Baby boomer nostalgia is already oppressive. It’s about to get so much worse.

[Lucille]

Baby boomer nostalgia is already oppressive. It’s about to get so much worse.

I'm sure you'll be shocked to hear that members of the Worst Generation swarmed and are pitching fits in the comments.

If they think that's bad, they should read Vox Day. A sample:

"We can't Logan's Run those bastard Boomers soon enough for me."
--Vox Day

https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...dy-oppressive-its-about-to-get-so-much-worse/

But boomers clearly take the prize in the nostalgia sweepstakes. Perhaps the most self-mythologizing generation of all, those feisty postwar babies have demonstrated a singular talent for foisting their remembrances on the rest of us, like a neighbor freshly returned from a painstakingly documented African safari.

Just wait, though: The next few years should be even worse. We’re approaching the 50th anniversaries of all the events of the late 1960s. For the remainder of the decade, we can expect a brand-new wave of melodramatic retrospectives, each designed to remind us of a magical time when boomer heads were packed full of idealistic notions and covered in lustrous, free-flowing hair. But just as what goes up must come down, what frolics in the mud of Woodstock must eventually sulk in the fluorescent chill of the cardiology office. Somehow, as boomers age, their commitment to dragging that dusty ’60s archival reel out of the basement yet again seems to grow exponentially.
[...]
Through sheer repetition and force of will, boomers have so thoroughly indoctrinated us into their worldview that we all now reflexively frame most current affairs through the lens of another generation’s formative experiences. Every war is compared to the Vietnam War (forget that there’s no draft anymore); every plea for peace dredges up 50-year-old songs and slogans; every music festival is filtered through hazy memories of Woodstock’s incomparable magic (that is, when Woodstock itself isn’t being outright reenacted); and every civil rights protest is held up to those legendary marches on Washington and Selma of half a century ago.
[...]
Of course, pretty much everything that ever happened to boomers when they were younger marked the end of an era. Culturally, boomers shut down the club, then set it on fire, then blew it up, then boarded the last train leaving the station, and nothing that’s happened since can possibly measure up.
[...]
Likewise, instead of hearing, in maximally melodramatic terms, how the crises of the ’60s changed American culture forever, it could be instructive for some first-person witness to marvel at how swiftly the American public returned to its vise-like embrace of the status quo after the smoke cleared.

They're talking about their generation's accomplishments also. Yeah, great job, guys. Thanks.

1. They ruined American society. Even the acts for which they can't be held responsible, such as the 1965 Immigration Act, they resolutely supported.
2. They are, to the extent that one can categorize an entire generation, short-sighted and selfish. It is astonishing to compare the lack of interest my parents' generation has in its grandchildren to the dedication that my grandparents' generation showed to us.
3. They are obnoxious. As PJ O'Rourke once pointed out, the Baby Boomers still clinging to their teenage music and styles would have been like his parents wearing zoot suits in their old age.
4. They bankrupted the country and their families. No generation was given larger inheritances by its parents' generation. And it is quite likely that most Boomers will leave nothing behind.
5. They were given wealth, peace, and power, and instead of being grateful for it, they scorned the traditions of their forefathers and squandered what they were given.

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...rriage-Views&p=5180342&viewfull=1#post5180342

Homeland 2005-Present
Millennial 1982-2004
Generation X 1961-1981
Boom 1943-1960
Silent 1925-1942
G.I. 1901-1924
Lost 1883-1900
Missionary 1860–1882
Progressive 1843-1859
Gilded 1822-1842
Transcendental 1792-1821
Compromise 1767-1791
Republican 1742-1766
Liberty 1724-1741
Awakening 1701-1723

 

[Ronin Truth]

Since the full generation name is "Post War Baby Boom", how can it start in 1943?

1946 - 1964 is the usual standard Boomer generation year range.

The USA was already well screwed up long before we ever arrived.

 

[angelatc]

1. They are obnoxious. As PJ O'Rourke once pointed out, the Baby Boomers still clinging to their teenage music and styles would have been like his parents wearing zoot suits in their old age.

? My grandparents never stopped listening to Big Band, and my parents still stick with 50's rock with a mix of classic country. It would be weird if they abandoned that and these days were bopping their heads to "All About The Bass."

I am considered a boomer but neither me nor my friends are wearing huge hair or leg warmers these days

What I find quirky is that the GenX and Millennials listen to classic rock That would like me and my friends listening to the Big Bopper and Bill Haley as we drove around mindlessly in pursuit of the ever-elusive something to do.

 

[thoughtomator]

What I find quirky is that the GenX and Millennials listen to classic rock That would like me and my friends listening to the Big Bopper and Bill Haley as we drove around mindlessly in pursuit of the ever-elusive something to do.

Gen X largely grew up on classic rock and later the eclectic mix of stuff that came out of the 80s - after which the boomers had control of all the music companies and turned music into the generic hypercommercialized substanceless crap that remains the standard to this day.

 

[dannno]

Gen X largely grew up on classic rock and later the eclectic mix of stuff that came out of the 80s - after which the boomers had control of all the music companies and turned music into the generic hypercommercialized substanceless crap that remains the standard to this day.

lol.. there's this thing called Soundcloud, people make their own music and upload it, they play at music festivals and gigs hosted by companies like Eventbrite and get popular that way. There is still plenty of commercialized music, but if that's all you think is coming out today you are totally wrong.

The reason millenials listen to classic rock is because it is good stuff, it's not boring crap made by people who don't do drugs like you had in the 40s and 50s.. although there is a lot of good jazz and such made back then, a lot of those guys were on drugs.

 

[Zippyjuan]

? My grandparents never stopped listening to Big Band, and my parents still stick with 50's rock with a mix of classic country. It would be weird if they abandoned that and these days were bopping their heads to "All About The Bass."

I am considered a boomer but neither me nor my friends are wearing huge hair or leg warmers these days

What I find quirky is that the GenX and Millennials listen to classic rock That would like me and my friends listening to the Big Bopper and Bill Haley as we drove around mindlessly in pursuit of the ever-elusive something to do.

People tend to most closely relate to music which was popular when they were in their 20's. Especially males- mostly about age 23 to be exact. All generations do it. Reminds them of the freer time of their youth.

Was the world "peaceful then"? We had the end of the Second World War. We had the Korean War and Cold War start soon afterwards. Fear of atomic bombs. Vietnam war. We don't really have any "peace time".

 

[heavenlyboy34]

lol.. there's this thing called Soundcloud, people make their own music and upload it, they play at music festivals and gigs hosted by companies like Eventbrite and get popular that way. There is still plenty of commercialized music, but if that's all you think is coming out today you are totally wrong.

The reason millenials listen to classic rock is because it is good stuff, it's not boring crap made by people who don't do drugs like you had in the 40s and 50s.. although there is a lot of good jazz and such made back then, a lot of those guys were on drugs.

In the jazz age, players didn't use drugs just recreationally. They used speed, crack, etc, so they could stay up and play fast till well past midnight. See Ken Burns' documentary series about jazz.

 

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

? My grandparents never stopped listening to Big Band, and my parents still stick with 50's rock with a mix of classic country. It would be weird if they abandoned that and these days were bopping their heads to "All About The Bass."

I am considered a boomer but neither me nor my friends are wearing huge hair or leg warmers these days

What I find quirky is that the GenX and Millennials listen to classic rock That would like me and my friends listening to the Big Bopper and Bill Haley as we drove around mindlessly in pursuit of the ever-elusive something to do.

Some music transcends. Stuff like Free Bird, Queen, and the like do that, just like the classics of Vivaldi, Wagner, etc. That said, my generation has an obnoxious taste in music (Mill. circa '86). Granted, we are also the generation of death/black/etc. metal, so we're not all bad

 

[JK/SEA]

heh...i'm 64, and i like this...blow me.

 

[Ronin Truth]

I'll SWAG that in 200 years folks will still be listening to Mozart, Bach and Beethoven, etc..

 

[Origanalist]

Is this like the patriarchy?

 

[Lucille]

LOL

Did anyone take the quiz?

It must be Boomer bashing week at the Post. There's another just below that one, which has over 2000 comments! LOL

Baby boomers are what’s wrong with America’s economy
They chewed up resources, ran up the debt and escaped responsibility.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...-with-americas-economy/?tid=article_nextstory

Ronin, that's Strauss and Howe, the Fourth Turning guys. I'm surprised you didn't know that! You've mentioned it several times lately.

 

[Ronin Truth]

LOL

Did anyone take the quiz?

It must be Boomer bashing week at the Post. There's another just below that one, which has over 2000 comments! LOL

Baby boomers are what’s wrong with America’s economy
They chewed up resources, ran up the debt and escaped responsibility.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...-with-americas-economy/?tid=article_nextstory


Ronin, that's Strauss and Howe, the Fourth Turning guys. I'm surprised you didn't know that! You've mentioned it several times lately.

Knowing it and buying into it are not the same thing.

 

[oyarde]

lol.. there's this thing called Soundcloud, people make their own music and upload it, they play at music festivals and gigs hosted by companies like Eventbrite and get popular that way. There is still plenty of commercialized music, but if that's all you think is coming out today you are totally wrong.

The reason millenials listen to classic rock is because it is good stuff, it's not boring crap made by people who don't do drugs like you had in the 40s and 50s.. although there is a lot of good jazz and such made back then, a lot of those guys were on drugs.

I like classic rock , blues and jazz .

 

[dannno]

In the jazz age, players didn't use drugs just recreationally. They used speed, crack, etc, so they could stay up and play fast till well past midnight. See Ken Burns' documentary series about jazz.

lol, this is coming from somebody who has probably never done a drug...

They also smoked weed, I'm not talking so much about speed and stuff, although I can see how that would be effective for staying up to party.

 

[Suzanimal]

lol, this is coming from somebody who has probably never done a drug...

They also smoked weed, I'm not talking so much about speed and stuff, although I can see how that would be effective for staying up to party.

They did all that and more.

 

[timosman]

They did all that and more.

Ménage à trois?

 

[Suzanimal]

Ménage à trois?

oui

 

[euphemia]

I'm toward the end of the boom and I never did any of those things. Call me a Goody Two-Shoes. I don't care.

If you notice, the Baby Boom generation is the longest of any other generations. I don't know that I shirked any responsibility. Ever. I was a little kid with a daddy in Vietnam. Nobody showed up at our door with sacks of groceries or boxes of toys. Our whole community was full of families that were temporarily single-parent homes because of the war. There were times when almost every daddy in our school was going to Vietnam, already there, or just got back. In fact, most of us were children of Marines, so we were expected to give our toys away because there were children who had far less than we did.

I do not cling to anything from my childhood or teenage years because they were years of fear and loss. I get that I'm not the norm, but there you go. I do not like to be lumped in with people who made bad choices and wrecked normalcy for the rest of us.

Lovers of liberty respect the right of others to have an opinion, and it might be a good idea to remember that. People have their own experiences, and it's unkind to judge people by their ages.

Right now I am pretty angry about being caught between two generations that think it is okay to rob me of my hard earned money so their lives of luxury and entitlement can be lived for free. People older than I have live very well off my dime. People in college treat their education with contempt, and it's easy because I'm the one paying for them. I would like to live a year without the government demanding to take most of what I have because someone I never met thinks they deserves it.

 

[VIDEODROME]

They did all that and more.

This is what talent shows like American Idol needs. Vocal talent combined with enduring long performance schedules and your performance enhancing drug of choice.