World War II Generation and History

I once took part in a poetry reading attended for the most part by older social conservatives; and there was a heartbroken look on the face of one of the ladies when I recited a hippie-themed poem.

I've seen the same heartbroken look on the face of my grandmother, who was a Soviet Communist, when others in the family were making fun of Lada cars.

The American World War II generation got more of what it wanted than did just about anyone else in history. America remains the world's most powerful country. Its economic and political system is being copied all around the world. That they did not get everything that they wanted – such as not everyone living a family lifestyle and not everyone believing that marriage is forever – is just reality. The world changes all the time in all sorts of directions. That they thought that their order was going to be forever does not mean that reality will collaborate with that belief.

For reference, the country from which I come was completely destroyed. And there have been any number of ways of life that have been completely wiped out, some by Americans themselves. The former hippies are accused of having been spoiled children; but here we see conservatives behaving like spoiled children themselves. They got more of what they wanted than just about anyone else, and some of them make a huge stink because they did not get everything that they wanted.

Clearly the American World War II generation accomplished a lot, and it should be respected for that. But let us put things into perspective. Most people in history got just a smidgeon of what they wanted; whereas American conservatives got most of it. My grandmother worked just as hard as did her American contemporaries, yet everything for which she worked was destroyed. Whereas America remains the world's greatest country, and the World War II generation is known in America as the Greatest Generation.

I mean no disrespect whatsoever for the World War II generation. I simply seek to make sense of things. America's World War II generation got more of what it wanted than just about anyone else in history of humanity. And that they did not get everything that they wanted, is just life.