Looking Toward The Next High

[Eric the Green]

Convenience is an attraction of the big stores, although that doesn't mean they had to be like walmart. Remember though that many of us remained as we were in youth in many of our attitudes, and did not join the walmart world. And this Establishment of today was largely created by GIs and Silents like Reagan. It is not really accurate or fair for Xers to lump all people older than them (and same age as them) together as "boomers," and say they created the Establishment, but you guys do it anyway. In fact, Xers often have been more cynical, materialist and conservative than boomers were at their age, and that also included the more-conservative Boomer-Xer group in their younger years. It is more accurate to say "Republicans" created today's ruthless Establishment, and also include moderate "New Democrats" as often too complicit. For whatever reason, the Republicans and complicit Democrats have won most of the political battles, including the rigged elections of 2000 and 2016, and the midterms in which young people have not voted. It's political more than generational. If you hope to just replace older with younger people, that may not bring the needed change you might want. You have to look at peoples' values, policies and behaviors.

I should also mention that some Xers, like the ambient musicians I promote and listen to, continued and advanced/improved on the artistic traditions established in the second turning by older and core boomers and silent/boomer cuspers (the "sixties generation"), traditions in turn influenced by what came before. That's the way to do it. But the more popular Xer pop styles too often just threw out the 2T tradition out of cynicism, and the resulting poor quality is evident.