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September 14, 2006
The post-war Baby Boomer Generation
The Monk being away to foreign countries again has asked me to turn a newspaper article he came across a couple of days ago into a post for this blog. He has assured me that he agrees with every word the author has written.
The author claims that the post-war Baby Boomer generation has done its best to ruin the world for those they'll leave behind. He gives a number of examples to prove his point:
Bill Clinton, a prominent representative of this generation, of ignored the al Qaeda threats to his country because he was too busy with personal affairs.
Britains baby boomers have created a culture where sentiment takes precedence over substance. Especially since Tony Blair and New Labour it seems to be more important to present oneself as a good person than acutally being one.
Boomer feminists are to blame for today's porno-culture. And their ill-conceived hatred of housewives and their desire to see them leave the kitchens for other workplaces has destroyed the lives of those women who now do tiwce the amount of work they did before.
Baby Boomers also destroyed music for generations to come, shown by the endless stream of geeks with guitars inspired by The Beatles.
Drug-taking in the Boomer culture was seen as an expression of freedom. This now causes thousands of people each year to succumb to cannabis-induced shizophrenia. Britain's inner-city poor are imprisoned on estates ruled by crack lords.
Another Baby Boomer, Bob Geldof, uses the misery in Africa for boosting his own fame and wealth stating he wants to raise awareness about Africa. As if everyone weren't aware that Mugabe is a murderous villain.
The Boomers' wish to appear cool and empathetic made them hate the idea of integration. They rather wanted immigrants to maintain their identities, which has caused serious segregrational problems in Britain.
The author blames the Baby Boomer generation for having to live in a society that has no direction. Young people of his generation are scarred by divorce, drug-use, and empathetic parenting, when they needed structure and discipline. On the other hadn his generation is hated by the Baby Boomers for their apathy, materialism and licentiousness which is only a product of the abysm the Baby Boomers created. And he looking forward for the Baby Boomers to retire or better still expire.
Although I can see some of his points on the whole I cannot agree with the young author. It is a much too easy way in my eyes to just blame others. Because we have choices in our lives. I would never do anything, like taking drugs or smoking, just because everyone else around me did it.
I, too, deplore the tendency presemtation seems to count more than content and substance. But I don't think this is restricted to Baby Boomers. It's more human nature. It is for us to fight against this and not let the others get away with it.
And I don't agree that music has been destroyed for generations by The Beatles and followers. It doesn't mean that good music is not good any more. If you prefer Bach to John Lennon - fine! It's your choice! And I must say that I like The Beatles a lot better than today's Heavy Metal or Rap Music.
Women leaving their kitchens and starting to work somewhere else is a difficult topic. But I know quite a few examples where both partners work at reduced hours or alternately and manage jobs, kids and family quite well. It is a decision everyone has to make for him- or herself. And I think it was caused by the girls having suddenly access to better education than before the war rather than some feminist Baby Boomers.
It is too easy in my eyes to just see yourself as a victim of a preceding generation. Do something about it. It may be that some of the young generation lacked guidance and discipline and their parents were not the best of examples. But no one prevents you from taking someone else as an example of how you want to be. Just think of that whole generation of children in Europe who lost parents and family during the last war. Many of them only had very little education and guidance and still many of them became fine people.
And I even know some Baby Boomers who are great people as well.
Posted by Mausi at September 14, 2006 06:54 PM
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