Boomer generation let us all down

I look at them now as a bunch of sell out yuppies. They set out in the 60's to change society and the world. They wanted to stop the war, end patriarchy and wanted to get women more equal in society, they wanted to end the destruction of mother earth. They felt that the world was made of people like their parents generation who were more worried about work and money. They were searching for making a difference as opposed to making loads of loot.

Then they all turned yuppie and sold out. I cant think of many former hippies who are now still preaching as they did in the 60's. John kerry certainly isnt making a major fuss about the current war as he did in the 1960's and 1970's when he threw his medal in Washington over the fence. He sold out, you really think the john kerry of 1970 is the same kerry now? hell now.

My parents sold out as well, they took jobs. Their jobs aren't political, and talking to them they arent into selling all furniture and moving to India. They are into buying cars, tv's, phones and other useless crap. Especially now, you see many people many parents like Cindy Sheehan suggesting that they will not rest until the war is ended and all troops are home. Not my parents, and not the boomers. They dont care.

The majority of senators and Congressman, and the last few presidents have been Boomers. You dont see them trying to stop the imprisonment of African Americans, or trying to stop police brutailty, or trying to save the environment, or trying to bring all troops home. Boomers dont care. They care about Medicare, and Social Security but thats it.

I am in many ways ashamed to be an American and ashamed to identify as a modern day Hippie, the old hippies give it a bad name.

Our generation has it way harder than generations past:
-40 countries in a matter of years will have nuclear capabilities ((in the 60's they only had to worry about one country Russia)

-Global Warming (True it was ongoing in the 60's, but our generation will live to see its wrath and outcome most analysts predict its effects will show itself in the next couple decades).

-Rising U.S. debt (passed on, and on the previous generation didnt pay it off, guess who has to pay for it now)

-Doctors bills, medical bills, treatment bills of returning Iraq War vets. (Analysts say that the returning Iraq Vets have higher rates of mental illness than in previous wars)

-Our generation will most likely be the first generation to see the extinction of many species (salmon, polar bears, all fish, all trees etc...)


My question is what the hell happened? Why did the hippies turn their backs on their ideals, and get jobs and not care about what happens in the world.

I dont think the boomers give a damn about anything that happens to our generation. Who the hell do you think sent troops to iraq? Who the hell is cutting down all the trees? It aint our generation!!

Its becoming clearer and clearer that the only solution is revolution, a complete restructuring of society, and kicking out all boomers and getting 20 year olds in office who would be more likely to vote for our generations ideals. Or another option is to wait for the death of all boomers, I dont see them doing anything to help us. They are hurting our world. The problem with waiting for all their deaths is that it is wasting precious time. If most scientists predict all North Pole ice is gone by 2040, and all fish are extinct by 2050, and global warming effects the world completely in 20 years, waiting is killing us and does no good.

The revolution must start now. We as a generation shouldnt let down the next generation, like our parents did. We can and will change the world.

Every generation gets a chance, one shot to change society, to start the revolution. Our parents tried and failed. They are liars. Our generation is already starting to crumble, the school shootings are a good example. The WTO riots in 1999 in Seattle were all our generation and prove our generation isnt a bunch of apathetic idiots, our generation had an effect on that date.

Yet that cant be all our generation has to say and do, right?

Come on y'all lets take our world back!

We only get one shot at this, are we really willing to just sit by and watch everything happen? Are we willing to let salmon get killed off?

When this thing starts going, the revolution, I will be there, smiling, holding garden tools, tearing up the concrete and roads, ripping all that up.

Our world is being murdered, are you really willing to just sit there, and do nothing? We must save mother earth, because we have to.

SET IT OFF!!! RISE!!!

 

good post man, i must say that i agree and have a few thoughts on it myself. i noticed this too when i looked at the differences between my parents back then and them now.... id love to share more of my thoughts on this but will have to return later to do so.

however i'll say now that they got sucked in to the vacumm that are the priorties of Western culture, at a first guess id say they've become complacent with what is so easily paved infront of them...mentally complacent especially....westerns "keep the economy moving"... look at all these nice shiny things....etc.

its like they worked twoards things saw alittle progress and said, i guess thats it for now, we've done our job...also you have to take into consideration the influence of your typical american domestic family and the trend that families must follow in order to support children, and the progress of education from the 60's to now. there is quite a suscptible dynamic there i feel, as well as the psychology of transition periods and age ranges.... how the media and cultural ideals can have affect on these.... fixation in mind sets and plateau of psychological development supposedly happens in your early 20's, the intricate balancing act between the force and persuasion of mass groups or poplutlations and the power and persuasion of economy/culture societal ideas/political fundamentals .... with all of these factors and considerations intermingaling id say you would have a foundation for an extremly complex/convoluted analysis of this phenomenon.... it is HARD to have conflicting ideas in society that will continue to work the way it does regardless.... it takes an extremely strong and well aware individual to not only question but to act and keep acting...i'll be honest and say that i am not too surprised this movement subsided, apathetic and pessimistic i know but im just looking at things realistically.

My parents are a perfect example. they had to adapt and they did so but gave up their "hippie - ness" in the process... my once free thinking, incredibly artistic, sensitive and rather effemninate (adopted) father now (with the help of "macho" friends) comes home and watches football everyday, and very rarely says anything that would stimulate the mind or the senses. i guess im being a bit vague but you would understand if knew what i was talking about. the changes are somewhat subtle but the consequences of these changes are undeniable.

although this is unfair and certinaly not directed twoard everyone...from what i have personally experienced, this is a small part of the conclusion i have come to.

 

great posts; the problem we're now facing is the majority of the tweens and teens (i'm not saying those posting here) are becoming as materialistic and money grabbing as their now complacent parents. we have to get it started for ourselves and look to those coming behind us to keep the fires burning. thank goodness my son has been raised to be ecologically concious but let me tell you the media has wormed it's way into his brain and has worked overtime to convince him and his generation (he's 10) that they need every electronic gadget known to man. they're teaching our youth to be couch patatoes and not give a ratsass about anything but themselves. they aren't teaching them that there are any problems with the world. i agree. it's time to stand up & do something about it. but what?

 

either human civilization falls and we start again...or we abandon nature, and have factories produce our oxygen...i really cant see a balance, i think were too far gone...but that doesnt mean we should give up...

 

staying true to oneself isn't about values, its about love... and when you go looking to see how far someone has fallen from grace, you have to fall farther than them to see that

 

You have a lot of growing up to do my friend, though you seem to be opposed to growing up. Your thread drips of naive assumptions.

We accomplished all that to a certain degree. We ended the Vietnam war and made women more equal in society. There was a time when women's options in the workplace were limited to waitress, maid, seamstress, telephone operator, cashier, etc. There were virtually no female executives.

We're still working on that, and progress has been made. A generation ago the term recycling was brand new. We put a ban on whaling, enacted car emissions standards and have tightened factories' pollution outputs.

All of us? You're quite the cynic.

So once you hit your 20s you should stop changing?

Not true. Many of us were against this war from the start, we knew it was a quagmire, but our fearless leader went in anyway against the approval of the UN. Go to an anti-war rally and you'll see protesters of all ages.

That's funny, I see it all the time.

You happened. It's hard to turn on, tune in and drop out when you're faced with a child to support. We've modified our ideals after facing cold hard reality, but we've never turned our backs on them or stopped caring.

Once again, GWB sent the troops to Iraq. As for the trees, laws have been passed against clear cutting, though Bushie keeps trying to get them reversed. Yes he's a boomer, but he never had any ideals.

Reminds me of that old movie Wild in the Streets where the younger generation took over and made 30 the mandatory retirement age. It was a farce, just like your proposal is a farce.

By the time we're all dead your generation will be middle-aged and up, and you'll have changed your thinking just as we did. You really think nothing is being done to save the environment? Perhaps the greatest harm our generation did to the environment was to give birth to so many of your generation. All attempts to protect the environment will ultimately prove futile unless we can cut back our population.

Not true. People of all ages took part in that, it's just that the older ones weren't rioting, they wanted to keep it peaceful.

Mellow out. Give up your pipe dream of a revolution and be the change you want to see in the world, and work toward making it a better place constructively, not destructively.

 

Wow..... burn.

 

I hate that a lot of our politians have old ideas that dont work anymore, now is a time for change, ever since 2000 we needed to change but GWB got into office and he made it to a second term! who let that happen!? Change is going to happen, it is building up, lots of the teenagers to people in their thirtees have the right ideas for human rights, ecological change...ect viva la revolution!

 

the classic cop out..."grow up"...never in a million years should u acknowledge
"reality" or "grow up"...be idealist for ure entire life, and the next one if it is so required...reality is a common lie, pretend the world is a certain way and u dont have to be responsible for ure actions, cus thats "just the way things r"...we can do w/e we want, and we can make the world w/e we want

 

i dont think its a burn. hes simply sharing an observation, he did not say "everyone", and i appreciate that he took the time to write a long post with some perceptive insight, sure it is age-biased but what post isnt. he wasnt a "hippie" back then so he can only see it from his point of view, help him to see it from another, in a different manner

do you feel it is an attack?

....everyone has growing up to do. atleast he has taken the time to think about these things while other people his age (however old that may be...88'?) arent even aware, or could not care!!!! give malcolm encouragment for daring such a post.

i appreciated the post because in general, i have noticed the same things. dont always know the correct information but i would rather someone fill me in than contradict everything i was sharing as an opinion.

help people to grow, if they have so much growing up to do.

peace and unconditional love
understanding and patience.
good luck and good thoughts
- goodnight <3

 

So your parents sold out and got jobs.. ohh the shame of it. To have to work to pay for food and shelther so they could raise YOU. I'm sure they didn't want to cut their hair and get up before daybreak and fight the traffic so they could work boring nowhere jobs so you could have food, diapers, and a roof over your ungreatfull head.

So you think it's harder now, while you sit in front of you computers and everything is at your fingertips. What the hell has your generation done to make a difference, gone to a few rallies, where by the way, your not likely to be shot, or beaten half to death with billy clubs because you have long hair, hey we still have the first amendment, as to where we excercised it, and I'm not taking about badmouthing your parents but standing up and shouting no more war. Just so you could sit there and cut our throats. We faught for 40 yrs, you werent even born yet, but we faught the fight for you, so you our children would be able to live happier freer lives, and what do you do but blame us hippies the ones that did give a shit and we died for you.

When the Law Dogs started taking you away from us and put you in state homes, we had to either go underground or make changes so we could raise our faimlys. Now you blame us for everything we faught againts and gave our lives for. Your barking up the wrong tree.

70% of of our offsping are all strung out on either perscription drugs, or ICE.. is this your generations contribution to changing the system of things?!?

Revelution!! Good idea, borrow dads car so you can start a revelution with your allowance money. If you don't like the way things are get up off your butts next time and VOTE.

Dont call me a turncoat, I still walk with a limp from fighting for your rights these 40 yrs.. What have you done for me. What sacrifices have you EVER made for anyone.

Most of us 'babyboomers' are in our 60s, but I see you want Granny and Papa to keep doing all the work while you sit and complain.. that what, the world isnt perfect.. gee whiz, what a revelation.

sh

 

Everything comes with a price, it's up to you what price you want to pay, what sacrifices you are willing to make for other people.

Look at the 40s and 50s, then look again at the changes that took place during the 60s/70s Talk about social change. Where do you think the Peace Core, GreenPeace, Save the Whales, Save the Forest and all the inviromental organisations came from, Ahhhh you got it, us babyboomers you condem so light handedly. Who do you think legislates for change in the senant, who are out on the front lines still making changes everyday while you sit in judgements of our efforts. Why should we keep the fire lit when your throwing dirt on the flame.

How many of us do you think are left, we're old, sick and some are dying.. we have our minds left and we try to teach, but you aint listening.. just laying blame bc your world isnt perfect.

WE had to make our own way.. so do you.. we said the same things to our parents that your saying to us and your kids will say to you. We wanted better for our kids and made it happen.. to what degree is not the message, the message being, you have to be the change you want to see in others.

I still live the hippie lifesyle as much as the law allows. I have raised my children with love for land and creature, I raised them to respect wisdom and stand up for their rights.. but what I am hearing for generation X is a lot of whinning about how tough they have it..I don't want to spend my old age in prison finghting for a bunch of ingrates.

Life is what you make it, you cant blame others for your own circumstance, you are in control of what happens to you and your life. If ya don't like the movie change the channel or write a new script. It's in the doing of it that brings about change. Cursing at it wont move a mountain, you need dynomite and a backhoe.

It would be grand if generation x would start a movement for change, but to run helter skelter tareing up the road, ya best think of what your gonna replace it with and who is gonna run the show, it would be a pity to be liberated into total chaos, myhem and murder or an anything goes society.. I really dont want ya'll fucking up my grandchildren.

Look ya'll have some great minds and can put them to use in congress.. obtw, they don't let longhair hippies in the oval office so even tho you might have hippie beliefs you can't show it if you want to be taken seriously.

John Kerry will never be pres.. his wife is a lowlife and wiill never be Ammerica's First Lady, you have to be a lady to quailfy. My personal belief is that if you represent a moral standing in society you would want a person with some dignity and not a woman that says fuck you and spits on constituants to represent you, definelty not First Lady material in my book.

We are looking for a more Spiritual approach to cange, we old hippies are praying hard for it, putting our best vibes forward. We are handing the Physical Fire Stick over to you, we hope you learn from our and other generations mistakes and bring about world peace and a clean inviroment.. more power to you..the old way of things is passing and the new old ways are coming in. Put your energies into the changes you want and need to make.. don't blame others.. we didn't fail you.. we're still kicking, the ones that can still kick.

I tell you this: It was like being a Black Beatle with two broken legs trying to fight off a mound of Fire Ants.. Do you even know what we went through to save the rights we do still have. At least we showed up.

My blood stains have long worn off Haight St. But what happened there is forever.. you nor anyone can take that away from me or any of us that served time there and in other places..and believe me, it was war.

I pray you do make changes.. but I also pray that you do it with love and compassion and not kill off us old hippies bc you think we failed you. We did our part no matter what you think.

sh

 

wet azz little suburbanite's got no ballz or HAIR left to pull themselvez out of their tv programed cozzy fantasy roomz an head out into te real world all around everywhere except in that tv world surrounded by mommy an daddy tv.

 

Yes you're right. Most of the so called hippies sold out. They had children and they got tired of living in school buses and wikiups. They realized all of their hippie friends and leaders were not angels. They were not the hardy pioneers they thought they were. A lot of them were soft and selfish kids who grew up in the opulent, consumer driven 50s and 60s. Their kids pressured them to get normal so as not to embarrass them and the kids cried and whined to get the stuff their friends had. Having babies can be very expensive in Amerika.

Then there's cars and insurance and houses and insurance and insurance and insurance and most of Amerika is damned expensive. It's not a 3rd world country. Still they could have stood up against their neighbors and their kids and their parents and their spouses and the legal system, you're right. They could have taken up arms in the streets. A few did. Some of those people are out of prison now. Ask them what they think of what they did. In general this is not a hippie society. To buck it is a constant struggle and you have to be smart and plucky and have some kind of income. It's all a lot of pressure. Pressure you can't imagine when you're young.

As for the violent revolution part, this has been tried. What happens is there is a lot of bloodshed, intense suffering, madmen on the rampage and 5, 10, 30 years down the line nothing much really changes except the increased bitterness and sorrow of memory. America had a revolution from Britain. But Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others didn't. Which countries are more together and less destructive? France had a revolution. That's when they invented the guillotine. There's revolutions going on all over the world. Some call them civil wars. Wars wars wars. What good do they do in the end?

The human animal is basically stupid and corrupt. What can I say. There's nice people though and a few smart ones. Hippies are no exception to any of these categories. If you really want to make a revolution get rid of your car, stop eating animal products and junk food. Buy all your stuff at yard sales or make it. Maybe
you already do. That's great. Treat everyone you meet with gentleness, respect and consideration. That includes hip forums entities.

Is the world doomed? Perhaps. Is this a tragedy? Yes. Can we do anything about it? Good question. I share your anger and frustration. I sympathize with your aims. Keep yourself on track. Don't let the mother fuckers bring you down. Don't sell out. Be a shining example of what you think a person should be like. Do all that first and then think about persuading others to follow you. It's alot harder than you think. But if you do it in a positive way, with love, then maybe you have a chance. That's the one thing I hope we all learned from the 60s.

 

so defensive...people...goodness he is not calling you out personally....

can you all really account for every single person who at one time was considered a "hippie"... i dont think so. give the guy a break.

 

Then send your hippy parents to a third-rate retirement home where the nurses steal their morphine.

 

itz all Karma, you ar where you must be.

 

talk about wat u did yesterday all u want...the fight continues today, and obviously uve given up...dont blame the kids for being spoiled, they didnt buy the house in the burbs, u did...

 

What would one come to expect from a generation who's ideological leaders, the so-called guitar god's, were also a generations biggest capitalists?

Nothing like being a rock star in the late 60s and early 70s, and appearing on stage in Converse all-stars, jeans, and a t-shirt for a two hour concert. Then afterwords, having a Rolls take you, and the band, to your own private jet, parked at the nearest airport. So that, when you land, your chauffeur picks you up, and takes you too your 700 year old castle in the English county-side, or perhaps your mansion in Beverly Hills; or, if the mood strikes, and the weathers nice, your beach front home in Malibu. You see, it was Jimi, Janis, Grace, Jim, Peter, Eric and many others, who, were the ones who let a generation down with their self-consuming importance and arrogance; and not your parents. Because your parent's were, in all likelihood, simply trying to conduct their lives according to the way the music told them too. While the heroes of a generation, did the exact opposite, of what they preached in their music and interviews.

Bye.

 

I live on a small family farm, not in the suburbs. As I said before.. you aint listening..What you call yuppie were never hippies to begin with.. these yuppie you speak of were weekenders looking to be cool..hippies are hippies.. It's not where you live or how you dress.. it's what you think and your beliefs. It's the love you have inside your Spirit.

As far as 'giving the guy a break' How long are we old ones to sit here and let these youngers take potshots at us yr after yr after yr.. when do we get a break.. Who ya gonna blame when there are no more of us left. Where's your love.. you'll be old someday, if your smart enough to survive. Live it up now, bc in 20 yrs you will be where we are sitting.. ducking bullets from your very own kids.. BTW my kids are also hippies and live the lifesyle and have love in their hearts.

I'd also like to say that all musicans were not hippies, they dressed the part but their hearts got caught up in the money. That is not the hippie way.. Hippies are people too.

"Dont follow leaders and watch your parking meters"

sh