Columnist David Brooks recently listened to a rebroadcast of the “Command Performance” radio program that aired the day World War II ended. He was struck by the humility shown on the day of that great victory — and how that contrasted with society today, citing Rep. Joe Wilson’s “You lie!” shout, Kanye West’s MTV awards interruption and Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame speech as recent examples of “self-indulgent expression.” Brooks wrote: “A display of mass modesty, like the kind represented on the V-J Day ‘Command Performance,’ comes as something of a refreshing shock, a glimpse into another world. It’s funny how the nation’s mood was at its most humble when its actual achievements were at their most extraordinary.”
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13 Comments
Humble….yeah that would be a nice place to be. Rich people used to be humble too.
How do rich people become rich?
Could it be they worked thier tails off to achieve the American dream?
How can you be jealous of someone living the American dream?
Those that hate those who have earned wealth,pmom and BJ come to mind are jealous they didn’t take advantage of opportunities to become successful,much easier to play the victim and blame their failings on those that have succeeded
“Could it be they worked thier tails off to achieve the American dream?”
Absolutely it could be they worked their tails off and earned their fortune. It also could have been an accident of birth, an ancestor leaving great wealth to a person who is lazy, wasteful, lacking all the qualities of the person who may have earned the fortune. It could also have been the fortune was not earned, but stolen or accumulated in any number of illegal or immoral ways. Maybe as many “could be” scenarios as there are great fortunes.
No matter how the fortune might have been acquired it still makes sense that democracy eventually won out over absolute monarchs and landed aristocracies, and the disproportionate power of a wealthy few should be limited.
To the subject of the thread header — you can be sure the braggadocio ways of bush’s “Mission Accomplished” weren’t part of the “Greatest Generations” behavior.
Proper decorum isn’t as evident today as it was or as it should be.
Obama you lie, Joe Wilson was right. Read this article if you think not.
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/18/obama-ties-immigration-to-health-care-battle/?feat=home_cube_position1&
Actually, most people of wealth inherit, that’s not necessarily a bad thing
There are over 6,000 millionaires in Hollyfornia alone.
Most of our troops that actually served in the armed forces of WWII to defeat the greatest armies and navies of Europe and Asia were just boys, enlisted fresh out of high school. On some of the sad days of the war, thousands of them valiantly gave their blood before breakfast. Mostly, they thought it a great honor and privilege to be able to put themselves in the path of horrific death and injury and hardship, to protect their families, homes, country, and freedom. My father was quietly serving in the Philippines, where landing craft were being readied for the Japanese mainland, when the bombs ended the war, probably the main reason I am here today.
All the troops had such widespread, passionate support on the home front that practically everyone, from Boy Scout to Grandma, shared in the credit for the victory over the aggression, barbarism, and damnable ghastliness that threatened the entire world. Americans mostly reflected that credit to God’s protection, though they might eventually grudgingly admit that the Maker undoubtedly loved Nazi and Jew, Russian and Japanese, Englishman and Italian, all created in his image. Fortunately, God gave us the right to make war to defend our sovereignty and liberty when threatened with such stunning and treacherous misbehavior.
I had the honor of meeting Tom, he loves to fly and during WWII he had ran off to Canada to enlist in the Canadian RAF. AT 16 years of age, after the newly formed Army Air corp. turned him down because of his age. He lied in Canada in order to enlist, his parents had no idea where he went or where he was till he was in Great Britain. He begged them to not reveal his deception and to just be proud of him.
You could about name any of the famous WWII fighters that were flown by the RAF and he had piloted it.
P-40, P-47, P-51 the Hurricane and the Spitfire. He told me the Spitfire flew like all you had to do was have a thought. The P-51 Mustang is so powerful that you could not take off with full power or you would rip the wings off.
A very pleasant and unassuming man who was at the time in his late seventies.
Unless you asked about it, you might have never known he was a fighter pilot in World War two.
It is a practice I had started with the Vietnam Veterans, Offering my hand and thanking them for their service. Adding “And welcome home soldier… Job Well done!”.
I generally get a odd look and then they shake my hand and tell me thank you.
I did the same thing to Tom, you would have swore I had just told him I thought he was sexy.
He stood there for about three minutes, staring at my hand. He finally took it and looked at me as if I was a space alien. He walked off and a couple of days later he came up to me.
He explained that he had never thought about it was something he should be thanked for.
That he had done anything that made him so special that he should be thanked.
I remarked, “It was you and guys like you that stopped a mad man from destroying the world!”.
He turned away, and looked off into the sky to think. He turned back and said, “ I had never thought of it that way…. It was just something I… We just needed to do!”.
The Greatest Generation is a fitting title for such men.
A personal story, the local VFW wants me to let them know when my son comes back for a visit.
He is to return from deployment in November and back in Kansas in December for a visit.
I told him of the VFW wanting to throw him a welcome home party. He asked “Why?”.
He questioned what he should wear and said “I did not do anything special”?.
I explained it to him, during a time of War he enlisted when many would never have considered it.
He chose not just to be in a division that is “safe” in reality there is no such thing.
He chose to go for the 82ND airborne. If you meet me on the street there is more then likely a cap on my head. The lettering said
“ARMY DAD” beside that is a pin that said
“AIRBORNE… AA”.
Hell yeah I know the pride that Tom’s parents felt and the nights of fear and concern!
As much of a Greek tragedy as it may seem with my opinion of the invasion.
Never has that effected how this Dad feels about his son and his decision.
He thinks he did nothing special that deserves a welcome home party.
He thinks it kind of odd when he walks through an Airport and people clap or want to shake his hand.
I have no idea where in the Hell he gets such ideas of duty not just for his country but as he put it when I pointed out he would be going to Iraq or Afghanistan by doing this!
“Dad, there are a lot of guys just like me who are fighting and some dying there. I am no more special then they are.”. I will agree with that, No more special then he is!
There are a few here that also knows that pride, GMC and HLP and who has such no more special young men.
BREAKING NEWS: KANYE WEST INTERRUPTS PATRICK SWAYZES FUNERAL!
Said Michael Jackson was a better performer then Swayze.
The Greatest Generation is all but forgotten.
The X’ers and newbies today, have their tin cups held out proudlie, and their mouth full of GIMMIE.
We have ‘evolved’ to Social Engineering where we can count on the geniuses in Government to constantly tell us what to do.
writerdog
Posted September 18, 2009 at 8:36 pm | Permalink
I have no idea where in the Hell he gets such ideas of duty not just for his country but as he put it when I pointed out he would be going to Iraq or Afghanistan by doing this!
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Maybe there is still hope for some of the younger generation afterall.
Your selfish statement on the other hand, describes the Socialist gimme crowd that dominates politics today.