the Greatest Generation

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Sonic200
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30 Aug 2023, 6:30 pm

The generation of people born from 1901 to 1927 is called the Greatest Generation. The remaining living people of this generation are now in their late 90s or over age 100.

Really why is this generation so great? Why the Greatest Generation?

naturalplastic
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30 Aug 2023, 7:29 pm

Because they fought as GIs and won WWII. Or worked as Rosie the Riveter and made the ships, planes, tanks, and guns for the GIs to use who fought the war. And they also weathered the storm of the Great Depression.

Neither endorse the label nor condemn it. Just saying thats the reason for the label and that I get it.

Either glorifying or condemning a group of folks just because they were born at a certain time is kind of inane. But it was coined out of affection by some Boomer author who wrote a book about his (and my) parents generation (I think that it was Tom Brokaw) back in the Nineties.

colliegrace
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30 Aug 2023, 7:31 pm

They earned it, if you ask me.

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Fnord
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30 Aug 2023, 7:36 pm

Sonic200 wrote:

The generation of people born from 1901 to 1927 is called the Greatest Generation. The remaining living people of this generation are now in their late 90s or over age 100. Really why is this generation so great? Why the Greatest Generation?

That's the label they chose for themselves.

Personally, I would have given them the title of, "Last of the Oppressive White Male Dictatorships", but that's just me.

colliegrace
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30 Aug 2023, 7:41 pm

I once met a fellow who was in his 90s or older. He could barely hear, but decided to tell me how he helped invent radar.

Misslizard
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30 Aug 2023, 8:44 pm

They did all pitch in together when called to ration food, gas, other goods.They grew Victory gardens to feed the family.
During Covid the present generations fought over toilet paper and masking.

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naturalplastic
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30 Aug 2023, 9:26 pm

Fnord wrote:

Sonic200 wrote:

The generation of people born from 1901 to 1927 is called the Greatest Generation. The remaining living people of this generation are now in their late 90s or over age 100. Really why is this generation so great? Why the Greatest Generation?

That's the label they chose for themselves.

Wrong.

It was the label an author of our Boomer generation, Tom Brokaw, gave them in his 1998 book about that generation.

You could find isolated instances of the term used before that, but he popularized the term.

WisteriaRose
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30 Aug 2023, 9:28 pm

My grandpa is a great man. :heart: He was born in 1951.

funeralxempire
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30 Aug 2023, 11:38 pm

They fought WWII.

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lostonearth35
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31 Aug 2023, 2:20 pm

Misslizard wrote:

They did all pitch in together when called to ration food, gas, other goods.They grew Victory gardens to feed the family.
During Covid the present generations fought over toilet paper and masking.

I read that during the 1918 flu pandemic there were anti-maskers and people panic bought everything thought to "cure" the flu from quinine (which was for treating malaria) to Vicks VapoRub.

Humans are ridiculous in every era. Before the middle of the 19th century, for example, people once thought crawling was wrong, even for babies. And of course, left-handed people were treated like garbage for much longer.

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31 Aug 2023, 4:23 pm

WisteriaRose wrote:

My grandpa is a great man. :heart:

He was born in 1951.

He was born a year before me. Like me, he is a Baby Boomer, a member of the generation responsible for all the ills of modern society.

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MaxE
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31 Aug 2023, 4:24 pm

lostonearth35 wrote:

Misslizard wrote:

They did all pitch in together when called to ration food, gas, other goods.They grew Victory gardens to feed the family.
During Covid the present generations fought over toilet paper and masking.

Welcome back! Nice to see a friendly face!

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WisteriaRose
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31 Aug 2023, 4:27 pm

MaxE wrote:

WisteriaRose wrote:

My grandpa is a great man. :heart:

He was born in 1951.

He was born a year before me. Like me, he is a Baby Boomer, a member of the generation responsible for all the ills of modern society.

I was wondering who was responsible. Now I know. :heart:

I don’t think he’s like the others. He’s very nice. I just wish he didn’t go hunting or chew tobacco.

QuantumChemist
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31 Aug 2023, 6:35 pm

naturalplastic wrote:

Fnord wrote:

Sonic200 wrote:

The generation of people born from 1901 to 1927 is called the Greatest Generation. The remaining living people of this generation are now in their late 90s or over age 100. Really why is this generation so great? Why the Greatest Generation?

That's the label they chose for themselves.

Yes, that term was not typically used until after that book was published. It became much more of a trendy title after the book made the top seller list. I got an autographed copy of that book back then and gave it to my dad before he passed on from COPD. It reminded him greatly of his dad (born in 1900) even though his dad was not technically part of that generation. My parents were part of the Silent Generation, those born before the Boomers and after the Greatest Generation.

MaxE
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02 Sep 2023, 7:30 am

MaxE wrote:

WisteriaRose wrote:

My grandpa is a great man. :heart:

He was born in 1951.

He was born a year before me. Like me, he is a Baby Boomer, a member of the generation responsible for all the ills of modern society.

Perhaps a bit off the original topic, but maybe worth a read (I didn't have paywall problems YMMV).

https://fortune.com/2023/09/02/job-hopping-millennials-boomers-switching-careers-disloyalty-organization-man-bls/amp/

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MaxE
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04 Sep 2023, 6:29 am

MaxE wrote:

WisteriaRose wrote:

My grandpa is a great man. :heart:

He was born in 1951.

He was born a year before me. Like me, he is a Baby Boomer, a member of the generation responsible for all the ills of modern society.

Then there's this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/comments/14m4ggf/what_is_something_you_can_say_im_with_the_boomers/

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