If you like to think about generational or cyclical turns in American history you might want to consider taking a look at The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy ... (1997). This is especially the case if you believe that America is on the verge of collapse and headed toward Big Brother-like authoritarian rule.
By focusing on how crisis and great upheavals in American history seem to arrive in cycles The Fourth Turning sets the narrative by explaining how the American Revolution was followed by the Civil War 66 years later. It took just 64 years for America to experience the double jolts of the Great Depression and WWII, which was followed 63 years later by the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, which is still haunting our nation.
As we know, these challenging periods in American history were not resolved with one policy, or in one year.
These tumultuous turning points in American history were worked out and resolved by a committed "prophet generation" that was inspired by a generational leader. While George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt led by working to unify America's prophet generations there are few who would argue that America is rallying around a generational leader today.
Civic decay, heated and pointless battles over policy, global disorder, and the self-serving activities of an incestuous corporate-political elite today are evidence of this.
Specifically, the Far Right has embraced an anger-filled (and Koch inspired) Tea Party movement that is as divisive politically as they are misguided constitutionally. On the liberal side there is great frustration with a president who (to date) has failed to confront and punish the condescending and corrosive financial elites who brought us the 2008 market collapse.
The end result, if you buy into the arguments made in The Fourth Turning, is that America's "prophet generation" is currently missing in action. But that's OK, for now. The book predicted that the country would start to unravel in the aughts (2000s), then really break down in the 2020s. If you believe the larger promise of America is being flushed away, as our pampered elite increasingly use the state to protect them from the social and financial imbalances they create, then you might want to consider this books argument.
Whether or not you're inclined to embrace The Fourth Generation thesis there's no denying that America is in trouble today. This is especially the case since the Band-Aid fixes we applied after the market collapse of 2008 are weak and ineffective.
Worse (for liberals), rather than bringing "hope and change" President Obama's election may turn out to be the smoke & mirrors America's corrosive financial elites needed to hold back a slumbering mob that was preparing to take up their pitchforks and torches.
Whatever your position, the arguments made in The Fourth Generation are an interesting discussion starter for those inclined to embrace patterns and cycles as historical narratives.
- Mark
As we know, these challenging periods in American history were not resolved with one policy, or in one year.
These tumultuous turning points in American history were worked out and resolved by a committed "prophet generation" that was inspired by a generational leader. While George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt led by working to unify America's prophet generations there are few who would argue that America is rallying around a generational leader today.
Civic decay, heated and pointless battles over policy, global disorder, and the self-serving activities of an incestuous corporate-political elite today are evidence of this.
Specifically, the Far Right has embraced an anger-filled (and Koch inspired) Tea Party movement that is as divisive politically as they are misguided constitutionally. On the liberal side there is great frustration with a president who (to date) has failed to confront and punish the condescending and corrosive financial elites who brought us the 2008 market collapse.
The end result, if you buy into the arguments made in The Fourth Turning, is that America's "prophet generation" is currently missing in action. But that's OK, for now. The book predicted that the country would start to unravel in the aughts (2000s), then really break down in the 2020s. If you believe the larger promise of America is being flushed away, as our pampered elite increasingly use the state to protect them from the social and financial imbalances they create, then you might want to consider this books argument.
Whether or not you're inclined to embrace The Fourth Generation thesis there's no denying that America is in trouble today. This is especially the case since the Band-Aid fixes we applied after the market collapse of 2008 are weak and ineffective.
Worse (for liberals), rather than bringing "hope and change" President Obama's election may turn out to be the smoke & mirrors America's corrosive financial elites needed to hold back a slumbering mob that was preparing to take up their pitchforks and torches.
Whatever your position, the arguments made in The Fourth Generation are an interesting discussion starter for those inclined to embrace patterns and cycles as historical narratives.
- Mark
Mark, I like this ...actually refreshing thoughts and more substantiated and interesting discussions as I do believe in the pattern theory. And this becomes more evident to the populus, this will go to fact!
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