P. J. O'Rourke Puts His Generation on Report

P.J. was one of my favorite writers when I was in college. I tried to read everything of his, and still do.

Nice of him to give a Gen-X fan some top cover - because he is exactly right about his generation.

Never before has a generation been given so much cultural capital, only to throw it away and let younger generations behind them to clean up their mess.

... I suspect there’s a sadder reason for America’s post-eminence in things tremendous, overwhelming, and awesome.

My sad generation of baby boomers can be blamed. We were born into an America where material needs were fulfilled to a degree unprecedented in history. We were a demographic benison, cherished and taught to be self-cherishing. We were cosseted by a lush economy and spoiled by a society grown permissive in its fatigue with the strictures of depression and war. The child being father to the man, and necessity being the mother of invention, we wound up as the orphans of effort and ingenuity. And pleased to be so. Sixty-six years of us would be enough to take the starch out of any nation.