As per usual headlines dont tell the whole story. Baby-boomers have been excellent leaders in some ways but not as good about understanding compromise in cultural or political values. My own opinion for whatever its worth is that our baby-boom generation got into a generational civil war in the 60s and no one knows how to end it because compromise isnt a word we use well. It will end when we finally die leaving a lot of anger and rubble in our wake. In fairness we also through our passionate idealism created some powerful changes for the good in spite of ourselves at times. I was struck by this particular quote “Boomers are the scorched-earth, values-driven generation,” said Neil Howe, who with William Strauss chronicled the recurring patterns of generations in the United States. “They invented the culture wars and they’re taking it with them as they grow older, which is this complete polarization and gridlock. It’s very hard to compromise over values.” That’s not to malign this entire generation of Americans, which has dominated the culture for decades and expanded the frontiers of civil rights. But “in terms of politics, actually building things, boomers are clueless,” Howe told me. Baby-boomers didnt invent the culture wars; America and the world have such struggles over and over. There were culture wars in early 20th century when suffrage and temperance movements were powerfully changing the norms of the centuries before.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:05:58 +0000
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