As another "Chicago boy" (a graduate of the U. of Chicago who took classes from two of the luminaries pictured on John Jay's mast head) I found this piece disappointing. Some of his points are undeniable, such as third generation dissipation, but I was not at all impressed by his banging that tired old "generation of 1968" drum. I mean, really-- that line was worn out even before the security guards escorted Spiro Agnew out of the white house (after first checking his pockets for silverware and other assorted valuables). Old values have been eroding in favor of new values since the world began and we could concoct a best of times/worst of times argument for most generations during that period. One thing we can be sure of: each generation brings another crop of Cassandras like Spengler predicting the decline of the west. Someday one of them will be right, but so far they have been wrong and John Jay doesn't seem to be the person to buck that trend.

Posted by: David on January 31, 2007 3:36 AM