13 Reasons to Thank a Baby Boomer

Impact

As one of the main defenders of Baby Boomers on this site, I am always on the lookout for articles that take a favorable outlook towards my generation. And so, I discovered an article in Mercator Net that was published last year. It is titled “27 Amazing Things Baby Boomers Have Done For Humanity.”  

The author of the article, Michael Cook, defines a baby boomer as someone who was born between 1945 and 1965, or Americans between the ages of 48 and 68. His first comment indicates that Baby Boomers believe they should “feel guilty for trashing the economy, for the demise of the family, for endemic cynicism and selfishness, for an addiction to government handouts and for flared trousers.” Frankly, I resent most of these accusations (although not the trousers comment). My generation weathered many storms, and we have thousands of successful people on our team whom I am very proud of.

Here are 13 of the 27 items on Cook's list.

1. The Enviroment is Relatively Clean

We still have an environment in which we can breathe air and drink water.

2. The Cold War Has Ended

You’re still here, right? While children, Baby Boomers lived through the Cold War and Mutually Assured Destruction. The latter is the theory that neither the Russians nor the U.S. would launch intercontinental nuclear missiles no matter how pissed off they got, because it would effectively end the world. Baby Boomers stopped this madness, and now nuclear issues are still a problem but much smaller in scope.

3. Capital Punishment is Becoming Less Popular

Capital punishment is vanishing. Forty-three people were executed in 2011 versus 130 in 1945. It will be millennials who ultimately decide whether capital punishment should be ramped up in the aftermath of Newtown and Boston.

4. Polio No Longer Affects Children in the U.S.

5. Africa Is No Longer the "Dark Continent"

Africa is becoming a place of hope and promise.

6. Rock and Roll Has Entertained Us For Over Half a Century

Rock and Roll was invented by baby boomers. “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones is 48 years old, and the group is still touring to sellout crowds. In another hundred years, the Stones should be almost as important as Beethoven.

7. Mobile Phones Have Completely Changed Communication

Mobile phones were invented by Baby Boomers.

8. More Families Are Staying Together

Divorces are decreasing.

9. Women Are Moving Towards Parity With Men in the Workplace

Many women have shattered the glass ceiling.

10. The Internet Has Revolutionized Business and Social Interaction

The Internet was invented by Baby Boomers.

11. Progress Has Been Made in Eliminating Bigotry

The Civil Rights Movement was started by Baby Boomers.

 

 

12. World Wars Are a Thing Of The Past

13. Baby Boomers Are Apologetic

Baby boomers say, “We are sorry” — too often in my opinion.

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Millennials are angry, and this has limited their creativity and ambition. Too many are whining, complaining that they have too much to deal with. Here’s a news flash: Every generation has to deal with difficult issues. For Boomers, issues included the Cold War that could have ended mankind, a Vietnam War in which 50,000 Americans died and hundreds of thousands of soldiers were wounded, high inflation, unemployment — and now we need to advise the millennials as they get ready to take over the country. Wish us luck.