My era is better than your era

[burgold]

Most people think correctly that the following generation is stupid, moronic, and taking us right to hell. At the same time, most people think correctly that the older generation is stupid, moronic, and responsible for the hell we're living in. So, who had the best era. Make a case for what your generation contributed that kicks the arse of what someone else's generation contributed.

For the case of this argument this generation measures your life from Jr. High to college graduation or about 12 -22.

I'll start. My generation is the best because the Redskins won three Superbowls, we gave the world the internet, ended the Cold War. The rest of you are pale shadows.

Oh yeah, we gave the world Boy George, Punk Rock, and Pokemon.

 

[Goaldeje]

I'm too young for this game.



I am, I suppose, the very definition of Generation X. We gave the world Grunge Music (impact on music can not be understated), and while your generation may have given the world the internet, my generation developed the hell out of it and showed us all what it could be. So there.

 

[Boone]

Unfortunately - I don't think my generation has made the level of contribution that say my Dad's or grandfather's accomplished. While I think every generation has it's achievements and accomplishments, the cardinal feature of my own is that societal norms turned away from valuing the group and family, to valuing the individual. I'm not saying that in the stereotypical sense and of course any assessment like this is going to be a wild generalization. But overall, while kids who have grown up in my era still hold onto some of the vestiges of their roots, family, community, and social responsibility just don't have the same focus they did in previous generations. The other unfortunate development over the past 20 years is that, due to a declining American economy, it now takes multiple members of a household earning income (often with all adults in the home working full-time). There seems to be far less time for leisure, family time, and just relaxing than previous generations experienced. We have become a nation of workaholics.

I know that's not quite what you were looking for - I'd just have a hard time selling the idea that my generation has been all that memorable. Our biggest claim to fame? We invented Rock and Roll - without which, those precious leisure hours would be so much less rich.

 

[burgold]

No, it's not, but it's a great serious answer.

I've often said that the reason kids are "out of control" today is because of lack of play. It's not structure or discipline. There's often plenty of that. It's that moment where kids get together and they find a stick and suddenly their King Arthur or Luke Skywalker or that moment when someone shouts "I'm invisible" and they are. Heck, even the random, impromptu games of football, kickball, or baseball were really important. All of these helped develop our problem solving skills. Kids learned to work it out because they wanted to continue playing and they began to value rules and how to figure stuff out.

Video games, play with adult supervision, and school are all very well and useful, but they lack that moment where the kid has independence and has to figure it out or not be able to get what he wants: fun and friendship.

In cooperation with the economy, that's another reason why social bonds are decreasing in family and in friendship. Being a fool, being silly, and having fun is incredibly cognitively productive.

 

[Boone]

I love that idea - hell, that's a book right there Btw, will stop hijacking your nice thread idea here and let you get back to it, but do check out TN ('The Noosphere'). Of course you're welcome to post anything/everything here, but that's the kind of topic that fits in perfectly with the other site.

 

[Nobody]

Burgold, just a head's up - you will learn with this thread how quickly things can devolve and end up in the asylum forum

That being said, my generation pretty much sucks other than music, television, movies, etc. That's all we have to contribute

As far as your internet claim goes, your generation created it, but without my generation, it never would have been realized. It was generation X that made the internet what it is. I think of your generation as the parents to my generation, and only giving us what we wanted/needed.

Also, since you said 12-22 age range, the internet isn't yours anyway

Based on that, my generation gave the world the internet, smart phones, the pentium processor, DVDs, HD, wifi, Viagra.....I think you need to do some clarification on the criteria. Are we claiming things given to the world or occuring in that 12-22 time frame, or things given to the world/occuring as a result of people our age? If it's the latter, nobody under 45 could really say anything.

 

[burgold]

I love that idea - hell, that's a book right there Btw, will stop hijacking your nice thread idea here and let you get back to it, but do check out TN ('The Noosphere'). Of course you're welcome to post anything/everything here, but that's the kind of topic that fits in perfectly with the other site.

Thanks.

Haven't gotten a feel for the Noosphere yet. The top section almost seemed an invitation for fiction, poetry, artwork, and essays. The forum didn't necessarily look like it jibed with that. So, I'm not sure what goes there.

Hmm... I am my own thread's chief hijacker.

 

[Nobody]

Thanks.

Haven't gotten a feel for the Noosphere yet. The top section almost seemed an invitation for fiction, poetry, artwork, and essays. The forum didn't necessarily look like it jibed with that. So, I'm not sure what goes there.

Hmm... I am my own thread's chief hijacker.

In that case, you'll fit right in, we all do it

 

[burgold]

Extreme,

I think things that came to prominence during your generation. So, cell phones probably falls within your age group. Drowning levels of debt. Pokemon. You might be able to take credit for Milli Vanilli too.

You can be serious or tongue in cheek about the items you choose.

 

[Nobody]

Extreme,

I think things that came to prominence during your generation. So, cell phones probably falls within your age group. Drowning levels of debt. Pokemon. You might be able to take credit for Milli Vanilli too.

You can be serious or tongue in cheek about the items you choose.

Awesome. That means my generation doesn't totally suck

Generation X gave the world the following:
Vanilla Ice
Viagra
Rohipnol
Medical Marijuana
Hipsters
Creed
Ben Affleck
3 Dallas Super Bowl victories

You're welcome

For the record, the drowning levels of debt were after I was 22, so gen Y can have that lol.

 

[servumtuum]

burgold, I am a "Boomer"-I'll be 63 in about a month. So what contributions have my generation made that might overshadow others?

Not many-but we did lay some musical foundations for things that came later.

Beatles
Rolling Stones
Who
Doors
Led Zep
Cream
Jimi Hendrix


Just to name a few-there were others, of course.

Talking about The Noosphere for moment, I came to BGO having gotten to know the owners there and was impressed with how they had done The Noosphere thus when they announced their plans for a Redskins fan site that gave me a reason to expect BGO to be "a cut above" the usual NFL fan site and they have done just that.

If you would be interested here's a "personal favorites" sampler of some threads at TN that went into things to an interesting depth.

http://www.thenoosphere.com/18773-how-big-your-window.html


http://www.thenoosphere.com/20891-death.html


http://www.thenoosphere.com/5625-forbidden-subjects.html


http://www.thenoosphere.com/25334-two-party-system.html

 

[burgold]

For the baby boomers, I would have to list landing a man on the Moon which of course led to the pet rock.

Seriously though, there's little cooler than having made it to the Moon and coming back alive. That's a hard one to beat.

I'll try to check out the TN threads.

 

[servumtuum]

I didn't include the moon landing because, while done during the time of the "Baby Boomer" generation it wasn't done by Baby Boomers whose generation is generally accepted to have begun in 1946.

Neil Armstrong was born in 1930.

 

[Elephant]

Colonists in the mid 18th Century!

burgold, I believe I am a couple years older than you but the 80's is where I would consider my generation. Don't forget that we gave the world Rap Music! RUN...Run...run...D...M...C!!! The space shuttle (OK, it happened during our generation even if it was developed earlier)! Savings and loans crisis! New Coke!

In the 20th and 21st Centuries, I believe there is no generation greater, in most respects, than the "Greatest Generation" that Tom Brokaw wrote about. They went off to fight in wars and came home to build the American Dream for their families. They worked hard to create better lives for their children and their children's children. Recently I had the pleasure of spending time with some of my grandmother's siblings, all members of this generation. As I sat there quietly and soaked in the memories of these aunts and uncles and my grandmother, I could only think of how hard they all worked and how very loving, kind, generous and considerate they were/are! They were always helping where they could and constantly busy. Though there are still many who hold these character traits in each generation, the amount of selflessness among this group never ceases to amaze me!

 

[burgold]

As to the greatest generation, the Greatest Generation is probably in the running, but there was also that period of incredible invention around the turn of the Century when Edison and others were going crazy reinventing every wheel. Imagine all the corners we turned in the late 1800's from light bulbs to automobiles... even the first steps into flight. In art, impressionism and post impressionism enriched our senses. The real foundation of our modern technological society took place in the sprint between 1885 and 1905.

But yeah, that WWII generation was pretty amazing. The things my Grandmother went through and how strong she was and needed to be. It's incredible.

 

[burgold]

Except, if you look in the bible, when Paul went up to Jesus and asked,

"Lord, war, what is it good for?"

and Jesus looked down on his disciple and answered.

"Absolutely nothing! I'll say it again. Good God y'all. War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!!!"

The bible is a really wise and revealing book.

 

[Goaldeje]

Umm, Paul wasn't a Christian when Jesus was around. He was converted after the Resurrection.

Dumbass.


Posted via BGO Mobile Device

 

[burgold]

Did I say he was? I said it was in the bible. Mind you, not the Bible, but the bible. Heck, everyone knows that there are almost no Christians talked about in the Bible. That's what makes it a Holy book. (Have I gone too far?)

 

[Nobody]

FWIW, Jesus was a Baptist

Back on topic, as much as I think baby boomers did to screw us up, I believe they did more to help us than any group before or since, not counting the founding fathers.

I think the most unique distinction that the baby boomers hold, is that while they did a lot of great things in the 1985-1995 range, most of it was done for the benefit of the younger generation. I can honestly say that as things stand right now, I can't see generation X giving two ****s about generation Y any time in the near future.

 

[Dik Shuttle]

I'm for whichever generation gave us the Zucker Brothers and thereby Kentucky Fried Movie & Ushi Dugart.

Powh!