70 replies to this topic

[NatonWolf]

Open letter to the Baby Boomer generation
Submitted by RandySea on Fri, 03/30/2012 - 23:23

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Dear Baby Boomer Generation,

What happened to your generation? What happened to that freedom and peace loving hippies that were marginalized back in the 60's and 70's?

Why have you began to accept complacency and apathy towards the system that has been such a failure in the last 100 years that you cannot seem to think any other way? I'm not trying to label you, the reader of this letter. I'm trying to point out the philosophical change that has happened in your generation.

Why was it so important in the 60's and 70's to be anti-establishment while you were young, but with age and time you are becoming the same resistant figure of change that you once fought so hard against?

Is it wrong for my generation to question the status quo? Why is it that when you were in our shoes, it was just and embraced, yet when my generation stands up and wants change we are labeled as 'hippy pot smokers' who only want weed legalized?

Have you became so disconnected with your youthful and optimistic spirits that you just accept it for what it is? Have you became so dependent on a failing system that you are afraid of anything that challenges the status-quo, because the result might be uncomfortable for a while?

When I see my generation being marginalized, it frankly pisses me off. I'm sorry, but it does. We may not have the wisdom that you have attained over the years, but we are no less intelligent in comprehending said wisdom.

When you marginalize my generation, it is because you do not see what we see. When you were are age, you did not have the freedom of information that we currently enjoy today. Anything and everything you wish to know can be found with the stroke of a keyboard.

Speaking for my generation, I realize just how important the internet and freedom of it is and how it has shaped the lives of every American since it came into maturity.

When we were born, we were instilled with curiosity. We always asked 'why' about everything. For the most part the answer was 'it just is the way it is'. Once you accept that, you fail yourself. If you deny the status quo, you can explore it for yourself and come to your own conclusion as an individual and realize that there is a reason behind everything.

What happened to your curiosity?

My generation was able to grasp the internet in its entirety. We can now answer those questions of 'why are things the way they are' with such ease that no other generation has had. We can share ideas, formulate questions, and communicate solutions to millions of people at the click of a button.

We grew up with this tool that can unite us all under the message of freedom, free speech, and freedom of information.

My generation doesn't want to overthrow yours violently as the news tries to tell you. We only want to be treated as the adults we are. My generation is increasingly outnumbering yours. Your rule of power will be gone with time.

My generation embraces Ron Paul for a reason. We have the knowledge at our hands, and have grown up educating ourselves which I believe has lead to a more critically thinking generation than ever before.

When you 'wake up' as we say, you cannot go back to sleep. It is impossible. We have done the research, we have thought for ourselves, we have became critical thinkers and realize we are getting the poo-end of the stick.

What has happened in the last 10-20 years? I see a once peace oriented America now sending my friends off to fight wars that are unconstitutional that only benefit the special interests and mega wealthy, while MY generation pays the price in blood.

What we fear is the blowback from such foreign engagements. When our children become our age we fear that they will be in the same situation as we are today with a world that hates America even more so than they already do.

Just as your fears of such a situation during Vietnam. Now its your grandchildren being sent to the new Vietnam's of the world. Look at what was achieved through peace and trading that was never accomplished by war.

So why is it the older generations have pushed aside mine? Mine has embraced change and freedom of information. We know what is at stake. We know that history repeats itself. Just as every empire that was, they collapse when the citizens become complacent in the status quo for too long.

You had your chance to change the future of your generation, now it is our chance. Please start treating us with some respect because we have more years ahead of us than you do. I'm not trying to come off brash by saying this but it is the truth.

The point of why I'm writing this isn't to blame or criticize, it is to ask questions and receive the intelligent wisdom of those that have seen this shift first hand. It is to get your input.

I ask because I fear for my generation making the same mistakes that every generation has made, and we desire the wisdom of how to avoid being, well, like your generation that just accepts everything the way it is.

You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.

So I return to my opening paragraph, What happened to those peace and freedom loving children you once were? Is it because you've became apathatic? If you have, then why are you not pissed that you don't care anymore?

Sincerely,
Generation - whatever you have labeled us as.

[fnfreebird]

Interesting replies:

So you voted for Obama
Submitted by anothernobody on Sat, 03/31/2012
So you voted for Obama and now you are going to throw blame at a whole generation of your elders. What a hypocrite! You say your generation embraces Paul but that is a lie because most of "your" generation supports Obama. You make me sick to think that someone can just give you a single answer as to why this country has fallen as it has. The fact is that you have been taught about a great country that never really existed and now you want to blame one generation for it's downfall.
You have been blessed to see something that is rare and that is a politician who is honest and consistent but you act like there have been Ron Paul types running in every election. You only know of Ron Paul because of the internet which if you didn't have you would still probably be supporting Obama.
I could go into many reasons that this country is the way it is but the simple fact is that you could answer your own question if you would just ask yourself: Why did "you" and "your generation" vote for Obama? Answer that and you will know.
=====

It's obvious this post...
Submitted by Micah_6_8 on Sat, 03/31/2012
...wasn't intended to bash an entire generation, just those of it who once had the beginnings of being awake in their youth and are now asleep. But I do see this as a recurring problem in multiple generations. Think of all the folks in recent years, of whatever generation, who were out in force protesting Bush's wars and now won't emit a peep about Obama's treasonous actions in Libya and his expansion of the follies of warmongering? And, yes, those folks from the 60's who were so vocal against Vietnam who are silent now should be hanging their heads in shame at their hypocrisy. Same goes for the people of my generation who ranted and raved about Bush, WTO, etc. and are now silent under Obama. Plenty of blame to go around.

[fnfreebird]

Open letter to the Baby Boomer generation
Submitted by RandySea on Fri, 03/30/2012 - 23:23
--------------
Dear Baby Boomer Generation,
What happened to your generation? What happened to that freedom and peace loving hippies that were marginalized back in the 60's and 70's?
What happened to your curiosity?
...
Sincerely,
Generation - whatever you have labeled us as.

Another one:

What happened? They had children.
Submitted by The Granger on Sat, 03/31/2012

When they began having children, society took away their freedom, told them to grow up. Told them they had responsibility to others, "the children". Told them to stop thinking of themselves and make sacrifices for their children. Told them their children were the future, not them.
When their kids began going to schools, the schools dictated to them what they will do or else. Universities closed, were harder to get into, more prisons opened. Women took jobs that had been men's, men who supported an entire family. Their parents bought homes for $14K on the beach, the same home would cost them $450K. And they both had to work, overtime and still not make the same amount of Money as grand dad.
They were quilt tripped on TV, radio, community events as not being good enough, being a generation of pot heads, losers, Nam vets, wound up on the streets, sex sex sex sex free sex, open marriage, homosexuality, AIDS, corporations grew in power and controlled them. They had no rights, and "Frankly my dear, NO ONE GAVE A DAMN!", except to blame them.

[gohornedfrogs]

What happened to that freedom and peace loving hippies that were marginalized back in the 60's and 70's?

Don't they all have cabinet positions in the White House?

[fnfreebird]

Don't they all have cabinet positions in the White House?

If Al Sharpton was president.

[burford]

Another one:

What happened? They had children.
Submitted by The Granger on Sat, 03/31/2012

When they began having children, society took away their freedom, told them to grow up. Told them they had responsibility to others, "the children". Told them to stop thinking of themselves and make sacrifices for their children. Told them their children were the future, not them.

Solid points free. They were forced to grow up.

Now, howeer, I do have some problems with "the greatest generation" that probably aren't real popular. I blame them for the rise of union power and voting themselves to the public trough with never ending pensions. I know many, and I do mean many, who became Roosevelt democrats that blindly voted democrat that gave us this failed Great Society. Intentional? No, but the ramifications have become apparant. I am forever indebted to the sacrifices they made during the wars but it does not require that I not call a spade a spade when required.

[Duquesne Frog]

Solid points free. They were forced to grow up.

Now, howeer, I do have some problems with "the greatest generation" that probably aren't real popular. I blame them for the rise of union power and voting themselves to the public trough with never ending pensions. I know many, and I do mean many, who became Roosevelt democrats that blindly voted democrat that gave us this failed Great Society. Intentional? No, but the ramifications have become apparant. I am forever indebted to the sacrifices they made during the wars but it does not require that I not call a spade a spade when required.

So it's not just black people who "blindly" vote Democrat, it's all people who vote Democrat?

[burford]

So it's not just black people who "blindly" vote Democrat, it's all people who vote Democrat?

I am going to assume that since you don't directly address my point that many of that generation voted themselves to the trough with never ending pensions and artificially elevated pay that you agree whole heartedly with me. That has to be a record.

[Duquesne Frog]

I am going to assume that since you don't directly address my point that many of that generation voted themselves to the trough with never ending pensions and artificially elevated pay that you agree whole heartedly with me. That has to be a record.

You go ahead and assume whatever you like. You always do ...

[burford]

You go ahead and assume whatever you like. You always do ...

My goodness, we are certainly in the attack mode this morning, aren't we? So do you, or don't agree with me that many of the greatest generation created some of the problems we have now by forcing in never ending pensions and out of market pay, mostly through their union support?

[The Uniballer]

My goodness, we are certainly in the attack mode this morning, aren't we? So do you, or don't agree with me that many of the greatest generation created some of the problems we have now by forcing in never ending pensions and out of market pay, mostly through their union support?

Unions and pensions were necessary/made sense at the time. The problem is (and this goes for so much in this country) we have not updated them to reflect the world we live in today. How many kids today need to have summers off to help with the crops? But we still have a 9 month school year. SS and pensions were designed for a time when you worked until you couldn't work anymore, retired and died a couple of years later. They weren't designed for someone to retire at 60 and live until 90, and give half to the spouse, and half to the ex wives... There was a time in this country when unions were needed because of the way workers were abused. Do they have too much power now? Sure. But again, the fault is that they haven't been modified to reflect 2012 -- and heaven forbid we modify those things to reflect what things will be like in 2025. But because our politicians don't have the intestinal fortitude to speak the truth, we keep trying to download songs from itunes onto our 8 track player.

[Duquesne Frog]

My goodness, we are certainly in the attack mode this morning, aren't we?

Forgive me ... the combination of fnfree and tax season has me a bit grumpy, I admit.

Do do you, or don't agree with me that many of the greatest generation created some of the problems we have now by forcing in never ending pensions and out of market pay, mostly through their union support?

I can agree with the notion that union bosses and corporate executives of the era conspired to saddle themselves with an unsustainable labor market once the global market changed from what it was in the post-WWII era. I don't agree with your attempt to saddle an entire generation of people with unique blame for that problem. Mostly what I disagree with is your persistent notion that anyone who feels differently about politics than you do is doing so "blindly." Or at least any more blindly than the way in which you yourself vote Republican.

[burford]

Forgive me ... the combination of fnfree and tax season has me a bit grumpy, I admit.



I can agree with the notion that union bosses and corporate executives of the era conspired to saddle themselves with an unsustainable labor market once the global market changed from what it was in the post-WWII era. I don't agree with your attempt to saddle an entire generation of people with unique blame for that problem. Mostly what I disagree with is your persistent notion that anyone who feels differently about politics than you do is doing so "blindly." Or at least any more blindly than the way in which you yourself vote Republican.

No sweat Duq, I'm fine.
OK, now just for fun....and seriously, this is just for fun....here is Van Jones saying obama will not lose the black vote no matter what he does, even if he came out and said he was gay.
This phenomenon is just something confuses me and no one has ever been able to give me a good plausible reason that I can accept. Now remember, I think I complimented someone on here who admitted to being liberal because he did believe in re-distribution of income and was a committed socialist. He was honest.
http://www.realclear...out_as_gay.html

[Duquesne Frog]

Unions and pensions were necessary/made sense at the time. The problem is (and this goes for so much in this country) we have not updated them to reflect the world we live in today. How many kids today need to have summers off to help with the crops? But we still have a 9 month school year. SS and pensions were designed for a time when you worked until you couldn't work anymore, retired and died a couple of years later. They weren't designed for someone to retire at 60 and live until 90, and give half to the spouse, and half to the ex wives... There was a time in this country when unions were needed because of the way workers were abused. Do they have too much power now? Sure. But again, the fault is that they haven't been modified to reflect 2012 -- and heaven forbid we modify those things to reflect what things will be like in 2025. But because our politicians don't have the intestinal fortitude to speak the truth, we keep trying to download songs from itunes onto our 8 track player.

+ eleventy gazillion

IMM, any budget plan that focuses on discretionary spending minutiae rather than SS, Medicare, and defense (by far the three biggest slices of the government spending pie) is political circle jerking. And both parties are too scared of old people to touch SS and Medicare, and too scared of the political liability of cutting defense spending. And I say that as someone whose livelihood depends on defense spending ...

[RSF]

Unions and pensions were necessary/made sense at the time. The problem is (and this goes for so much in this country) we have not updated them to reflect the world we live in today. How many kids today need to have summers off to help with the crops? But we still have a 9 month school year. SS and pensions were designed for a time when you worked until you couldn't work anymore, retired and died a couple of years later. They weren't designed for someone to retire at 60 and live until 90, and give half to the spouse, and half to the ex wives... There was a time in this country when unions were needed because of the way workers were abused. Do they have too much power now? Sure. But again, the fault is that they haven't been modified to reflect 2012 -- and heaven forbid we modify those things to reflect what things will be like in 2025. But because our politicians don't have the intestinal fortitude to speak the truth, we keep trying to download songs from itunes onto our 8 track player.

Part of the reason is also that those with the power tend to not want to give it up....in this case, the unions. Doesn't exactly make them unique. It's a combination of human nature and fear (that things will swing too far back the other way).

[The Uniballer]

+ eleventy gazillion

IMM, any budget plan that focuses on discretionary spending minutiae rather than SS, Medicare, and defense (by far the three biggest slices of the government spending pie) is political circle jerking. And both parties are too scared of old people to touch SS and Medicare, and too scared of the political liability of cutting defense spending. And I say that as someone whose livelihood depends on defense spending ...

The thing that I think is crazy is that I think there is an absolute appetitie for reforming SS and Medicare. People our age aren't planning on it being there anyway. So you tell people 50 and over (and yes, I know there will be huge bickering over the age) you get to keep them as they exist now. You're under 50, better start making other plans because here's what we have in store for you. I'd much rather receive 50% of something at age 70, than 100% of nothing at 66.

[RSF]

The thing that I think is crazy is that I think there is an absolute appetitie for reforming SS and Medicare. People our age aren't planning on it being there anyway. So you tell people 50 and over (and yes, I know there will be huge bickering over the age) you get to keep them as they exist now. You're under 50, better start making other plans because here's what we have in store for you. I'd much rather receive 50% of something at age 70, than 100% of nothing at 66.

So I need them to keep bickering for just 3 more years......


No, really, I agree. Both sides of the aisle are too beholden to their respective constituencies, unfortunately. So expect more tweaking around the edges.

[Duquesne Frog]

OK, now just for fun....and seriously, this is just for fun....here is Van Jones saying obama will not lose the black vote no matter what he does, even if he came out and said he was gay.
This phenomenon is just something confuses me and no one has ever been able to give me a good plausible reason that I can accept.

We've discussed reasons why blacks might rationally vote Democrat in such overwhelming numbers numerous times. You may disagree with their reasoning but your argument would be better served if you can accept that there are rational reasons why they do so. Dismissing the entire culture as "blind" or "brainwashed" is a disservice to the complexity of human thought. You wouldn't accept the argument that southern evangelical whites vote "blindly" or irrationally for Republicans (an argument pcf has made) ... I'm sure you feel your reasons for voting Republican are quite rational and well-founded. All I'm arguing each time we do this dance is that you extend black people the same latitude you extend yourself as a rational human.

Now remember, I think I complimented someone on here who admitted to being liberal because he did believe in re-distribution of income and was a committed socialist. He was honest.

I'm reminded again of the old men in the YMCA lockerroom, railing about Socialist Obama while paying for their Y membership with their social security money ...

[burford]

Unions and pensions were necessary/made sense at the time. The problem is (and this goes for so much in this country) we have not updated them to reflect the world we live in today. How many kids today need to have summers off to help with the crops? But we still have a 9 month school year. SS and pensions were designed for a time when you worked until you couldn't work anymore, retired and died a couple of years later. They weren't designed for someone to retire at 60 and live until 90, and give half to the spouse, and half to the ex wives... There was a time in this country when unions were needed because of the way workers were abused. Do they have too much power now? Sure. But again, the fault is that they haven't been modified to reflect 2012 -- and heaven forbid we modify those things to reflect what things will be like in 2025. But because our politicians don't have the intestinal fortitude to speak the truth, we keep trying to download songs from itunes onto our 8 track player.

Well, we sure can agree with your points. I respect them and agree. I higher up person at TCU once said to me "Burf (not my name but that is good enough) fraternities are kinda like unions. At one time, they served a real purpose." The Wisconsin fight is a prime example of why you are right. Politicians giving in to the union bullies.

[burford]

We've discussed reasons why blacks might rationally vote Democrat in such overwhelming numbers numerous times. You may disagree with their reasoning but your argument would be better served if you can accept that there are rational reasons why they do so. Dismissing the entire culture as "blind" or "brainwashed" is a disservice to the complexity of human thought. You wouldn't accept the argument that southern evangelical whites vote "blindly" or irrationally for Republicans (an argument pcf has made) ... I'm sure you feel your reasons for voting Republican are quite rational and well-founded. All I'm arguing each time we do this dance is that you extend black people the same latitude you extend yourself as a rational human.

Well, I understand. I would leave the R's in a hurry if they began to espouse things to which I do not believe. I just feel it funny that here is a liberal black politico type who says blacks will vote for obama no matter what he does......and that kinda backs up my supposition. Oh well.