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Thursday, August 27, 2020

The Death of the Great Generation

 I was born just after the end of World War II, a child of 'the great generation,' a baby boomer. America had, at an awesome cost, come through a great crusade against fascism, against oppressive nationalistic regimes which had set out to conquer the "weaker" nations of the world, to cleanse the earth of "unworthy" people, and indeed to subjugate their own populations with propaganda, lies, violence, the dismantling of norms and protections in government institutions so that all might be servile.

How sad it is now to see my country championing those same tyrannies we had once fought together against. How sad it is to see so many turning a blind eye to bald-faced lies from the podiums of power, embracing an attitude of careless intolerance, eagerly joining in demonization of 'the other'. How sad it is to see the idealism of America blasphemed in this strange, wholly un-American affection for authoritarianism, this ironic desire to undo their very heritage and freedoms, rendering the price paid by my parents' generation futile after all. They stand back and watch and actually cheer as the cornerstones of democracy are bit by bit broken down.

And this, I fear, is only the beginning of sorrows. 


1 comment:

MB said...

Sad indeed.