X-ers Agonistes

There is quite a lot of buzz lately about the generational implications of the Obama candidacy. Some of this has come from the usual MSM suspects – these offerings in the Washington Times being typical of the genre:11/08/07 and 12/15/07

There have also been interventions from the odious Andrew “RawMuscleGlutes” Sullivan, the barebacking neocon, and the equally odious and opportunistic Markos Moulitsas, soi-disant prince of new politics in the blogosphere.

Sullivan’s entry is characteristically overlong, but essentially boils down to this bit of retail wisdom: “If you are an American who yearns to finally get beyond the symbolic battles of the Boomer generation and face today’s actual problems, Obama may be your man.”

Moulitsas’ contribution, typically, is shrill, provocative and puerile. In this screed, he defines an entire generation of people born between 1945 and 1964 thusly: “The Boomers are a schizophrenic, narcissistic generation that was more privileged than any before it; they had to work less to get more than their fathers had, and then derided their fathers for their submission to a corporate structure that provided them with their privilege.”

This sort of stuff from the likes of Sullivan and Moulitsas (both similar species of right-wing opportunists) should come as no surprise. Yet, I am constantly amazed at the currency that boomer bashing has. The way that this discourse dovetails nicely with the neo-liberal agenda was explored a few years back by Margaret Gullette in a piece for The Nation.  Playing the Age Card

In connexion with this alleged generational Kulturkampf, I noted some interesting comments on Barbara O’Brien’s blog.

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