The 4T Generational Constellations - Red v Blue

[Eric the Green]

(09-21-2020, 10:12 PM)sbarrera Wrote: In their turnings theory, the authors bring up the idea of the "Generational Constellation" - all the generations together in their different phases of life, each generation bringing its collective peer personality into that phase of life, all interacting to create the social mood of the turning. In the Fourth Turning, the constellation consists of visionary elder Prophets, pragmatic mid-life Nomads, heroic young adult Heroes and suffocated child Artists. 

And then there is this Fourth Turning, with its deep partisan divide and uncompromising, all or nothing politics. As we come up to what is likely to be a contested election, I recall the contested election of twenty years ago, which was around when we started hearing the terms "red zone" and "blue zone" to describe, respectively, the conservative and liberal sides of the political split. Since that divide is so entrenched now, I am led to believe that we actually have two different generational constellations - one red, and the other blue.

I'm just going to leave out the Artist generation and think about who the stereotypical people are who belong to each of the two constellations.

Red Zone Constellation

Prophets - fundamentalist leaders, Covid-denying governors, Trump supporters glued to Fox News
Nomads - paunchy militia members, anti-maskers, Karens caught on viral video
Heroes - Charlottesville marchers, Proud Boys, 4chan & r/the_donald

Blue Zone Constellation

Prophets - embattled journalists, postmodern academics, Covid-aware governors
Nomads - hipster Dads, social media Moms, pandemic managers
Heroes - wokesters, #BLM protesters, antifa

Consider that Heroes of both stripes are coming out en masse, goaded by their respective media machines, and some are dying for their side of the conflict. Two constellations at war.

I've been a little glib in my descriptions and would love to hear more ideas.

It's a good idea to speak of two constellations, since we are in effect now two nations, just as in the 1850s and 60s.

Wokesters might be a very broad term; I don't know. But the millennial heroes also include the climate marchers, those that Marched for their Lives after Parkland, the younger group of Occupy, and the Berniebros.... they have a rough row to hoe now, as it looks like the current regressive, decaying carcas of the USA will just continue on in its useless stalemate, as conservative writer George Will calls us, "a pathetic, helpless giant." That's what we are, unless all the blue generations suddenly grow a backbone and realize that we are in a war. I don't know if they will, or what it will take to take down the other side. So far, the Democrats have just caved or been out-fought.

On the red side, don't forget QAnon and all the anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theory wackos, Alex Jones followers, etc.; probably nomads..... you mentioned 4chan as heroes.....

There are a lot of other blue prophets, but I'm not sure what to call them except activists of various stripes. Or people like me who most of the time are content just to blab on discussion boards and in facebook groups and think it means something.