Generation Zero: Documentary Film Review
Generation Zero
Generation Zero is the title of a new documentary that explores how the Social Liberal ideologies of the Woodstock Generation led to the collapse of our financial system in America.
The Woodstock Generation rejected the traditions, customs, and mores of the Greatest Generation; the generation that had lived through the Great Depression and World War Two. The Greatest Generation built a society in the 1950s that is often the target of ridicule and derision by Social Liberals. It was the greatest country in the history of the world.
The country that was bequeathed to the Baby Boomers had the highest standard of living ever seen on Earth. The traditional family was the foundation of American society. The women of the time lavished love on their children; they focused on creating the best possible home environment for their families. For no other reason than this, the feminist movement lambasted these women as oppressed, less-than-whole women.
Divorce and out-of-wedlock childbirth were seriously discouraged until the 1970s, when both became celebrated as casting off the shackles of old-fashioned, out dated values. Since then both have increased by 800%--even with abortion coming into vogue to keep the numbers of the latter down. In fact, half of the fifty-five million aborted children would have been paying taxes, and helping to support the Social Security program by now if they were living. Implicit in all of this, is the rejection of one of the cornerstones of American history: personal responsibility.
Personal responsibility has been replaced by a self-centered, narcissistic world-view. The passage of welfare laws has helped to make this possible by making it attractive for people to do as little as possible to succeed in life, knowing the labors of others would be confiscated on their behalf; while at the same time making it clear to women that they were better off economically without a husband.
Social Liberals infested the Supreme Court, and for the first time in American history our country’s highest court cast God, the Bible, and prayer out of our public schools. This was a sharp blow against the traditional values that had formed the bedrock of what was America.
As our society became more godless; abortion, perversion, pornography, and promiscuity ran amok. The effect of all of this has been the creation of the most troubled, confused, unknowledgeable citizenry America has ever had; an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases; fractured families; and millions of children with no idea who their daddy is.
Wall Street
The financial crisis in America is a cultural crisis. It is no coincidence that the dot.com boom, bubble, and bust occurred during the late 1990s. That was precisely the time that the Greatest Generation of conservative businessmen retired from the workforce.
It was because of these men that the old adage of Business being allied with Conservative Republicans came about. This is now a long outdated belief. The new corporate, banking, and Wall Street power brokers are mostly Social Liberals who are in alliance with the leaders of the Democratic party.
The same spirit of narcissism that destroyed the traditional family is still at work. This can be easily discerned by noticing the $70B in bonuses given out in 2008, and again in 2009, to the failed gamblers working for firms that received taxpayer funded bailouts to the tune of Two Trillion Dollars.
Labor Unions
Labor unions have exacerbated the financial problems. Backed by Liberal Democrats, they gained the power to shut down American manufacturing firms through strikes and closed shops. Eventually, they gained wages and pensions ($75 per hour at GM) that priced America right out of the global market. But far worse than the cost of labor directly, were the union work rules that absolutely ruined the work ethic for which Americans were once world famous.
It is one thing to have workers paid ten times what they are in Japan or China when they build superior products, as we once did; it is quite another when the products are shoddily made. Unionism is the first step to Communism, said Karl Marx.
American manufacturing, which once exported goods throughout the world, has virtually disappeared. This has created a trade deficit that is a huge part of our current financial crisis. 6.5 million jobs have been lost in the last two years. But this has not slowed consumption by Americans. We consume 5% more per year of the world's resources than we produce. We can only do this by borrowing, personally and as a nation.
Social Liberals
The policies of Social Liberals have directly led to a concentration of power in Washington, D.C. States, counties, and local governments have less and less control over their own communities as the federal government usurps their jurisdiction. This has led to the powerful lobbyists who last year spent $3B to influence 536 people.
The environmental movement of Social Liberals killed nuclear power plant building; the construction of gas refineries; and the drilling for oil and gas. This helped make America dependent on foreign energy sources, upsetting our balance of trade.
The Social Liberals have created mountains of regulations—and the bureaucracies to enforce them—that have stifled American business. The largest corporations have welcomed this movement because it squashes all of the smaller, innovative players who cannot comply, or even understand, the regulatory requirements.
Helping to concentrate power in Washington are the movements that Social Liberals imposed on American society including affirmative action, multiculturalism, diversity, political correctness, and domestic-partner benefits--all of which are implemented and enforced by the federal government. Multiculturalism has damaged traditional American values, which it denigrates while glorifying failed cultures.
DEBT
The United States is now $12T in debt--$7T owed to foreigners. Our entire national wealth is $50T and that exact amount is owed in future payments for Social Security and other entitlements to the Baby Boomers who begin retiring next year.
The only people who seem to see where this is headed--the collapse of our nation--are the Tea Party people. Naturally, the liberal mass media—long ago conquered by Social Liberals—vilifies them. Why are they vilified? Who are they? That’s simple; they are a group of decent, hard-working Americans who believe in traditional values and fiscal responsibility.
The reaction of Social Liberals to the financial crisis, led by their president, Barack Obama, is to blame Capitalism itself as the villain and take over control of the manufacturing, banking, and insurance industries, thereby concentrating even more power in Washington. Word has been circulating that Socialism--or even Communism--has new wind in its sails. It was unmistakably Capitalism that made America great in the first place, but federal control over public schools has duped our young citizens into believing otherwise.
Barack Obama has increased the federal budget deficit from $400B to $1.3T in one year. While focused on phony problems such as global warming or health care, Obama and his Social Liberal cohorts are quadrupling deficit spending and quadrupling the money supply—devaluing the dollar to where it soon may no longer be the global standard. The 2010 budget deficit is equal to the entire 2001 federal budget.
If the $2T stimulus and bailout money had instead been given to the working middle class, it would have meant $40,000 per worker. Surely that would have stimulated the economy. The biggest problem is that Social Liberals do not believe in free enterprise.
The Dumbing Down of America
The problems in America run deeper than even all of this. The affirmative action, political correctness, and diversity movements Social Liberals have foisted upon America have ultimately meant that the best and the brightest--in public schools, universities, and corporations--no longer rise to the top. This has had tragic consequences.
Identity politics, envy, and a spoils system have taken the place of true competition. The case of the New Haven firefighters, where 17 persons were denied what they earned because they were white males, is only the tip of the iceberg in a nation where mediocrity is rewarded ahead of excellence as long as one is in the right group, and as long as the end result can be seen as politically correct. Imagine this same thing going on nationwide for twenty years or so. Well, it has.
Instead of earning and deserving advancement in society; it is now seen as an entitlement. This ultimately destroys the idea that Americans are responsible for the outcome of their own lives. Our national character is seriously devalued. Standards are lowered. The American Way is disdained. Traditional values are discarded.
The Communist ideal of "To each according to their need; from each according to their ability" has new life—the very opposite of personal responsibility for the success or failure of ones own life. This can be seen in the extreme by the number of the young trying (and oft times succeeding) to get on lifelong governmental disability payments (SSI) because one leg is shorter than the other, or they are allergic to alarm clocks.
The Community Reinvestment Act was another boondoggle of Social LIberals. This Act meant that loans had to be extended to people with lousy credit and no way to repay the loans--if they were in the correct identity group.
The Self-Esteem movement of Social Liberals helped to create all of this in our citizenry by praising kids for nothing, and more or less looking down on true achievement. No matter how lazy or dumb you are; YOU ARE GREAT! And so were your ancestors. Go ahead and be obese. You are still great. Why? Because you are breathing!
This whole mindset is why we have $100B of fraudulent claims in Medicare and Medicare each year. It's not about what you can do for your country. It's about what your country can do for you.
THE 1950s
The Americans of the 1950s saved money. They didn't buy a house or car unless they could pay cash for it; or at least put down 10-20% in cash. They didn't buy anything else on credit. They lived within their means. They largely stayed married to the benefit of their finances and their children.
They believed in legacy: that they owed a debt to the dead who came before them; and to the generations who would come after them. Today, a common response to the question of “what about future generations?” is "I'll be dead by then."
The Greatest Generation built the most Christian nation on Earth. With that came the Protestant or Puritan Work Ethic. Thrift, Prudence, Virtue--these three are now laughed at by Social Liberals.
IMMIGRATION
The immigration laws were changed drastically by Social Liberals beginning in the 1960s. No longer did America admit immigrants based on what they had to offer to America. Now it was based on admitting as many third-world peoples as possible.
When that didn't prove to be enough, the illegal immigration movement was supported, to flood the country with any poor sap as long as he wasn't white. Why? Because Social Liberals knew that people of color would vote for them, become dependent on the government, and develop a lifelong need for their social programs.
It's a Brave New World
In the 1950s life was not perfect. Life is never perfect. But America was the richest nation on Earth. It was filled with strong families, marriages that lasted, and good jobs. The killing of the unborn was extremely rare; bastard children were few; divorce was unusual; Americans honored God for the blessings he has bestowed upon our nation. We were rich.
Today, we are pacified by pharmaceuticals, 24-hour cable television to provide distraction, Internet pornography as a portal to evil, the government dole to back us up. The young are riddled with sexually transmitted diseases, they think nothing of killing their unborn children, and it is routine to have fatherless children.
We are obese, we have driven manufacturing out of the country, we are self-absorbed, the world owes us, we are told we’re great when we are not, our failings are not our fault, and our nation has piles of debts it can’t pay. We are morally, culturally, and financially bankrupt. America is broken and broke.
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AUTHORSanxuary ~ I appreciate your comments but I must ask: To what country do you refer? Surely not America.
Your Worlds are colliding in this article but you can not find the enemy. Socialism is the failure of Capitalism that was destroyed by greed. Regulation governs and protects society, its investments, the environment and all the little people who do not matter. The lack of it is the mess we live ion today. In place everyone won and we did not need Socialism. No one ever created socialism in this country because of a lack of need, in fact the rich saw it as another opportunity to get rich. Unions were the answer until they were bought out and corrupted as well. We have come full circle in the race for greed always looking for a way to create slaves out of everyone not rich. Deny anything that could possibly hold back greed and keep a dollar out of someone's pocket. We have an environmental disaster of epic proportions, an economy that is broken and a financial system that stands for nothing. There is no security, no safety net and life is hanging by a thread. Turn the power off and its pretty much over. One solar flare and its all over and we get to learn how to live or die again.
- AUTHOR
Texasbeta— I did not claim the report went back to the fifties. My exact words were:
'while in a quick check I did not find a study reaching back into the 1950s, I did find several that have asked women "are you happy" from 1972 trhough 2006 and guess what? The numbers steadily decline from then to now. See "The United States General Social Survey."'
I even left in my embarrassing typo for authenticity's sake. :D
I understand that white men rape white girls too. But as you know, my slick friend, that is not the point I was making. The point is that only ten black women are raped by white men a year; while 30,000 white women are raped by black men.
Where is the outcry from women's groups!?
AHHHH!!! They can't say anything about this because it demolishes other pillars that hold up their house of cards.
Poor people do not commit more crimes necessarily. If that were true, why didn't black men commit more crimes in the 50s when they were markedly poorer than today?
James, you first claimed the report went back to the 50s, which it doesn't. I proved that. It also doesn't ask about happiness. I listed the link to the actual report to prove my point. Click it.
You listing of rape is ridiculous, as you don't count white on white rape, which accounts for 44% of all rapes. Your claim on murder is from 1 year in a CBS article that I have already shown isn't viable in another one of your posts. If you want an answer, look into economics as opposed to race. Poor people commit more crimes, period. That fact that you and your ilk can't see past race shows again, your prime motivation is racism, and for you...sexism, which we have already discussed.
- AUTHOR
Texasbeta— I followed the first link you provided that shows the sharp increase in incarceration rates after 1980. 1980 was a watershed year for crime in America.
If you look at the fifth section (I think it is 5th) in my recent Hub "The Presidency of Jimmy Carter" you will see it is all about the crime wave that crested at that time. I will quote two pieces of that section here:
"From 1961 to 1981, violent crime had exploded fourfold from 146 victims per 100,000 Americans to 577. The years that Jimmy Carter was president were the most violent in American history. In his last year in office, 1980, violent crime increased ten percent over the year before. 20,000 Americans were murdered that year."
"James Q Wilson brought some Americans back to sanity in his 1975 book 'Thinking About Crime.' As Wilson pointed out, since the 1960s the United States had waged a massive war on poverty through the enormous social welfare programs of the Great Society. If poverty and oppression caused crime, then surely crime should have decreased since the Civil Rights legislation of President Johnson—which had expanded exponentially after he left office. But instead, the crime explosion seems statistically linked to the explosion of social welfare programs themselves."
Obviously, law and order had gone out of vogue for a decade or so and something had to be done. As I then added down further in that section:
Wilson wrote: "Wicked people exist. Nothing avails except to set them apart from innocent people. And many people, neither wicked nor innocent, but watchful, dissembling and calculating of their opportunities, ponder our reaction to wickedness as a cue to what they might profitably do. We have trifled with the wicked, made sport of the innocent, and encouraged the calculators."
I also think you discount the role that teaching children multiculturalism had in this. In 1960, 25 percent of all black children (in the black culture) were born out of wedlock. Among whites (in the white culture) the number was 3 percent. Multiculturalists taught kids that both of these cultures were equally valid and good. The result? Instead of following white culture, the next generation saw whites hit the 28 percent mark of illegimate births and the blacks—told that what they do is good—are now at 70 percent. That is the net result of your "progressive" ideas.
Over 30,000 white women are raped by black men every year in the United States, according the the FBI. Less than 10 black women are raped by white men each year. For some reason, these statistics are among the least publicized in our nation. There is no outcry from feminist groups about these white female victims. No social liberal is demanding hate crime legislation.
There are approximately 1,700 white on black violent crimes per year in America, and 2,000,000 black on white crimes. Blacks commit 58% of all murders though they only comprise 12% of the population. In prison, 90% of all rapes of men are committed by blacks, and 90% of their victims are young white boys. Yet hate crime legislation is largely designed to protect blacks from whites.
I do not understand why you accuse me of lying. The survey I quoted says exactly what I said it did. Women were asked the level of their happiness from 1972 forward and it has gone down ever since the survey started. This belies the claim that feminism has brought great happiness to women. It hasn't.
With regards to black and single parent households - A few things changed to promote this. One is the war on drugs, which wasn't widely pursued aside from a few propaganda films in the 40s, until the 60s. People have a tendency to use available drugs not to expand their mind, but to numb their emotion pain. Drugs became much more widely available since 1960, the economic disadvantages of black communities didn't, and the stronger law enforcement push and 3 strike rules has led to incredible numbers of incarcerated people, black disproportionally. It is widely accepted that blacks will get prison time for what whites would get probation for.
We have made a for profit prison system that has created a prison lobby that is one of the largest lobbies in the country, which utilize essentially slave labor in said prisons, this providing an incentive to incarcerate as many as possible. Couple that with how much the government pays for each prisoner (avg $35k/yr) and spends on average ($4k/yr). It is a for profit industry now...particularly since 1980 as the graph below demonstrates.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_incarceration...
Now aside from the race issue, poverty is the real issue. In 1964, 30% of poor children were born to single family households. Since the late 70s, it has been around 60%. The poor went to Vietnam, not the rich. Vietnam essentially ruined a generation of men who went...sure, some made it out fine, but we all see the countless numbers who never did. When did they get back? The late 70s. How many men died each month during the war? How many came back in shambles? When your father comes back as a heroin addict, how do you think that affects the kids, which got hooked on the crack push of the late 80s and did the same thing. Poverty is the issue, not race. The poor have gotten much less since 1980 than beforehand. A no-way-out mentality leads to drug dependance, departure, and self banishment. Those low level jobs have been shipped out of the country by Republican ideals, and then corporations literally paid for shipping away said jobs. Additionally, divorce is readily accepted in this society... as opposed to the sticking it out under extreme duress of the 50s.
You ignore segregation, the fact that lynchings were regular, minorities were treated like 2nd class people regularly, and you actually endorse it! It is not shocking really. We all knew your underlying motivations, but still.
Walk outside and ask 10 women if they want to be locked into the household for the rest of their lives, legally raped by their husbands if he wanted at any time, beaten without recourse, and limited to secretary positions only where they can get sexually harassed with again, no recourse...or live in today, and come back to me. BTW - Asking 80 yr old women isn't viable.
As for your study- you are lying - AGAIN.
"The GSS contains a standard 'core' of demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal questions, plus topics of special interest. Many of the core questions have remained unchanged since 1972 to facilitate time-trend studies as well as replication of earlier findings. The GSS takes the pulse of America, and is a unique and valuable resource. It has tracked the opinions of Americans over the last four decades."
http://www3.norc.org/GSS+Website/
Seriously, how can you push your alleged Christianity so often yet be so bigoted and lie so often? 1972 isn't 1950.
Additionally, it has absolutely no mention of "happiness." One thing it DOES have is:
Results: Women Should Take Care of Home Not Country BY Gender
1972-
MALE FEMALE TOTAL
AGREE 35.0 35.0 35.0
DISAGREE 65.0 65.0 65.0
Total Percent 100.0 100.0 100.0
(Weighted N) (2,687) (3,163) (5,850)
(Unweighted N) (2,595) (3,254) (5,849)
Quick Table: GSS 1972-2010 Cumulative Datafile
Results: Women Should Take Care of Home Not Country BY Gender (Percents)
MALE FEMALE TOTAL
AGREE 24.1 23.2 23.6
DISAGREE 75.9 76.8 76.4
Total Percent 100.0 100.0 100.0
(Weighted N) (10,199) (12,411) (22,610)
(Unweighted N) (9,747) (12,791) (22,538)
Sir, you flat out lie. You push "white right." You push chauvinism and believe everyone other than a white man should serve white men. Very let down James. Very poor.
- AUTHOR
Texasbeta— Firstly, you do understand that this article is a review of a film documentary, yes? Have you seen the film?
I did not think I ignored "the minority issue." I said earlier that:
"Are blacks better off than in the fifties? In some ways yes. I never said the fifties were perfect. If you could read you would know that I ackowledged this in my article. Crime by black males is 10 times higher today than in 1960. These are the good times? In 1960 72 percent of black children had a mother AND a father at home. Today only 12 percent do. Most do not even know their fathers. Now are the good times? Now is healthy and the fifties were wicked?"
YOU never made any comment about this paragraph. What do you think about it?
In regard to women, I told you that my perceptions were just that, my perceptions. Do YOU think the average adult woman in America today is happier than the average adult woman in America in say 1965? If so, on what do you base this opinion?
I said: "Women today are more ravaged by sexually transmitted disease than at any other time. That cannot produce happiness, particularly when it is incurable and lifelong.
Having fractured families and broken homes does not bring happiness to human beings. Married people live longer, have less health problems, and are more prosperous. This we know. The number one cause of poverty is well known to be the broken home.
Women are more depressed, on more psycho-tropic medications, commit more crimes than at any time in our history."
You made no comment on this. Is this unimportant to you?
I told you that "And, while in a quick check I did not find a study reaching back into the 1950s, I did find several that have asked women "are you happy" from 1972 trhough 2006 and guess what? The numbers steadily decline from then to now. See "The United States General Social Survey."
Do you dispute this study or think it unimportant?
James, once again you are trying to speak for women, trying to define what they want and what is important to them? They had too much time on their hands so they wanted their civil rights and rightful place in the world? That is really what you think?
Brother...once again, you ignored the minority issue, and shoved in quite a massive dose of sexism. Dude, I am playing quite nice with you...you have to admit. In this single post, you have displayed your motive for your belief window, and it is sexist and racist, in favor of a time when white men controlled everything and got everything they wanted, while everyone else didn't. I do believe that most conservatives feel this way, and it is their underlying motive. This hub and your responses truly reveal your principles and motivations, and they are not good dude. Not good at all.
- AUTHOR
Texasbeta— You are right that my estimation of women's happiness in America is not scientific but merely anecdotal.
It does seem odd that American women—the best off and most pampered women in the history of the world—would have been the ones to cry oppression in the 1960s. It could be they simply had too much time on their hands since life had gotten so easy.
But how could women not be happier when they had stable relationships with their families, husbands, parents, and children? A big part of being a woman is relationships.
Surely we can see measurements of some things down through the years. Women today are more ravaged by sexually transmitted disease than at any other time. That cannot produce happiness, particularly when it is incurable and lifelong.
Having fractured families and broken homes does not bring happiness to human beings. Married people live longer, have less health problems, and are more prosperous. This we know. The number one cause of poverty is well known to be the broken home.
Women are more depressed, on more psycho-tropic medications, commit more crimes than at any time in our history.
And, while in a quick check I did not find a study reaching back into the 1950s, I did find several that have asked women "are you happy" from 1972 trhough 2006 and guess what? The numbers steadily decline from then to now. See "The United States General Social Survey."
What I do know is that I have always been around lots of women and they seemed happier back then than they do today. My aunts verify this not just for themselves—they did know other women obviously—but for all women. The idea that being a whore will make you happy is simply not true.
13.7% of black completed high school in 1950. Today, 84% complete high school.
36% of white kids completed high school in 1950, while today it is at 87%.
Poverty has actually gone down
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/histor...
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/histor...
Crime has gone up, but surprisingly not by as much as I would have thought. The statistics are easily looked up. However, that doesn't take into account the making if drugs illegal, and the culture of violence that has grown up around that effort.
You make statements that are unverifiable, making them lies...like "women were, as a group, far happier in the 1950s than they are today."
First, you can't measure that. Secondly, where would you get that info? Third, who in the world are you, a white man who wants to go back to a time where they had limited rights, to claim you understand their happiness quotient? Do you have any idea how insulting that is, how demeaning and how condescending that is of you?
You make egocentric statements about your family as if it were a measure. It isn't. Nobody cares if you aunt was happy, except you and your aunt. Your family bred you. There is an obvious perspective there.
You flat out ignore the minority issue, just skate over it as if it didn't matter. The transparency you believe you display isn't so transparent my friend.
Finally, I list how we as a country have improved the rights of minorities and women, and you compare that to Stalin slaughtering millions for socialism. I fear that the veil of underlying bigotry has shown through James. Not a good couple of posts, not a good hub. Your claims are easily disproven and your perspective that you basically think that YOU, a white man, should run things, should have all of the rights, and if allowed to do so, everyone else would be happier, is frightening. Your real thoughts came through on this one my dear Watkins. Not good dude, not good.
- AUTHOR
Texasbeta— A horrible time? How can you say that when EVERY single social pathology is up by 300 to 1000 percent today compared to the 50s? Because things have improved for a some people? What about all the horrific negative features of our society and culture today? You don't see them or they don't count?
Joseph Stalin equalized his society too. Of course he killed thirty million people to do it, which his fellow travelers call "progress."
- AUTHOR
Nick Lucas— Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I appreciate the compliment and your excellent comments. Welcome to the Hub Pages Community! I look forward to reading your writings.
- AUTHOR
Texasbeta— I surely do not think that any era or decade has been perfect in all of human history in any land. We can sit and point out this flaw or that one amongst any society.
But we will be hard pressed to point out any period of time in American history with such high levels of social pathologies as the present day. And what decade did a larger share of Americans live healthy, happy, prosperous lives other than the 50s? Not today, quite obviously.
As far as the 1950s goes, a lot of what you accept is mere propaganda, my friend. Women were treated like property you say? Such as whom? Was your mother or grandmother treated like a piece of furniture? Mine weren't.
I had nine aunties (some have passed on, some not) and I have always been curious about this ever since I began hearing feminist rhetoric back in the 70s. Every one of my aunts was married for about 50 years and mothered multiple children. Some worked sometimes outside the home and some didn't. Most were heavily involved in church.
I had many conversations with them about the feminist movement. Mostly, their consensus was that it was about promoting sluttiness—which benefits men actually, not women—and lesbianism.
My aunts were not treated like property. They were loved, honored, respected, and cherished by most everyone they knew. Far more than most women today.
It is true that some parents beat their children, and some husbands beat their wives. And it is true that laws have been improved in these areas and enforcement enhanced. But is there less child abuse and domestic violence today than there was in the 1950s?
The Great Society was supposed to wipe out poverty. But poverty in America declined steadily from the 1940s through the 1960s without the "Great Society" programs. The all time low for poverty is 13 percent in 1968, yes? During Jimmy Carter's last year in the presidency, 1980, it was 70 percent higher—22 percent—despite trillions of government aid. What the War on Poverty really did was usher in dramatic increases in social pathologies—crime, drug abuse, laziness, fraud, welfare dependency, the destruction of the family, to name just a few. And all of these negatives have been more pronounced in minority communities than anywhere else, no?
There should be no minimum wage ever period.
Yes, polio was eradicated. And we now have air-conditioning. Surely applied technology has marched on, to our great benefit.
But women were, as a group, far happier in the 1950s than they are today.
Oppression and rape of women, minorities, in favor of purely and only white men...yeah, great values. The 50s were a horrible time, and horrible people want it back.
Great article! I agree with your points. Our country is at a new low because of a lack of values amongst other things. In the 50’s people had the attitude of country first and today they have the attitude of me, me, me…….
Very revealing hub. I disagree with every single point, but I have been saying that conservatives want the 50s back and that's it, for years.
Things you forgot that happened in the 50s:
-Women were treated like property
-Spousal abuse was allowed
-Child abuse was allowed
-Segregation
-Minorities were ignored by the police, except when they were beating them
-Acceptance of groups like the KKK
-50% of black families lived below the poverty line
-Minorities had to endure horrible working conditions
-People of color were not allowed to take part in the American Dream
-The minimum wage was $1
-From 1950 to 1959, 257,455 cases of polio were reported, mostly in children; 11,957 died of it
-A husband raping his wife was not considered a crime
-Women were limited to positions like secretary, with the labor force being 5/2...even then, they had to endure constant sexual harassment with no recourse
-If women wanted a career or an education, they were considered to be less than true women
-no air conditioning
What you are really saying is life was better in the 50s for white men like you, and nobody else, and you like it that way. That is really the heart of it. Everyone else "knew their place", and that "place" was below you.
To your other points:
You mention the dot.com bubble and leave out the S&L Crisis, Enron & WorldCom, and then the Great Recession. You link a single issue to a particular time, and ignore the others around it...what really led to these were the elimination of regulatory provisions on the market, which is an institutional part of your neocon ideology, beginning with Reagan. You are being misleading, and I fear, purposefully. Not good my dear Watkins, not good.
You claim the Wall Street power brokers are Dems? Are you out of your mind? Wait a second Watkins, you are being purposefully dishonest here. Dems want regulation on the market, want those very power brokers indicted for their fraud, to increase their taxes, and stop them from doing things like offshoring jobs and abusing the corporate tax loopholes and offshoring of revenue to avoid tax liability...it is the Republican agenda to fight every one of these things, and by definition, defend and protect these very guys. The fact that you try to project on this issue is extraordinarily dishonest. Maybe I was wrong about you.
Do I need to go any further? Really?
- AUTHOR
Glen Eagle— Do you truly have such a puny brain that you can look at America today and call the fifties wicked? Every fifth person today needs psychotropic drugs just to make it through the day. Half the women are sluts and proud of it. Our high school graduates are far dumber than they were in 1965. Crime has exploded as well. We used to sleep in my house with the front door unlocked and the keys in the car. Kids could play outside without fear of child molesters. Women saw pregnancy as a blessing not a curse to be exterminated. Mental illness is ten times more prevalent now. Half the population lives with a sexually transmitted disease. People are lonelier than ever. Our society is spiritually sick. Our # 1 export is porno! Little girls are objectified as sexual objects in our marketing. Every kind of perversion and deviant behavior is glorified. The only behaviors denigrated by the likes of you are virtuous, good, true, right, proper behaviors.
Are blacks better off than in the fifties? In some ways yes. I never said the fifties were perfect. If you could read you would know that I ackowledged this in my article. Crime by black males is 10 times higher today than in 1960. These are the good times? In 1960 72 percent of black children had a mother AND a father at home. Today only 12 percent do. Most do not even know their fathers. Now are the good times? Now is healthy and the fifties were wicked?
Yes, European immigrants—in particular Jews—made great contributions to our success. Pray tell what invention you have ever used that was created by a Mexican? That is not bigoted, you fool, that is the truth!! The truth cannot be bigoted. It is what it is. You just want to live in a fantasy world where everybody runs the 100 dash in the same time. It is not true. Everyone, every race, every ethnicity, every country, is not equally accomplished in this world.
Mulitculturalism would be fine if it was about learning about other cultures. That is not what it is. It is praise for nothing and bashing accomplishment. It is about bashing white men. Everybody knows that but you.
Every social pathology you can name—from depression to murder to pedophilia to suicide to felonious behavior to uncivility to non-stop profanity in public to whoredom—is at least five times worse today than in the 1960. If then was wicked, what the hell do you call today?
Mr Watkins,
I just read your article on the moral decay of America whilst pining for the days 50s. Whilst you make a lot of good points, there are a few things you glaringly missed out.
1) Your deified America of the 50s was racially bigoted and killed black people and treated any form of racial, sexual non-conformist as scum. Civil rights, women rights were trampled upon all the while maintaining a veneer of prayerful, Christianity. How can such a wicked society be classified as christian? And you wonder why the world reacted with such extreme behaviour during the woodstock generation. You were all blind to the glaring evil of your "perfect society of the 50s" which is why you get today's extreme moral decay.
2) Your bigotry and small minded understanding of the world leads you to conclude that multiculturism is bad and "immigrants are bringing down American moral standards". (okay i paraphrase). Wow...you are a fool indeed!!!. Have you left this country at all? Asian, Africans, Mexicans, all have scoiety's with strong family units and it is stupid and arrogant to imagine they are destroying American moral values. You may have a thing or two to learn.
3) America was the richest country in the world by default. Europe and Asia destroyed themselves in world war 2, their smart scientists came over here and helped build America and because there was no war fought on American soil, your infrastructure was intact. In a stroke you became richer than Britain and Russia. Have you forgotten Einstein etc were all immigrants. The jews that built this country's financial, legal, scientific and entertainment industrys were all mass immigrants post 1945. Oh you forget that, you only worry about the Mexicans who will do work Americans feel to proud to do.
Look I agree with a lot of your points, but your bigotry is betrayed by the things you ignored to mention. Oh by the way, your President is a product of multiculturism. Deal with it...you bigot!
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platinumOwl4— Hello! Thank you for the kind compliments. I totally agree with everything you wrote in your most excellent comments. I could not have said it better. I appreciate your wise words.
James
Hello James A Watkins, This is a superb hub point for point. I know for a fact that America can build better cars but for the Unions. I know that fast food and irresponsible parents have allowed there children to become obese and the family that once would eat at a dinner table at a certain time is in many case long gone. The schools encourage medication versus teaching. Once the most powerful and respected nation on the planet is now a bullet train on a downward spiral without brakes or a conductor. Lord help us all. Anytime an entity creates a situation to remove the male as the Head of the household, as Jim Carey said in the movie the mask, "hold on to your lug-nuts", this is and has been a complete disaster for that particular community. The young woman with the two kids, what will those kids have to endure during their life time? You create some of the most thought provoking hub, keep up the good work James A Watkins
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stars439— A big dose of Castor Oil. :)
I enjoyed reading your comments. I especially like this:
"God has always been a fairly good measure of what right and wrong should be defined as being"
Ain't it the truth.
Thank you for your excellent remarks. I appreciate your readership, my friend.
Times have changed. I hope we all do what is best for our country. We do need to remember the value of values. God has always been a fairly good measure of what right and wrong should be defined as being. At least I believe so. Great hub. It sort of makes me think of the importance of Castor Oil. No one ever liked the stuff, but they said it was good for you. Our country needs a big dose of Castor Oil. God Bless You.
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technorican— "Life is hard. We need each other." Truer words have never been spoken my dear.
Thank you for your fine comments. I appreciate this visit. Welcome to the Hub Pages Community.
I'm flabbergasted. I remember the 1950s and 1960s when I was told that "girls' dreams don't come true." I was advised to take typing and steno so I could be a secretary. I wanted to be an astronaut, even though women were not allowed to be an astronaut. I didn't fly in space but thank goodness I didn't listen to the negativity and prejudice back then. The past wasn't all roses and the present is tough. I research my family history because I appreciate the struggles my ancestors went through. And no matter how hard one works and follows the rules, there's always someone willing to take it away -- and get away with it because it's legal. Life is hard. We need each other.
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cyekin_37— Thank you for saying so! There's nothing wrong with being young. I enjoyed being young. :-)
You are welcome and thank you for your piercing insights. I love what you wrote. Especially this:
"You need to make yourself worth something. Strong family ties, taking care of yourself, and working hard for a living. I really wish that America was back to the way it used to be. No broken families, no more being broke and self-loathing."
Strong!
Very well written I might add! I may be young, but a part of my family still act the way they did in the '50's, and I agree with it all. You need to make yourself worth something. Strong family ties, taking care of yourself, and working hard for a living. I really wish that America was back to the way it used to be. No broken families, no more being broke and self-loathing. Thank you for writing this article. I love your work :)
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stars439--- Thank you for your keen analysis. You've got a good eye, Leon. I appreciate your thoughts on this. God Bless You!
This is a wake up call. A very useful and important hub. It is obvious that the easy life is not working out in America. The cost of wars in life, and in human flesh were and still are and on going expense as well. I hope our country is willing to make serious changes. God Bless You.
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John B--- Duly acknowledged. That nefarious organization is the bane of our nation. I am not totally up on the results of free trade agreements though throughout history free trade is seen as a positive. I am going to check into this subject further at your provocation. Thank you, my brother, for your excellence in commenting.
We need to acknowledge the contributions of the ACLU; we surely couldn't have reached this "pinnacle" of character without them. Also, a long list of various worldwide trade agreements seems worth mentioning. It turns out that our DEALS have unwittingly left us at what seems to be an insurmountable disadvantage.
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Robert--- Thank you, my Brother. You are absolutely right that the women of the 1950s chose their lives. That they were somehow forced or bullied into conformity is a myth. They chose to devote themselves to the nurturing of the next generation. Somebody's got to do it. Who better than a mother of a child? Day Care?
You are right again. The big problems did start with Woodrow Wilson. Yes, the Progressives want to level society for everybody except themselves. This is what people miss in their utopian dreams. Obama is not proposing that HE or his pals sign on to this new health care plan. It's not for them. It's for us. And that's just one example.
Thank you very much for your excellent comments. We are on the same page. You always have keen insights to add. I look forward to hearing from you again soon.
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MadameX--- Thank you! My, am I glad you are back in circulation. I must confess, these events do seem engineered. McCarthy was correct about most of the charges he made.
Whew! Your comments have really made me think. A rabid dog, eh? There's not much I can add to your brilliant analysis. I appreciate your keen mind.
James,
Excellent hub! The hub has brought about a lot of thinking and some of the sharp minds like Opinion Duck and Moonchild. I do find it interesting that Moonchild seems to take offense to anything you mention about women. For the sake of equality one might consider she would support a woman's choice in all areas of life, including staying home with the kids. One would think she would be against any woman being villified for making a choice. If Moonchild is assuming that the women of the 50's didn't make the choice perhaps she is seeling them short.
The government is definitely the problem here. The Progressive movemnent started with President Wilson. It should be looked at that while we focus on Communism or Marxism the Progressives will continue their agenda.
The greed of today has no boundaries or parties. THe same goes for liberals as we have Liberal Republicans and Democrats.
Perhaps we should decide what we really want the country to look like and how to best insure all have the opportunity to pursue a quality life or not.
Is the problem people want some sort of garauntee that life will be filled with cars and mansions. Do they want to make sure that no one has more even if they work hard and honestly for it? Are there people who have done it wrong and at the expense of others? Sure, but nopt everyone did it that way. Do we destroy the system because of the few. If a couple of tomato plants fail will you pluck the whole field.
Keep talking, keep arguing, keep debating just don't sit on your butt and do nothing.
Hello James - wonderful article! Most of the events you lay out were engineered. People vilify McCarthy but he was accurate in his accusation of communists in our government, which when accused then turned the whole thing into a witch hunt throughout the population and especially of Hollywood personalities so as to gain sensational national attention. But he was, for the most part, correct. The degradation of America's values was an inside job.
For some reason (divine inspiration I call it) I read two interesting books at the same time. One was Betty Friedan's "The Feminist Mystique" and the other was "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath. Both books outline the effect of certain political directions determined upon for the coercion of women in the 1950's - social engineering, if you will. Friedan speaks about the pervasive "norms" that were established and slowly developed as "common knowledge" as to what women could and could not do in a society, mostly boiling down to the general concept that a woman's intelligence couldn't go much beyond deciding which dish soap was best "for her family's well-being". Friedan outlines the entire tactical picture in wonderful detail, and then drops the ball entirely at the end with her conclusion that this was all just "coincidence". Even after she herself presents mountains of evidence to the contrary.
Plath writes of her personal experience as a victim who has been caught in this manipulation and it's effects on her mind and life. Sadly, she never came to understand what was actually happening to her and in a later decade, committed suicide.
My rather lengthy point here is that we have been sabotaged from within by a ruthless group of power-mad monsters who can't bear to see a free, prosperous and independent people due to their own spiritual emptiness. Hence their scorn and derision over anything to do with God.
The only way to deal with a rabid dog is to shoot it. As Ben Franklin said, "Freedom often depends upon the actions of a few rough men". I've come to agree.
Excellent hub!
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GTF44--- I cannot thank you enough for bringing this to my attention. I must confess that I have never even heard the term "Generation Jones" though I did go read the two articles you kindly provided links for and they have enlightened me. This is fascinating stuff. I have learned something important today, thanks to you.
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prettydarkhorse--- You are welcome, Maita. I sure hope Capitalism doesn't crumble. You may be familiar with the Cycle of Political Systems:
* From bondage to spiritual faith;
* From spiritual faith to great courage;
* From courage to liberty;
* From liberty to abundance;
* From abundance to complacency;
* From complacency to apathy;
* From apathy to dependence;
* From dependence back into bondage.
I think what we need is a revolution of manners and morals such as brought about in England around 1800 under William Wilberforce.
Thank you ever much for your outstanding analysis. You are one smart cookie.
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thisismeventing--- I have not seen signs of Obama as Hitler, no. Though his policies are similar to the Weimar Republic. I recall lots of pictures of George Bush as Hitler, though. The picture I used was from a rally of Social Liberals. I don't think Tea Party people call America Imperialist as does that sign.
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sunflowerbucky--- Yes. That was well done, wasn't it.
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MNichopolis--- Your comments are truly outstanding. I read them three times so as to savor them. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Just remember, you can't even fish nowadays without a license from the government--perhaps a chip in the future. Thank you so much for your wise words.
Well-written piece, James.. To understand the arguments put forth by the “Generation Zero” documentary, it is crucial to distinguish between the actual Baby Boom Generation (born 1942-1954) vs. Generation Jones (1954-1965). GenJones was originally lumped in with the Boomers, but is now generally seen by experts as a separate generation. Understanding the differences between these two generations is central to comprehending this documentary.
The post-WWII demographic boom in births is one thing, the cultural generations born during that era is another. Generations are a function of the common formative experiences of its members, not the fertility rates of its parents. And most analysts now see generations as getting shorter (usually 10-15 years now), partly because of the acceleration of culture. Many experts now believe it breaks down more or less this way:
DEMOGRAPHIC boom in babies: 1946-1964
Baby Boom GENERATION: 1942-1953
Generation Jones: 1954-1965
Generation X: 1966-1978
Generation Y/Millennials: 1979-1993
Google Generation Jones, and you’ll see it’s gotten lots of media attention, and many top commentators from many top publications and networks (Washington Post, Time magazine, NBC, Newsweek, ABC, etc.) now specifically use this term. In fact, the Associated Press' annual Trend Report chose the Rise of Generation Jones as the #1 trend of 2009.
Here's a page with a good overview of recent media interest in GenJones: http://generationjones.com/2009latest.html
Here is an op-ed in USA TODAY about how the 1960s impacted Jonesers fundamentally different than Boomers:
Hi Sir James,
It is scary but this is just starting, fasten your seatbelt for a rocky ride. Technology brought about by capitalism has brought so much change in our society -- the media is one agent of change. Gone are the days when we value family and togetherness, all what is left is the deterioration of values which we upheld for so long. We need moral revolution of some sort, but my thinking is that this is cyclical and when people are disgruntled, the change will come, People will say enough is enough but I dont know if I will still be alive by then. It takes centuries for moral revolution to finally sort itself out. Laws should be stricter, the choice of people to govern should be one and the main agents of change--the media is a great factor as well.
Cultural and moral change takes time and it is evolving, I believe it is based on economy and governance and world order as well. The dominant culture -- prevailing which is individualism and selfishness --- is going haywire through the commercialization of everything, it is down to greed-- and capitalism shall crumble I dont know whats next,
Thank you sir, Maita
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Hxprof--- I have always liked the Minute Men from the minute I first heard about them. And I have always enjoyed your commentaries, too. Today's is no exception. You are able to penetrate right the nub of the problem with no BS. I love it! Thanks for coming by and sharing your wisdom with us.
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sunflowerbucky--- Thank you. You wrote:
"I think it is possible for women to strike a balance between being a professional, self sufficient woman and still providing a loving home for her husband and children."
Well, yes, I certainly agree with you. I know many who accomplish just that.
"In fact, in this economy,it is imperative. Without my income, my family would not make it, yet I am fortunate to be able to work from home and make a good living"
This is a complicated issue that I have studied extensively. You are right that it has become very hard to make it on one income nowadays. Then perhaps we could ask how did those in the 1950s pull it off. Well, the short version is this: With all women working you have a workforce of 200,000,000 in America. Without them working you have 100,000,000 (vastly simplified). Since work is a commodity, the more scarce it is the more it pays. Twice the workers means half the pay. Thus it take two today to make the living of one in the 1950s. Think about it.
Your comments on your experiences with the public school system are alarming, even to me.
"I personally think that the government wants its citizens uneducated and ignorant. It will be a whole lot easier to pull those puppet strings if we don't know enough to protest."
hmmm . . . you said a whole lot right there. Maybe I'd better not comment because I don't want to see the black helicopters landing in my back yard.
:D JK
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Amber Allen--- I think any community worth its salt takes care of widows, orphans, and the disabled (blind, lame, mentally challenged, etc.). Poor choices? A few years ago I was, of all things, reading the New York Times. The writer of the article was telling about how hard it was for this woman to make ends meet living on the government dole--just never enough to go around. Taxpayers were providing her with free housing for her family, free food, electricity, they had cable TV, refrigeration, a stove, clothes, free medical care including dental and optical, a photo showed her teenage son and if you look closely he has a Blackberry in his hand--at the time a $300 cell phone. She is ranting about how unfairly she is being treated and that the government must pay her more. The writer agreed, it was obvious. Anyway, buried in the story, if you followed the front page to "see page 142" the writer revealed that this woman had her first child at 13; had five by five different fathers by age 21; none of the men were around or involved; she had never been married; and she and the writer were complaining how unfair it was for workfare to expect her to hold down a job because she had NEVER had one.
To me this illustrated the difference between a Liberal and a Conservative. To me the buried on page 142 part was THE STORY. To the Liberal writer, it was merely incidental to the story; the story was how unfairly she was being treated.
Ok just to clarify.. you have a picture of an american flag with a swastica on it, with the caption "WHAT SOCIAL LIBERALS THINK OF AMERICA" .. Have you seen any photos of "Tea Party" ers.. Are there not signs with him as Hitler?.. Pssst ( your hypocrisy is showing)
very well stated MNichopolis!
When I was a kid, the American Dream was to work hard, play by the rules, and earn a home to live in. Today it seems, people feel entitled to a house (and rumor has it they are practically 'given' a house - no income or even identity check).
There's an old saying: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life"
Fifty years ago, most would have focused on the latter part of that statement. However, today it seems most people believe they are entitled to that fish.
And as this system becomes increasingly unsustainable, and people end up fighting for real food, we're all going to find out who knows how to fish (and feed their families) and who doesn't - the hard way.
Perhaps it's not too late. Perhaps we can pull back from this brink. But we need to realize, only the fishermen can save us - but only if we're willing to learn to fish.
I've not seen the documentary so I can't comment on the accuracy of your review, but there's no doubt that liberalism has contributed significantly to the decline of America.
Some here have mentioned other reasons that are equally compelling; you've made it clear that Generation Zero focuses on the role of Social Liberalism.
One additional comment and I'm done. The damning change in our immigration policies have taken us from bad to worse. What I hear from some of my clients (and yes, I keep my mouth shut) is that these illegals come in just so they can have a better life. SO WHAT!! Those who don't belong here don't belong here.
We've left our borders open as if we live in the early 1800's (post War of 1812) while we've got a world full of enemies who really do want to see us fall, or at the very least they bring with them poisons to sell. Must I name them-oh, please don't force me to do it...Communist China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Libya, Bolivia, N. Korea etc. Add to that A.Q., Hezbollah, Taliban, Hamas and various offshoots of these groups. The drug cartels, Los Zetas and MS-13 help round out those among the innocent illegals who break in looking for a better life.
The much maligned Minute Men desire only to have a secure America, yet they are hated by Social Liberals and those like John McCain who ally with them. Many are calling good evil and evil good-by their own words they proclaim their folly.
Another well written hub, James! While I disagree slightly with your take on feminism, I agree with everything else wholeheartedly. I think it is possible for women to strike a balance between being a professional, self sufficient woman and still providing a loving home for her husband and children. (In fact, in this economy,it is imperative. Without my income, my family would not make it, yet I am fortunate to be able to work from home and make a good living). I also feel it is important for women to do so without losing themselves in the process. I do, however, feel this can be done without acting like a harlot!
I completely agree with your stance that there is no longer any social responsibility. People no longer have a work ethic, because hard work is no longer rewarded.
As far as the "dumbing down" of society, this is becoming so evident to me as I see my children stumble through the public school system. My 11 year old daughter is allowed to retake assignments and test until she gets an A. This infuriates me to no end. She is not being taught to learn the material. She is taught to get it done quickly, and then just re do it when the grades come out. I feel this generation is going to be completely and utterly useless and ignorant by the time they hit the workforce. I personally think that the government wants its citizens uneducated and ignorant. It will be a whole lot easier to pull those puppet strings if we don't know enough to protest.
Hi James
I agree it is the interpretation of my words "less fortunate" which matters . I would not consider a person who had decided not to work and to live on handouts to be less fortunate than myself but I would consider a person unable to work to be less fortunate than me although they may not necessarily need any assistance from society to support themselves. I am certainly less fortunate in terms of monetary wealth than a very large number of people but I would not expect nor look for any support.
How would you define a "a poor life choice"?
I'm so pleased that your wife remains in good health.
Amber
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Cinderella1248--- Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble. When you're perfect in every way.
You make some interesting analyses. Yes, you make some good points. It could be a mystery shrouded in an enigma. Or emanations from a penumbra. You are welcome. It's nice to see you. A great weekend to you as well. :-)
Can't stay humble for too long. I think the problem is lack of religion rather then what religion is the nation. All religions should lead to the same 'conclusions' just on different days of the year for a similar cause.
I do agree that when a nation counts the number of those wounded and fallen, the majority is the faith that had founded the free voice of America. If it wasn't, we would have had to hide the voice of the truth under the shrouds of mystery.
My gratitude for the time and place.
Have a great week(end).
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50 Caliber---
"While we accept and allow freedom of religion, and I do as well as the country does and has nothing will ever change the FACT that the United States of America was founded on Christian values and the blood of Christians was spilled in the fight for the American way of life that all enjoy. God Bless America!"
I can't compete with the clarity and depth of your comments. I yield the floor.
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Moonchild60--- Thank you, dear. Well, you have a point there. You always articulate your point of view quite well. That's why it is a joy to hear from you. You are one of my favorites. :D
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50 Caliber--- Thank you very much Dusty and you are surely welcome, too. I have to quote you here:
You sure shook some buzzards out of the trees and made me add a few to the list of people who can kiss my ass."
ROFLMAO!
"The women that stayed home, like my Mom, made family dinners with each and every member together at 5pm verses now 2 parents work and expect that schools and day cares raise their children and then wonder why their kids turn out to be lazy, stupid, jail birds."
Whew! That'll shake some buzzards out of the trees! I do think that family dinners were a wonderful thing for children. I knew kids who ate dinner with their natural parents, brothers, sisters every night for years upon years.
Nancy is doing much better, thank you. I always enjoy having you visit. You can sure add color commentary. I love it!
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kea--- You are truly welcome. Thank you for everything you wrote here today. I appreciate the laudatory remarks. :D
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cosette--- "'Big Mother', making sure we don't get our tender feelings hurt"
You are so funny! And that is true. I always referred to the Social Liberal created government programs that destroyed the American family as the Daddy state, since government usurped the roles of fathers. I have heard it called the Nanny state. I've never heard it called Big Mother! I love that. Like a mother's unconditional love--no matter what you do I love you!
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peacenhim--- You are so welcome. Thank you for the accolades. I am gratified to read your remarks.
"The problem is.....the True American Dream was demoralized by Social Liberals where family values and work ethics took a back seat to Feminism, Gay Rights, Welfare, Medicare, and the "Give Me" syndrome."
Can I get an amen?
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katyzzz--- It's nice to hear from you again. Thank you for your kind words.
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michiganman567--- Thank you very much. A Great Awakening? That is precisely the best we can hope for.
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rondre64--- Thank you for coming by and offering up your excellent words of high praise indeed for my writing. I appreciate you.
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Kendall H.--- Thank you. Your comments are outstanding and bear repeating:
"What always scares me is that personal responsibility is almost extinct. I admire my parents and grandparents so much that it's difficult to understand people who want to destroy the ties with the past and what a family use to represent."
It is getting worse. The Social Liberal philosophy removes all personal responsibility and places all responsibility on "society." Or on genetics. Prone to crime? Homosexual behaviors? Drug addict? Too lazy to work? Didn't study in school? Have no marketable skills? It must be A.) Society's fault or B.) bad brain chemistry. Either way, it is never YOUR fault for not making yourself an upright, productive citizen.
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newoman53--- Oh, I agree with you. The battle for the soul of America, the Shining City on the Hill, the great hope of humankind, is surely a spiritual battle between the forces of darkness and the forces of light. I wrote about this in my Hub "Prince of Darkness." :D
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ffrankbb--- I could only see excerpts of the film and interviews with the filmmakers. they may not have explored every rabbit hole I did. I fleshed it out, sort of like an historical novel. I intend to watch the entire documentary this weekend.
You are correct about total quality management. However, just from memory, I remember unions fighting against any and all innovative manufacturing techniques, such as any automation. I am from Michigan. I wrote about this issue in some detail in a Hub you might enjoy called "Unions killed Michigan."
I surely agree that our money needs to be handled conservatively by Wall Street. However, just from memory, wasn't it under Clinton that the mortgage derivatives market started?
Your comments are excellent. There is surely truth in what you say. Thank you for coming by and sharing your point of view.
While we accept and allow freedom of religion, and I do as well as the country does and has nothing will ever change the FACT that the United States of America was founded on Christian values and the blood of Christians was spilled in the fight for the American way of life that all enjoy. Since that time things have changed and there exists others in the military, hence the bottom line on a dog tag is reserved for religion so appropriate customs can be met in the event of serious injury or death. God Bless America!
James - You could never be ineloquent.
Israel IS a Jewish Country. The United States is SUPPOSED to be a melting pot of races and religions, prides itself on that. Therefore by focusing on any ONE religion we negate the others. Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists,etc. The fact that the country is mostly Christian does not mean we favor that religion over any other. That goes against what we spout about what a level playing field America is for all people and eludes to one specific religion being the more important or relevant. In Israel it is, that is the whole point of Israel, that is not the whole point of America.
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akirchner--- Thank you! Thank you very much. I appreciate your enlightened remarks. I am grateful that you read my article.
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Dim Flaxenwick--- "I always think of myself as a hippy of the late 60s, but my ideals were love and peace, best known as the Golden Rule from Jesus."
Me, too! But I opposed the campus radicals from the beginning.
Thank you for your wonderful compliments.
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Michael Shane--- Thank you very much for your enthusiastic laudations!
"Hard work, values, morals, & helping your neighbor out is what built this country"
Yes, indeed, you have hit the proverbial nail on the head. Hey, this is my own generation I'm talking about so I am not exempt from participating in the illusion. We were going to change the world. And we did. God help us.
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jiberish--- Thank you for that story and link. Maybe it will be used to deny employment and food to Christians--or at least Christians not in favor of glorifying homosexuals. :D
James, I salute you and your work on this subject(s) you sure shook some buzzards out of the trees and made me add a few to the list of people who can kiss my ass, LOL. While they cry there are more young men and women dodging or catching bullets. I personally caught 3 and the '50s was a great time in history and the women that stayed home, like my Mom, made family dinners with each and every member together at 5pm verses now 2 parents work and expect that schools and day cares raise their children and then wonder why their kids turn out to be lazy, stupid, jail birds. I was raised by my parents and though I strayed from the path I returned to the teachings of my Father. Anyone who comes to a Christian nation should expect Christian values to be prevalent just as I expect Judaism to be prevalent in Israel. If I remember right, this nation played a major role in saving many a Jew from getting roasted or other methods of genocide, so if they are crying about America they are free to leave last I heard.
Good job, and thanks for your time! May God Bless all that you do and May he cure your wife. If I might inquire as to how she is doing? Let her know some of us keep her in prayer.
Dusty
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Amber Allen--- You wrote:
"My view is that it is a loss of civic responsibility and pride in one self, combined with declining moral values throughout a large part of society which has caused our current decline."
Well done!
"I was raised to believe that as a society we should protect and care for the vunerable and those less fortunate than ourselves."
"Less fortunate" is the idea we need to carefully analyze, Amber. There is "less fortunate" and there are "poor life choices." Private charity makes a distinction between the two, or at least did in its classical sense.
James
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Rose West--- Thank you! I agree with you that all blame cannot be placed on any generation. Generations are not monolithic. It is more about a turning point, as you say. I appreciate your excellent comments. Thanks for reading my article.
James - this hub rocks. You've stated all the things I agree with, but much better than I could ever put together! Thanks for a very well-written, informative, and entertaining hub! You rock. BTW, happy belated birthday - I read your bday hub that was the featured hub for awhile!
well, as someone who never asked for a handout (but who really could have used one), and as someone who hates political correctness, and as someone who managed to pay my own way through college and become a successful professional without any help from the government, and as someone whose mind is boggled by the astronomical amount of taxpayer money being spent by the President, including a "$10 billion budget increase ($1 billion a year for 10 years) to help provide nutritious school lunches to those who qualify" as a means of combating childhood obesity, i agree with much of what you say in this hub. we used to fear government becoming "Big Brother", when it is now actually becoming "Big Mother", making sure we don't get our tender feelings hurt and that we eat all our vegetables, etc. (and don't get me started on subsidies)...
courageous hub, as usual. bravo James, well done. rating this UP
We ARE morally, culturally, economically, and financially bankrupt!! Pride comes before the fall, and well, let's be honest, americans have prided themselves for years on living the "American Dream." The problem is.....the True American Dream was demoralized by Social Liberals where family values and work ethics took a back seat to Feminism, Gay Rights, Welfare, Medicare, and the "Give Me" syndrome. Unfortunately the Baby Boomers were the last generation to truly care about what this country was founded on....as the rest of the nation has became lax, apathetic, and as you stated narcissistic. The 50's are forever a bye-gone era. Where do we go from here? Thanks James for another eye-opening and enlightening Hub!! Excellent Work!! God Bless!
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itakins--- Your words are truly profound.
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Pamela99--- Thank you very much. I share your concerns about the state of our nation and apprehension about the future of the United States. Thank you for coming to visit and leaving your fine words here for us to read.
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RevLady--- "Today's moral climate is not encouraging if we contemplate the world of the next generation and their children."
You said a mouthful there in one sentence.
Thank you for coming by to visit and I appreciate your thoughtful insights.
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ethel smith---Thank you for reading and commenting. :-)
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nancy_30--- You are surely welcome. Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts here. I appreciate your readership.
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Ann Nonymous--- Thank you for reading and your compliments. I appreciate it. It is scary. I remember Hal Lindsey predicted in the 1970s that Christians would eventually be persecuted in America and I, and most others, laughed.
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H P Roychoudhury--- You are welcome. Thank you for reading my article and for your thoughtful analysis. I do hope you are right.
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getitrite--- $5.6 trillion surplus!? The last Clinton budget year was 2001
Fiscal
Year Year
Ending National Debt Deficit
FY1993 09/30/1993 $4.411488 trillion
FY1994 09/30/1994 $4.692749 trillion $281.26 billion
FY1995 09/29/1995 $4.973982 trillion $281.23 billion
FY1996 09/30/1996 $5.224810 trillion $250.83 billion
FY1997 09/30/1997 $5.413146 trillion $188.34 billion
FY1998 09/30/1998 $5.526193 trillion $113.05 billion
FY1999 09/30/1999 $5.656270 trillion $130.08 billion
FY2000 09/29/2000 $5.674178 trillion $17.91 billion
FY2001 09/28/2001 $5.807463 trillion $133.29 billion
There was no surplus at all. No country on earth has ever even thought about a surplus of $15.6 trillion.
The deficit increased by $900B in Obama's first year in office but even that is not the big beef of the Tea Party as much as the ideas Obama has now that will grow, and grow, and grow the deficit until the ultimate bankruptcy which may lead to totalitarianism.
Teabaggers is a term for homosexual sex, not a political movement.
There surely was some outsourcing under Bush of call centers and the like but in my article I am talking about the manufacturing jobs--actually making things--that left the country long before Bush took office.
The Patriot Act was extended yesterday with the overwhelming approval of the Democratic Party, who also approved of it in the first place. Do you personally know one single person who was affected by the Patriot Act in any way?
I know plenty of people on both sides of the aisle who were infuriated by the bailouts.
I acknowledged that the 1950s were not perfect. But the nation as a whole was unquestionably healthier, happier, wealthier, safer, more moral, more upright, fiscally sound, virtuous, prudent, with fuller employment and good jobs, with far better home environments including in the homes of those who sat in the back of the bus.
"This agenda of the Tea Party is less about restoring America, but more about bigotry. The teabaggers are racist, and their main issue is Barack Obama. They hate Barack Obama, simply, because he's black-and the president!
Teabaggers view African-Americans as second-class citizens, and wish they would go back to the back of the bus, and be subserviant."
This may the stupidest two paragraphs anybody has ever wrote to me. I hate to say that. I attended one Tea Party event because I had heard someone say what you wrote and it is completely false. And a shameful thing to say.
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Allan McGregor--- Thank you. You wrote:
"You mention the long-retired conservative bankers of the Great Generation and therein lies the answer. Not capitalism alone, per se, but a form of socially responsible capitalism morally mediated by Judaeo-Christian values."
I surely agree with you.
Adam Smith is an incredibly deep thinker and sharp guy. I am familiar with the Glasgow Tobacco Barons story.
"The Great Generation were not great because they were Capitalists, but because they knew right from wrong, and conducted themselves accordingly."
Wise words delivered effectively.
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Artin2010--- Thank you very much. Even though my views are considered Conservative on most issues, I have always been against the war on drugs. I think incarceration hurts not helps drug users and their families; I think the drug war costs tens of billions of dollars with little net effect; I think the war on drugs creates the gangsterism we see related to the huge underground economy it creates; I think the drug war ignores the enormous taxes the Treasury could reap from legalized drugs; And from a personal freedom standpoint, this is the worst. To tell someone what they can do with their own body . . . isn't that the basis of our abortion laws? Thomas Jefferson would roll over in his grave if somebody told him you could be put in prison from putting something up your nose or down your throat.
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iantoPF--- I truly enjoyed reading your expressions in your first paragraph. Thank you for that.
I don't blame companies for having products manufactured in China. Labor purposefully made itself the enemy of companies here back in the day. Once a couple manufacturers of some toy, appliance, or component start making their product in China, you cannot compete here. And that, including the massive cost of shipping back and forth across the globe.
I was against the bank bailouts under both presidents. And I agree with you that the bailouts are a sophisticated socialism. The government didn't prop up my company when it failed after 14 years, and the banks--after being bailed out--wouldn't extend us any credit either.
McCarthy had a problem. He became a powerful star and like so many before and after him, he let it go to his head resulting in hubris. However, the fact is he was absolutely right. There were Communists infiltrating our government, and sneaking state secrets to the Soviet Union, as the Verona Papers prove.
A very thoughtful hub James, you are certainly top of the pops
Excellent work James. It seems like every aspect of society is moving in the wrong direction. Will we have a great awakening? It looks unlikely, generation Obama doesn't give me hope.
James, what wonderful insite you've pointed out in this Hub. You seem to have a gret way of laying out the facts so easily. Keep it up.
Great Hub! What always scares me is that personal responsibility is almost extinct. Take some responsibility for yourself and grow up! I admire my parents and grandparents so much that it's difficult to understand people who want to destroy the ties with the past and what a family use to represent.
James,
A very good in depth blog. I believe we are in Spiritual Warfare as in the "Screw tape Letters" by C.S. Lewis.
The blind leading the blinder. And to think this couldn't be planned ? On reading this book, you would question the antics of the would be "forces"..
Hello James,
This is an interesting hub you've written. However I can't seem to tell where your opinions start and those of the authors and producers of Generation Zero begin.
Secondly, if you trace the movement of manufacturing from the US to Asia, you'll find that it begins in the aftermath of WWII, when US companies failed to respond to Total Quality Management and similar efforts led by the late, esteemed Dr. Deming.
Instead, Dr. Deming went to Japan at the request of the US government to help with the rebuilding efforts. Japanese companies welcomed and embraced Deming's concepts, telling Dr. Deming that they could fully enact TQM in less than 10 years.
He wrote that he knew he was looking at the demise of American manufacturing, but that US companies brought it on upon themselves through their greed, arrogance and shortsightedness.
And it is these same qualities that created the meltdown, not the pervasiveness of Social Liberal political and social ideas. Greed, arrogance and shortsightedness led noted conservative, and no small number of liberal economists, planners and even former Federal Reserve Chairman, Mr. Alan Greenspan, to assert that removing Glass-Steagal and other legislative restraints on the finance industry would be beneficial, and any disruptions in the market would self correct in favor of the investor. Mr. Greenspan, with 20-20 hindsight, has since admitted that this idea was grossly wrong.
Greed, arrogance and shortsightedness were also the root causes of the Great Depression, and legislation such as Glass-Steagal protected individuals, small investors, also known as private citizens, from the ravages of the unbridled greed of Wall Street, insurance companies and big banks. It is no small coincidence that this meltdown happened within a few years of the complete repeal of Glass-Steagal.
As a noted conservative blogger, I would hope that you would, in economic policy at least, rediscover your conservative roots, and look to support appropriate oversight of the financial and investment sectors, so that we citizens can trust those who handle OUR money to handle it CONSERVATIVELY.
Good grief - what a world we live in, eh? I am all for multiculturism and all this other 'stuff' that has evolved, but when did we decide us 'other Americans' had to learn everyone else's language and customs? We won't even exist after a while in my humble opinion - and the other part of that whole picture in my even humbler opinion is are other countries bending over backwards to change if WE move there? I think not....they will just most likely get rid of us! Great hub and great photos!
I'm glad you clarified in one of your comments that you were reffering to the campus radicals of the Woodstock generation.
Ialways think of myself as a hippy of the late 60s, but my ideals were love and peace, best known as the Golden Rule from Jesus uYour hub was excellent and a little scary because I see it as so true.I use some points from your hubs to explain things to my grandchildren , because you put it so well.
Very true & very intersting hub! I love the fact about the family dinner & the picture. I blame the labor unions, the credit card institutions, & the people applying for them, the liberal movement, & the fact people sit back & let everyone come over to do what we are too lazy to do! Hard work, values, morals, & helping your neighbor out is what built this country & it all stopped around the time the drugs hit around the Vietnam & Woodstock era. Awesome Hub!
James I just wanted to come back and say that this Generation Zero has something new to look forward to. It seems the FDA this week passed the new chip law, implementation into humans with or without parental consent.
I had to read it twice, here is the link: http://biggovernment.com/
Another thought provoking and contraversial hub, James. My view is that it is a loss of civic responsibility and pride in one self, combined with declining moral values throughout a large part of society which has caused our current decline. I find it difficult to see how one group in society can be held responsible for an individual's decision to be a drain on society rather than a positive contributor. I was raised to believe that as a society we should protect and care for the vunerable and those less fortunate than ourselves but this did not make me decide to become a mother to fatherless children or to look for handouts to support me.
Amber
Great hub! You've put a lot of thought into this, and you've painted a true picture of what America is turning into. It is so very sad that we have come to this, this socialism and rejection of righteousness.
I think the rebellion of the '60s was a huge turning point for us. Although, I believe we have to look at the previous generations as well. Was there hypocrisy - nice smiles on the outside and rottenness within? I think that before the complete destruction of American values in the '60s, there was an undermining of faith that was hardly seen. It's taken more than fifty years to get to where we are today.
The beautiful charism and gift of femininity traded for -all of this.
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