I love Tom Friedman, especially his ability to speak with candor about what’s happening in the world. Finally, a baby-boomer has owned up to how much they’ve screwed things up for future generations of Americans:
“Our parents truly were the Greatest Generation. We, alas, in too many ways, have been what the writer Kurt Andersen called “The Grasshopper Generation,” eating through the prosperity that was bequeathed us like hungry locusts. Now we and our kids together need to be “The Regeneration” — the generation that renews, refreshes, re-energizes and rebuilds America for the 21st century.”
Alas.
Then he sticks it to cable TV and the GOP, easy targets:
“On top of that, the Republican Party has never been more irresponsible. Having helped run the deficit to new heights during the recent Bush years, the G.O.P. is now unwilling to take any responsibility for dealing with it if it involves raising taxes. At the same time, the rise of cable TV has transformed politics in our country generally into just another spectator sport, like all-star wrestling. C-Span is just ESPN with only two teams. We watch it for entertainment, not solutions.”
Alas alas.
Don’t forget, Tom, to throw some love at the congressional Democrats who are more like keystone cops than legislators. Don’t leave out our president of hope who makes private deals with insurance companies. Yes we can make back-room deals!
I like to think our post-baby boom generation can cut through all of this nonsense and work together before a new world order is established. I’m optimistic, that hopefully, in an ideal world, the baby boomers will stop talking about the sixties and accept something as nominal as a $20 Medicare copay so that America continues to be the leading country in the world and the dollar stays put as the reserved currency.