ONLY Read this if your were born in the 40's 50's or 60's

Such wonderful times must have shapen a wonderful generation, right? Tell me then, where did this ultracapitalist, dog eat dog generation come from? The same wonder years seem to have spawn a generation full of plutocratic CEOs, authoritarian politicians and their supporters.

Oh the supporters, people that care only of their personal gain and not a crap about the less fortunate and the environment. People without an ounce of critical thinking who listen to rich people on tv, whom are paid by billionaires, telling them to blame everything on the poor and do so! People who pound their chest and mention jesus in every sentence while doing and supporting all that is contrary. People who condone violence towards their children be it done by themselves or complete strangers as a method of civilized parenting. Those that are so filled with fear to the point of hating the notion of progress and will do anything to conserve the status quo and abide by whatever their now out of control, fascist cold war system tells them.

If video games, fast food, 24 hour cartoons and watching hi-res boobs instead of saggy national geographic ones make me a different type of person than the supposed "wonderful" generation, then so be it. Now dont get me wrong, there is plenty of bad things with generations X and Y which are direct byproduct of the OP's topic of discussion. I am not trying to make this a "pissing contest". My point is, please get off your nostalgia high horse as your description of an idyllic time does not correlate to the type of people it produced. Actually, it goes further than that.

All of us know things are not right today, but this was not caused by the current youth. It is YOUR generation that is still in power and has most of the money. It is your generation that currently supports the conservation of a criminal corporate, bipartisan party by buying into propaganda, controlled opposition politicians and the false electoral choice. It is your generation that is still largely populated by bigots who despise the poor and different races while allowing the elite to divide and conquer us. It is your generation that overwhelmingly venerates the almighty dollar vs our own dying planet. We, of all generations, must come to grips to what is OUR society, what has been done with it and how to fix it starting with implementing REAL blind justice from the top down.

33 years old here. Old enough to have experienced both generations and, more importantly, the transitional period(s) with an open mind. Thanks for reading.

I remember getting a day off school to watch the moon landings!! I remember my Mom telling us all that we should keep our feet on the ground and going to the moon was just crazy!

But come on, how about the cartoons and sci fi

Marine Boy
Gigantor
Tobor (who smoked energy cigs .... rofl)
da da da da da da da da da da da batman (holy smoke Batman)
Lost in space. (caaampy) Danger wil robinson)
Buck Rogers
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

P)

As soon as all the baby boomers die there is hope for change in the USA.

Baby boomers= watch TV daily for hours, don't know how to use the internet, listen to TV news like it is "Gospel", votes for whoever the media tells them to, doesn't care about the future because they will be dead in 10 years, generally identifies them self as Christian even though they never read the Bible in their life

Young Adults 2012 = Use the internet regularly, know that the government is corrupt, doesn't like freedom restricting laws, has the potential to get news from non-mainstream sources, wants to change the future, understands that the federal reserve is bad, tired of wars

Originally posted by mnmcandiez
Why in the world would you eat mud? Have fun with parasites......

Because they were stupid. Those american kids were also taught that "Duck and Cover" helps in case of an nuclear attack, they also thought back then that premarital sex is teh evilz, they were playing with "toy" guns and didn't care if they injured there friends because shooting with guns and bows was the only thing they had.
And of course those 50's and 60's kids NEVER EVER watched TV, all those TV Shows that were on the air back then survived for seasons without anyone watching.
As stated in my first post, it's gloryfied nostalgia with blending the bad things out (Also with music: There were a lot of crap artists in those decades but they are buried and forgotten, it's the same with the 70's people name Sabbath and Zeppelin while ignoring crap like Bay City Rollers or George Baker Selection)

I'm pretty sure the kids from the 80's on had a way better childhood. We had everything the kids from the past had plus more exciting things to fill out our time and personally i think it's better for kids to play some harmless video games with friends that possibly teach them something than running around shooting their friends with BB Guns, though i guess that is more preferred in the trigger-happy country USA.

I would also say we were better educated. Teachers didn't punish us and with modern times came more knowledge. It's pretty obvious from the one-dimensional thinking and all the typos in this thread.

And just because that country turned to #, has no laws, serves it's people artificial flavoured crap to eat and drink doesn't mean that it's the same case in every part of the world. I very much enjoy my Coca Cola with real sugar and i very much enjoy my non-processed, non-poisoned food

And i bet if we could send those people, who brag about their 'glory days' back into this past they would soon realise that it wasn't as awesome as they falsely remember it here.

I had a great childhood with friends, we did all kinds of things and i'm thankful i don't live in the USA because i always get the impression americans never ever see anything from the world. A vacation for them is travelling across their own country or entering Canada. I've been to every continent on this planet, saw dozens of countries, experienced how the people in Tunisia, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Japan or Chile live and i'm thankful for it. That is something that rarely any american kids and especially not those from the 40's, 50's or 60's experienced

As i said: Those 'wonderful' kids from then, that had everything, were so awesome and played outside are the bastard politicians and greedy CEO we have today. Can't wait for those generations to die out....

Originally posted by mnmcandiez
As soon as all the baby boomers die there is hope for change in the USA.

Baby boomers= watch TV daily for hours, don't know how to use the internet, listen to TV news like it is "Gospel", votes for whoever the media tells them to, doesn't care about the future because they will be dead in 10 years, generally identifies them self as Christian even though they never read the Bible in their life

Young Adults 2012 = Use the internet regularly, know that the government is corrupt, doesn't like freedom restricting laws, has the potential to get news from non-mainstream sources, wants to change the future, understands that the federal reserve is bad, tired of wars

edit on 2/3/2012 by mnmcandiez because: (no reason given)

I am a baby boomer.

I don't watch TV ..... at all.
I use the internet.
I do care about the future, I hope I have more than a mere 10 years and I care for my children's future.
And I do know about the current situation.
I knew the Vietnam war sucked.
So kid, shove it.

P)

reply to post by mnmcandiez

As soon as all the baby boomers die there is hope for change in the USA.

This is largely what baby boomers were saying in the Sixties:

Jerry Rubin, the man famous for saying never to trust anyone over 30, just turned 50. ''It scares the hell out of me,'' said Mr. Rubin, who as a young radical in 1967 dropped dollar bills onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and campaigned to elect a pig as President of the United States.

Baby boomers= watch TV daily for hours, don't know how to use the internet...

Young Adults 2012 = Use the internet regularly...

Of course, if this were true then this baby boomer wouldn't have to been the one to point to Jerry Rubin as just one example of how baby boomers were then and how we now sit and watch the children play doing things we used to do they think are new.

Ah the good old days when children were still beaten into submission, when fascism was unquestioned.

Those were the days.

-walking to school in our neighborhood, no mega-campuses on busy highways.
-swam in the river from sun up to sun down in the summers.
-rode our bikes everywhere.
-those friends we would yell for outside their homes are still some of my closest friends today. That said, we would scrap and tease and acted in what would now be considered an abusive manner to each other. But we never held a grudge for long.

I am working on replicating, to the best available, the same active childhood for my child. I guess time will tell how it works out.

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


everything you mentioned is everything I done as a kid in the 80's , maybe wanna adjust the title !

but yes I remember doing pretty much all of what you mentioned !

I think you neglected white dog pooo !

Since those born after 1960 aren't allowed to read this, I scrolled down very fast to hit the reply button (I still caught a few words by accident, I hope you don't mind. I willalso take the liberty to read any answers to my question)

So, here is my question... I heard racial segregation stopped around 1968, does this mean the majority were racists or OK with this back then? Is it something you lot miss too?

Peace!

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


Hey Thanks for the memories !! Brought a smile to my face...

I remember, every saturday morning, going to the school gymnasium where they played movies for 10 cents

All the good old Disney movies...

We played baseball, football and hockey on the street, in front of our house.

We'd have parties on the river side, beer and illegal substances galore. Played guitar and sang till the sun came up. Occasionally, cops would come by and ask us if we were ok and to be careful...

We would exchange clothes amongst friends. If one of us had money, we'd share with everyone.

The biggest torture was to be grounded.

We built our houses in trees. High up.

Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone were heroes.

Jerry Lewis was the funniest guy around.

Good memories.

S&F.

All of the first post and more !

Especially at 6 years old being ridden around by the Rockers on their motorbikes, I had short trousers and sandals on and nothing on my head except hair. Those were the days, we were hardly ever in and used to go on great adventures which lasted all day and as long as we were back in the street when the lamps came on, we were allowed to play out untill we wanted to go home. Did we even eat ? I don't remember, we lit bonfires on building sites, explored houses which were rat infested and falling down, climbed on the blocks of flats which were being built, jumped off of anything which was taller than us and scrumped apples and pears. Kicked white dog poo, visited peoples houses who our parents didn't know, stole the free sample bars of soap and washing powder and other free samples from all of the neighbours within a four street radius ( they never posted them, just left them outside ) carol sang on our own, penny for the guy'd, spoke to strangers, crossed busy roads, had many picnics next to railway lines, made dens in the local wood storage yards ( under tons of wooden beams ).

Used to scour the local neighbourhood for dumped lemonade bottles and take them back to the local shops for 3d each, then when we couldn't find any, we would walk into the alley behind the local pubs and borrow half a dozen beer bottles, which we then returned to the pub counter and got the money for them.

Far too many things to remember, but by the time I was 10 I had grown up so much that I was able to look after myself and seem to remember only going home to sleep. Those were the days and they never did me any harm, if it had happened today, my parents would have been in so much trouble and I would have certainly been put into care. Our house had mice living in the walls, the garden often had rats visiting, we played with fireworks, played in the road without traffic being a problem, but we never got into trouble for it. Those were the days !

isnt this the same generation that let 1 of the best U.S. presidents be murdered without hardly a murmur? gave rise to Nixon and let a complete moron run the country without ever being elected ? ran tobacco companies out of government so they could letinsurance companies take their place ? isnt this the most selfish, arrogant, irresponsible generation ? the list is virtually endless to the mistakes and laziness that has difined this generation. and yes you are my mothers and fathers, but your generation constantly strives for the great-ness your parents generation had. and you have failed miserably. i see a generation that will go down as the most spoiled generation in history. your parents gave you everything and you consumed it. so much so that your children do not get to partake in your lifestyle. they instead have to repair your damage, clean your mess and survive in a climate only rivaled by your parents economic climate. we will come out stronger as they did, and you will not ever understand it as yours has not had to endure the same hardships. your parents gave you a 50's upbringing and you gave us a 70's upbringing. see the difference?

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


i am not so old, but a read it.
good post!
i skimmed through, and share many of the same stories in 8os 9os, so i guess my parents let me play.
junkyard fun is the best.
dirt, all the better.
and sharing is caring

Originally posted by SpaceJockey1
The following is something that I'm sure that most of us born in the decades mentioned, can sure relate to...feel free to add / share your experiences and thoughts:
(SNIPPED)

Excellent post! This truly reflects my childhood.
I remember that we used to go to waste ground and light a fire, cook potatoes etc.
Camp out in tents. Go by the river and explore the caves and the debris.
What happened to all of this I don't know?

Wow from the past 2 weeks i've been watching 40's 50's and 60's movies and classics what a coincidence like the Twilight zone on netflix, on one episode i was watching on the background it shows eggs and bacon ect for 35¢ everythings was cheap!! Juke boxes and malt shops it looked soo awesome

sorry i broke the rules but i couldn't help it

Most of the things you mentioned, I experienced during my childhood and I'm not from any of the above mentioned decades. America is not the entire world and many children from different countries around the world, still have similar childhoods. Childhood obesity is not only the time periods fault, what about the parents who let their kids eat and drink fastfood, sugar coated gene modified foods and soda pop all day???

It is funny how people just assume that it is only the state of technology who is to blame, it is only partially the guilty one- what about the parents who raise their children?

I had a great childhood running after the ice cream truck, building tree houses, playing outside with my friends all day and this is coming from someone who was born in the early 90's.

Originally posted by ShadowAngel85
This glorification of the past sure seems popular. How many times has this text now popped up here on ATS? I bet at least 10 times.
I wonder what people accomplish, by hating on modern generations and glorifying the past by pointing out the things they thought were 'better', while ignoring the negative things (except of course "our parents hit us with belts and shoes because they had no clue about parenting")

You know, those people born in the 40's and 50's were so wonderfully raised, had such great lifes and were overall so much better than the people later....that they became the assholes that make life bad today...politicians, dictators, greedy CEOs. Wonderful people growing up in a wonderful time that shaped them to what they are today. What a wonderful world

Actually you couldn't be more wrong, do you even realise what has shaped and brainwashed this last generation?
Have a read:
1963 US Congressional Record
"45 Current Steps/Goals of Communism"

Step 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

Step 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

Step 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

Step 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

Step 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a "religious crutch." 

Step 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

Step 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
 
Step 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 

That my friend IS WHAT HAS MADE YOU.
Not what made any of the generations of the OPs thread.
So whilst you bleat on about the differences, most of us grew up respecting our parents, had a love for family values, God and the days that porn didn't ruin millions of families and further promote godless morals.

So if you cannot even SEE that your thoughts and beliefs have been shaped,, formed and indoctrinated with the end time Godless principles of humanism, then Heaven help you.

OP, thanks for the memories. Looking at those goals from 1963 should make our generations understand what the driving force has been to create this most likely last generation.

Listening to all the hits on AM radio.

Shooting Super 8 movie film.

The '76 California skateboard craze - just dreaming you could get your hands on a 'Sims Pure Juice' skateboard.

And, because this is ATS...

That fateful day you found a paperback copy of Erich Von Daniken's Chariots Of The Gods?

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


reply to post by ShadowAngel85


reply to post by Snoopy1978


You guys are all correct... as a member of the target audience, I can still remember what a thrill it was when the road in front of our house was actually paved, when touch-tone phones came along and when we got other alternatives than burning wood to heat our house.

This was the era that produced the Counter Culture movement, which frightened the PTB so much they are STILL actively trying to discredit it.

But this was indeed also the era that produced the likes of GW Bush and Dick Cheney.

About all I can say is, while there were lots of us running around outside having fun, learning morals and not caring about the trappings of power and wealth, it was kids like George and Dick who were going around eating paint. It warped their minds, and what we have now is the result.

Like so many things American, this era produced both the high and low ends of behavior.