Generations 1991 Predictions
Return to Generations and Fourth Turning

 

Author's Points Summary

I. Two Boomer Trends to Watch for p 401

The grace
with which they accept advancing years by clinging to youth-fixation narcissism in their forties and fifty's means

Their strength and behavior
of midlife factions, especially a split between New Age (moderates) and evangelical (traditional ) camps  whose major 1980's battles were focused on abortion and sex education.

Economy will be key as any increase in as a widening of the economic gap will  aggravate value conflict. This is important because they are training civic Millennials.

II.  If boomers unify and reach a midlife censuses to clean up the world of the Millennial child, a more tranquil decade will follow.

III. Specific Prediction  p 402-3

Boomers will collide with underfunded federal pension and health care system by the mid 2010's.
Increasing taxes to cover the cost would require winning a furious  political war against 13era and Millennials which would sap their moral authority.
History says they will not wage that war.

Affluent boomers will receive little economic recompense from a lifetime of payroll taxes to support others.

Boomer narcissism will keep circa-2020 national income spent on elderly medical care about the same as today (1980) despite their larger numbers, their longer lifespan and expensive medical technology.

In return for not braking the bank, boomers will demand sweeping moral authority and national leadership until they reach advanced old age and see their values firmly in place.

The Forth Turning Predictions

Present-day tensions the forth turning will probably resolve

Cultural Wars updates of the perennial struggle between individual ideals and the social ideals of the collective with new labels dating back to our recent Consciousness Revolution.

Individual ideals range from market place choice to lifestyle choice, from choice of manners and appearance to choice of expression and entertainment.
The social ideal of community points to choices that must be curtailed to preserve strong families, secure boarders, rising living standard, all the building blocks of sustainable civilization.

No single leadership style and no single political philosophy offer  the right answers for every turning.
When a saeculum changes, this turning requires people holding a particular view allow for the change, adjust their view.

Whether you want big government or low taxes a turning means a change in attitude. "The political and media elites abet this view. From liberalism and conservatism to socialism and libertarianism, all popular ideologies are non-seasonal."   p 309

Neither party has been adept at seasonality thinking and other parties are also harmful post seasonal.
Democrats remove sacrifice and seek entitlement for every victim
Republicans, in their quest for even more individualism try to make public authority even more dysfunctional.

How America Should Prepare

Prepare institutions:
Clear the debris and find out what works, but don't try to build anything big.

Prepare politics: Define challenges bluntly and stress duties over rights,
but don't attempt any reforms that can't be accomplished.

Editors Note: I looked Forth Turning examples of where politics attempted to do something big that turned out was catastrophic but couldn't find any though Obama Care and the European Union may be an example.

Editor's Recent Thoughts on Predictions

Present-day tensions the forth turning will probably resolve

Prediction: Cultural Wars updates of the perennial struggle between individual ideals and the social ideals of the collective with new labels dating back to our recent Consciousness Revolution. Individual ideals range from market place choice to lifestyle choice, from choice of manners and appearance to choice of expression and entertainment. Many of Trump people are not happy with either a black president or the victory of gay and transgender rights.

The social ideal of community points to choices that must be curtailed to preserve strong families, secure boarders, rising living standard, all the building blocks of sustainable civilization. Many Trump people think we are failing miserably at this.

No single leadership style and no single political philosophy offer  the right answers for every turning.
When a saeculum changes, this turning requires people holding a particular view allow for the change, adjust their view. Whether you want big government or low taxes a turning means a change in attitude. Do you see any party members doing this?"

The political and media elites abet this view. From liberalism and conservatism to socialism and libertarianism, all popular ideologies are non-seasonal."  Would you say this is true. p 309

Neither party has been adept at seasonality thinking and other parties are also harmful post seasonal.
Democrats remove sacrifice and seek entitlement for every victim True? and Republicans, in their quest for even
more individualism try to make public authority even more dysfunctional. True?

How America Should Prepare

Prepare institutions: Clear the debris and find out what works, but don't try to build anything big. Is Obamacare a big project?

Prepare politics: Define challenges bluntly and stress duties over rights, but don't attempt any reforms that can't be accomplished. Trump's America First does the opposite.

Generations and Fourth Turning Analysis
“We Are 8 Years Into the Fourth Turning” What's Next? 7/4/17