I was listening to Bob Dole speak at the WW II memorial ceremony, as he described the rations people had to work with back then ? there was no meat, no gas, no coffee, no butter, no salt, no sugar, etc. The people at home were making real sacrifices - supporting the war effort while living without what many of us now take for granted. And of course millions of Americans made the ultimate sacrifice, giving up their lives in service to their country.
These people were indeed the Greatest Generation. But what eventually came of all their hard work and sacrifice?
On the economic front, a low savings rate combined with excessive defense spending leads to lower productivity and slower economic growth. While extolling the virtues of our modern economic engine, people forget that women have been forced out of the home to support their families. The stealthy outcome of the modern economy has been a decline in real wages. Liberals and conservatives like to debate endlessly about this, but the surprising fact is that both sides are right ? corporations and the modern welfare state are both to blame for the current sad state of affairs.
With the women out working, the nuclear family has been obliterated, and traditional family values have gone down with it. Divorces and illegitimacy are rising at a rapid pace, and abortions are now commonplace.
As modern society has become more educated, scientific theories have completely replaced morality and personal responsibility. While I am an atheist, Darwin?s theories have led to a decline in religion, which undoubtedly accounts for much of the moral decay that has taken place. Einstein?s relativism has led to moral relativism, which has replaced God?s moral absolutes. Genetics and modern psychology have weakened the motivation for individuals to take responsibility for their own actions. More and more, we view one?s life not as the outcome of his own deliberations, but as the result of his DNA and upbringing. One?s actions are not attributed to his own choices, but to his hereditary and social background.
Thus, today we have the Worst Generation ? a product of the precipitous decline of traditional morality and ethics in Western society. The modern Wanker knows no self-discipline nor sacrifice. But above all, he is characterized by a self-centered attitude that aims to derive as much personal pleasure as possible while shirking all responsibility for any moral wrongdoing that he incurs in pursuit of this pleasure. Sex with as many partners as possible takes priority over family, leading to child neglect. Drugs and alcohol feed an insatiable hedonistic appetite, leading to crime and abuse. On the one hand you have corporate greed at an all time high, squeezing American communities and the environment for every last drop in the pursuit of profits. On the other hand, you have drug addicts and single mothers with 10 children living off welfare. In all cases, the goal is to feed the ego and satisfy the endless pursuit of self-pleasure.
The modern American is marked by a disregard, perhaps even a disdain, for his fellow human beings. He has forgotten the hardship and the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation that came before him. The Greatest Generation took on the personal responsibility of making this world a better place. This weekend, we honor those brave men and women who served their country so honorably during the world?s darkest hour. Yet they are best honored not by a new memorial, ceremonies, or parades, but by a new generation that ensures their lives were not in vain - a generation that takes moral responsibility for its actions and that is willing to sacrifice self for the sake of family and fellow man.
These people were indeed the Greatest Generation. But what eventually came of all their hard work and sacrifice?
On the economic front, a low savings rate combined with excessive defense spending leads to lower productivity and slower economic growth. While extolling the virtues of our modern economic engine, people forget that women have been forced out of the home to support their families. The stealthy outcome of the modern economy has been a decline in real wages. Liberals and conservatives like to debate endlessly about this, but the surprising fact is that both sides are right ? corporations and the modern welfare state are both to blame for the current sad state of affairs.
With the women out working, the nuclear family has been obliterated, and traditional family values have gone down with it. Divorces and illegitimacy are rising at a rapid pace, and abortions are now commonplace.
As modern society has become more educated, scientific theories have completely replaced morality and personal responsibility. While I am an atheist, Darwin?s theories have led to a decline in religion, which undoubtedly accounts for much of the moral decay that has taken place. Einstein?s relativism has led to moral relativism, which has replaced God?s moral absolutes. Genetics and modern psychology have weakened the motivation for individuals to take responsibility for their own actions. More and more, we view one?s life not as the outcome of his own deliberations, but as the result of his DNA and upbringing. One?s actions are not attributed to his own choices, but to his hereditary and social background.
Thus, today we have the Worst Generation ? a product of the precipitous decline of traditional morality and ethics in Western society. The modern Wanker knows no self-discipline nor sacrifice. But above all, he is characterized by a self-centered attitude that aims to derive as much personal pleasure as possible while shirking all responsibility for any moral wrongdoing that he incurs in pursuit of this pleasure. Sex with as many partners as possible takes priority over family, leading to child neglect. Drugs and alcohol feed an insatiable hedonistic appetite, leading to crime and abuse. On the one hand you have corporate greed at an all time high, squeezing American communities and the environment for every last drop in the pursuit of profits. On the other hand, you have drug addicts and single mothers with 10 children living off welfare. In all cases, the goal is to feed the ego and satisfy the endless pursuit of self-pleasure.
The modern American is marked by a disregard, perhaps even a disdain, for his fellow human beings. He has forgotten the hardship and the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation that came before him. The Greatest Generation took on the personal responsibility of making this world a better place. This weekend, we honor those brave men and women who served their country so honorably during the world?s darkest hour. Yet they are best honored not by a new memorial, ceremonies, or parades, but by a new generation that ensures their lives were not in vain - a generation that takes moral responsibility for its actions and that is willing to sacrifice self for the sake of family and fellow man.
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