I never felt fighting in a war was inherently honorable of valorous- its not necessarily a thing to be ashamed of, either. that either war broke out was a failure of diplomacy (and of willful desire… lets not forget there were people on both sides- in both wars- spoiling for a fight.)
In any case, they also were responsible for McCarthyism and the Red Scare; the Dixiecrats and opposition to civil liberties… and plenty of other unpleasantness. No. the name is hyperbolic- they weren’t some super-human distilled-goodness sort of group. They were just… people. Some were more-bad, and some were more-good. Most had the good and the ugly in equal spades- like every other generation.
I believe the greatest generation is yet to come. Might be gen z. Might be the kids they raise. But we’ll see.
No. far from it. and you’re right. there was a lot of appeasement that happened. (Austria, Czechoslovakia. Poland…)
and while france, the UK and the USSR were all down for appeasement… there were plenty of people who were very hawkish and wanted a more direct military confrontation- Churchill became a very unpopular figure for his opposition to Appeasement, for example. I’m also pretty sure Stalin himself outright hated Hitler (I do know Hitler hated Stalin with a passion… including fucking over their momentum to break the non aggression pact. Ostensibly they needed oil. They could have steamrolled the middle east, who were armed with ww1-era cast offs. his military leadership wanted to do just that.)
US became Isolationist after ww1, but even before the war, FDR was hawkish- but restricted by the neutrality acts. Which he flouted all the same to supply China against the japaneese in '37. FDR did manage to get some concessions the acts (like cash-and-carry); and eventually got them repealed with lend-lease. As much as Americans showed up late and took credit anyhow. (heh.) one of the critical factors leading to an allied victory in ww2 was the allied industrial output. IIRC, the US alone was outproducing the entire Axis- for examples, the US commissioned 140 carriers and 18 or so battleships (we dove head first on carriers,) Japan had 15 carriers and 10 battleships. we similarly outpaced them on subs (though our subs were very different than the German raiders.) we also outpaced on tanks, aircraft (fighters, bombers…) weapons. munitions.
Something to think about… because I see a lot of parallels with Ukraine, and the Spanish Civil War. Including that both HItler and Putin are not mere assholes. but assholes.
I’m also pretty sure Stalin himself outright hated Hitler (I do know Hitler hated Stalin with a passion…
They were both keenly aware that their alliance of convenience was only ever going to end in one of them trying to consume the other too after the convenience ran dry. You don’t stop at conquering half the world.
The greatest generation spawned the worst one. All of us after them suffer.
The greatest generation had some great marketing. About the only thing that was “great” about them, really.
I for one hope gen z is better than previous generations. They got a lot of trouble coming their way.
Well they did win two world wars, which is two more wars than their idiot children, the boomers managed against weaker opposition.
But thats about it for their achievements.
I never felt fighting in a war was inherently honorable of valorous- its not necessarily a thing to be ashamed of, either. that either war broke out was a failure of diplomacy (and of willful desire… lets not forget there were people on both sides- in both wars- spoiling for a fight.)
In any case, they also were responsible for McCarthyism and the Red Scare; the Dixiecrats and opposition to civil liberties… and plenty of other unpleasantness. No. the name is hyperbolic- they weren’t some super-human distilled-goodness sort of group. They were just… people. Some were more-bad, and some were more-good. Most had the good and the ugly in equal spades- like every other generation.
I believe the greatest generation is yet to come. Might be gen z. Might be the kids they raise. But we’ll see.
Are you both sidesing Hitler lol? We let him get away with a ton of shit to try and avoid a war.
No. far from it. and you’re right. there was a lot of appeasement that happened. (Austria, Czechoslovakia. Poland…) and while france, the UK and the USSR were all down for appeasement… there were plenty of people who were very hawkish and wanted a more direct military confrontation- Churchill became a very unpopular figure for his opposition to Appeasement, for example. I’m also pretty sure Stalin himself outright hated Hitler (I do know Hitler hated Stalin with a passion… including fucking over their momentum to break the non aggression pact. Ostensibly they needed oil. They could have steamrolled the middle east, who were armed with ww1-era cast offs. his military leadership wanted to do just that.)
US became Isolationist after ww1, but even before the war, FDR was hawkish- but restricted by the neutrality acts. Which he flouted all the same to supply China against the japaneese in '37. FDR did manage to get some concessions the acts (like cash-and-carry); and eventually got them repealed with lend-lease. As much as Americans showed up late and took credit anyhow. (heh.) one of the critical factors leading to an allied victory in ww2 was the allied industrial output. IIRC, the US alone was outproducing the entire Axis- for examples, the US commissioned 140 carriers and 18 or so battleships (we dove head first on carriers,) Japan had 15 carriers and 10 battleships. we similarly outpaced them on subs (though our subs were very different than the German raiders.) we also outpaced on tanks, aircraft (fighters, bombers…) weapons. munitions.
Something to think about… because I see a lot of parallels with Ukraine, and the Spanish Civil War. Including that both HItler and Putin are not mere assholes. but assholes.
They were both keenly aware that their alliance of convenience was only ever going to end in one of them trying to consume the other too after the convenience ran dry. You don’t stop at conquering half the world.
there’s that, too.
In the UK they implemented the NHS, State pensions and national housing.
The boomers are doing their best to fuck all of that up for us though.