Smart of me to insult a hefty section of my readership the week I’m begging for money, isn’t it? Well, at least it proves I’m not corrupted by the process. Here’s a typical email of dozens I received today:
Your generalizations about the boomer generation strike me as just plain wrong. This is akin to the position that all blacks or all gays or all Republicans must be a monolithic block that have to think and act alike. Re-read your rant and ask yourself what proof you have of these claims. As one of the early boomers (1946), I was going into the Army at about the same time the late boomers were being born (1964). So, we are to believe that all the boomers born in the early 60’s are “unable think about any cultural or foreign policy matter outside the context of 1968?” And how is it so many boomers all vintages support so many of your viewpoints? I would guess that your readers cluster heavily in the boomer demographic.
To take the position that everyone in this huge demographic thinks the same, or wants the same things, is not only incorrect, it is just completely out of character for you. That you find all of us x1aenraging largely because (we are) so immeasurably selfishx1a just sounds childish (i.e., “don’t trust any over 30” becomes “everyone between 57 and 40 is immeasurably selfish”). How is it then, that such evil people have been among your earliest and most constant supporters?
Do I sound angry? I guess the fact that I am asked to pay for you to lecture us so unfairly is what really drives me nuts. Unlike your situation, however, the solution to my problem is easy.
D’oh! If you still feel like contributing, click here.
SPECIAL FORCES RESPOND: “As a former Special Forces major (separated fewer than 30 days ago) and long-time reader of your blog, I can tell you that what you saw on socnet is by no means a representation of the Special Operations community. It is, nevertheless, an embarrassment.
By and large, the individuals who post to boards like that are the most juvenile examples of our breed, if they are even in the community. Most real special operators are far too busy at the moment to waste time posting hateful nonsense on a bulletin board for all to see (there are, after all, a number of little wars on at the moment). In addition, their commanders would be none to happy to find out that they’d been having anything to do with a public forum, particularly for that sort of speech.
The overwhelming majority of my comrades in Special Operations were, and are, far more tolerant than most people you are likely to meet in middle America. And they are not so uncertain about their sexuality that they need to attack others for theirs. Not exactly the sort of clown who posts homophobic messages to a site like that.”
The Dish 