Why Propaganda About Generational Warfare Is Dangerous and Wrong

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http://www.alternet.org/activism/why-propaganda-about-generational-warfare-dangerous-and-wrong




Throughout history, there’s always been generational tensions. They can be seen in the phases and arc of each person’s life, and in society in the newest music, books, inventions and values that people embrace. Astute psychologists not only say that these generational tensions are normal and healthy, but that they unfold like the seasons—on a individual level over a lifetime, and across society as the decades turn into historical eras.

You might think that understanding what makes each generation unique, and how those factors end up shaping its historical challenges would be of endless interest and concern to parents, educators and politicans. Instead, what we’re seeing today is a rising wave of ill-informed and ugly generational warfare mongering. Lead by people such as billionaire investor Pete Peterson, who has long wanted to privatize Social Security, they are trying to incite anger and jealousy in younger Americans by erroneously suggesting that older Americans are stealing their future.

Newcomers to this bandwagon include MSNBC’s Abby Huntsman, whose commentaries seek to foment Millennial anger; Pew Research Center special projects chief Paul Taylor, who told NPR while hawking his book on the coming Boomer-Millennial clash, “We’ve got to rebalance the social safety net so it’s fair to all generations;” and even Salon.com, which writes headlines like, “Waiting for a millennial revolution: Could baby boomers’ worst nightmare finally come true.” The list goes on, as if this is something new.

“Igor Stravinsky once wrote that every generation declares war on its parents and makes friends with its grandparents,” said generational change historian Neil Howe, quoting the early 20 th century composer in a 2012 commencement address. “Yet again that happens.”