I am a gen-X’er. I look at the Baby Boomers, probably in some ways like they saw their elders. Instead of anger though, I am more puzzled by their behavior.
I don’t like to generalize, but I see children who came of age in a time of great prosperity and societal unity in the 50’s and 60’s, but never really grew up. Too spoiled, too sheltered.
Bill Ayers is a poster-child for the failings of the Baby Boomers. Son of rich Chicago Brahmins, he grew up in peace and comfort, and played out his suburban rage to an extreme. The fact this brat playing with fire wasn’t assissinated years ago is a great testament to the rule-of-law, peace and tolerance of these United States. He still lives in peace and prosperity even now.
Even in his 60’s Ayers still writing books (that have some audience, if small) about Communist nonsense that are historically wrong and ideologically fantastical. There are many “Boomers” still living in their fantasy worlds also.
Ayers was born in Dec 1944. He ain’t one of ours.
That is a really good point. And I have come to conclusions that in a culture of absolute security, people get bored and self-destructive focusing on instant gratification. We do have an entire universe to explore and death to defeat.
Just as there are many born before and after the Baby Boom who live in fantasy worlds. Bill Ayers isn't a Baby Boomer. He was born before the Baby Boom, like most of the 60’s counterculture leaders, most of the musicians on the stage at Woodstock, etc. Baby Boomer bashers don't seem to be too concerned with facts though. They have a need to blame all the world's problems on some person or some group and people born from 1946 through 1964 are as good a group as any to demonize.
I'm not a Baby Boomer. I guess I'm Gen X. That doesn't mean I'm like everyone else born during the same year I was born, anymore than everyone born between 1946 and 1964 are the same. This cohort bashing nonsense is silly and counterproductive.
And the fact is that Baby Boomers are now just really coming into power. We've had a couple of Boomer presidents but our older politicians have still dominated American politics especially in our federal legislative bodies. That's changing now as these older folks retire and die off, and over they coming years Boomers will completely take over Congress and the Senate. They'll be the senior legislators with the most power. They'll head most of the committees which are still now headed mostly by people older than them. Aging Boomer voters like their predecessors will outvote young voters by significant margins. Boomers are now just finally taking the reins in government from those who came before them and we won't really be able to judge their performance until they start retiring and dying and being replaced by a younger cohort.
“Bill Ayers is a poster-child for the failings of the Baby Boomers.”
Bill Ayers and his wife Bernadine Dohrn are John McCain’s generation.