# The Greatest Generation **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 10, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996 "2008-02-10T03:24:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/1 "2008-02-10T03:24:04Z")
Right… I think this so-called greatest generation has some real flaws too… Anyone else notice they have a tendency to live in denial or just try to not deal with stuff? Or they tend to be a bit racist? Or is this just my observation? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/2 "2008-02-10T03:42:59Z")
Are you talking about the generation that grew up during the Depression and World War II (the Tom Brokaw book)? The youngest of them are in their late 70s now. What do you want from them? ---
**Author:** ![ManiacMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b782af/32.png) [@ManiacMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ManiacMan)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/3 "2008-02-10T03:44:23Z")
They seem OK to me…they all went through alot. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/4 "2008-02-10T03:53:51Z")
[Homer Simpson]Moochin’ war widows…[/HS] ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/5 "2008-02-10T04:10:58Z")
I’ve heard quite a few say they don’t believe Obama is electible because of his race. I have a deep, deep aversion for this type of mentality … they’re talking about their own prejudices. It’s this “greatest generation” mentality. And I don’t mean to generalize, I am confident there are many elderly who rise about this ignorance. But the percentages of white elderly voting for Obama is low… so I think I have a point here. These people are not going to get in Obama’s way… for all I care once they all die off, the world will be a better place. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/6 "2008-02-10T04:13:30Z")
I just did a google search on “the greatest generation, racists” and came up with this: > **[The Twenty-First Century's Greatest Generation](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-twentyfirst-centurys_b_80122)** > > The true genius of Obama has been his ability to convince my generation that this is their country, too, and their moment to participate is now. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/7 "2008-02-10T04:23:57Z")
Sure, they went through a lot, as do people in every generation, but an awful lot of them are/were real jerks, too. Calling them the “Greatest Generation” sold a lot of books, but it was puffery. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/8 "2008-02-10T04:29:21Z")
That Huffington Post article is best understood in the context of the generational theory laid down by Strauss & Howe in their influential 1991 book _Generations_. According to S&H’s theory, American history runs on a 4-phase generational cycle. The parenting styles of each group influencing the adult behavior of their kids to perpetuate the cycle. So, for example, a pragmatic civic-minded generation like The Greatest Generation will raise an idealistic individual-focused generation like The Baby Boomers, who will in turn raise another pragmatic civic-minded generation like the current crop of youngsters voting for Obama. Hence the Huffington Post article about “The Twenty-First Century’s Greatest Generation”. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/9 "2008-02-10T04:31:07Z")
Nobody said they were the Perfect Generation. Taken on balance, with all their flaws, they were better than any than followed them. I don’t know about those that came before. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/10 "2008-02-10T04:32:34Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Nobody said they were the Perfect Generation. Taken on balance, with all their flaws, they were better than any than followed them. I don’t know about those that came before. [/QUOTE] See the book **Pochacco** mentioned for a detailed analysis. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/11 "2008-02-10T04:45:26Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone] Calling them the “Greatest Generation” sold a lot of books, but it was puffery. [/QUOTE] It was more than that. It was a salvo in the ongoing generational war between the G.I. Generation (a more neutral term than “greatest”) and the Baby Boomers. It says that doing your duty is more patriotic than speaking your mind, and fighting a war is more patriotic than fighting to stop one. (Of course in the 1990’s the war wasn’t between the actual generations any more. By that point it was between the two value systems the generations had come to symbolize.) It’s exactly this sort of stupid “Greatest Generation” hero-worship that led us straight to the situation we found ourselves in 2003 where it became impossible to have a real debate about the merits of going to war. The only “serious”, “patriotic” position was the pro-war position and any opposition was dismissed at the time as naive peaceniks who were probably America-hating terrorist-lovers to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/12 "2008-02-10T04:54:20Z")
[QUOTE=JohnnieEnigma] I think this so-called greatest generation has some real flaws too… [/QUOTE] It’s a crappy descriptor, [much overused by pandering politicians.](http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&hl=en&c2coff=1&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&num=10&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=Greatest+Generation&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&cr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=whitehouse.gov&as_rights=&safe=off) With luck, it’s usage will wither before my parents, and _their_ generation shuffle off this mortal coil. OTOH, I’m quite pleased to occasionally hear the words “dirty hippy” wafted in _my_ direction. At least that’s an honest insult. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/13 "2008-02-10T04:59:55Z")
How do you measure greatness? That’s difficult to do. I suppose what makes them the greatest generation is that they were adults at age 18. It wasn’t an option. As the offspring of that generation I got to see the end of an era. We didn’t just know our neighbors, we knew everyone on the block. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/14 "2008-02-10T05:11:41Z")
[QUOTE=kunilou] Are you talking about the generation that grew up during the Depression and World War II (the Tom Brokaw book)? The youngest of them are in their late 70s now. **What do you want from them**? [/QUOTE] I want them to vote for Obama. They can’t seem to do it. That’s what I want. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/15 "2008-02-10T05:16:41Z")
[QUOTE=JohnnieEnigma] I want them to vote for Obama. [/QUOTE] And if they won’t vote for Obama, they are not the Greatest Generation? ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/16 "2008-02-10T05:19:34Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] And if they won’t vote for Obama, they are not the Greatest Generation? [/QUOTE] No… I’m saying there is a low percentage of white elderly who vote for Obama. There’s a trend here… they have some issues… racist issues. That’s all I’m suggesting. If they want to be considered the “greatest generation” let them think it… I also think I’m an enigma… it doesn’t make me one. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/17 "2008-02-10T05:20:55Z")
**dropmom** , 83, just got back from her caucus where she voted for Obama. Make you happy? ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/18 "2008-02-10T05:21:08Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] And if they won’t vote for Obama, they are not the Greatest Generation? [/QUOTE] The only reason I couldn’t vote for Obama in the primary is because of New York’s rigid, strict, oppressive voting laws. They have a problem with freedom, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/19 "2008-02-10T05:22:21Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone] **dropmom** , 83, just got back from her caucus where she voted for Obama. Make you happy? [/QUOTE] Yes. Thank you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996/20 "2008-02-10T05:23:05Z")
[QUOTE=JohnnieEnigma] I want them to vote for Obama. They can’t seem to do it. That’s what I want. [/QUOTE] They voted for FDR. Just wait 80 years. The tail end of your “Greatest Generation” won’t be voting for the bright hope for a new future either. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-generation/436996.md?page=2)