Baby Boomers - What Happened? (1 Viewer)

[Steve R.]

We have a some similar gloom and doom threads: Why I hate America, I'm ashamed of our government, and United States collapses. What I think is interesting is that the baby boom generation is the generation that is currently in charge of the US.

During the 1960 and the 1970, the baby boomers preached peace and love. There were calls for the US to be less imperialistic and less materialistic. So what happened? It seems that all the ideals espoused by the baby boomers have vaporized.

I don't have an answer. I do have a brief write-up: Woodstock : A Disturbing Truth. Of interest, one person who commented brought up the concept of a Generation Jones that I never heard of. The rationale for establishing Generation Jones seems quite valid. The good news is that it removes Obama from the baby boom generation. Now if there is a way to pin the US malaise on Generation Jones! The bad news, it doesn't explain what made the baby Boomers go "bad". So what caused the baby boomers to loose their ideals?

CNBC will be running a special on Baby Boomers March 4, 2010. Whether its good or not remains to be seen.

 

[Rich]

Well old habbits die hard, as they say

 

[georgedwilkinson]

They "went bad" because they grew up? Utopian society is easy when it's accomplished in shallow minds. When it comes to real life...

 

[ColinEssex]

Real life happened. That's what.

Those "baby boomers" worked out that there is money to be made in the USA in war and corruption.

Col

 

[SOS]

Real Hobbits die hard too...

And so do habits.

 

[Rich]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bad habbit&defid=1973966

 

[statsman]

They grew up.
They discovered (at various times in their lives) that the world is essentially a terribly unfair place.
They got married
They had kids
They bought houses.
They discovered that the bank that holds the mortgages is not interested in peace love and dope, the bank is interested in where the bloody payment is.
They compromised to get the payment.
They discovered their kids are just as greedy and grasping as they were when they were kids.
They compromised some more to get the money to appease their kids.
They needed a new car, a summer home and new clothes so they looked good at work.
They compromised some more to get that money.
They retired.
They looked in the mirror and saw their parents.

NOW they understand what those parents were trying to tell them when they were kids.

 

[Steve R.]

Well, the simplest answer covers it. We grew up.

The CNBC report on the Boomers briefly touched on this issue too and pointed to the mirror concerning today's problems.

Where is Peter Pan?

 

[statsman]

Where is Peter Pan?

Living on a sheep ranch in Montana with Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Every generation tries to be different than their parents' generation, perhaps because they see that their parents got it wrong, but not quite able to see what is right.

In an overpopulated world, idealism is an expensive luxury. (no, not redundant... idealism is expensive even as luxuries go.) The boomers ran into the reality that altruism is a good way to lose money and not get it replaced.

In a discussion of communism vs. capitalism vs. socialism, there is always going to be this problem: What do you do when some of the horses don't pull their full load?

In socialism and communism, you get poorer and poorer overall as the lazy horses don't pull the full load and everyone suffers from the decline of available resources.

In capitalism, the same problem occurs but if it is "pure" capitalism, the effect is isolated only to those who don't pull the load. The more you tend towards socialism and communism, the more you spread out the negative effects. Of course, in capitalism, you ALSO have the problem of uneven distribution of the wealth so that you have what used to be called the labor barons, oil barons, financial barons, etc. Capitalism doesn't smooth out the lows OR the highs - and that causes unrest, too.

What is the answer? I wish I knew, but it has to be that mankind never has enough. I'm beginning to believe the Ambrose Bierce definition of "enough" ... it is "too much." (From Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary.)

 

[ajetrumpet]

it has to be that mankind never has enough.

I agree wholeheartedly with this doc man.

another thing that is worrying me nowadays is the lack of humility by people. plus the unbelievable increase in selfishness. And this includes the baby boomers too. I was talking to a "friend" the other day, and by nature I am a good listener...and what does he do? He uses that to start explaining to me why he thinks he's "right" regardless of the subject he's on. I finally got fed up and said to him: "ya know what? I think you're wrong. I think it's like this..." and i went on to explain why his bull**** didn't impress me. I used to be a good listener when people needed to talk about legitimate problems that were going on in their lives, but since that talk has turned to "bs, bs, bs", I could care less anymore.

I am SO sick of people not being to hear enough of their own voice. No wonder why we don't get along!!

And by the way, this was SO evident in that (pointless) healthcare summit that those marching DC morons held last week. What was the last comment made? Our own leader saying "If we can't work it out, we'll see what happens in the next election". That's like one friend saying to the other one, "if you don't like my view, kiss my a**". Yeah right...the country is certainly up and comming! Heading down the smooth road to he** for sure. Pretty poor leadership if you ask me. Not only that, but as the self-consumption thing gets worse among people in general, I'm sure the government will hop on board. After all, they're people too.

The only solution I can think of is...."look out for yourself and trust noone". Not a great philosophy but at least you're safe!

 

[ColinEssex]

I was talking to a "friend" the other day, and by nature I am a good listener...and what does he do? He uses that to start explaining to me why he thinks he's "right" regardless of the subject he's on.

He must have been an American then.

Haven't you noticed that that's what Americans do? Especially on the world stage.

It's inbred in them I'm sure.

Col

 

[statsman]

He must have been an American then.

Haven't you noticed that that's what Americans do? Especially on the world stage.

It's inbred in them I'm sure.

Col

Alas Col, not even close to being true.
The arrogant sense of entitlement that is running amok these days is a multinational disease.
You could possibly call it a Western problem however.

 

[Rabbie]

He must have been an American then.

Haven't you noticed that that's what Americans do? Especially on the world stage.

It's inbred in them I'm sure.

Col

Funny you should say that. Many of my friends think it is an English disease to think you are always right.

 

[Rich]

Funny you should say that. Many of my friends think it is an English disease to think you are always right.

No, it's definitely an American trait

 

[Steve R.]

another thing that is worrying me nowadays is the lack of humility by people. plus the unbelievable increase in selfishness. And this includes the baby boomers too.

Regretfully this is so true! It amazes me when I read about some of the corporate compensation packages:

A. There is a belief of entitlement by those that receive the compensation. They seem to believe that they deserve it even if the company is going into bankruptcy. I haven't really heard of many executives propose that they receive a "reasonable" wage. Those that really do receive a reasonable wage just may not make it into the news since there no scandal to report.

B. I also have been shocked at comments some members of the public have made, that the executives deserve whatever they can grab. We're is the sense of responsibility?

C. Just as an editorial aside. There is an entire segment of the (U.S.) population that seems to believe that everything and I mean everything must be privatized. Periodically this manifests itself through rants against "free" stuff such as LINUX and Wikipedia. Even this very forum, would be an anathema to them. Giving out free Access advice, unbelievable!! This forum and many others serve a very valuable purpose and there is nothing wrong with people freely assembling to freely share information.

I guess, I'm just a retarded baby boomer that never evolved out of the 60s and 70s.

 

[Rabbie]

As a pre-baby boomer I have to agree with you. The world is changing fast and not for the better especially here in England

 

[Rabbie]

I agree wholeheartedly with this doc man.

another thing that is worrying me nowadays is the lack of humility by people. plus the unbelievable increase in selfishness. And this includes the baby boomers too. I was talking to a "friend" the other day, and by nature I am a good listener...and what does he do? He uses that to start explaining to me why he thinks he's "right" regardless of the subject he's on. I finally got fed up and said to him: "ya know what? I think you're wrong. I think it's like this..." and i went on to explain why his bull**** didn't impress me. I used to be a good listener when people needed to talk about legitimate problems that were going on in their lives, but since that talk has turned to "bs, bs, bs", I could care less anymore.

I am SO sick of people not being to hear enough of their own voice. No wonder why we don't get along!!

And by the way, this was SO evident in that (pointless) healthcare summit that those marching DC morons held last week. What was the last comment made? Our own leader saying "If we can't work it out, we'll see what happens in the next election". That's like one friend saying to the other one, "if you don't like my view, kiss my a**". Yeah right...the country is certainly up and comming! Heading down the smooth road to he** for sure. Pretty poor leadership if you ask me. Not only that, but as the self-consumption thing gets worse among people in general, I'm sure the government will hop on board. After all, they're people too.

The only solution I can think of is...."look out for yourself and trust noone". Not a great philosophy but at least you're safe!

Adam, I can't believe you wrote that Still it is proof of the old saying that "We hate our own faults most in other people"

 

[Rich]

As a pre-baby boomer I have to agree with you. The world is changing fast and not for the better especially here in England

Don't worry,Gordon's got it all under control.

 

[Vassago]

Don't worry,Gordon's got it all under control.

I bet Gordon Ramsay could handle it better.