David Brooks published his usual thought provoking stuff today. And as usual I am somewhere between inspired and insulted. I am always in for blaming the baby boomers and the culture wars for the current state of affairs. But I guess I take exception to his assumption that we are these spoiled over educated "meritocrats" who don't know what its like to go a day without a frapucino. I mean I've seen my fair share of Bergman films, but has this guy looked at my bank account lately. All in all, I take his point. The challenges of the present and coming days are going to be massive and I don't know that we can all go on living on the level we have grown accustomed. However, being of this generation of anxious parents (man he's got a label for everything) I feel comfortable taking on the challenge. I would shift the focus though, I don't see it as a coming scarcity, but rather an austerity. We have and consume far far more than we need. Scarcity, privation, these are the terms of the last Depression. For us, I think the commitment we need to chose now is to learn to live with less. But let's see it as a choice, a solution, perhaps even a spiritual endeavor, to really discover what it means to live a sustainable existence.
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6 comments:
Citizen P,
Good on you for doing this P! I've also followed--and have enjoyed for the most part--the oscillations of David Brooks. And as I usuually respond, I felt the first 50% of his latest offering was a sweeping and exciting analysis of 3 generational shifts. Right on. And then there was the latter 50% or the the slow dismantling of a good case.
As for labels, this is the man whose spoecific genius (and he has one) led to the very enjoyable Bobos in Paradise. As for the generational challenge of being unprepared for what lies ahead, and recasting assumptions, I say bring it on...Life's progressive jolts are all about finding yourself in the unexpected. We're ready David.
--Comrade Steve
This blog is exciting, Citizen P.
I'm going to admit that I'm not a regular Brooks reader. For me, the least funny parts of Woody Allen movies are the neurotic monologues. David Brooks' pieces remind me of that.
I don't have the intellectual power to process all of my objections to Brooks' article, so let me oversimplify and say this: history is filled with minor conflicts, vicious conflagrations, outright genocide, and even shark attacks because people have problems dealing with scarcity. From where I sit, Brooks' view of an Obamaian (rhymes with Hawaian!) ruling class isn't much different than the ruling class under Bush (maybe switch out think tank gurus with university professors). And as we have an eight year track record to look over, we can assume that he's right: they will have a hard time dealing with scarcity. But using the liberal moniker to modify this group is totally ludicrous.
HIS oversimplification on this point doesn't surprise me though: if I follow the Brooks syllogism that Obama is well educated due to his proximity to universities, then it should also hold true that I am a great Catholic because I've spent most of my adult life living within 15 miles of a Jesuit school (I am not a great Catholic)...or Sarah Palin is strong on foreign policy because she can see Russia from her house (I don't think she actually knows the name of the Russian president).
I had forgotten about the generational aspect of this, which was so present in the primaries. I guess because McCain-Palin put the emphasis on so many other issues (temperament, ability to think, resentment).
I think Brooks gets what will likely be the biggest challenge, but I think he underestimates us.
I loved being called a neo-traditionalist-I mean that. I really like the name. It fits me, and I will take it as my own. Gay marriage (or really any kind of marital committment, including the highly functional working relationships many of my divorced friends have with their ex-spouses, centered in the kids), community involvement, religious and spiritual searchings, and a rejection of the identity politics that were too prevalent in our education (thanks for that, boomers). That's us.
I am unbelievably happy today.
No Fear. Know Hope.
How fitting is it that the likely victory party will be in Grant Park, Chicago?
Very.
Buh-bye, 1968.
very buh-bye Days of Rage. I can't believe I didn't catch that earlier.
Lots os ideas here, and one more for the heap. Obama is supported by an elite, overwhelmingly so. But there is more to it than that when a notable number of Joe the Plumbers everywhere are out there voting for him too, which has happened tonight. There is more to this election than that reduction and it's hard to categorize.
And to the person who surmises the end of identity politics, I wish you well and all of us well, and hope that this is the beginning of a definitive chapter on that. But I wouldn't bet on that part .
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