Where Have All the Adults Gone?

An author has posed this question, "Where have all the grown-ups gone?" It is her suggestion that we no longer have any adults, that they have abdicated their responsibilities. It's an interesting thesis.

From the 1950s and 1960s, we've had more and more "toys," not little kid ones, but those for adults. The post-WW2 prosperity and lower costs made, first, televisions, sporty cars, leisure boats, etc. affordable. These "toys" began to occupy the thinking, the time of adults. No longer could they be bothered with things, trivial things, such as what's happening to our government, to our culture. There were important things to consider, important things like television, sporty cars, leisure boats, etc. Of course, as the decades passed, more toys occupied more time of more people--these toys also became more important. Color television, computers, cell phones, and now all the attachments (blueberries, whatever they are!)....

Consider these Presidents: FDR (although I'm no fan of his, I reluctantly admit his significance), Truman, Eisenhower (yes and I can make a strong case for his inclusion). Then consider their successors, right up to the present. None of them belong in the same room with FDR, HST, DDE (although, I suppose, Reagan could be included). Why is that? Why have we had such lousy Presidents (or good Presidents who did too many lousy things?)?

Of course, you might say, "Why did you start with FDR in returning to yesteryear?" (thank you Lone Ranger!) Good question and it helps make my point. At the turn of the century we had TR, Taft (OK, but no great shakes), Wilson. Most consider them pretty good Presidents. We were paying attention. Whoa, but what about Harding, Coolidge (and I'm nearly as hard on Cool Cal as most historians; he was better than they say), and Hoover? Right! And what did the '20s, "The Roaring '20s," bring? Yep, more "toys" in the presence of radio, movies (and the talkies), phonographs, cars that were affordable, etc. The Depression took away many of those toys. People didn't have the diversions.

Hmmm. It's an interesting thesis and more can be said about it and my brief analysis of it here. I haven't really had time to think more about it. But I like it at face value.... It explains a lot of what is happening today.

Remember the Dutchman, "I was too busy enjoying my freedom to spend any time defending it."