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Speaking of war. Blogging about the war is the new national past time, a preoccupation for innumerable netizens with more free time than common sense. Though in all fairness, the security problems our world faces are tough, and that is why common sense is unable to find the obvious solutions. Let’s look at some of the folks out there with some answers. Victor Davis Hanson became a prominent publisher of war commentary immediately after 9/11 and has been ever since. He has his own web site, and a regular column at National Review Online. What he does is identify simple enemies – Islamic radicalism, out of control immigration, anti-Americanism – and prescribe a simple solution - thwart these evils, and all will be well again across the land. Thus a great classically trained history professor has become a mouthpiece for inane right-wing views. Hanson is a "Gray Champion" – an elder figure calling out the war cry, urging resolve, appealing to the spirit of America. He is fulfilling his generational archetype’s role in its last phase of life – but he just doesn’t seem to “get” the strategic environment, and so his commentary is overly simplistic and off-base. And he always has a wistful pessimism about the potential of his own countrymen, even as he presumably means to rally them. The left has a sort of "Gray Champion" as well, in the form of Michael Moore. The enemy he’s picking a fight with is none other than America’s President, George W. Bush. In the Moore worldview, it’s Bush’s recklessness that has made the world a dangerous place - as though the entire history of the 1990s had never happened! So Moore has taken up the cause of anti-war Mom Cindy Sheehan, in an apparent effort to make Iraq into a repeat of Vietnam. Moore’s rhetoric is equally as simplistic, emotionally laden and inane as that of his generational counterpart Hanson – he just doesn’t seem to “get” the historical location. Myopia, pessimism, bellicosity - these are traits of the Boomer generation - which make for poor strategic analysis when it comes to understanding the global war on terrorism. You're better off turning to a younger generation's thinking on the subject matter - to "Voices of Reason" such as Thomas P. M. Barnett and Fareed Zakaria. These younger men are better at capturing the multiple dimensions of the problem, while also seeing the big picture, and applying rational thought in a broad context. Plus they’re optimistic about the future, not just for this country but for the whole human race. So give them a chance to argue some sense into your head. Don’t let the crusaders lead you off a cliff! Posted by Steve at 9:44 PM |
| Lost | 106+ |
| G.I. | 82-106 |
| Silent | 64-82 |
| Boomer | 46-64 |
| Gen-X | 25-46 |
| Millennial | ?-25 |
| Homeland | ? |
| High | 1946-1964 |
| Awakening | 1964-1984 |
| Unraveling | 1984-? |
| Crisis | ?- |
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Where noted, background information on generations theory is copyright 1996 Broadway Books. All other content on this web site is copyright 2002-2007 Generation Watch and Steve Barrera. All rights reserved. |