06-14-2020, 04:32 PM
Howe and Strauss suggested that Silent men often piece together Civic-like (obviously GI!) and Idealist-like (obviously Boomer) traits, with mentions of prominent Silent in his book Generations in 1989. He named names: Clint Eastwood (GI toughness and Boom judgmentalism), Carl Sagan (GI rationality with Boomer culture), Merlin Olsen, and Alan Alda -- with Woody Allen as an example of a neurotic mess. Maybe a woman like Nancy Pelosi does such with feminine traits of female traits of the GI and Boom.
Could a Reactive like Obama do much the same? Did Lost men do such when it served their purpose?
Obama is too chilly a rationalist to be an Idealist. On the other hand he can be quite judgmental, and he is extremely erudite.
If you wonder about Trump -- he is weak on Idealist virtues (boorish, unprincipled, and unimaginative) and strong on Idealist vices (ruthlessness, selfishness, and arrogance).
Could a Reactive like Obama do much the same? Did Lost men do such when it served their purpose?
Obama is too chilly a rationalist to be an Idealist. On the other hand he can be quite judgmental, and he is extremely erudite.
If you wonder about Trump -- he is weak on Idealist virtues (boorish, unprincipled, and unimaginative) and strong on Idealist vices (ruthlessness, selfishness, and arrogance).
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.