The Greater Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy

[raccoon]

by Leonard Steinhorn
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (January 10, 2006)

I ran across this in the library yesterday. I haven't read it--nor did I read THE GREATEST GENERATION--but I thought it deserves a mention.

"While the Greatest Generation deserves our praise for surviving the Depression and fighting in World War II, the Baby Boomers, this book argues, are in many ways as great a generation—if not greater—for how they have advanced equality and freedom at home. It’s fashionable to mock Boomers as self-involved and materialistic. But what really is the true legacy of the Boomers?

To understand how Boomers have changed America, think back to the 1950s—but without the nostalgia. Women were kept at home, minorities were denied their dignity, homosexuality was a crime, and anyone who marched to a different drummer was labeled un-American and viewed as a threat.

Today we live in a far more open, inclusive, tolerant, and equal America than at any other time in our history. And that’s because Baby Boomers, from the Sixties onward, have fought a great cultural war to free America from its prejudices, inequalities, and fears. The Greater Generation tells the story of this generation’s accomplishments—and finally gives Boomers their due." (From the book jacket.)

Gosh, as a member of the boomer generation, I needed that pat on the back. LOL.

[cspanlovr]

1. Amen

[Captain Hilts]

2. The Wash Post had an excerpt. Excellent!!!! nt

[displacedtexan]

3. The only complete failure of our boomer generation is...

that we don't all have George Jetson's flying car yet.

Seriously, that book sounds fascinating.

Here's your pat on the back, and I deserve one, too!

[vi5]

4. Well if the Boomers are so great how did we get where we are now?

Honestly. I don't begrudge what they did in the 60's or deny them the credit for those changes.


But if back then they had the numbers and ability to force those changes as young people in their 20's with no power other than their voices, how in the hell did they grow up, actually get real power through becoming heads of corporations, politicians, etc. and then allow what has happened to happen?

Wouldn't it make sense that a generation that could accomplish that stuff in their youth would be able to exponentialy accomplish so much more as adults?

[Captain Hilts]

5. Bush is a boomer. No theory is without exceptions. nt

[vi5]

6. Yes, but let's assume....

That all the conservatives and non-activist Boomers like Bush remained the same. That ends up being a wash then.

If the liberal/activist boomers who accomplished so much back in the 60's kept even 75% of their numbers, why have we regressed so badly, especially as so much of the old guard generation has died off?

[Radical Activist]

8. Was it ever really a majority?

I wasn't alive back then, but I have to wonder if there was ever a true majority of boomers who were actively involved in the peace or civil rights movements. The dirty little secret of democracy is that it doesn't take a majority to change the world. It just takes a dedicated and active minority. If only 30% of baby boomers were actively engaged, that would have been enough to make major changes. Maybe its a matter of people settling into their lives and being less involved than they were in their youth.
The christian conservatives aren't a majority of the nation but they are in power today because they're very active, like liberal baby boomers were in the 60's.

[Jim__]

9. Nixon ended the draft.

I really think that largely ended the 60s peace movement. When he ended the draft, some pundits predicted that it would end the peace movement. I didn't believe it at the time; but, it did. Apparently, a lot of people who were anti-war, were only anti-war as long as it directly threatened them. When they were no longer threatened, they moved on. Not everybody. I still know some hippies.

And, this seems to be true today. My guess is that if there were a draft today, there would be a lot larger, louder, more effective anti-war movement in this country. Sort of a sad commentary, but, it's like we'll let them have, and even support, their imperialistic wars as long as they don't directly threaten us.

[pansypoo53219]

7. The Greatest Generation book sucked

a MUCH MUCH better book is "The Good War" by studs terkel.