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[–]jeepster4 28 points29 points ago

Your uncle may be more typical of the generation born before WW2 than you think.

[–]zoidb0rg 15 points16 points ago

I've found that the "Greatest Generation" generally are honest, humble,decent folk who actually agree with millenials on a lot of issues facing the country. It seems to be the selfish, arrogant, child-coddling Baby Boomers fucking everything up.

[–]dorisfrench 3 points4 points ago

They are the people who pulled us out of the Great Depression. Unfortunately their children are spoiled brats who think they deserve everything because they "worked" for it. I would fucking work for stuff too if I were offered a decent job with insurance.

[–]chowderbags 3 points4 points ago

It's funny, because the Boomers, especially the earlier half, were the hippies and layabouts who were all about free love, free sex, free drugs, protesting everything, etc. Yet here we are, with them in power, and they've become what they fought against. They're basically the Sell-Out generation if there ever was one.

[–]zoidb0rg 0 points1 point ago

Not only have they become what they fought against, they've become worse. They are the ones who proclaimed in the 80s that greed was good and elected Reagan. They are the ones who call the OWS protesters worthless and lazy. They are the ones who received free or very cheap education, then pulled the ladder up behind them and complain that kids should be working their way through college like they did, as if that was still possible. They are the ones who worship at the altar of pharmaceuticals, yet keep cannabis illegal. There has never been such a hypocritical, self-righteous generation.

[–]monochr 2 points3 points ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss-Howe_generational_theory#Hero

Basically we are the same have the same slot as them in history. It also means we're in for another 10 or so years of this shit.

[–]graveybrains 0 points1 point ago

I feel like I just read my horoscope in the newspaper.

[–]AnokNomFaux -2 points-1 points ago

Generalizing. (all generalizations are stupid.)

[–]SoylentOrange 23 points24 points ago

So Bob's your uncle?

[–]rewood4 0 points1 point ago

Obviously.

/sarcasm

[–]ajsander12 0 points1 point ago

Not sure if that saying this is a regional thing? It made my night tho

[–]eaturbrainz 46 points47 points ago

Bunk. I've heard a lot over the years from my grandmother (around the same age), and I think your uncle idealizes the past.

We had less partisanship and greed in the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression? Oh please! Remember the Business Plot? You know, to kill FDR and install a fascist regime?

Getting soft? We know make an industry of locking up the young for trivial, in fact barely existent, offenses! Our work hours have gone back up to what they were when our grandparents (and you uncle) were children!

Politicians were more able to work together, but Truman also faced the Do-Nothing Congress? What do you call that?

Come on. America is acting out some very, very old, classically American patterns. This shit's not new, it's us.

[–]soulcakeduck 39 points40 points ago

There you go, ruining everything. Back in my day, even the nostalgia was better.

[–]DudeAsInCool 7 points8 points ago

Uncle Bob had other salient points, such as his comment about Congress's work schedule and his admonishment of the hockey player -- I agree with him.

[–]dfohio 9 points10 points ago

Upvote for truthin' it. No disrespect to this guy's uncle, but there's no way America was 'better off' in the past. We have signifigant troubles to deal with, but they did too back then.

[–]eaturbrainz 3 points4 points ago

Yeah, they had this thing called "racism" back then, that I hear was a lot worse than now.

[–]prider -1 points0 points ago

Same stuff, different expression. Getting worse for sure.

In the past white Americans keep Africans for slave. Now they throw the African Americans into jail to work as free labor or a way to extract money from state ('private' prison). What is worse? Throwing people into jail is of course worse! They will never land a good jobs again, the family/community fabric they are part of are totally destroyed. Asians are totally demonised; Mexicans are treated appallingly (e.g. in Arizona); Muslims are killed en masse by modern weaponry.

[–]mastermike14 1 point2 points ago

kinda taken from the top comment from the /r/PoliticalDiscussion post, Back then when a kid did bad on a test it was the kid's fault. The kid got in trouble by their parents and were punished. Nowadays everybody is so damn sensitive a student gets a bad grade and its the teachers fault! Our school system is so fucking FUBAR everyone gets to pass. If you're from Atlanta the fucking teachers will fill in the correct answers for you. This is fucking ridiculous. Image

We did have partisanship and greed however i doubt anything like anti-trust laws or the FDA would have any chance of coming into existence in today's political climate.

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]brolix 10 points11 points ago

I respectfully disagree. You absolutely should respect the position of President, but if he isn't a person worth respecting then I don't owe him anything except a word of advice or twelve.

Edit: I feel I should add that its ok to not like someone if you have valid reasons, but political affiliation is far from a valid reason.

[–]Ghostalker474 2 points3 points ago

To steal a line from TV:

"You salute the rank, not the man"

I think the same applies here.

[–]moktarino -1 points0 points ago

What does that mean, exactly?

[–]projectmerry 1 point2 points ago

troll. (assuming)

[–]emperorpotatoketchup 1 point2 points ago

Nothing. It's complete bullshit.

[–]dorisfrench 0 points1 point ago

Racist.

[–]soxfan17[S] 0 points1 point ago

That's a very valid point. If Newt were president, I'd still think he was a bad man. I would however 100% support any decision that was made in the best interest of the country.

[–]Firewind 5 points6 points ago

I doubt any decision Newt would make would be in the best interest of the country. Certainly big business and corporate CEO's and their bank statements, but never the country.

[–]soxfan17[S] 0 points1 point ago

It's a good thing we don't have to worry about it. He has next to no chance of winning Republican nomination never mind the presidency.

[–]aspeenat 0 points1 point ago

oh please be true please be true. Remember everyone thought Newt was out last year and look were he is now. That varmint is one sneaky thing don't take your eye off him.

[–]aspeenat 1 point2 points ago

I normally agree and respectfuly disagreed with Bush. But with Newt as president I would actually join the protestors on the street . That boy is from around here and we know what he is truly like. Believe me Respect is the last thing he would get from me.

[–]whyamisosoftinthemid 0 points1 point ago

I would however 100% support any decision that was made in the best interest of the country.

In other words, you'd support whatever you agree with?

[–]soxfan17[S] 0 points1 point ago

No. If he cut taxes on the rich, I'd support him. If he cut back the government, I would support him. If he built a space colony on the moon, I would support him. I don't agree with any of these at this point, but I would support his decision nevertheless

[–]Areyoudone 1 point2 points ago

Then you are the definition of a sheep.

The government works for us, Remember that.

[–]Pugilanthropist 0 points1 point ago

I think there is a difference between "support" and "respect." Let me put it this way, if Newt wins(and God help us if he does), I would continue to protest the unfair system of taxation we have in this country. I would continue to protest the military saber rattling with Iran.

However, if for any reason the President needed my services, I would show up early, in my best suit and perform my duties to their utmost, remember the position as described by the Constitution.

Maybe I didn't feel like that in the past, but that's part of what we call growing up.

[–]Areyoudone 0 points1 point ago

Exactly, I do whats asked and i respect people and there ideas... But i do not support what i do not believe is right.

[–]emperorpotatoketchup 0 points1 point ago

yeah, that's what he said, sheep

[–]soxfan17[S] 1 point2 points ago

That's an awesome story. He sounds like a great man

[–]silversister 5 points6 points ago

The running joke is reported to be that the Congressmen & women wish each other a nice weekend on Wednesday evening, They spend most of their time at home raising money. Re-election has become a year round job.Get the money out of politics if you want change.

[–]HidekiTojosShinyHead 0 points1 point ago

I believe it is standard for members of the House of Representatives to spend one week of the month in their home district, and the other three weeks in DC.

[–]nazbot 2 points3 points ago

"Well, you're not allowed to discipline anymore. When I joined the Army, there was this lieutenant in basic training that everyone hated. He was the meanest S.O.B. I ever did meet. On the last day of training he told us, 'I know many of you hate my guts right now and rightfully so. But what I have done for you will help you in combat someday. If just one of you survives because of what I have taught you, I have done my job well.'

This is the only one I disagree with. That's basically the stance of 'I hit you because I love you'. Sometimes strong discipline is useful, sometimes it's just an excuse to be an asshole.

[–]soxfan17[S] 3 points4 points ago

That's a fair point. I don't think he condones hitting. More that he wants people to be told the truth; not be pandered into believing they are great when they are not. For example, my neighbor thinks he's going to get a lacrosse scholarship because he's been told that by his parent, but he is not. He's just slacking in school with an imaginary fallback. The truth may hurt, but they should set him straight and get him into shape to succeed. I think that's more what Bob meant.

[–]nazbot 0 points1 point ago

Good point, from his other comments I'm sure that's what he meant. Seems like a cool guy.

[–]emperorpotatoketchup 0 points1 point ago

that guy probably did hit him though, let's not sugar coat things

[–]MalignantMouse 10 points11 points ago

Props to your uncle.

[–]soxfan17[S] 4 points5 points ago

Thanks. He is one of the greatest men I have ever met. He's the type of guy who supports whatever he wants regardless of what the people around him think.

[–]shadow776 11 points12 points ago

Congress only works three days a week.

They are only in session three days a week. They do tons of work outside of that time, likely far more than 40 hours a week. It's not physical labor to be sure, but that kind of work is physically and mentally exhausting.

[–]Metalheadzaid 13 points14 points ago

Eh, feels like those hours are spent pondering how to get more money (via talking to businessmen and lobbyists of various kinds).

[–]Iarwain_ben_Adar 19 points20 points ago

Taking bribes, banging escorts/pages/interns, and letting campaign contributors shove their legislation up their asses in exchange for re-election is not what one should call work.

[–]aspeenat 3 points4 points ago

don't be fooled the aides do most of the heavy lifting. The politician comes in after like an ambassador and shakes hands after the aides do all the real work.

[–]tootie 1 point2 points ago

Not to mention that they can't spend all their time in Washington or they'd never see their constituents.

[–]big_star 1 point2 points ago

Yeah, those PAC checks don't endorse themselves ya know...

[–]dorisfrench 0 points1 point ago

Oh yeah like what? Going out to lunch with lobbyists?

[–]The_Lobbyist -1 points0 points ago

Thank you. I hate this "Congress doesn't work a full week" bullshit that gets posted frequently. A Congressman's job is far more than voting. When a Congressman shows up at a diner in his district on a Saturday to listen to constituents, that's not leisure time. Even cocktail parties aren't leisure time when you're expected to talk policy with the guests.

[–]xerctoh 4 points5 points ago

I read this and I care. I feel all the same ways as your uncle does and if you even read this comment please let him know that there are young (I'm 23) , politically savvy Americans who feel the same way he does and who yearn to see our society become the wonderful beacon of light it used to be.

[–]soxfan17[S] 1 point2 points ago

I read this comment and I care. I'm 18 and I absolutely agree with him. People like me and you are going to be the ones who actually care. But the sad reality is that our generation is the most apathetic when it comes to politics. Hopefully we can one day right the wrongs of this great nation and again become a "beacon of light" as you said.

[–]brolix 1 point2 points ago

24 here and basically just waiting for the generation after your great-uncle's to die off so we can clean everything up again

[–]Tombug 2 points3 points ago

Brokaws book "the greatest generation" was a load of crap. Generations are not superior or inferior any more than races are.

[–]emperorpotatoketchup 1 point2 points ago

It should've had the subtitle "I really idolize my parents."

[–]skeletor100 1 point2 points ago

It all sounds like wise words. I do have a question about the first quote, about Congress working three days a week. I was wondering if this was for the same reason that politicians here in the UK don't work all week. They work part time at Parliament in London and the rest of the week they are supposed to be in their constituency working for the good of their constituents. Are Congressmen supposed to return to their States to try and work for the good of the citizens in the State when they aren't working in Congress?

[–]aspeenat 1 point2 points ago

they only claim they are doing that if their home state has lower taxes then VA/MD if taxes same or higher they are in Dc making life miserable for us all.

[–]xxthemattxx 0 points1 point ago

I appreciated reading this, and I'd upvote you twice if I could.

[–]Kurokikaze01 0 points1 point ago

Brought a tear to my eye. Excellent read. I wish more people from the older generations thought the same way.

[–]Skelletonhand 0 points1 point ago

What struck me was the bad cop Lieutenant, the NCO's are the bad cop these days so to speak.

[–]tofu2u2 0 points1 point ago

Your uncle sounds very wise and you are, indeed, very lucky to have him in your life. And he's lucky to have a family member who listens to him so well. Good luck to you and your family.

[–]JohnChimpo 0 points1 point ago*

I like how he knows to blame congress. He's in the same boat as all of us. You know why congress is bad? Karl Rove.

[–]dorisfrench 0 points1 point ago

I think Congress is bad because they don't give a flying fuck what the people they are supposed to represent think. If 90% of us want something they don't care! They do whatever they want! It's taxation without representation. We have NO representation from these traitors.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points ago

"Now, you can't say one thing to a kid without being insensitive. I hope this doesn't become our greatest flaw."

I believe this to be true, and I think it will become our biggest flaw. Kids are growing up to be marshmallows nowadays, detached from the real world.

I'm live in Canada. Where I'm from, kids in grade 7 and 8 can no longer fail anything besides math and English. In all other subjects, the lowest mark they can get is a D. An automatic pass.

[–]soxfan17[S] 0 points1 point ago

The school system is definitely flawed. It needs to be much more rigorous if either the US or Canada wants to stay relevant in the world today.

[–]Imspaced 0 points1 point ago

This is awesome insight. I have a great uncle who survived Pearl Harbor, but he doesn't like talking about it. He says things similar to this and I always love talking to him. But, although I hate to say it, our politicians aren't the younger generations, they're the older ones who have seen very much of what your uncle speaks of. They're greed, as well as your uncle's wisdom, stem from the same era.

[–]chowderbags 1 point2 points ago

But, although I hate to say it, our politicians aren't the younger generations, they're the older ones who have seen very much of what your uncle speaks of.

Mostly Boomer generation.

Senate

House

[–]TheGreatGumbino 0 points1 point ago

Very nice, thanks

[–]linktochaos -1 points0 points ago

The disrespect Obama gets is ridiculous. Absolutely shameful.

[–]tornadosgoOMNOM 1 point2 points ago

honestly i dont care what some old man thinks, age doesnt translate to credibility.

[–]davelong23 -1 points0 points ago

I hate the people that so blindly say that kids shouldn't be allowed to move along in schools if they didn't pass the class. I'm 18 years old, and last year, my senior year of high school, I wasn't allowed to walk at my graduation for .5 credits I was missing, amounting to one class. One class is all it took to keep me from getting my diploma, and this was after I had worked my ass off to obtain 2 extra credits by doing a lot of overtime work at the school and helping out around the office. Months later, my familys been goin through some hard times so I've been helping at home and working to help us get by. What kind of jobs do you think they have for someone like me? A wage that's nonexistent that goes by in the snap of a finger. All because of one class. Now, could I have done more to put myself in a better situation come graduation, absolutely. It's one of my greatest regrets not giving it my all in high school, but its not like I had much help either. Teachers today are so stagnant and engrained in the system that they do more talking than actual teaching. I agree that education has to be reformed, but not in the way you imbeciles would go about it. Children are not dogs which can be taught to sit and roll over, to be a teacher is to connect with their students so they understand from a human perspective instead of words on a page. A lot more students would succeed if the teacher would tailor his lessonplan towards individual classes instead of vice versa. Not like I'm saying they don't have to pull their own weight, but this gives them a chance to really understand what they are learning instead of writing it down a paper and forgetting about it. Most high schools are a joke nowadays, I went to a so-called "good" high school and every almost everyone would cheat or copy answers. I suppose it is an American value to lie to the top anyway.

[–]emperorpotatoketchup 0 points1 point ago

Getting a high school diploma is incredibly easy. If you don't pass the class then how should we measure whether or not you should move on? If you only need .5 credits then get those credits. You've played the game this far, why not finish it?

Now, arguing that school is just a babysitting environment to create workers and doesn't actually foster education is a different subject. I actually don't think school necessarily needs to be reformed is we could also admit what its purpose is. It should only be a few hours a week b/c its purpose is not to educate but instead it is to indoctrinate. Indoctrination is mostly a physical process. You physically hear the bells, sit in orderly rows, change classes every hour, walk single file this way and that, eat crap food together, take standardized tests that are mostly multiple choice, etc. None of this has anything to do with education and it's a waste of valuable time.

A high school diploma, like a mini version of a college degree, doesn't mean you're educated. What it means is that you're psychologically stable enough to work at a job and not actually retarded. That is all.

[–]chowderbags 0 points1 point ago

If it was .5 credits that was just missing, it sounds like a guidance counselor didn't do their job. Heck, it probably could've been made up over the course of a summer. (The High School I went to had a semester long "Health" class that could just be done over the summer for people who didn't want to take it during the year for whatever reason)

[–]davelong23 0 points1 point ago

I went to do the summer course, I could only take 2 classes and still have .5 credits left to earn. I went to work for a little while and now am looking to put myself back in school, its just such a hassle. Essentially I have to pay 300 dollars for a something that equates to a gym class, shits ridiculous is all I was saying.

[–]junggn 0 points1 point ago

Honestly, I couldn't agree more. Tim Thomas's decision was not a "political statement", it was a slap to our country and democracy's face. You do not get to sit, pout and disrespect our president just because you voted against him. Like it or not, he is your president. Respect that.

[–]dbe 1 point2 points ago

If I recall, Tim Thomas didn't mention the Tea Party, he just said he's unhappy with our government. I wish more people would do this, maybe they'd get the message.

[–]zingbat 1 point2 points ago

Our government is made up of more than just the executive branch. Most of the power is actually in the other two branches.

[–]thedeadlyrhythm 1 point2 points ago

he did actually go out of his way to say that it wasn't a partisan issue.

[–]emperorpotatoketchup 0 points1 point ago

Yeah, more "respect your elders and leaders" bs. You earn respect, you don't automatically get it.

[–]GrizzlyManOnWire 1 point2 points ago*

"I disagree wholeheartedly with Tim Thomas's (Bruin's goalie) decision to make a political statement by not going to the White House to celebrate winning the Stanley Cup. That's what's wrong with this country. You respect your damn president whether he's a Democrat or a Republican. What he's saying is that he does not support the country he lives in unless the leader is from the Tea Party. That's just ridiculous. If he were here right now, I would have some choice words to set that young man straight."

I feel like alot of redditors (myself included) would disagree with this statement when George Bush was in office. Replace "Tim Thomas" with an outspoken democrat and "Tea Party" with "democrat"