold statement or what!
You pretty well nailed it!
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