Calling all Boomers. Obama says it's time to lay down our weapons

[NewHampster]

Obama says so.

Obama says we've been fighting the same fights since the '60's and should somehow pass the baton onto a new generation with new and forward thinking battles.

Obama wants me to sit meekly in my arm chair and let his generation take over.

Obama forgets where his roots are.

Obama forgets that my Woodstock Generation invented "Hell No We won't go."

Obama also should know that technically or maybe not, he is a baby boomer http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/brainiac/2007/02/generation_obam.html

This is the politics of hope? This is how Obama plans to bring us all together?

Obama can kiss my wrinkled fat ass!

What the asshole really said.

"I think there's no doubt that we represent the kind of change that Sen. Clinton can't deliver on, and part of it is generational," Obama, 46, said on Fox News. "Sen. Clinton and others, they've been fighting some of the same fights since the '60s, and it makes it very difficult for them to bring the country together to get things done."

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/11/08/2007-11-08_barack_obama_says_hillary_clinton_too_ol-2.html

edited subject.

[demnan]

1. We have to re-fight the battles of the 60s

because the Republicans and the Corpora-crats have reversed nearly every advance we made back then, including lying us into unnecessary wars!

At 46 he's technically a boomer anyway.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Your ballroom days are over, baby

[durrrty libby]

66. Nah, I bet NH can still cut a rug

[ananda]

3. What an eejit!

I have to protest against all the evils perpetrated
by the criminal businesses and their representative
parties and officials, led in particular by the evil
Bush and Cheney... who should have already been
impeached.

[AtomicKitten]

4. I love the smell of hyperbole in the morning. (nt)

[vi5]

5. My parents and their friends are all boomers...

None of them are conservative by any stretch of the imagination. In fact most are pretty liberal. They all lived through Vietnam and Watergate and the lying and conniving and manipulation of the government. Yet they all got duped into thinking the Iraq war was a good idea and noble pursuit and they all don't even know half of what is going on with torture and domestic spying and all of that.

Somehow with their generation largely in charge of everything we got more of the same if not worse, 30 years later.

Why did so many boomers get duped on Iraq if the lessons from that era are so valuable today?
Why are corporations so much more ruthless and reckless with so many boomers in charge?
Why is traditional media so far in the shit hole when most of the reporters and executives and producers and editors are boomers?

I'm not saying this is all boomers but honestly there is a discussion to be had on this subject. Of course it's never going to happen because god forbid we all engage in actually civil self reflection and discussion instead of just sniping and reflexively getting all pissy.

[NewHampster]

10. Obama's generation gave us Reagan

They're the ones who caved and said screw the poor we want our piece of the American Pie.

Obama's generation undermined all the changes we fought for.

Fuck Him.

[vi5]

16. Huh?

How do you figure that they are any more responsible for Reagan than the Boomers were? Did Boomers suddenly not vote in elections in the 80's or something?

[OnionPatch]

32. I don't know where everyone got the idea that all the boomers were liberals!

There were *some* boomers that were liberal. They were very vocally against the Vietnam War. There were also plenty of right-wing boomers. Boomers are an age-group, not a political affiliation, thank you. I was there and saw it. Boomer does not equal liberal! The generation after the boomers was all into the "climb the ladder" "free market" mentality. We liberal boomers were outnumbered, plain and simple. This myth that the boomers were all liberals and all turned into right-wingers is really starting to irk me.

[NewHampster]

49. Thank you for saying what I was just trying to put into words

[femrap]

50. I am irked as well.

Look at Boomers like Rove, Norquist, etc. The '60's and '70's scared and angered them. Why? One of the major reasons, IMHO, was the advances that women and gays were making. That could not continue...and look at how they have manipulated people into putting abortion, gay rights, and guns (angry white male issue) into the forefront.

I was handing out Democratic Sample Ballots at the polls on Tuesday and spoke with a woman who said her husband would move to Canada if Hilliary were elected. And I asked why. Because of abortion. I asked her if she thought she had the right to FORCE women to have children...she said 'Of course. I had 5 children.' Well, I went on a holy RANT. From 'responsible ejaculation' to 'over population' to 'why aren't you adopting' to 'who died and made you God/Goddess.' She just stood there agape. She had never heard those arguments. So I hope I planted some sort of seed. She was probably one of those 'Vineyard' robots.

Obama bugs me....always has. I really couldn't put my finger on it...just this feeling that he's not a fighter. I believe he would succumb to the Corporate evil forces. And I'm sick of his religious blather. He's only 8 years my junior. IMHO, I don't think there is a way to unite this country...those rabid American Taliban aren't going to see the light any day soon. And I sure the hell am not going to give up our Democracy and Constitution w/o a fight. Separation of Church and State is crucial to our Republic.

He's just too 'mousy.' And to be frank, I didn't think that speech he gave at the Democratic Convention was all that great. Flame on!

[goodgd_yall]

80. Right, and Obama is talking about 60s activists (liberal and left-wing), NOT boomers n/t

[Renew Deal]

39. Many in Obama's generation weren't old enough to vote.

That's dumb.

[Odin2005]

30. Bull, the younger Boomers gave us Reagan.

[rufus dog]

85. Uh WRONG!

The younger siblings and sons and daughters of the early Boomers brought us Reagan. And you have to admit that Paul McCartney is a bit to old to still be playing the 'cute' Beatle.

[xiamiam]

17. boomer here...horrified at both iraq wars..and the televised 90's version placed stress squarely

behind my eyes..felt like i was living in someone elses nightmare...that returned with this administration...i thought we were wiser, smarter...etc...been there done that..most of my boomer friends have not been fooled for one second by any of this nonsense...i know what their politics are..i know that they are marching and calling congress among other things, even if i dont see them...most of us lost friends and family during vietnam..the draft cut across all social strata..and many of the vets who did return were lost to us forever...but there was then more unity in striving for the ideal..
i sometimes think that we were too complacent during the 80's..90s...life was easy in comparison to now...at least people weren't debating the upside of torture on national tv..we took a huge step backwards with the marriage of politics and fundamentalist religion..among other things..and we were too busy with our families and mortgages to realize what was in store for us..
but i wouldnt underestimate most boomers..if you've been to many rallys, we're there...we're here as well...and most of us are genuinely pissed..

[vi5]

18. Like I said...

It's not all boomers and it's not saying that even people like my parents and their friends are bad. But their priorities changed and the landscape changed and the way media works has change and corporate culture has changed. And the fact is that it's changed largely under the steering and command of boomers. Like any generation there's good and bad. But the accomplishments of the Boomers are no more or less worthy than any other, and also no more or less exempt from scrutiny than any others.

[Jim__]

6. "...they've been fighting some of the same fights since the '60s..."

And Obama's claim as a leader is that he's new to these fights? Or, he's not going to fight these fights? Well, if he's new to the fights, or he's not going to fight these fights, I wish he's be specific about exactly what fights he's talking about.

[rufus dog]

86. his point is

that they now fight just to fight. Like the old married couple that has become comfortable in that type of interaction. It is more prevalent on the right, for example Newt Gingrich is a hero of the right. He had the contract with america and the day after the election he reneged on three or four of the items and they still loved him. "If Newt says X then I am for it, if Bill says X then I am against it."

[NMMNG]

7. He also thinks the way to bring LGBT people and homophobes together

Is to throw a gospel concert featuring 5 homophobes, one of whom gives a 30 minute sermon demonizing gay people.

Feel the bonding! :sarcasm:

[FredScuttle]

15. Obama is winning friends all over the place lately, eh?

First, welcoming an "ex-gay" clown to headline his fundraiser...now, insulting millions who fought for social justice. what's next? Making fun of Stevie Wonder? Calling Mother Theresa a publicity whore?

Obama '08: We Need The Votes....By Any Means Necessary

[NewHampster]

19. It's all about the O

n/t

[Tellurian]

26. When is Obama going to tell Oprah...her moneys no good, because she's too OLD!

[NewHampster]

35. And she can't even hire good school administrators

What kind of people will O hire?

The ones that advised him to flip off Gays?
The ones that told him to start a generational conflict amongst loyal dems?

Yes sir. He knows how to hire and manage and will lead us all to salvation.

[Tellurian]

59. Actually, I can't wait for the time when the "stupid" boomers supporting him

are kicked to the curb by Mr. Obama, who appeals to America's youth!

Obama is the 21st Century's Moonie!

:shrug: :crazy:

[NMMNG]

24. He's a uniter all right

For young straight people.

[FredScuttle]

36. Obama is all about uniting decent folk and "ex-gay" clowns

because, you know, each side deserves respect. :eyes:

[John Q. Citizen]

8. He is correct that Hill represents the status quo. That's not news.

[ellacott]

9. I read the same article and got a totally different understanding

Personally I'm tired of the status quo and do feel things need to change. I don't understand why this is a problem.

[goodgd_yall]

81. He wasn't talking about just the status quo

Obama singled out a generation that challenged the status quo beginning in the 60s. Our current status quo is the same status quo that 60s activists were fighting back then.

[ellacott]

93. I think that's his point

We are still fighting the same fight. As an exaple, we are still fighting over energy dependence and all we're doing is fighting and debating.

It's got to get to the point where we stop fighting and debating and put things into action.

[goodgd_yall]

105. It's my opinion that

the reason nothing's getting done is because we have a Republican, neocon administration and merely a small majority of Democrats in Congress (and then even some of them vote along with Republicans). If we could have a sizable Democratic majority in the Congress and a Democratic administration, we'll be seeing things get done.

[ellacott]

106. I think it's deeper than that

The Dems have dropped the ball when they've been in power also. We had a majority in Congress for 40yrs and 20 yrs in the Presidency.

Carter talked about alternative energy when he was President. We could have been energy independent today but we dropped the ball. We debated and fought and now we find ourselves in a position when we are forced to move on this issue.

There are other examples where we squandered opportunities.

[SaveElmer]

11. GOBAMA....NOT!!!

K&R all the way to the top!!!!

[AX10]

12. Mr. Obama has forgotten that those "fights" resulted..

in people such as himself receiving equal rights.
Obama is not one to talk about inclusiveness. Seeing that he brought a homophobic SOB into his campaign, he should watch what he says. I prefer Hillary over Obama anyday.

[Tellurian]

28. All Obam-ya is doing is making Hillary look great!

and I Loveit!

[zulchzulu]

13. Bring on the Stale Wife-Cheating Dot Bomb Daze of Change(R)!

Change(R) is just what we want. In Hollywood, we have reruns due to the Strike. In the Presidential Anointment, we need to re-coronate the Queen of Reruns so that we can keep the comedy and books coming.

Hillary Clinton would be good for comedians and the book industry! Ah, the blood from the new wars to splatter across our new HDTVs! She would be fantastic for the documentary industry! She would be the perfect fit for setting women's role in society back 50 years!

Let's sit back and watch the Rerun of Disaster, Disloyalty and Dynasty! Resistance is futile!

:sarcasm:

[liberalnurse]

14. Obama is using "twisted perception techniques".

The verbage does not stick........It will all evaporate by diner time............

[MuseRider]

20. I have been trying to pass it to them

but my old back is in pain from having to go back and pick the damned thing back up.

Man, this guy sure knows how to unite. :eyes:

[sinkingfeeling]

21. Hey, Obama, you ought to be kissing us old boomers instead of insulting us! Without our

demands for racial justice, where would you be? I'm yet to hear how you will 'unite' the country when Neo-Cons and their supporters have been destroying it for the last 8 years. Exactly, what is it that you're going to get done?

[MuseRider]

22. You are exactly right

and many of us lived through hell doing it. Apparently that is difficult to understand when it was all done by others and handed to you.

[Rock_Garden]

23. K & R!!!

[Tellurian]

25. Obama doesn't WANT to represent ALL the people.

particularly the Baby Boomers b/c they can't be fooled. He doesn't have any use for the GLBT Community because they don't fall into his paradigm of religious beliefs. What next? Is he suddenly one day going to announce, he is not inclined to believe that if you are NOT Christian, you are ineligible for the benefits of *HIS* government?

What I see is, Obama's candidacy is a mission to destroy everything Boomers have worked hard to accomplish, replacing our Civil Rights with HIS neoconic vision of a New World Order.

Obama has only lived in this country for for less than 25yrs. Where does he get off espousing the disenfranchise of millions upon millions of people who were born and brought up here, and who's families have lived here for generation upon generation.

Send this assh*le packing!

[Renew Deal]

34. Obama is an asshole? I think you got lost on the way to freeperville.

www.freerepublic.com

Why do you hate so much? Isn't he a fellow Democrat? In your case, maybe not.

[Tellurian]

60. You're confused..You think, we elected George Bush!

grab a history book once and a while, so you now what you're talking about!

:crazy:

[Renew Deal]

27. Your generation failed when it elected George Bush Jr.

Your generation has made the nation worse off by not standing up for itself and its kids.
Your generation repeatedly shows bad judgement.
Your generation is still fighting the old wars.
Your generation needs a realignment.
Your generation has people like Hillary, Mitt, and Guiliani as front runners.
Your generation appears to be wrong again.

[Tellurian]

29. Where have you been? No one elected George Bush!

Wake-UP and smell the coffee!

[Renew Deal]

31. Call it whatever you want.

And then your generation did the same thing it once opposed. It started a war that has made this country worse off. And now your generation supports even more war mongers (Hillary, all the republicans). Your generation's track record isn't so good.

[Tellurian]

58. So, now the lame excuse of blaming an entire generation?

when it's been the Republicans not the Democrats that have caused this travesty?

I'll guarantee YOU voted for Bush both times!

:rofl:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

40. It started before that, with Reagan

A whole lotta Boomers went for his Morning in America schtick. My parents were a little older, but many of my contemporaries had formerly free spirited '60s era parents who turned into conservative stuffed shirts when they started raising families. They embraced all that trickle down 'free market' bullshit, along with regressive social values that brought us wonderful things like the War on Drugs.

[maddiejoan]

91. Uhm,

Obama is part of our generation, chuckles.

He's the same age as me. A Boomer.

[Renew Deal]

33. Why do you support Hillary?

The article that I read about you said that it was because "you really want to win this time." You've sold out your principles which is another characteristic of your generation.

[NewHampster]

38. I haven't sold out my principles

I believe that Hillary holds those same principles but is smart enough to not let them cloud the issue of beating the dirty nasty repuglican machine.

I primarily believe and always have, that in our representative democracy we have to choose people we trust to understand the issues for us and act upon their best judgment.

I trust Hillary explicitly to do the right things.

[goodgd_yall]

82. Good answer! n/t

[illinoisprogressive]

37. As a boomer I've thought thought the same as Obama. Don't know why bbs are so

overwrought about it. We suck governing and that is fact.
Why can't boomers except their weaknesses along with strengths.

[Apollo11]

42. I agree - 55 should be the national maximum age limit for political office.

But just like you - I don't believe it for one second! ;-)

[Connie_Corleone]

41. We must not criticize the baby boomer generation.

They'll start whining again.

[ronnykmarshall]

54. How fucking rude is that?

What a crock of shit.

[Tellurian]

64. I'd say it's pretty fucking rude..

even fucking ruder, he's not kidding!

[AngryAmish]

68. Point proven!

Thanks ronny!

[jonnyblitz]

62. damn, there aren't going to be many groups left that you nasty

Obama supporters like by the time he is done trashing everyone. unbelievable.

[Connie_Corleone]

73. Case closed.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

43. Logan's Run n/t

[BootinUp]

75. lol nt

[eleny]

44. Does he like our money?

[NewHampster]

45. Boomers should request a refund n/t

[stubtoe]

46. Hmmm ... way to piss off a mighty big chunk of the electorate, sir.

Most politicians are smart enough to cultivate allies wherever they can. What's up with this?

[William769]

47. Someone needs to show him how to fight.

Hillary's been kicking his ass all year. He's still not fighting just whining like a little wimp. Maybe if he had some balls, his campaign would do better but probably not Got to get all them BIGOTS onboard!

[NewHampster]

55. I hope he doesn't learn

[Bake]

48. Why pit one generation against another?

And then call it "uniting?" "Your generation did this ... your generation is to blame for that ..."

The ENEMY, people, is the OTHER side. Having said that, I think Obama is blowing it big-time with these kinds of pronouncements.

Bake

[goodgd_yall]

83. And worse, doing it on the right wing FoxNews

Playing right into their hands.

[blm]

51. Bill Clinton said Democrats shouldn't target Bush and Cheney, either. Do you agree?

Should we move past our problems with Bush and Cheney, New Hampster?

[NewHampster]

52. No

But we do not have to use their slanderous methods of attack. We have enough real evidence to throw their way.

[blm]

56. Yes we shouldn't, but why do you make exceptions for WORSE actions from Hillary?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk1k0nUWEQg

[ronnykmarshall]

53. Isn't he a boomer?

I'm the same age as he is.

[CyberPieHole]

57. Obama is 46...born in 1961 he IS a baby-boomer...

So he is saying he, himself, is not qualified to lead this "new generation".:crazy:

What can one expect from someone lacking in experience.

[Tellurian]

61. If Obama doesn't realize he is a Boomer..isn't that a qualification for the presidency?

[goodgd_yall]

84. In name only

He wasn't old enough to give a damn about: JFK assassination, 1963; MLK assassination, 1968; RFK assassination, 1968; the Civil Rights marches, Selma, Alabama; James Meredith's walk, etc. Those are the events that separate the generation he's dissing from his generation.

[maddiejoan]

92. Really?

He's exactly the same age as me, and I remember giving a damn about every single event you mention!

maybe *I* should be President!

[goodgd_yall]

104. Then you were quite a precocious child!

Ok, I can give you 1968, but The March and JFK's assassination happened when you were 2 years old.

[maddiejoan]

107. Yes --

--But the ramifications of both were still felt even as I was a doddering 5 year old!

[maximusveritas]

63. No, that's not what he said. He said it's time for us to move forwad

and I agree.
Some people are more interested in fighting over Woodstock and Vietnam than global warming and Iraq. The fact is that there are new things we need to worry about and we can't keep fighting over things from the 60s.

[durrrty libby]

65. How silly. No one is fighting over Woodstock and Vietnem

Anyone spewing such crap needs to get off the junk and fast

[maximusveritas]

69. Do you not remember the 2004 election?

That was all about Vietnam.
And McCain made a big deal out of the Woodstock museum recently and got a standing ovation from the Repug crowd in response.
You can bet there will be more of it in this election.

[YvonneCa]

76. 2004 was not about...

...VietNam. It was about patriotism. And McCain is a Republican...so what do you expect??

[durrrty libby]

79. No It was about swiftboating and fear. How can you not get that?

[NewHampster]

70. How come he has such a hard time saying what he said

Seems he's continually saying something else. Like wow? What did I just say? Nevermind.

[Texas_Kat]

71. Then he's forgotten (or never knew) what the 60s were about:

Transparency in government, the environment, the erosion of civil liberties, equality and social justice, American imperialism, civil rights...

To imagine that the 60s were just about Woodstock and Vietnam .... who knew?

[maximusveritas]

72. Just because he's not referring to those things doesn't mean he doesn't know about them

Those are exactly the kind of things Obama thinks we should be fighting over. Hillary certainly isn't fighting for us on those issues. Those things don't belong to just the 60s obviously.
Woodstock and Vietnam, on the other hand, symbolize everything about that era to most Americans. And we're wasting time fighting over those events when we should be talking about the things you mentioned.

[YvonneCa]

77. Do you not understand the link...

..between civil liberties, patriotism, etc. to VietNam and the 60's?

[Texas_Kat]

88. Too bad he vilifies those who pioneered action on those issues

I don't think he's fighting for anything except the nomination. The problem with Obama is that he doesn't have a visceral appreciation for how much was changed in the 60s.

His ship sailed out of the dock and off the edge of his oh-so-hip earth. I'm not interested in surrendering to the illusion of compromise. I'm interested in staying in the fight till we reestablish America's democracy. Whether Obama wants to sell it down the river with his version of 'compromise' or not.

[murbley40]

94. Well whatever he meant,

Maybe a little more time as a senator will help.

[AngryAmish]

67. I think someone's diapers are too tight.

[YvonneCa]

78. ...

...:7

[cuke]

74. Well that certainly is "New politics"

because no one practicing the old politics is stupid enough to say what Obama did

[madrchsod]

87. obama is correct

I think there's no doubt that we represent the kind of change that Sen. Clinton can't deliver on, and part of it is generational," Obama, 46, said on Fox News. "Sen. Clinton and others, they've been fighting some of the same fights since the '60s, and it makes it very difficult for them to bring the country together to get things done."

but how is he going to correct what he is saying about the failures my generation? that is the answer i`m waiting for

[PatSeg]

89. "Fighting the same fights since the '60's"???

Civil Rights? Anti-War? Women's Rights? Freedom of speech?

These are "fights" that are not old fights. They are not superficial fights from a bygone era. How can anyone hope to bring a "the country together" by ignoring our basic principles? The day will come when I am no longer relevant, but I pray that the principles will always be worth fighting for.

Perhaps Obama is "technically a boomer", but he evidently does not appreciate the profound changes that those "old fights" brought about. Maybe it is too soon to pass the torch to a younger generation.

[Perry Logan]

90. I think we should wait for IQs to go up a little more before passing the baton.

You know--till the young folks stop taking ecstasy and putting rings through their noses. Till the bands can write songs with more than two notes in them. That sort of thing.

[PatSeg]

95. Gotta pass the baton eventually

and it scares me, as I see so much apathy around me. I don't want to put an entire generation into a pigeon hole, but I am often distressed by the complacency I encounter on a daily basis. It is like our current struggles have nothing to do with them.

[ellacott]

96. One of my favorite sayings is:

"After all has been said and done, more will be said than done."

This is the point that I think Obama was making but he didn't articulate it clearly.

I'm tired of all the debating and fighting. I want to see some action. I'm tired of debating and arguing with the Right about alternative energy when Carter talked about it 40 years ago and who told us how this was tied to our national security. I'm also tired of fighting the Right and debating over the Military Industrial Complex when Eisenhower warned about it this 1961.

I think this is what Obama was trying to say but did a poor job of communicating.

[NewHampster]

97. And that is the problem in a nutshell

"This is the point that I think Obama was making but he didn't articulate it clearly."

He has this problem with saying what he means to say in a manner that is totally unclear to me, the public and anyone with less than a 300 IQ. Did I say that right?

Sort of reminds me of John Kerry.

[ellacott]

98. That IS a huge problem that he has

It appears that he's better at reciprocal dialogue instead of making statments. I don't know if this is something he can change.

[PatSeg]

101. Perhaps with time

but I think it would take more time than he has right now. Maybe a few more years in public office will smooth out the rough edges. He is not ready for the presidency.

[PatSeg]

100. His words get in the way of his ideas

It is not enough to have great ideas, but you have to be able to convey them to the average person if you wish to move into the White House.

[PatSeg]

99. A very poor job

and in the process he trivialized an era and a generation. The changes brought about from that time affect every person today, and those changes did not come easily.

I love your saying!

[ellacott]

102. No they didn't

I wish there were people in his camp to help him work through this. I'm not sure if more years in politics will help or just being more aware of how things are said and perceived.

Thank you, regarding my saying. I think it sums up many situations.

[Irishonly]

103. Thank you

You said it a whole lot better than I could have at this time. My anger kept showing through my words. He forgets we were also the generation that made the Peace Corps successful also. Some boomers turned into pirates although I like to think more of us remained true to our beliefs.

[PatSeg]

109. I don't get angry at DU, at least not until now

but this really struck the wrong chord with me. We won't be around forever, but I'll be damned if our accomplishments will be dismissed so easily. If our younger politicians are unwilling to continue the fight, then they deserve to lose the rights and freedoms that came out of the cultural revolution.

He also forgets that the draft was ended and most of that was due to Mike Gravel's courageous filibuster in the Senate.

[Irishonly]

112. People Forget

what Gravel did for this country and it breaks my heart to see him treated as the token clown. The boomers aren't perfect but we are not insignificant either.

[PatSeg]

113. So true

Granted Gravel is not a viable candidate for president, but his accomplishments were profound and get little recognition.

As for the changes made in the late sixties and early seventies, people tend to take them for granted, which is generally a dangerous attitude. Anything gained can be lost again if we become complacent. The nostalgia I feel for that time is far more than bell-bottoms and tie-dye. We saw changes that appeared impossible. We can only hope that a power hungry, arrogant president can be brought down again, but times have truly changed. It is a scary time to be alive.

[David Zephyr]

108. Another mistake by Obama.

I don't know what is going on with him and his campaign.

His fiasco with the GLBT community and the deception by his campaign staff about it was not good. And that is still smoldering.

His willingness to consider raising the retirement age for Social Security on those already in the 50's who are nearing retirement was idiotic.

And now his insult to all those who fought those battles in the 1960's which are still being fought today is really too much:

Civil Rights and Racial Discrimination did not go away. Reference Katrina.

Women's Rights and the fundamental right of women to keep government out of their reproductive decisions is still being fought today.

Environmental preservation, saving the planet? Is he saying that this battle from the 1960's is a battle we should abandon?

The fundamental civil rights of the GLBT community regarding employment and housing are still not secured. ENDA just passed a vote in the House.

And Peace. Yeah, World Fucking Peace. Is that a battle "from the 1960's" we should abandon?

My companion still supports Obama. He's losing me quickly.

[PatSeg]

110. He's lost me

These are not "old fights", they are ongoing and should never be dismissed. I thought he'd make a great VP, but now I don't think so anymore.

[tomg]

111. I have fucking had it with all of this generational

bullshit. I posted on this earlier in what I thought was a fairly reasonable - if long-winded - post. Long story short, we were not the best; we were not the worst. A lot of us marched because it meant "I don't want my ass blown away." A lot of us marched because we felt it was right. A lot of us went from "sex, drugs and rock and roll" to "sex, drugs and stock portfolios." A lot went from "sex drugs and rock and roll" to "equal rights, organize locally, and keep your hand on the plow."

Let's take two people - Abby Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. Hoffman gets busted, goes underground, and still fights the good fight, and dies in 1989 of a phenobarbital overdose. Rubin, his sidekick, becomes an entrepreneur, a capitalist and gets hit by a car while jaywalking. That is our generation in a nutshell.

Our generation? We have Co's who did time in jail with great honor. We have men and women who fought in Vietnam with great honor. And then we have the middle. Bill Clinton ( who scammed the draft one way) and George Bush (who scammed it another way). We are as split as anyone else.

We have Roe v. Wade. although it is in danger. We are still working on GLBT Rights. We are still working on immigration rights. We still need universal health care. We need worker's right and environmental rights.

You want generational war? We've always had generational war. We had the new left of SDS and Port Huron duking it out with the Old Left. I was as arrogant against union leaders who had been through shit I couldn't imagine ( my mom walked a picket line went it meant arrest) as the current younger folks - who haven't been gassed or who haven't faced a draft - are against us. And they will be pissed at those who come next for not facing what they have to, and if they are serious, they are going to have to face some serious shit.

I am a lot more worried about how our younger people are being pacified and turned into sheep by No Child Left Behind than I am in some minor presidential dustup over who is aged and who is not.

Maybe tactics should change. Fine. Let's see some new tactics. Maybe my generation glorifies marches and we are a tad nostalgic. Personally, I am not. Let the new folks come up with the tactics. I'll give them a shot. I'm out of ideas and I could use a good fight against these fascist fuckers.

But don't fucking kid yourself. Either we are all in it for the long haul, or we are just pissing in the wind. This is not about one election cycle. End of rant.


edit: to take out mother formerly in front of fuckers