Is the Generation Gap Excellerating?

The World Wide Web and related information technologies have revolutionized culture in monumental ways. Those who did not grow up or at least adapt to the rise of personal computing and the Internet are living in a different century than those who have been fortunate enough to be born during the last 30 years.

The amount of information required to successfully negotiate the suburban American lifestyle has increased so much in those 30 years that it has significantly widened the gap between generations. The key features of the World Wide Web are its most basic functions, free access to unlimited information and instantaneous communication. Our views are becoming less and less shaped by mass media due to increasing audience fragmentation and niche marketing.

The newest generations are active consumers of information as opposed to passive television audiences of previous decades. With the rise of the information age and the global economy, change is happening at an accelerated pace. If you are not equipped with the tools to navigate the new economic and cultural landscape you are at a serious disadvantage. We are no longer only competing for jobs regionally but increasingly on a global scale. The playing field is requiring people who are familiar with its technological roots and the importance of its communication potential.

Neither of my parents attended college, and they simply have no basic understanding of the world I have grown up and experienced. Even if they had they would still be behind the times due to accelerating change. Instantaneous global communication is the driving force behind this change. The question I pose is if our parents are 20 years behind, how many years behind are their parents?

Bushwhacked Again!

Let me apologize in advance for the ensuing attack on lame duck President Bush. As an American I am outraged that the president had the gall to make the comments he made about so-called "appeasers" in front of the Israeli parliament. Let me qualify my position by stating that my anger at W's actions goes well beyond partisanship. I feel bad for heaping even more criticism at the beleaguered commander-in-chief, but for the love of god he just keeps asking for it, and especially this time I must oblige him.

Whether or not the president was calling out Obama or other democrats, or even Ron Paul, he should not have made such politicized remarks in front of the governing body of another nation even though Israel is our staunch ally. It would be cowardly enough to make the same old tired Rovesque stateside, but when the president of the United States of America goes overseas and makes a fool of himself and the country by attacking American people(Obama according to msm) while standing in foreign soil I find myself struggling to grapple with the psychology of such a man.

How can a man whose own foreign policy blunders are the stuff of legend find himself in the position to make such an attack from half-way around the globe? Answer: the same man who decided to invade Iraq pre-emptively while we were already at war in Afghanistan; this is the same man who is brazen enough to label others as being on equal terms with Nazi "appeasers." I find this deeply offensive and am saddened that we have drifted so far from the American way.

Did Racism Give Hillary a Boost in West Virginia?

Is anyone actually surprised that Hillary won West Virginia last night? Weren't the media predicting exactly what happened? Let's address the elephant in the room and acknowledge that a certain amount of West Virginia voters did not vote for Obama because he is black. Its impossible to know what percentage of voters let race determine their vote, but it is most assuredly higher than exit polling suggests.


As a white male who is the son of a father who works in a muffler plant, and hails from a small, rural community in central Texas I think I'm entitled to a voice my opinion on this matter. I can tell you that in my experience among blue-collar white working class people, race does matter whether people are willing to admit it or not. They may not use the n word, but at the subconscious level it has influence.

The race will continue with Obama losing by a significant margin in Kentucky for essentially the same reasons he lost West Virginia, but winning Oregon and the rest of the primaries to follow.

Does America Owe the Dixie Chicks an Apology

With President George W. Bush having a 26% approval rating, is America obligated to spend a small portion of their economic stimulus check on Dixie Chicks songs on iTunes? In case you forgot, the Chicks were harshly criticized and there were even demonstrations where people ran over their cds with a steamroller for well...for lack of a better term criticizing President Bush. If I remember correctly Natalie Maines (spelling?) said she was ashamed that President Bush is from Texas. Read a Fox News report detailing the controversy. Now, my question is how many Americans are ashamed President Bush is from the United States? It might help you feel better if you spend 99 cents on a Chicks single, and you may even forget what country the president is from.

Shocker: McCain Didn't Vote for Bush in 2000!!!

According to this post by Arianna Huffington, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/what-john-mccain-told-me_b_100183.html , McCain and his wife didn't vote for G.W. Bush in 2000. Of course, considering the source I can understand why some may be skeptical. However, Huffington does point out the growing trend of McCain flip-flops. I have noticed McCain flip-flopping more than John Kerry on a trampoline, which is why I have come to the conclusion that if Obama does not get the Democratic nod I may end up doing something I swore I would never do and vote for Hillary Clinton.

Its about time someone took McCain to task on all his flip-flops. The mainstream media certainly has ignored a whole series of McCain errors to go unchecked. The lack of support among the Republican base is the root cause of McCain's teetertottering. Huffington is correct, the straight talk express has hit an oil slick, flown off a cliff, fallen 10,000 feet and exploded on impact.

Who Hates America More?

The Reverand Wright controversy has brought back into conversation that that "liberals" or "the left" hate America. I would like to look at these accusations to see whether there is any truth to this argument.

First, let me state that I'm sure that there are some people who get labeled as left wing or liberal actually do hate America, but I think this is a very small minority of individuals. The majority of people with liberal views actually love America and want to see the country evolve beyond some of its less than stellar past mistakes. Everyone needs to acknowledge that the Unites States has erred many times in its history. Primary and secondary history courses often paint an idealized portrait of the U.S., without acknowledging that we have made terrible mistakes that have even cost innocent people their lives. I challenge anyone to make a credible argument that the U.S. government has not been responsible for the death of innocent people. Would conservatives have us celebrate this achievement, or dismiss it as an anomaly of our allegedly superior system? The purpose of dissent and criticism is to change and improve, not to destroy. If we do not admit our failures, how can we have any chance at improving ourselves?

Yes, the U.S. market approach may be the best system in the world currently. There is a certain degree of opportunity, though we are not as much of a meritocracy as many believe. We are relatively free from government interference in our daily lives. When you compare the U.S. to the chaos of say parts of the African continent or parts of Asian, then the U.S. does appear to be a beacon of freedom and justice. The U.S. has done a lot of great humanitarian work throughout the world, but does being the best house on a bad block mean that we should become complacent.