It's all the babyboomers fault! (cocaine, how much, atrocities, abortion)

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by jgussler

What was the generation prior to Baby Boomers called?

Some call it the Greatest Generation, those who dealt with WWII.
But my dad was too young to be in the war, though he was in the service in the 50's. I guess there is a bit of overlapping.

Baystater, I don't want to counterpoint you because the info is in your own link, and I think I made my point pretty well....it's just maybe hard for younger people to recognize some of the changes we've made because they grew up with these changes--they don't know how it *used* to be. I guess I am not feeling very confrontational about it, either. Our generation was not the worst, but neither was it the best.

Aqualung you're doing a good job of pushing my buttons, but my conscience is clear with how I raised my own kids.

[burdell]

Originally Posted by Carbondated

Baby Boomers - Made the mess.
Generation X - Cleans up the mess.
Generation Y - Takes credit for cleaning up the mess.

Any indications of when GenX may start cleaning up the mess, or if they even have any ideas on how they're going to do it?

[burdell]

Originally Posted by cil

I just finished reading a book about the infantry in World War II. It is somewhat of an eye-opening, at times sickening expose on the things that went wrong, and how they were handled. But the Allies prevailed in the end. And that's what gets written in the history books.

Yep! The winners write the history. It was a great thng that generation did but read enough of the day to day history and you'll find that generation, like any other, had its share of scoundrels and and profiteers.

Originally Posted by cil

As I said before, some of your reproach is deserved. IMHO our generation really did sell out in many, many ways.
Nobody is going to go out and make a Saving Private Ryan for us.
We do not have any military triumphs to be remembered by.
But our generation is sort of a bridge between the old and the new. We did begin something, but perhaps it could not be finished in a mere 25 years.
Let's see what y'all can do.

I agree and would add that while we may have not had any military triumphs, those who answered the call and did what their country asked of them have no reason to hang down their heads either.

[baystater]

Originally Posted by cil

In the Wikipedia link you posted, it says Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964.

And in the Wikipedia link you posted about Title IX, there is stuff refuting what you said about men's teams losing out to women's sports, but I am not going to get into a cut-and-paste battle with you, Baystater.

Originally Posted by cil

Baystater, I don't want to counterpoint you because the info is in your own link, and I think I made my point pretty well....it's just maybe hard for younger people to recognize some of the changes we've made because they grew up with these changes--they don't know how it *used* to be. I guess I am not feeling very confrontational about it, either. Our generation was not the worst, but neither was it the best.

Aqualung you're doing a good job of pushing my buttons, but my conscience is clear with how I raised my own kids.

1. Actually I never said I was for or against title IX. You just assumed out of hand that I did. All I was saying was that the book ain't closed on that issue. I personally think women should get an equal shot at education whether they're an athlete or not.

2. When I've talk to my parents and other close parts of my family about this subject. They have basically said that for the most part things really didn't change to any significant extent. Before looked a lot like the after. Look at force busing and white flight up in Boston (where I was born) during the 70's. It really showed that America was still very very divided down racial lines. Even if we didn't have to use separate bathrooms, or different theaters, etc.,etc. It nice that you guys put some laws on the books that gave minorities opportunities that they didn't have before. But even now those laws are being chipped away at today. Heck a woman's right to choose is being chipped away at. It's kind of scary actually that we would be willing give up any of the gains we had. But is seems like for the past couple of years that where we are heading that way. And I'm telling you it not my Gen doing this. And it's not the Y's. So who's left?
Yeah I understand that no generation is ever going to produce a utopia. But I have grown tried of BBs touting their social accomplishments. That really have not been accomplishments. We are not all that far removed from back in the day. And what worries me is that a lot of those meager accomplishments are going to be rolled back by the same Gen that put them in place. I hope not, but I could happen.

3. This is the Politics and Other Controversies board. Be prepared to have your button pushed. That why this board it here to air out grievances. As I said in the original post. "No quarter is asked for and none given."

[baystater]

Originally Posted by burdell

I agree and would add that while we may have not had any military triumphs, those who answered the call and did what their country asked of them have no reason to hang down their heads either.

You are correct in that. My father fought in the Vietnam war. And I'm extremely proud of him for that. Of course when my father did come home, there were some of his own generation that spit on his service at the time. And they should be ashamed of themselves! You can be anti-war (heck I protest the current war.) but don't step on the troops that are stuck in a bad situation.
Here's a question for both sides of the isles politically. Why do we always say "we support our troops!" when we're fighting but as soon as the wars are over or the troops come home we underfund the VA Hospitals. and generally forget the sacrifices they have made for us?

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by cil

Some call it the Greatest Generation, those who dealt with WWII.
But my dad was too young to be in the war, though he was in the service in the 50's. I guess there is a bit of overlapping.

Baystater, I don't want to counterpoint you because the info is in your own link, and I think I made my point pretty well....it's just maybe hard for younger people to recognize some of the changes we've made because they grew up with these changes--they don't know how it *used* to be. I guess I am not feeling very confrontational about it, either. Our generation was not the worst, but neither was it the best.

Aqualung you're doing a good job of pushing my buttons, but my conscience is clear with how I raised my own kids.

My dad faught in WWII. Come home and never mentioned it. He was in 5 different battles that made the history books.

Big gap and then I came along. haha My dad was in his 40's when he decided to have a family.

So yeah, head hanging, I'm a boomer. It's my fault, I caused it, I'm sorry. The war in Iraq? Yeah, I started it. The stock market flucuations? Yup, it was me. I intentionally lowered the interest rates. I even went around and had people raise the price of their houses.

We were not confrontational, the world was. Not toward you Cil, just using your post to start with.

[burdell]

Originally Posted by baystater

Here's a question for both sides of the isles politically. Why do we always say "we support our troops!" when we're fighting but as soon as the wars are over or the troops come home we underfund the VA Hospitals. and generally forget the sacrifices they have made for us?

I think it's partly due to never having fought a foreign enemy on US soil. Probably not intentional but I think most people not having seen the horrors of war first hand will find it a bit easier to put it out of mind when a new situation arises.

[SDBreaux]

Originally Posted by Aqualung

Actually, it's their children (Gen X and Y) that are tired of the overwhelming culture of consumerism forced upon them by their boomer parents. The boomer generation is the epitome of materialism. They complain about their children, yet they left their children to be raised by television. Nice job!

Exactly. I was introduced to this world, I did not create it. People like to blame my generation for a lot of problems (and we are to blame partly because of our own choices to continue), but who taught us? I wasn't even alive when MTV was introduced, and my mom would play Madonna for me when I was in her womb, so I was told.

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by LauraC

Waaaah! Waaaah! Waaaaah!

The only thing wrong with baby boomers is the whiny instant-gratification short attention span kids they raised who expect everything to be handed to them instead of earned.

Very good and accurate response.

My favorite part of the OP was the ganging together of the subsequent generations to work towards the Baby Boomers terminations. May seem logical at the emotionally disconnected level, such as that of the OP, but I don't think too many folks are anxious to expedite the departure of mom and dad.

Also, the OP needs a couple of classes in how to use language without hidden vulgarities, and enhanced use of sentence and paragraph structure. Concise written communication is certainly an art form, although apparently lost on the OP.

Can't wait to see what the OP's kids are like, or maybe natural selection precludes continuation of that gene pool.

[tablemtn]

The Baby Boomers, to be fair, are only NOW coming into a majority in Congress and other positions of power. Their legacy will be made or broken based on how they handle the following issues:

-Postwar Iraq

-Social Security

-Medicare/Medicaid

-The changing American economy

So... get to it, Boomers! Time to solve these problems. Because, if you kick them on down the line to your kids, they really will have a powerful, well-founded case that the Boomers were one of the worst generations in American history - one that loved to rack up debt and pawn the payments onto their kids.