Baby Boomers have enjoyed a once in a millennia experience. The post World War II period from the early 1950s well into the 2000s was an unprecedented time of American prosperity and living lives filled with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as our founding fathers had envisaged. These generational experiences were born of freedom from existential, global threats. These threats came first from economic depression, then mid-century fascism, followed quickly by the spread of communism. All largely defeated by the Greatest Generation across all the allied powers both militarily and economically.
The American economy benefited greatly from technological advances and leading-edge industrialization creating the most robust and successful period of broadly achieved wealth creation in world history. The American educational experience was by far the best in the world. Healthcare benefited from new technology, the launch of the world leading pharmacological industry and the best medical education system globally. Simply said, things were very, very good for the vast majority of American citizenry. Opportunities for living the American Dream were the best in our history.
Although racism was unfortunately still prevalent holding back certain classes of American society in the early post-war period, those from disadvantaged classes who had the intestinal fortitude to fight for their share of the dream also experienced substantial success. Certainly enough success to offer hope. Further progress came from governmental efforts to outlaw discrimination in the 1960s. These historically significant events, to a recognizable degree, opened the doors further for opportunity, and incremental success finding its way into these disadvantaged classes. Obviously more needed to be done and has been done in the decades since the civil rights and anti-poverty legislation of the 1960s. Trillions in wealth transfer programs have certainly done a great deal to lift up economically and educate millions.
The world was not without existential threats during these fifty years since the early post WWII period. Soviet Russia alongside its satellite nations, as well as other fellow authoritarian states, presented a credible threat of violent challenges to democracy and capitalism through the spread of communism. The possibility of global conflagration threatening to end the promise of freedom that modern capitalistic democracy had brought to the world. The creation of NATO, and other alliances among democratic nations across the globe, held an impenetrable bulwark to communism and authoritarian expansionist threats.
Capitalistic economic success among democratic nations produced the financial resources necessary to deter authoritarian aggression. The pinnacle of this economic success was America and her allies ability to defensively outspend Soviet Russia to the point of the collapse of the “Soviet Union” in the early nineties releasing the soviet satellite states of eastern Europe from Russia’s iron grip. This collapse enabled the former Soviet bloc nations to democratize and, in many cases, join NATO. Since the demise of the “Soviet Union”, the former satellite states have adopted democratic capitalism and have flourished in freedom and economic success, many joining the European Economic Union.
While these globally significant events were occurring, American technological economic dominance continued to strengthen producing stock market growth now shared by many more among the American middle class and unprecedented wealth creation on a significantly wider scale. Admittedly, there were setbacks as have occurred as the result of unfettered market forces. These fluctuations, as loosely predicted, represent both misfortune and opportunity that are the known characteristics of free market economies. As also predicted, economic freedom favors those with a longer term perspective.
Given all these events and considerations, Baby Boomers are the beneficiaries of, to date, the greatest economic success in history. In addition to this monumental economic success, freedoms in social, religious, and governmental pursuits, during this same time period, allowed the vast majority of American citizens to enjoy life fully on a scale never experienced before, anywhere, at any time in human history. The mere possibility of this unprecedented period of prosperity is largely due to the sacrifices made by the Greatest Generation. These tough, resilient and brave men and women pulled us through the Great Depression and, in sacrificing millions of lives, the winning of WWII. No words can express the appreciation the Baby Boomers feel for the “investment” the Greatest Generation made in the furthering of the American Dream. Our hearts and our tears….
As the Boomers age-out (many have died and many more will die in the next decade), the last twenty plus years have presented challenges that both bolster our faith and mystify our perspective on how to deal with the current set of challenges we face as an American society. As the generation who benefited the most from the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation, many frequently reflect on the reverence of the monumental benefit to human existence that Judeo-Christian values (born of Judaism and Christianity) and democratic capitalism have bestowed upon the world across multiple nations, races, tribes and other societal variations. These values lead us to do unto others as we desire to be treated and the absolute truths of the ten commandments should ideally guide all human interaction. Not to ignore the contribution of others but the benefits of Christianity upon American society, as well as many other societies on the world stage, are unmeasurable. Although imperfect, democratic capitalism has brought the highest quality of life to more humanity than any other system ever conceived.
So why do we feel unsettled and essentially disappointed with human conduct in recent times? Why does it seem as though violent crime and horrific acts of inhumanity are on the increase? In part because younger generations feel less influenced or governed by the rule of law and the rules of decent human conduct. These constructs have largely been imprinted on our consciousness by religious teachings of peace and love guided by parents who live these values. Even simple things like the rules of the road, respect for law enforcement professionals and even respect for ones parents are so often ignored. Admittedly there are flaws in all of these constructs. Christianity’s Bible and associated religious sects are in fact human creations and therefore certain to have failings. Yet what is the acceptable alternative that works to avoid aberrant behavior, violence and evil? It leaves one to wonder where do so many young people learn these abhorrent behaviors. In the vast majority of instances, negative influence from social media is a predominant source.
For hundreds and even thousands of years these “rules” have led to peaceful, civil, human conduct only interrupted by evil’s unchecked power. When these rules are widely and willingly adhered to, and or enforced, then unfettered forces of evil cannot exist to a great extent. Yet they do exist because those who seek and live by peace and good find armed enforcement abhorrent and the last resort. The funders of terrorism, both against their own people and their perceived enemies, such as Iran (including their proxies Hamas and Hezbollah), Syria, Afghanistan, North Korea and Russia, among others, find peace, liberty, and choice abhorrent because it challenges their leader’s stranglehold on absolute power. Violence and oppression are these despots’ primary governance constructs.
For nearly two hundred and fifty years, powerful forces for oppression and evil have challenged America’s willingness to do what is necessary to defend our chosen path of liberty, a government by the people and democratic capitalism. Quite often, America has made very painful sacrifices to assist other nations with similar dreams. Many of those nations have banded together with us to strengthen the resolve for freedom. The American dream lives on because of the ultimate sacrifice by so many. Most of these existential threats have come from outside our nation. Never before has the dream been under such intense pressure from within.
Some would argue that the greatest danger comes from those able to gain entry, often illegally, to our country. There are real, credible concerns for violent criminals and terrorism’s perpetrators to gain entry to the United States through our porous southern border. The truth is most crossing the border are those who bring with them a Christian faith with adherence to principles of love, peace and family. They are also seekers of the American Dream who wish to find honest work, care for their families, build wealth and even become entrepreneurs. We do not hear constant cries of victim status or discrimination. (Aside from the almost universal presence of Latino peoples among these southern border immigrants, these same descriptors apply to Asian immigrants as well.) Instead, we see solid traditional nuclear family units, demonstrations of religious faith and a desire to work hard to achieve individual and family economic success. How would we not want these hard working, God-fearing people to become American citizens? So many have become members of the military, law enforcement, governmental leadership and commerce. All of whom will stand up to protect and participate in the continuing realization of this greatest dream.
The Willow 