by Matthew Zipple

Created on: October 26, 2009   Last Updated: October 31, 2009

In everyone's mind, their generation is superior to the generation both before and after them, but is this really true? It seems to me that every generation is really the same, with similar problems, and similar disfunctions that are slightly different in character. Every generation thinks that the next generation's technology is too darn complicated, while the younger generation sees their elders as washed up and out of touch with society. The elder generation always finds problems in the dress of the members of the younger generation, saying that they leave nothing to the imagination, but was this not also the case when that elder generation was young as well? While the dress was not necessarily the same, is the difference between mini skirts and short shorts really only worth debate?

I feel that if I concentrate on the political profession, I will adequately capture the ideas of the nation as a whole, as America is a democracy, and tends to elect the leaders that best represent public opinion. For example, we can take the two most prominent generations of modern time, and look at their militaristic history. As American's, the middle aged generation of our country "...were taught that our armies were always invincible and our causes were always just, only to suffer the agony of Vietnam. (Jimmy Carter 1979)" The unjustifiable tragedies of the vietnam war have plagued the elder generation of our society, but the younger generation has a similar injust war, that of Iraq. Although the details and specific moral issues in question concerning these two wars are different, the underlying question remains the same, "Is this our war to fight?"

I now bring to quesion the economy. The elder generation of our society might suggest that today's politicians have brought the system to its knees, and all but destroyed everything that America stands for. While today's politician's (specificallly those of the prior administration) may be partially responsible, we must look at the several decades of economic growth based on absolutely nothing, made possible thanks to our misguided president's plan of "reaganomics." While there have obviously been major changes throughout human history, even if we look at these changes, it is clear that traces of prior generations are still present today. After the examination of these several examples, we are lead to the logical conclusion that even if we that accept the world is changed by every generation, then this change is for the better, rather than for the worse.

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