Unresolved end to saeculum possibility?

[JasonBlack]

A bit from a conversation I had with Neil Howe relates strongly to this topic. He is a bit more optimistic about me that we can pull through this already....but both of us are extremely pessimistic about the prospect of this ending any time soon. I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted until 2032 or even 2034 at this rate.

Quote:If we look at an overview of cultural/economic objectives a 4th turning is meant to correct, we have reached many of the necessary milestones yet.
1) The trend toward greater unconscious valuation of masculinity is more clear than most realize (more on that below), but younger men still haven't risen to the challenge of stepping into positions of authority and making the necessary changes society (and, for that matter, dating) needs. They need less of the "Fight Club masculinity" of their next elders, and more of the self-assured, assertive leadership of a Charlton Heston or Liam Neeson.
2) The institutionalized bureaucracy is as fossilized and entrenched as ever. If the 4th Turning is the proverbial forest fire that clears the debris and makes way for new life, we're sitting on a pile of dry tinder.
3) The unsustainable "borrow and spend" policies of the 3T have never really gone away. For example: the exact same lending policies which led to the 2008 crash are still in place today.
4) We have no Grey Champion: it's clearly not Biden, Harris has no charisma and comes off like an insincere reptile. No one in the senate or house really fits the bill either. There is a small chance Trump could make a comeback, but even then the odds are unlikely given his previous divisiveness.
5) There is still way too much political gridlock to allow millennials to begin the great building projects we've all wanted to implement since our teens (indeed "the builder generation" makes for a good alternative name when you look at how Civics behaved in each saeculum).
6) The entrenched establishment has not been forced to cede any power or wealth to the young.
7) Millennials haven't really had their initiation yet. I'd argue they've proven they can be hard working, adaptable and cooperative, but they're still lacking that final push: the catalyst that will inspire them to fulfill a common mission. Fortunately or unfortunately, this potential war with Russia (especially if China comes to their aid) might just be it. Speaking for myself, I have always been very slow to support war, but at the moment, what we're seeing could be a choice between war with Russia, which would at least give us some chance for a collective purpose, vs a civil war, which would just lead to this saeculum finishing on a downward spiral rather than an upward one. Naturally, there are more options than just this, but with both being reasonably likely scenarios, I'm not really sure what the best path forward is.
8) A lot of people (particularly boomers and, oddly enough...late wave millennials) are trying to treat the 4T like it's a 2T: insisting that the problems all stem from "awareness" and ideals. We need to make the transition from primarily inner-focused to a primary focus on external problems, external competence and restoring the external institutions that will make prosperity tangible rather than simply spiritual.