04-26-2019, 09:42 AM
There has yet to be an apocalyptic event to scar most of the world as did the Second World War, no national apocalypse on the scale of the American Civil War in America, and no fundamental change in the form or structure of government as between "Lexington and Concord" and the ratification of the Constitution. Except that the Silent Generation has been hanging on longer than is usual for an Adaptive Generation (or any generation, but I associate that with the Silent adopting the good late-in-life habits of the GI Generation -- staying physically and mentally active), the generations have been in place without being knocked out or usurping roles associated with the younger archetype (such as the Gilded taking on most Civic roles after the Civil War).
The current Silent are the last who can have any role of leadership -- even if we end up with President Biden or President Sanders. I am tempted to believe that the worst, Trump-like Boomers will either be discredited and cast off onto the reject pile -- or they will fully consolidate power and establish a high-tech version of feudalism in which 95% of the people suffer for 2% in which economic and administrative roles pass down in a hereditary manner.
The current Silent are the last who can have any role of leadership -- even if we end up with President Biden or President Sanders. I am tempted to believe that the worst, Trump-like Boomers will either be discredited and cast off onto the reject pile -- or they will fully consolidate power and establish a high-tech version of feudalism in which 95% of the people suffer for 2% in which economic and administrative roles pass down in a hereditary manner.
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.