Silent of the Week Thread

[sbarrera]

Here on this thread I plan to re-post "Silent of the Week" posts from my blog. The Silent generation is still around, and while we've got them, let's acknowledge them individually or in small groups and talk about how they are still making an impact.

Here's the first blog post: http://stevebarrera.com/introducing-sile...eek-posts/

INTRODUCING: SILENT OF THE WEEK POSTS

I’ve posted earlier about the Silent Generation (b. 1925-1942) and how they are still an influence in our society. They are the eldest of the current generations, and I thought I would pay tribute to them in a new kind of post, focusing on one or a few living members of their generation at a time. I’ll call them “Silent of the Week” posts, with no claim that I will actually publish one weekly.

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing on July 20, 1969, the first Silents to be featured are the crew of the Apollo missions. Those missions were the culmination of the American High, led by the energy and ambition of the Greatest Generation, then in power. But the tough and dangerous work was done by the young adult Silent Generation, the test pilots with the “right stuff.”

Here is a photo taken for the 50th anniversary of 8 living Apollo astronauts. All would have been in their thirties at the time of the missions – at a peak age of youth and experience. They are Charlie Duke (b. 1935), Buzz Aldrin (b. 1930), Walter Cunningham (b. 1932), Al Worden (b. 1932), Rusty Schweickart (b. 1935), Harrison Schmitt (b. 1935), Michael Collins (b. 1930) and Fred Haise (b. 1933).

Now octogenarians, these men have a simple role in American society today – as revered icons of a glorious past. They make sporadic appearances in the pop culture, more so in the past week because of the anniversary. For example, Michael Collins narrated a recent Google doodle animation about the Apollo 11 mission. But for the most part, they are resting on their laurels – and who from a younger generation can match them in the daring of their accomplishment?

These men really were from a different age, and just to remind us of the generation gap, here’s a viral video you may have seen already. It shows Buzz Aldrin encountering an obnoxious conspiracy nut, and giving him a taste of old fashioned values.

[sbarrera]

The next Silents of the Week - your favorites and mine, the ones in the United States Congress.

Silents of the Week: Congressional Leadership
by Steve

Last month I introduced a new post format celebrating a member or group of members of the Silent Generation who are still making an impact on the world today. I've also posted in the past about how that generation is still powerful in our society, even though they are deep into elderhood. Perhaps this is a consequence of greater average longevity, or perhaps it is just a pattern of history that repeats sometimes. With the wielding of power in mind, the subject of this week's post will be the Silents in the United States Congress.

The Silent generation currently comprises 9% of the Senate, and 4.6% of the House. Reflecting the partisan makeup of the two chambers, they are mostly Republican in the Senate, and mostly Democratic in the House. Their number includes the two Congressional leaders - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (b. 1942) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (b. 1940). The latter is the highest ranking elected woman in United States history, highlighting her generation's connection with the feminist movement and with the advancement of women in American life. Other prominent names among them are Diane Feinstein (b. 1933), Maxine Waters (b. 1938) and Bernie Sanders (b. 1941) - with Sanders being possibly the Democratic party's best hope of winning the Presidency in 2020.

It's interesting how the three most dominant Congressional Silents are stand-ins for the factions that exist in such unyielding tension in U.S. politics today. Sanders is the great hope of the Progressives, who want to reshape the American system, tilting it back in favor of the struggling 99 percent. Understandably, he tends to be popular with the younger cohorts. Pelosi represents the old guard Neoliberals, who think the current system is sustainable, maybe with some tweaking, but let's not rock the boat and ruin our 401Ks. McConnell meanwhile is the obstructionist enabler of the Nationalists, who are selling protectionism and fossil fuel extraction, and trying to turn the country into a wealthy Third World dictatorship.

The thing is, the Silent generation always plays by the rules, and as long as they are at the top the tension among the factions will remain fundamentally unresolved. When they are finally gone is when the rules will really reset, change will accelerate, and it might get pretty scary. There's no way to avoid this reckoning, but since the change may not be in the direction you want, it might be good to enjoy this generation while we still have them.

Joe Biden for President!


original link- 
http://stevebarrera.com/silents-of-the-week-congressional-leadership/

[Marypoza]

Bernie. Every week nuf said

[sbarrera]

(08-13-2019, 09:01 PM)Marypoza Wrote: Bernie. Every week nuf said

He is polling well and I would not be surprised if he is our President in 2020.

[Hintergrund]

This was a very informative post, thx.

(08-13-2019, 07:53 PM)sbarrera Wrote: The next Silents of the Week - your favorites and mine, the ones in the United States Congress.

Silents of the Week: Congressional Leadership
by Steve

Pelosi represents the old guard Neoliberals, who think the current system is sustainable, maybe with some tweaking, but let's not rock the boat and ruin our 401Ks.

And this one sentence explains that big changes in politics are very improbable as long as that generation's still in power. As long as they can do it in a legal way (seems Silents don't dare to do it differently), they will find ways to keep their 401Ks. Later generations, of course...

Would you agree with my theory that the Silents prevent the 4T from taking off? If not: Where am I wrong?

[sbarrera]

(08-19-2019, 07:40 PM)Hintergrund Wrote: This was a very informative post, thx.

(08-13-2019, 07:53 PM)sbarrera Wrote: The next Silents of the Week - your favorites and mine, the ones in the United States Congress.

Silents of the Week: Congressional Leadership
by Steve

Pelosi represents the old guard Neoliberals, who think the current system is sustainable, maybe with some tweaking, but let's not rock the boat and ruin our 401Ks.

And this one sentence explains that big changes in politics are very improbable as long as that generation's still in power. As long as they can do it in a legal way (seems Silents don't dare to do it differently), they will find ways to keep their 401Ks. Later generations, of course...

Would you agree with my theory that the Silents prevent the 4T from taking off? If not: Where am I wrong?

I do agree. Having the Silent around is like having one foot still planted in the 3T. That's even though there has been some drastic change - but once the Silent have really bowed out (of positions of power) then the change will come fast and hard, I believe.

[beechnut79]

Might the passing of David Koch hasten this development?

[sbarrera]

(08-24-2019, 04:27 PM)beechnut79 Wrote: Might the passing of David Koch hasten this development?

It might. I never saw a man's departure be so celebrated. Though I have heard that his brother Charles is the real dealmaker between the two, and that David Koch was more of a socialite.

[Marypoza]

(07-25-2019, 06:25 AM)sbarrera Wrote: Here on this thread I plan to re-post "Silent of the Week" posts from my blog. The Silent generation is still around, and while we've got them, let's acknowledge them individually or in small groups and talk about how they are still making an impact.

Here's the first blog post: http://stevebarrera.com/introducing-sile...eek-posts/

INTRODUCING: SILENT OF THE WEEK POSTS

I’ve posted earlier about the Silent Generation (b. 1925-1942) and how they are still an influence in our society. They are the eldest of the current generations, and I thought I would pay tribute to them in a new kind of post, focusing on one or a few living members of their generation at a time. I’ll call them “Silent of the Week” posts, with no claim that I will actually publish one weekly.

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing on July 20, 1969, the first Silents to be featured are the crew of the Apollo missions. Those missions were the culmination of the American High, led by the energy and ambition of the Greatest Generation, then in power. But the tough and dangerous work was done by the young adult Silent Generation, the test pilots with the “right stuff.”

Here is a photo taken for the 50th anniversary of 8 living Apollo astronauts. All would have been in their thirties at the time of the missions – at a peak age of youth and experience. They are Charlie Duke (b. 1935), Buzz Aldrin (b. 1930), Walter Cunningham (b. 1932), Al Worden (b. 1932), Rusty Schweickart (b. 1935), Harrison Schmitt (b. 1935), Michael Collins (b. 1930) and Fred Haise (b. 1933).

Now octogenarians, these men have a simple role in American society today – as revered icons of a glorious past. They make sporadic appearances in the pop culture, more so in the past week because of the anniversary. For example, Michael Collins narrated a recent Google doodle animation about the Apollo 11 mission. But for the most part, they are resting on their laurels – and who from a younger generation can match them in the daring of their accomplishment?

These men really were from a different age, and just to remind us of the generation gap, here’s a viral video you may have seen already. It shows Buzz Aldrin encountering an obnoxious conspiracy nut, and giving him a taste of old fashioned values.

-- luv that pic of Buzz Aldrin. Luv his sox

[Marypoza]

(08-14-2019, 05:20 PM)sbarrera Wrote:

(08-13-2019, 09:01 PM)Marypoza Wrote: Bernie. Every week nuf said

He is polling well and I would not be surprised if he is our President in 2020.

--Gawd l hope so

[Hintergrund]

(08-24-2019, 04:37 PM)sbarrera Wrote:

(08-24-2019, 04:27 PM)beechnut79 Wrote: Might the passing of David Koch hasten this development?

It might. I never saw a man's departure be so celebrated. Though I have heard that his brother Charles is the real dealmaker between the two, and that David Koch was more of a socialite.

Good point.

Oh, and re: Bernie - He promises a lot, but the more important question is whether he can pull it through. Too many people pull their strings elsewhere. Trump has some RL experience, but he can't make the lobbyists and the bureaucracy do everything he wants, no matter how he bullies them.

[sbarrera]

The next post up on my blog. The third so far; they are not coming out once a week.  

Silents of the Week: the Cast of Grace and Frankie

Undoubtedly, the Silent Generation has made a huge impact in the field of arts and entertainment. Their careers go back to the Golden Age of film and to the dawn of the TV era. For my generation, which was weaned on television, they were the young actors of the sit coms and dramas to which we were first addicted as children. 

So it is amazing to me today, after we have evolved past the convergence of TV and the Internet and into the streaming era, that their generation still has its own television show. That's right, I'm talking about Grace and Frankie on Netflix. Every one of the four actors in the roles of the two comically disordered couples is from the Silent Generation: that would be Martin Sheen (b. 1940), Sam Waterston (b. 1940), Lily Tomlin (b. 1939), and Jane Fonda (b. 1937).

Now, it's true that the show is produced by Boomers and the lead characters are probably meant to be parodies of Boomers, but the Silent personality still comes out. The characters are neurotic and confused, the tone warm and humane. The show is about elders opening up, pushing boundaries, and staying hip with the latest social trends and language - in the 2010s!

Grace and Frankie is the swan song of a generation that has managed to keep itself relevant through over half a century of social change. It is a reminder of the long-reaching effects of the transformative time of their youth - embodied in part in the family dynamic with the main characters' quirky Gen-X adult children. The plot may be contrived, the writing clichéd and predictable, but the show is always fun.

We're in the middle of the fifth season and we like the show almost as much as these guys do:

[sbarrera]

The latest.

Silent of the Week: Martin Scorsese

As a Gen-X film idolater, my two favorite genres of film are science fiction and crime drama. The latter in particular is something like a hallowed tradition in the field - just think of how many of the great classics are crime movies. It might have something to do with the film industry's strong ties to the United States of America, a country which has long glorified crime and violence.

So for this week's Silent in the spotlight, I choose Martin Scorsese (b. 1942), who has directed some of the greatest crime movies that ever entertained my generation. He's been at it since the 1970s and is still going strong, and I'm just going to focus in this post on his film directing career. You can tell how much he has influenced people my age by this homage, by avant-garde rock band King Missile, to Scorsese and all of his excellent films:





And this is just up until 1993, before Casino! There's been so much since then, including his contribution to the genre of good Nick Cage movies (Bringing Out the Dead) and his huge list of collaborations with Leonardo DiCaprio, which started with Gangs of New York, then continued with The Aviator and his award-winning masterpiece, The Departed.

But wait, that's just his films from before the Great Financial Crisis! Since then, he has directed all of these excellent films: Shutter Island, Hugo (proving that it's not all crime and violence with this guy), The Wolf of Wall Street, and Silence.

You might think it couldn't get any better, but now he's coming out with what might be the perfect crime movie. Showing that his generation is always keeping up with the latest trends, he is teaming up with streaming giant Netflix to produce The Irishman. It features a cast of cream of the crop crime movie actors, and covers one of the most well-known stories in the history of the mafia - the disappearance of teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. It's like the 1970s will never die - certainly not as long as the Silent Generation is still around.

[Hintergrund]

(09-15-2019, 09:42 AM)sbarrera Wrote: Silents of the Week: the Cast of Grace and Frankie

Never watched it, found the description too disgusting. Two old Silents who decide to be gay after decades of marriage... old women who laugh so much they pee themselves... this show is the best advertisement for Dr. Kevorkian that was ever made.

[sbarrera]

This week's post. Can't deny this guy has made a splash.

Silent of the Week: Michael Bloomberg

I've written in the past about how the Silent Generation (b. 1925-1942) has held onto power for a long time in the United States, and how their influence has contributed in many ways to the kind of slow burn that characterizes our current Crisis Era. The old political regime, with its special interests and its money corruption, is associated with this generation and its long tenure. There are even two members of the Silent Generation running for President...

Oh wait, make that three! Almost as if to rub the corruption of politics by money in our collective faces, along comes Michael Bloomberg (b. 1942) to crash the Presidential race. He's the 9th richest human in the world (Donald Trump is only the 715th) and a hero of 9/11, so why shouldn't he flex his muscle in this era of populist strongmen? So what if he's been a little racist and sexist in his past - that didn't stop the current White House inhabitant from getting where he is today.

If you haven't cut the cord, then you are probably going to see a lot of ads for this guy's candidacy in the months to come. And you are also probably old, which means you might be in the demographic that Bloomer is trying to reach. That Sanders guy might be too scary radical for you, and Biden - well, that whole Ukraine thing...

Personally, I hope Bloomberg's candidacy turns out to be history's most expensive flash in the pan. But I have to give him this one post just for the sheer chutzpah of what he is doing - shoehorning his way into the wrong primary (since his party is a cult now) to try to transmute his personal fortune into political power, and prove to us that oligarchic plutocracy is here to stay. Money can't buy you love, but it just might be able to buy you a Presidency.

For his thrilling debut on the stage of the Democratic debates, and the promise of much more media coverage to come, I name Michael Bloomberg the Silent of the Week.

[Marypoza]

(02-28-2020, 02:18 PM)sbarrera Wrote: This week's post. Can't deny this guy has made a splash.

Silent of the Week: Michael Bloomberg

I've written in the past about how the Silent Generation (b. 1925-1942) has held onto power for a long time in the United States, and how their influence has contributed in many ways to the kind of slow burn that characterizes our current Crisis Era. The old political regime, with its special interests and its money corruption, is associated with this generation and its long tenure. There are even two members of the Silent Generation running for President...

Oh wait, make that three! Almost as if to rub the corruption of politics by money in our collective faces, along comes Michael Bloomberg (b. 1942) to crash the Presidential race. He's the 9th richest human in the world (Donald Trump is only the 715th) and a hero of 9/11, so why shouldn't he flex his muscle in this era of populist strongmen? So what if he's been a little racist and sexist in his past - that didn't stop the current White House inhabitant from getting where he is today.

If you haven't cut the cord, then you are probably going to see a lot of ads for this guy's candidacy in the months to come. And you are also probably old, which means you might be in the demographic that Bloomer is trying to reach. That Sanders guy might be too scary radical for you, and Biden - well, that whole Ukraine thing...

Personally, I hope Bloomberg's candidacy turns out to be history's most expensive flash in the pan. But I have to give him this one post just for the sheer chutzpah of what he is doing - shoehorning his way into the wrong primary (since his party is a cult now) to try to transmute his personal fortune into political power, and prove to us that oligarchic plutocracy is here to stay. Money can't buy you love, but it just might be able to buy you a Presidency.

For his thrilling debut on the stage of the Democratic debates, and the promise of much more media coverage to come, I name Michael Bloomberg the Silent of the Week.

-- sorry 2 disagree, but he's trying 2 buy the election.   Meanwhile Bernie has won the 1st 3 primaries & is on track 2 sweep Super Tuesday. If he does can he be next week's Silent of the Week? 

[sbarrera]

(02-28-2020, 03:44 PM)Marypoza Wrote:

(02-28-2020, 02:18 PM)sbarrera Wrote: This week's post. Can't deny this guy has made a splash.

Silent of the Week: Michael Bloomberg

I've written in the past about how the Silent Generation (b. 1925-1942) has held onto power for a long time in the United States, and how their influence has contributed in many ways to the kind of slow burn that characterizes our current Crisis Era. The old political regime, with its special interests and its money corruption, is associated with this generation and its long tenure. There are even two members of the Silent Generation running for President...

Oh wait, make that three! Almost as if to rub the corruption of politics by money in our collective faces, along comes Michael Bloomberg (b. 1942) to crash the Presidential race. He's the 9th richest human in the world (Donald Trump is only the 715th) and a hero of 9/11, so why shouldn't he flex his muscle in this era of populist strongmen? So what if he's been a little racist and sexist in his past - that didn't stop the current White House inhabitant from getting where he is today.

If you haven't cut the cord, then you are probably going to see a lot of ads for this guy's candidacy in the months to come. And you are also probably old, which means you might be in the demographic that Bloomer is trying to reach. That Sanders guy might be too scary radical for you, and Biden - well, that whole Ukraine thing...

Personally, I hope Bloomberg's candidacy turns out to be history's most expensive flash in the pan. But I have to give him this one post just for the sheer chutzpah of what he is doing - shoehorning his way into the wrong primary (since his party is a cult now) to try to transmute his personal fortune into political power, and prove to us that oligarchic plutocracy is here to stay. Money can't buy you love, but it just might be able to buy you a Presidency.

For his thrilling debut on the stage of the Democratic debates, and the promise of much more media coverage to come, I name Michael Bloomberg the Silent of the Week.

-- sorry 2 disagree, but he's trying 2 buy the election.   Meanwhile Bernie has won the 1st 3 primaries & is on track 2 sweep Super Tuesday. If he does can he be next week's Silent of the Week? 

I was saving Bernie for later, since I am hoping he will outlast Bloomberg in the race.

[Marypoza]

(03-02-2020, 07:54 AM)sbarrera Wrote:

(02-28-2020, 03:44 PM)Marypoza Wrote:

(02-28-2020, 02:18 PM)sbarrera Wrote: This week's post. Can't deny this guy has made a splash.

Silent of the Week: Michael Bloomberg

I've written in the past about how the Silent Generation (b. 1925-1942) has held onto power for a long time in the United States, and how their influence has contributed in many ways to the kind of slow burn that characterizes our current Crisis Era. The old political regime, with its special interests and its money corruption, is associated with this generation and its long tenure. There are even two members of the Silent Generation running for President...

Oh wait, make that three! Almost as if to rub the corruption of politics by money in our collective faces, along comes Michael Bloomberg (b. 1942) to crash the Presidential race. He's the 9th richest human in the world (Donald Trump is only the 715th) and a hero of 9/11, so why shouldn't he flex his muscle in this era of populist strongmen? So what if he's been a little racist and sexist in his past - that didn't stop the current White House inhabitant from getting where he is today.

If you haven't cut the cord, then you are probably going to see a lot of ads for this guy's candidacy in the months to come. And you are also probably old, which means you might be in the demographic that Bloomer is trying to reach. That Sanders guy might be too scary radical for you, and Biden - well, that whole Ukraine thing...

Personally, I hope Bloomberg's candidacy turns out to be history's most expensive flash in the pan. But I have to give him this one post just for the sheer chutzpah of what he is doing - shoehorning his way into the wrong primary (since his party is a cult now) to try to transmute his personal fortune into political power, and prove to us that oligarchic plutocracy is here to stay. Money can't buy you love, but it just might be able to buy you a Presidency.

For his thrilling debut on the stage of the Democratic debates, and the promise of much more media coverage to come, I name Michael Bloomberg the Silent of the Week.

-- sorry 2 disagree, but he's trying 2 buy the election.   Meanwhile Bernie has won the 1st 3 primaries & is on track 2 sweep Super Tuesday. If he does can he be next week's Silent of the Week? 

I was saving Bernie for later, since I am hoping he will outlast Bloomberg in the race.

-- he will Bloomberg is a anathema 2 Berniecrats.

[sbarrera]

Is this going to be their big chance? Finally, a Silent generation President? Personally I am disappointed in this primary but these guys deserve a post. And I wonder if the nominee (either one) might actually be able to beat Trump.

Silents of the Week: Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.
by Steve



Well, after all that, the Democratic primaries have come down to two members of the Silent Generation. I'm a little disappointed in the Democratic party electorate; I was really hoping they would go with someone younger, given all those choices. I know that sounds ageist, but it's not that I'm against old white men (I plan to be one some day). I just think the Democratic party needs to represent transformative change; it needs to look to the future. Rallying around a politician from the oldest living generation, who served in a previous administration, is looking to the past. It speaks of an electorate that is afraid. I can understand why people are afraid, but don't we remember that fear is the killer? That fear itself is the greatest danger?

At least Elizabeth Warren, my personal choice, although she is 70 years old is at least a Boomer. That's the generation that should be providing us with a champion on the left to fight against the reactionary politics of the Trumpian right. But alas, it is not to be. 

I hope one of these two guys is up to the task. I'll choose Sanders in the primary, and whichever one wins the nomination will get my #NeverTrump vote. And for coming out on top on Super Tuesday, and showing that their generation just won't quit, I name Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden the Silents of the week.

[pbrower2a]

Michael Collins turns 90 this year.