As a conservative Boomer, I mourn for the future my children will inherit from my generation. We messed so many things up… I hope we (or they) get a chance to fix it even if Socialism takes root.

My dear, you’re very wrong. Granted, there were groups of folks in college back in the 60s that got caught up in marching, wearing surplus army fatigues and smoking dope, but that doesn’t mean that ALL boomers were a part of it. Where do you suppose folks like you came from – underneath a cabbage leaf? The problem is that many from the ideological 60s grew up and finally realized that (1) they couldn’t get a job with all that hair (2) the weird clothes, which seemed cool when they were ‘searching for themselves,’ really weren’t conducive to being taken seriously by civilized society (3) communes really weren’t ‘where it’s at’ (4) there were some obvious advantages to soap, water and hygiene – among other things they apparently missed due to all the marching and protesting. But the vast majority never really participated anyhow.

What most of those folks managed to do is produce offspring who have never lacked or wanted for anything. That is, before the offspring wanted, needed or requested things, those boomers provided them with ‘things’ – clothes, music, money, cell phones, ipods, computer games, cars – or any number of other ‘things.’ Those boomers created a generation of young folks that demand instant gratification. No, you say? How many go to college in a new car? Of course, all that was provided under the same guise the previous generation used – a desire for their children to have better than they did.

Truth is, the boomers didn’t have it nearly as hard as their parents. We didn’t necessarily have home air conditioning and certainly didn’t have a cell phone in every pocket. And 45 RPM records were fine until the 33.3 long-play albums came out. Certainly the boomers had it much less difficult than their grand parents, who survived the depression and had no reservations about relating those hardships to boomers, whether they wanted to hear or not. But, somewhere along the line that mental and physical toughness was lost. So much so that today many of the hardships and difficulties are self-induced or are brought about through self pity, lack of initive and/or ignorance.

Unfortunately, the boomers are guilty. They missed a significant point entirely. Their failure was not understanding that things one doesn’t have to work for in order to achieve, are not appreciated. By providing all things to a group of youngsters who have no idea of what they want makes nor more sense than the hippies did back in the 60s. Live experiences are very limited at age 25, yet some of the most profound political proclamations come from Hollywood-types in that age bracket that have been raised in a bubble.

Somewhere along the line, these offspring, many of whom are college students, became blind to reality. Most have worked little, if any, to attain the status they have. Perhaps they feel ‘guilty’ for their status and the aspect of voting for a black candidate provides them with some sort of absolution. Whatever the reason, it seems that when they hear the glorious words of Obama, they seem attracted, much as the children of the village were attracted by the Pied Piper. Their frame of reference is narrow as there life experiences spans only a short time and they are easily lead, as were the hippies of the 60s, back in the day.

Alas, ‘tis not your elders who lead you to the path of destruction – ‘tis their off spring and their grand children. It wasn’t the boomers who refused to have the stature of Pappy Boyington erected at the University of Washington, but young, dare I say liberal, college Students – perhaps lead by some radical faculty – who claimed such a monument would glorify war. Of course, if it hadn’t been for ol’ grouches like Pappy – willing to fight and die for their country – there likely wouldn’t be a University of Washington . . . or a San Francisco – at least not like we know them to be today . . . even less likely they’d be speaking English.

http://usawakeup.org/USSA.htm

The fact is, the hippies want to drive the multi-culti, equal rights, liberal car while they’re still young enough to enjoy it. Barak Obama is just one more hippie-to-yuppie acquisition. It’s all about them.

As we have in the California State Legislature here and now. Dominated by ex-hippies who are suddenly realizing they’re growing old and Have To Reshape The Entire World NOW!

(Problem is, when you’re 50-60 and State Senator or Assemblyman For Life due to carefully-drawn one-party districts, you’re not Raging Against The Establishment, you ARE The Establishment. Thinning grey ponytail/Viagra prescription or no.)

Relevantly, as numerous experts have pointed out, Obama (and Palin) are members of Generation Jones–born 1954 to 1965, between the Boomers and Xers. — ElectionObserver

As someone born in 1955, I can tell you that “Generation Jones” is better described as a transition between Boomers and Xers, blending traits of both — the Ideological Idealism of the Boomers and the pessimism and cynicism of the Xers. (Yes, I know it’s a contrast; these two are always in conflict inside my psyche.) Strauss & Howe (the analysts of generation cycles I’m most familiar with) peg them as “late-cycle Boomers” and acknowledge a difference between them and the “First-cusp Boomers”. However, both have the trait of an Idealist generation: Ideological Purity and True Belief in the One True Way.

A reason for hope? Generation X has more in common with our Grandparents (the WW2 Generation) than we do with our parents (the Boomers). — Naqamel

Actually, according to the Strauss/Howe analysis, Gen X has more in common with the Lost Generation between the world wars; they peg the “Millenials” (Gen Y) as the closest match in time/attitude/Zeitgeist to the team/group-oriented WW2 “Greatest Generation”.

Somewhat ominously, Strauss & Howe claim the generational configuration we have now tends to drift into an earthshaking survival situation on the level of WW2. They refer to it as “The Crisis of 2020″, as 2020 would be the time when the generations age into a similar pattern as during WW2, the strongest arrangement to weather a crisis and come out stronger and better. The worst arrangement? The arrangement that exists 20 years before the optimum, with the Idealist generation (Baby Boomers) dominant. The last time something blew up with that configuration was the American Civil War.

Palin 2012 — Naqamel

Only to discover that by 2012, the laws and Supreme Court decisions have changed the rules so (in the words of one Dem activist quoted in a LiveJournal flamewar) “No Republican Will Ever Be Able To Be Elected, Ever Again!”

Wow Melissa,

It looks like you stirred up a hornets’ nest talking about the boomers! It’s either “you weren’t there, so what do you know” or “it wasn’t us, it’s our kids!” blame game (I’m a Gen-Xer myself). Been there, seen that. Truth is that history will probably show the Boomers as the beginning of the end for this country. Deep down, I think the boomers realize this, which is why they’re trying so hard to pull the “legacy” crap that Bill Clinton was so fond of. When you look at the millenial generation, you see people that the boomers want to live vicariously through. I personally love watching boomers go ape when someone talks about them in a bad way, so Bravo post!