How did the tail-end of Baby-Boomers produce such dysfunction?

[JD159]

Lets extend this to people who grew up in any tough situation, and those who did not.

Another pelican commented that because I come from a good family in a fortunate situation, my MBA can hardly be regarded as an accomplishment, because other people have come from much dire situations and achieved much more. Which is true.

But is it fair to downplay someones achievements because they had a head start in the rat race? Is everything a millennial accomplishes asterisked because they did not struggle like some people in the past?

[tabs]

Originally Posted by JD159

Oh brother...

Please don't parf up a decent thread.

There is NO POLITICAL right or left content here...it is all about what happened historically on the psychological, social, economic, and even political (in the sense that it had an effect on politics) levels.

I write from neither a right nor left pov. My personality is on the conservative side of the coin and as such I have to represent that pov. However I can delineate that right out, as I can watch myself do it.

Some people think I pontificate, but what I present is the cold light of day with no and ifs or buts. Reality is a hard mistress and it is tough to swallow at times. Many people dither this way or that trying to avoid the truth of the matter, but reality is like a dagger in the heart...the consequences are unavoidable.

I do have a very unique perspective for this or that reason, where as most people live their lives in MONO with possible intermittent STEREO effects I live my life in a full Stereo world...In other words I understand DUALITY, or being able to see both sides of the coin at the same time. Where I live is in the middle between the two sides of the coin..

To use a sonic analogy it is like being able to pick out the counter posing guitar riffs of both Richards and Taylor on the Get Yer Ya Yas Out version of Sympathy For the Devil. There is clear delineation once you start to listen for them. For me it is like that for everything...and in the middle you have Jagger growling like Lucifer himself.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by JD159

I'm sorry. I haven't stepped far enough beyond the doors of perception, even after 4 years of studying philosophy, to know what you are saying.

Over the past 40 years. Societies change. Politics change. Bad things happen. Good things happen. Bad people are elected. Bad people are re-elected. Good people are elected. We went over this. Even if western civilization collapses, it will suck for us, but eventually, things will get better, if history repeats itself, as you always remind us.

I've got a question for the brain trust. I see this topic come up a lot here. I come from a non-military family.

Why is it that some people always bring up how the new generation of youth and young adult, don't know suffering, don't know fear, have never fought in a war, weren't shipped off to vietnam when they were 18 etc etc etc. As if it is a bad thing. As if they can never be responsibility or develop character, without these things. You catch my drift.

I have everything to thank to the people who gave me my freedom. The fact that I can sleep in on Sunday. Play videogames when I choose. Everything I am privy to is because a number of decades ago, millions of people fought and died for my freedom. They fought so that I can sleep in on Sunday. So that I don't have to go through what they went through. It was their gift to future generations.

Why is it that it is often brought up in a negative tone? As in, those millennials and younger are spoiled. They have never had to go through these things. They don't have the character. They don't have the responsibility. They didn't grow up as fast and as hard as we did. They have no idea what it is like etc etc.

Some people are grateful. Some people are not. But isn't it hypocritical to fight for something, hoping nobody would have to fight for it again and endure, and then criticize those who have not? Criticize their lack of character and responsibility? I see it a lot on this board. Just confusing.

Unless you have been in the 7TH ring of he11 you don't know what is like, nor do you know if you can persevere. It is like combat where everyone around you is dyeing and you survive. Many do survive but not many figure out why their quick moves separated them from the dead.

Now how many of you can hear the stereo playing here?

[Moses]

Originally Posted by Tilikum Turbo

I look at my own older sister who's kids were raised with no real consequences to screw-ups, have a gross sense of entitlement, NEED to be praised everyday for mediocrity, and have all the confidence in the world(no doubt psycho-tropically drug induced), yet have the actual ability to do very little.

Then I realize that this is not unlike mainstream America...how did we raise such dysfunctional person(s)?

I think we've developed a bimodal Gen Y. There are hard working young kids who's efforts and achievements are inspirational. But for every one of them there are a dozen couch surfing, bong hitting slackers.

I think the top 10% of today's youth work harder for what they get than the top 10% of my generation did.

[Seahawk]

I just left my son's graduation from VMI.

We are fine.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I just left my son's graduation from VMI.

We are fine.

I was actually thinking of your son when I posted. I agree. We are fine.

[Seahawk]

I spent the 45 minutes waiting for all the graduates to get outside the arena after graduation with a Rancher and his wife from Montana. His grandson was a graduate today as well and coincidentally is friends with Jack. He is a Korean War vet and had a twinkle in his eye.

We had a great time. His wife is a Physicians Assistant who flew as a medivac PA in Montana. She had more harrowing flight stories than I do, X10. What a Dame.

It was a gathering of pleasant, solid people; families, accomplished in their own way who look you right in the eye.

Jack is on the right below, with a good friend from HS. Another fine young man. We took the exact same picture 4 years ago.

[black73]

How did the tail-end of Baby-Boomers produce such dysfunction?

The same way as the generation before and the generation after. And the generation before that and the one that will come after. Why do you think that is the only generation with screw ups?

[osidak]

I just had an employee give his notice - he is about 24 y/o

I asked him why? His reply - More pay less hours. So I probed a little more - He said he was going to make about $1.50 more an hour... So he is taking a pay cut when you count overtime (he won't be getting any now). I probed a little further. He said he saw no room for growth because he didn't see me leaving anytime soon. I had been offering to pay for certifications that would help him move up in our world... he never took me up on those offers.

He doesn't have the skill set to do half of what I do and yet he thinks he should moving into my job in the near future.

I wished him luck on his new job.

Interviewing to replace him I see much of the same attitude in the same age range. They don't seem to feel the need to work up the ladder - they think they are owed the position they want.

[pavulon]

Screwed up kids mostly come from screwed up parents who were frequently kids of screwed up parents. Alcohol, drugs, abuse, grandiosity, entitlement, mental illness...many know nothing else and can't imagine anything different. On and on.

[JD159]

Originally Posted by osidak

I just had an employee give his notice - he is about 24 y/o

I asked him why? His reply - More pay less hours. So I probed a little more - He said he was going to make about $1.50 more an hour... So he is taking a pay cut when you count overtime (he won't be getting any now). I probed a little further. He said he saw no room for growth because he didn't see me leaving anytime soon. I had been offering to pay for certifications that would help him move up in our world... he never took me up on those offers.

He doesn't have the skill set to do half of what I do and yet he thinks he should moving into my job in the near future.

I wished him luck on his new job.

Interviewing to replace him I see much of the same attitude in the same age range. They don't seem to feel the need to work up the ladder - they think they are owed the position they want.

Ahhh IC. I'll bet current 24y/o are the first to not respect authority or want to skip the chain of command. All previous generations like your own had the upmost respect for those in a superior position.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Otter74

This suggests that perhaps you do not know as much as you think you do about the various political systems Either what European social democracy is about (since Bernie is roughly a standard-issue norther European social democrat in terms of his policy positions), or about Venezuela's political system, or maybe both. I am no expert on the former, but I am pretty well-informed on the latter. If you're curious, I'd be happy to have a private conversation about it (I think it would be a bit off-topic here.)

I would be grateful for such an exchange, even if done publicly.

[HardDrive]

I have 2 young people on my team, one 23, the other 28. Both recent college graduates. They work their asses off.

[Brian in VA]

Some you can blame on longer life span and the market crash keeping boomers working, keeping gen x from the top positions and gen y even further down. Tail end boomers have all of the money tied up (kind of funny from the once upon a time hippy generation). What's really going to be bad is when they all sell off the 401ks and property as they begin to cash out and die off, can you say stock crash?

[tabs]

Originally Posted by Moses

I think we've developed a bimodal Gen Y. There are hard working young kids who's efforts and achievements are inspirational. But for every one of them there are a dozen couch surfing, bong hitting slackers.

I think the top 10% of today's youth work harder for what they get than the top 10% of my generation did.

There was more opportunity for your generation. ..in other words more slop in the trough so no one really had to go hungry..

[tabs]

Perhaps the bong hitting slackers see the bk hypocrisy of their elders in striving for more stuff in a materialistic society. How much inner peace do you have surrounded by stuff while working on your third marriage?

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by tabs

Perhaps the bong hitting slackers see the bk hypocrisy of their elders in striving for more stuff in a materialistic society. How much inner peace do you have surrounded by stuff while working on your third marriage?

OMG. This.

Why do you confuse peeps with the facts?

On the upside, I will say my 25 year old daughter scares the s**t out of me with her political savvy and work ethic. (meaning she is more aware now than I was at 40)

[daepp]

Congratulations Paul. I know how difficult VMI is, and how your son persevered more than just about anyone else. I'm sure he will do well at whatever he chooses!

Similarly, God willing in 10 days I will be attending my daughter's graduation from USNA. I go there as often as I can just so I can feel the strength that emanates from so many fine young men and women. You described it well, and it does give hope for the future. It's really too bad more of the focus is not placed on the good and the true, but I understand the focus of the media all too well.

But for every VMI grad (how many?) and for every one of the 1200 Midshipmen that will graduate this year, how many others have no regard for what made this country great? How many do not know what makes the country exceptional? Time will tell I suppose.

Congratulations again!

[daepp]

If you're actually talking baby boomers (1945 to 1964 statistically), for a good read try:

[daepp]

Or if you want to laugh through your tears...