Absolutely. And it was a selection to boot.Originally Posted by KaiserD2
So, this year, ANY Republican elected to ANYTHING is a disaster, and disasters are "consequential." But that doesn't mean the election of a Democrat is consequential; it just might be less of a disaster.
And even so, things like the violation of human rights seems to occur regardless who wins.
I will most likely vote for Obama too. But the more I experience the partnership between our politicians and the corporations, the less secure I feel in regards to our economic and foreign policy issues. Sad but true.
"The only Good America is a Just America." .... pbrower2a
It's just the numbers that exist that prove that. Comparing Boomers and Transcendentals timewise is impossible, because of the so-called anomaly. The authors list Transcendentals as lasting 30 years, and even then were late in coming.
You're seeing things well but interpreting them wrong. If anything, we are at 1850, not 1860. And 1932 isn't going to happen again ever.I am basing my argument on what I see before my eyes.
There is no basis at all for these statements. We Boomers just got here, and will be around longer than any previous generation. Bush manufactured a crisis from the raw materials given to him because he was a stooge for neo-con ambitions. Bush was serious about nothing; he was a frat boy being used by others because he had a name and appealed to southern prejudices.One obvious point is that Boomers have clearly passed the peak of their influence already. Another is that GWB was the only President who had a sense of what a crisis was and how he wanted to use it. (His goals, I agree, were pathetic, but they were serious for him all the same).
Nothing personal or critical of your other writings, which I'm sure are good, but I hope this will be a LONG way off. What we need is for Boomers to get a lot more pep talks and visits to the clubhouse. We need to be told what our potential is and our duty is now. That is your duty, should you choose to accept it instead of your current plans. I challenge you to fulfill it!Another and most important is that the Boom generation simply didn't have what it takes to produce the kind of regeneracy that the Missionaries brought about. My new book will, I hope, convince more of you of that. (It's a ways off yet.)
It's there, and beginning to rev up. Given the depths of the delusions over the last 30 or 40 years, and given the fact that our political system is broken, it is taking a lot longer than last time to climb out of the morass.And the last, most important point, is that the only political force on the horizon genuinely trying to transform America are conservative Republicans. I think their transformation may have gone as far as it can go, but there's nothing out there on the other side that's comparable at all.
Things always happen differently in each crisis. Our 3T wars are the equivalent of 1917; S&H even said as much I think.The 1920s had nothing, nothing in common with the 00s from a foreign policy point of view. We were at peace. That's one huge difference right there. Then we have the accident, as has been pointed out, of the left-wing party taking the brunt of the economic crisis, not the right-wing one. That has already had huge political consequences (1930 and 2010.) Obama may be re-elected but with neither the mandate, nor the majorities, nor the will to start a new transformation of America.
The power of the right wing, and current political rules, make a transformation impossible through normal channels. That is why we are at a point like the 1850s. Our system and our federal union itself needs to be ruptured and changed; unlike in 1932, when all we needed were some powerful social programs and a war. Today our system is broken and doesn't work, and is incapable of achieving anything. We are being held back by old southern white guys with too much power, and it doesn't matter much what generation they are; they are all the same.
The correct conclusion from our failure to begin transforming our society in this 4T is that we are in a time similar to 1850, not that our crisis began early and has already failed.
1850: political gridlock; compromises that don't hold. Two sides locked in irreconcilable positions. Waves of revolutions abroad. Severe economic dislocations and a war of invasion by the USA recently having happened. Sound familiar? It should; it is where we are.
Last edited by Eric the Green; 12-27-2011 at 01:34 AM.
Civil War cycle. I agree.Issues:Concentration of economic powerMoney and it's control of governmentLoss of empireCultural splitLimits to resourcesAll converging on the scope.
IPads are funny on how they format text.
David Kaiser, I think you have defined succinctly the main flaw with Barack Obama, despite his many talents. Maybe his presidency would have been more effective if he had chosen a Boomer as Vice President (like Hillary Clinton for example).
"The f****** place should be wiped off the face of the earth".
David Bowie on Los Angeles
Not in the least. It was the right way to dispose of someone who posed an extreme danger to America even in captivity.
Iran is just too big and powerful for any "shock and awe" campaign that would turn the Iranian people who might want their own 'regime change' against America.I agree that the approach is changing. I have no doubt we are attacking Iran with covert agents now. The "shock and awe" approach is not in favor.
The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid "dens of crime" (or) even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered... in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by (those) who do not need to raise their voices. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the office of a thoroughly nasty business concern."
― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
Out of the concerns I have about the world, Iran is extremely low on the list. Because if Iran came close to developing nuclear weapons, Israel would not hesitate to destroy the facilities which Iran would be developing nuclear weapons in. Israel actually did this to Iraq back in the 1980's when Saddam Hussein was developing nuclear weapons.
Considering the political events which have happened in the last several years in Iran, it is only a matter of time before the Islamist regime is overthrown by the Iranian people.
About Iraq in hindsight the 'occupation' after the overthrow of the regime of Saddam Hussein was handled extremely badly. It could have been handled a lot better, if it was not for the sheer institutional dysfunction which often is a feature of 3T's.
I have to say GW Bush was visionary when he talked about the "axis of evil" and wanting to use the USA's sheer military power to spread democracy into places ruled by tyrannies. To me it is truly inspiring, but yet trying to bring about that vision causes just as many problems as it was intended to solve.
Last edited by Tristan; 12-27-2011 at 08:25 AM.
"The f****** place should be wiped off the face of the earth".
David Bowie on Los Angeles
Tristan,
I would like to ask you if there's any chance in your opinion that Australia is somewhat behind the US and even the UK in the cycle, I must admit that I don't have much data to base this on, but my one data set is fairly compelling. It consists of Frank Sedgman, Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, and Rod Laver, mainly, who with the exception of Hoad (the most talented) had tremendously serious attitude towards their job as tennis players, never showed any emotion on the court, and consistently beat nearly all their American Silent and even Boomer opponents. (Pancho Gonzales was the one American Silent who could beat them.) The same was even true of John Newcombe and Tony Roche before he got injured, even though they are only a tiny bit older than I am. (The other were born in the 1930s.) Just curious as to what you might think, and I know this belongs on another thread but I'm too lazy.
David Kaiser '47
My blog: History Unfolding
My book: The Road to Dallas: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
I am not as optimistic as you. For one thing, the Iranians have learned from the Iraqi experience, and they are working on uranium, not plutonium (which is produced in a single reactor like Osirak) and a lot of their work is in underground bunkers. It's not at all obvious that the Israelis could destroy the stuff, and if they try and fail, I think the odds that the first successful bomb will be detonated in Israel, some how, go way up. Secondly, the Iranian regime in my opinion came to power as a result of a full-fledged crisis in 1979, making it 25-30 younger than the Tunisian and Egyptian regimes and thus not yet ripe, sadly, for collapse.
David Kaiser '47
My blog: History Unfolding
My book: The Road to Dallas: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
You're really getting there, Eric, and I'm impressed, but I would go further: "less of a disaster" is indeed "consequential."
In general violations of human rights take place under both parties in 4Ts and early 1Ts, so this is nothing new and should not be surprising. In this country respect for human rights--as opposed to women's rights or gay rights--peaked in the late 1T and early 2T last time out, when the Warren Court was handing down all its decisions on the rights of suspects and even stopped capital punishment for a while. A lot of us Boomers thought we were seeing the future. Wrong. That was also the era when classified information was most easily released.
David Kaiser '47
My blog: History Unfolding
My book: The Road to Dallas: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
If one speaks of America alone, then the Crisis began with the dishonesty and the administrative failures of George W. Bush. It may be that America's political heritage almost creates the inevitability of weak government at the end of a 3T. The financial crisis hit America earlier than any other country but it also became inescapable. The only way in which a country can avoid the consequences of the financial meltdown is to not be on the international order. Except for starting a nasty war in Iraq, scandals and ineptitude of the GWB administration didn't go beyond America.
The Great Stock Market Crash and ensuing economic meltdown of 1929-1932 precipitated the Crisis of 1940 in most of the world... including the rise of the Great Satan in Germany, the polarization of Spanish political life the destruction of all democratic tendencies in Japan, and perhaps the radicalization of Benito Mussolini. Even in the USSR Stalin got the opportunity to revive, extend, and intensify a Crisis that had begun anomalously early (1917); we may never know who assassinated Kirov (1931), who would have been a likely replacement of Stalin.
The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid "dens of crime" (or) even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered... in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by (those) who do not need to raise their voices. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the office of a thoroughly nasty business concern."
― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
I knew the Kirov was named for *somebody*...
Honestly, I cannot see Australia being more than say four years behind you in the USA on the saeculum. Right now the 4T has either just started or was triggered by the Global Financial Crisis (although I lean towards the former, although I highly suspected it triggered the 4T in Europe).
Anyway all of those athletes you mentioned above were born between 1927 and 1938, which would put them in our Silent Generation. Both Newcombe and Roche can also be included in our Silent generation as well, because their last cohort was likely 1946. Interestingly enough all these players were trained and coached by a Hero (Harry Hopman b.1906).
I admit I am wandering off a bit, however despite our Silents are younger than yours, their presence in our institutions currently is much weaker. They have a majority (until 2016) on the High Court (our version of the supreme court), however that is about it. Our Silents have largely left public life over the past several years.
"The f****** place should be wiped off the face of the earth".
David Bowie on Los Angeles
I disagree about the Iranian regime coming to power in a Crisis, it was an early awakening event (The English Civil War comes to mind) event.
Right now Iran is half-way through an unravelling along with other middle eastern nations, "the Arab Spring" reminds me a lot of the fall of the communist bloc c.1990 or the Russian revolution back in 1917(both which were unravelling events). Also the last two presidents Iran has had were an Artist (Khatami) and a Idealist (Ahmadinejad).
"The f****** place should be wiped off the face of the earth".
David Bowie on Los Angeles
Tristan, the Iranian revolution was 30 years ago. Their current situation doesn't remind me in the least of the reign of Charles II. The changes made by the English Revolution lasted less than a decade. The changes made by the Iranian revolution lasted a LOT longer.
David Kaiser '47
My blog: History Unfolding
My book: The Road to Dallas: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
To recommend thrift to the poor is both grotesque and insulting. It is like advising a man who is starving to eat less.
-Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man under Socialism
This reminds me of the way OWS was attacked when the American Nazi Party and others endorsed it.
Well the Restoration in 1660 occurred because the succession from Oliver to Richard Cromwell was not a success. Which resulted with the ruling class asking Charles II to come back and be King. If Richard Cromwell had been anywhere as good of a leader as his father, the regime which Cromwell established would have continued. That sort of situtation would very similar to the current situation in Iran.
Last edited by Tristan; 12-27-2011 at 10:27 PM.
"The f****** place should be wiped off the face of the earth".
David Bowie on Los Angeles
The Iranian Revolution survived Khomeini's death just fine. In fact 1979 has turned out to be a great turning point in Middle Eastern history--far more than an Awakening.
David Kaiser '47
My blog: History Unfolding
My book: The Road to Dallas: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
David I agree with you on the Iranian Revolution being a Crisis, but mostly because of the account of it from an Iranian who lived through it & has told her tale. Persepolis. There are scenes in Persepolis where she is put side-by-side with European Xers... and Marjane does not come across as a Nomad, but more of an Artist (of the Civic/Artist cusper variety). Here's that scene--it especially becomes apparent by the end. Where she stands up to the Nomads--after growing sick and tired of hearing them talk about "life is absurd" and nihilism--she fires back with "life isn't absurd, people give their lives for freedom!" In that scene there is a distinct drawing of a line that she's definitely not a Nomad.
~Chas'88
Last edited by Chas'88; 12-27-2011 at 11:03 PM.
"There have always been people who say: "The war will be over someday." I say there's no guarantee the war will ever be over. Naturally a brief intermission is conceivable. Maybe the war needs a breather, a war can even break its neck, so to speak. But the kings and emperors, not to mention the pope, will always come to its help in adversity. ON the whole, I'd say this war has very little to worry about, it'll live to a ripe old age."
Ron Paul Warns Of United Nations Dictatorship in 1998 Video
This is directly out of his mouth, Justin.It's getting harder and harder for Texas Rep. Ron Paul to distance himself from the nutty, conspiratorial newsletters that were written in his name throughout the '80s and '90s. The latest clear link? A 1998 video unearthed by amateur opposition researcher Andrew Kaczynski, in which Paul claims that the United Nations is planning to strip Americans of the right to own property, guns, and practice free religion.
The video, which was produced by the extremist right wing John Birch Society, echoes the paranoid tone of Paul's various newsletters. It suggests that the United Nations is planning to impose a global dictatorship, leaving the U.S. Constitution "consigned to the ash heap of history," among other conspiratorial warnings.
Alongside ominous footage of burning crosses and a building labeled the "United World Temple," the video's narrator also warns that the U.N. plans to burn all churches that don't submit to the "anti-Christian attitude of the almighty" U.N. government, and incarcerate their pastors.
"If the United Nations has their way, there will be curtailment of our right to practice our religion," Paul says in the video. "They are not going to be believers in the right to practice our religion as we have seen fit throughout this country. And therefore individuals who are interested in this subject certainly cannot be complacent about what the United Nations is doing."
As Mother Jones points out:
After seeing Paul endorse the John Birch Society's radical conspiracies on tape, voters may find that defense much more difficult to believe.This is exactly what you'd expect from the John Birch Society, an organization that has spent four decades urging the United States to leave the United Nations. It's not what you'd expect from a serious Republican presidential candidate. It's not even the kind of language you tend to hear from Paul on the campaign trail, where he's more likely to talk about raw milk than the New World Order. And that's been Paul's best defense; the newsletters just don't sound like anything he's ever said.
To recommend thrift to the poor is both grotesque and insulting. It is like advising a man who is starving to eat less.
-Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man under Socialism
Getting to the heart of why some are supporting Ron Paul.
The Sinister Genius of the Ron Paul Agenda
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews...gn/#paragraph4"The sinister genius of the Ron Paul agenda," Stan said, "is that there's this one piece of the agenda -- the anti-war rhetoric -- that acts as a siren call to progressives and turns off their brain to the rest of the agenda."
In a discussion moderated by host Cenk Uygur, Chartier suggested that Ron Paul's anti-war rhetoric and stance on civil liberties trumped other aspects of his agenda, which Stan argues (and has been reporting for months), is anti-African-American, anti-woman and anti-gay. (Stan's recent
AlterNet essay examines how and why Ron Paul could win next week's Iowa Caucuses.)
"The only Good America is a Just America." .... pbrower2a
Thank you! My wife has been trying to get me to watch it for some time. Now I will!
David Kaiser '47
My blog: History Unfolding
My book: The Road to Dallas: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
To repeat in re Paul: I know the concept of personal responsibility has been pretty eroded in recent decades, but saying that things you signed off on don't represent your views is pretty near a new low.
David Kaiser '47
My blog: History Unfolding
My book: The Road to Dallas: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
