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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Nov 25, 2011
28 Mar-Cheshvan 5772
Filling in the Generation Gaps
By
Suzanne Fields
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Thanksgiving is the holiday that pulls families together, squeezing them around a table for a feast of turkey, tradition and togetherness. We encourage conversations meant to be personally relevant, but sometimes they turn into a horizontal Babel, with each generation speaking in a different tongue. It's a stretch to identify an entire generation by its tastes in fashion and music, but such tastes offer strong clues.
You can separate boomers from Generation Xers and millenials by who prefers the Beatles, Michael Jackson or Lady Gaga. Seniors who came of age during World War II still groove on Glenn Miller and Tony Bennett. There's lots of dividers between generations.
The most fortunate among us during this holiday share in the joy of children and grandchildren, trying hard to ignore current fashions. Otherwise we'd lose our appetites over contemporary hairstyles, such as the retro Brylcreem flat-and-greasy of "Mad Men," Justin's Beiber bangs, spikey manes more suitable for a horse or the ignominious combed-over bald spot. But if music and hairstyle draw only superficial judgments, divisive political attitudes run deeper.
The Pew Research Center, which studies such things, reminds us that generations, like people, have different collective personalities and political opinions, forged by differences in culture and history. The newest Pew survey looks at differences in political persuasion and patriotism. Some of the results are what we might have expected. Others are not.
The most dismaying discovery is the overall decline in pride of country, a diminished confidence in "American exceptionalism," a declining appreciation of what's special about our brand of democracy. Exceptionalism is what Ronald Reagan meant when he said he believed that "God put this land between two great oceans to be found by special people from every corner of the world." Like John F. Kennedy before him, he saw Americans as bearing a "torch of liberty" in a unique experiment of democracy that others would find inspiring and want to imitate.
Exceptionalism is often misinterpreted as inflated nationalism, but what it really refers to are those superior qualities that our Founding Fathers drew on to give birth to our government. These are the exceptional values that inspired Alexis de Tocqueville, which he hoped would take root in his native France. (They didn't.)
Unfortunately, the Pew survey finds that our own pride of process and place is appreciated by only 49 percent of Americans today, down from 60 percent in 2002 and 55 percent in 2007. The divide between youth and age is dramatic. Only 37 percent of Americans under 30 are likely to see us as exceptional, compared to 60 percent of those older than 50.
This decline in pride coincides with steep distrust of government in the different generations across the board. Only one in five of all Americans say they trust Washington to do the right thing, and these numbers are at the lowest levels in half a century. It's not hard to see what contributes to this disillusionment — high unemployment, home foreclosures, an astronomical budget deficit, persistent partisan rancor, the craven failure of the debt panel and the overwhelming ineffectiveness of elected officials.
The Pew survey uses conventional labels for the generations that are not as descriptive as they ought to be, but which are familiar enough. Seniors born before 1946 make up "The Silent Generation," a name that sounds wrong when you consider how loud their voices have become in protecting their entitlements. Baby boomers include all those rebels born between 1946 and 1980, who have grown increasingly conservative as they find more things they want to conserve. If once they didn't trust anyone over 30, they're less likely to trust those under 30 now. Generation Xers born between 1965 and 1980 enjoyed the boom times of the '90s, but are caught now in the undertow of recession, many having bought their houses at the top of the market. Like the boomers, they've grown more conservative as they grow older and begin to worry about retirement.
Pew found that the millenial generation, the youngest voters, born between 1981 and 2000, enthusiastically supported Barack Obama. While the younger Democratic-leaning voters continue to support Obama, the president's job rating has fallen as steeply among this group as in others. More worrisome for the president as he embarks on his re-election campaign, the youngest voters are considerably less engaged in politics than they were four years ago.
It's tempting to search this survey for clues to who will win in 2012, but we'll have to wait, as usual, until the fat lady sings. The most famous singing fat lady in the memory of some of us was Kate Smith. Her voice and her song, "God Bless America," helped get us through a Depression and a war. That's something still to be thankful for.
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Comment on JWR contributor Suzanne Fields' column by clicking here.
Suzanne Fields Archives
© 2006, Creators Syndicate, Suzanne Fields
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