The greatest generation is the most entitled generation
Despite nostalgia for the New Deal, people forget how militaristic it was. President Franklin D. Roosevelt conceived of the New Deal as a “moral equivalent of war” effort and promised to use the tactics of World War I to fight the Depression. Nearly all the New Deal agencies were modeled on the war agencies of the Wilson administration. The Civilian Conservation Corps turned 3 million men into a paramilitary “tree army.”
The National Recovery Administration, run by former general Hugh “Iron Pants” Johnson, aimed to organize the economy along the lines of war mobilization. On Sept. 13, 1933, he organized the largest parade New York had ever seen. Tens of thousands of workers marched in military fashion celebrating the mascot of the NRA, the “Blue Eagle.” Similar militaristic pageants were held across the country.
FDR explained the purpose of the Blue Eagle in a fireside chat: “In war, in the gloom of night attack,” he crooned, “soldiers wear a bright badge on their shoulders to be sure that comrades do not fire on comrades. On that principle, those who cooperate in this program must know each other at a glance. That is why we have provided a badge of honor for this purpose.”
I have neither the space nor the inclination to pronounce on what was good or bad about all this. But as Washington grapples with the legacy costs of the “greatest generation” — including the unsustainable burden of paying the retirement bills for the GIs’ supremely entitled children, the Baby Boomers, perhaps it is at least worth recognizing that the government and the culture designed to benefit one generation has come at the cost of those that come after it.
Blowback
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Despite that we are living in tough and dark times under Obama destructive socialist policies, we are still much better than during the time of FDR and his super destructive socialist policies. Obama wants to have total power but he is far from it… FDR almost attained total power and did things that Obama will only dream about in term of power grab that goes against everything the country was founded upon… Regarding the greatest generation, they voted for FDR and his destructive socialist policies not once, not twice, not trice, but four times and they would have voted for him more if he did not die in office… FDR was the anti George Washington… It was FDR who wanted to be a King in a country that was founded to make sure that we are not ruled by Kings… We had to create the 22 amendment just because FDR and to make sure that no person can be President more than twice…
FDR was by far the worst President ever… followed by LBJ… with Obama and Carter fighting for third place…
mnjg on March 5, 2013 at 9:29 PM
The boomers have sacrificed their offspring to 5 generations to pay their bills.
Bishop on March 5, 2013 at 9:30 PM
You forgot Wilson, who was an outright fascist.
Walter Sobchak on March 5, 2013 at 9:35 PM
They’ve done a lot more to earn it than the baby boomers ever have.
Stoic Patriot on March 5, 2013 at 9:41 PM
I think entitlements are unconstitutional… Still trying to find even a supreme court ruling arguing that the government should be able to make payments to individuals…
astonerii on March 5, 2013 at 9:54 PM
Not sure what defines it but when I think of the greatest generation, I’m thinking WWII era. Most of them are already dead. It’s their offspring that are sucking the teet dry.
CTSherman on March 5, 2013 at 10:03 PM
The WWI generation was far better than the Greatest Generation
Plus, they weren’t entitlement whores.
TexasJew on March 5, 2013 at 10:09 PM
That is correct… With all the democrat Presidents in the last 100 years only one was OK and that is Harry Truman…
Wilson, Super Bad
FDR, the worst President ever
Harry Truman, OK
JKF, barely OK
LBJ, second worst President ever
Jimmy Carter, third worst President ever
Bill Clinton, shameless a**hole
Obama, fighting with Jimmy Carter on the spot of the third worst President ever, he will overtake him when when his second term ends in January 2017 and he may even overtake LBJ as the second worst President ever… But he will never overtake FDR as the worst President ever…
mnjg on March 5, 2013 at 10:15 PM
The greatest generation on average would be about 94 years old on average right now. Figuring 1945 minus average age of enlisted 26 making the birth year 1919.
I think it is the next generation that you are thinking of when you imagine the most entitled…
astonerii on March 5, 2013 at 10:16 PM
How ironic that the generation many see as having saved freedom may become the one which destroyed it.
Cornell Conservative on March 5, 2013 at 10:32 PM
The GI Generation did not create the problems of the Depression and WWII; they inherited them. But they did not mope and whine about it, they did what needed to be done and in so doing they secured and expanded Liberty with ruthless efficiency. Virtually the entire generation was united in contributing to the war effort in some way, including the enormous and miraculous stateside war material machine. They lifted the standard of living in the US and secured it for half a century. Two decades ago they stepped aside, and the Baby Boom Generation stepped in, and inherited a much, much easier set of issues, the welfare and social entitlement state, and instead of facing it squarely, and reforming it 20 years ago, they expanded it while splurging on their inheritance, and bankrupted the US in only two decades. The contrast between the two generations is striking: The GI Generation were the greatest producers of Liberty in world history, whereas the Baby Boom Generation are the greatest consumers of Liberty in world history.
Tripwhipper on March 5, 2013 at 10:42 PM
Uh huh. And they had nothing to do with creating the boomers, right?
“The greatest generation” won WWII. That’s a Good Thing. But venerating that generation as a group for doing so is ridiculous. With their backs to the wall, they did what they had to do, just like we’d do what we had to do. (Veneration of the WWII US military, specifically, is much more justified.)
Most of that generation rolled over and let FDR get away with absolutely insane power grabs and socialistic policy changes. The “greatest”? Naw. Just another of many.
Splashman on March 6, 2013 at 12:03 AM
Alan Simpson, the Senator from Wyoming calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared “Social Security ” to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.
Here’s a response in a letter from PATTY MYERS in Montana … I think she is a little ticked off! She also tells it like it is!
Oh sooo true!
“Hey Alan, let’s get a few things straight!!!!!
1. As a career politician, you have been on the public dole (tit)
for FIFTY YEARS.
2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15 years old. I am now 63).
3. My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other
Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give OUR money to a bunch of zero losers in return for votes, thus bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme that would make Bernie Madoff proud.
4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and “your ilk”
pulled the proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing retirement and moved the
goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to age, 67. NOW, you and your “shill commission” are proposing to move the goalposts YET AGAIN.
5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into
Medicare from Day One, and now “you morons” propose to change the rules of the game. Why? Because “you idiots” mismanaged other parts of the economy to such an extent that you need to steal our money from Medicare to pay the bills.
6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why? Because you “incompetent bastards” spent our money so profligately that you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.
To add insult to injury, you label us “greedy” for calling “bullshit”
to your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for YOU:
1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during your pathetic 50-year political career?
2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the American taxpayers?
3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?
4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or as usual, have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?
It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called Congress who are the “greedy” ones. It is you and your fellow nutcase thieves who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers.
And for what? Votes and your job and retirement security at our
expense, you lunk-headed, leech.
That’s right, sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of advancing your pathetic, political careers. You know it, we know it, and you know that we know it.
And you can take that to the bank, you miserable son of a bitch. NO, I did not stutter.
P.S. And stop calling Social Security benefits “entitlements”. WHAT AN INSULT!!!!
I have been paying in to the SS system for 48 years “It’s my
money”-give it back to me the way the system was designed and stop patting yourself on the back like you are being generous by doling out these monthly check
Schadenfreude on March 6, 2013 at 2:17 AM
Not even close. Their children (yes, Boomers) earned the title.
People nowadays don’t understand the cost of wars.
Sir Napsalot on March 6, 2013 at 6:14 AM
And the fruits of his corruption keep on giving.
FDR was a truly diabolical insidious man. He knew exactly what he was doing.
And ignored the communists that had gained power under his watch within the government.
Obama by himself, is not nearly as smart as FDR was. But with his communist helpers, are doing a damned good job of acceleration America to the brink of total destruction.
I’ve never given much accolades like some to this generation. They raised the generation that led the sexual revolution, radical perverse feminism, etc.
I also think we’ve put too much onus on their contributions. They were there at the right time to fight some wars.
And the attitudes toward patriotism had not eroded like they did with their offspring on watch.
I’m not saying these people were bad.
They were just people in a time & place that stepped up to the plate at times, & not others.
Like any other people might do.
If you want to give a people in history some accolades, then focus on the people who made this country possible. Those generations that were called Patriots during a time when 1/3 followed that passionate calling, another 1/3 wanted nothing to do with any of it, & another 1/3 loved the cronyism of the English crown.
Those guys took a lot of risks when death was a surety if you acted & spoke out against your govt.
Those risks then are not like today. Today’s risks are risks. But not as immediate & threatening as they were in the 1770′s colonial America.
Those are the real Greatest Generation. Bcs the fighting was hard & it was real hard to make a choice where you really stood.
Badger40 on March 6, 2013 at 8:18 AM
So Baby Boomers are actually the greatest generation in your opinion? Do I have this right?
Bcs they protested wars, destroyed the family unit, demanded the government become their caretaker, demanded the confiscation of others’ wealth to be redistributed according to whom the government thought worthy? That generation?
Why do you believe that? Bcs they were ‘against’ war?
But they were for the Iraq war weren’t they, after 9/11? Didn’t Dems & such vote for that war, too?
And I believe they were also for going to Afghanistan as well.
I won’t argue with you about wars costing too much & taxes necessary to pay for them.
It’s really why the Rev War was fought. Bcs the English govt was trying to recoup its costs from the French Indian war & put most of it on the colonists bcs the war was supposedly fought for their benefit. According to the English crown.
If the English govt had recouped it’s costs in a way that took into account the wishes of the Americans, I doubt the Rev War would have proceeded. George really fracked things up by going militant on his people across the sea.
But in the end, just like Canada, America would have separated eventually.
Badger40 on March 6, 2013 at 8:24 AM