Self-Inflicted Punishment

SHORT COMMUNICATION 50.

Self-Inflicted Punishment

By

Roger Behra

A very large majority of Americans realize that the cultural and economic conditions of the United States are very far from ideal or even very good for that matter. But what is not realized is the fact that these conditions are self-inflicted upon themselves. Let that now be explained.

During the twelve years prior to the start of World War 2 the United States was experiencing the Great Depression and the great discrimination against black people. Economically and culturally it was the worst of times, although the other areas of the culture were progressing well.

Then, in 1941, December 7 to be precise, World War 2 started for the United States with the Japanese Attack at Pearl Harbor. Immediately the economic situation was about to change for the better. And the culture, except for discrimination, was about to change also. This time, 1941, and the following years to 1963 and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, began the best years in the United States. The years 1964 to the present are a very different story.

During the years 1941-1963 the economic conditions were relatively going along well, except for a recession in 1960 to close out that year. The education system was working well. People had good jobs. They were able to buy houses. Family life was orderly and peaceful. People dressed up on Sunday, attended the church of their choice very regularly, and visited other family members. Only very necessary work was done on Sunday. For the most part the Sabbath Day vas was kept holy and personally enjoyable. During the other six days families worked together as a unit, lived good moral lives, and kept the 10 Commandments Yes, they knew the 10 Commandments and kept them in their daily lives. This is not the way life is going today. Since 1963 life and our culture has been slowly deteriorating to what we have going on today. And it definitely is very far from ideal or even very good. Let more explanation be given, so that a clear contrast can be understood.

On any given Sunday now anything goes. For the most part the Sabbath is not kept holy. Only 37% of Americans attend church regularly. Businesses operate as usual. People in general do not dress up. Many women even come to church immodestly dressed and many men come to church dressed like they are going to the beach or some sporting event. Families do not spend time or have big dinners together like they used to. People mow lawns, fix their cars, paint houses, or wander around all self-glorified as the young people do. Except for a small percentage of the population, on the Lord's Day very little glorification is given to the Lord. In millions of cases none is given.

When the counter-culture people (Boomers as they are called today) pushed God out of their lives and replaced Him with money, sex, drugs, and the pursuit of bringing in the new behavior, which ignores the 10 Commandments, our culture and economic situation went on the downhill run to what we have today. And today we have a culture and economic situation almost completely without God's abundant and available blessings. When you look around, watch the news, read the daily newspaper, and then get depressed at all of it, you can rightly say, "the Boomers have given it all to us." It's their legacy.

Americans are now the fattest (most obese) individuals in the world. (We are headed for monumental health problems down the road. It's already started.) America is a nation of very high prices for everything, a failing education system, overflowing prisons, high murder and crime rate, failing marriages(50% of marriages in America fail),greed, scofflaw people, dishonesty in high and low places, politicians who trick us to get our votes and shirk their responsibilities later child abuse, child sexual abuse by clergy and teachers who violate the trust given to them, and people who are as a matter of course in their daily lives rude and discourteous. Courtesy is only a pleasant memory.

And now it is Time for the Boomers to retire. It's time for them to retire into the culture that they have given themselves (and others).And many of them are now crying and afraid to retire, because it is too expensive to do so. They cannot retire into a culture and economic situation that they inflicted upon themselves (and the rest of us) since 1963.They are now victims of their own greed, lack of good judgment, and permissiveness that they allowed to develop over the past 45+ years. All the chickens they allowed to lay eggs are important. But the one that is at the top of their list is the economic checker it has come to roost in their lives. The economic chicken is interfering in their retirement plans. And it is self-inflicted to say the least. And so are all the other bad eggs that hatched and now make up the problems in our culture that they allowed to happen for their sons, daughters, and grandchildren. It's the Boomer's punishment and all self-infected. Have a nice retirement, Boomers.

The sorrow and sadness goes to those who did not go along with the counter-culture philosophy that started back in 1963. They are the real victims, and there are a good number of them. They are the ones who justifiably can cry and complain about not being able to afford to retire. Their fellow Boomers inflicted everything going on them; including very high prices for food, rent, gasoline, health care medicine, and an economy that is very, very weak. The boomers and their families who did not accept the counter-culture philosophy and kept on the straight and moral track are the ones who are receiving God's great and abundant help and blessings. And may God continue to guide, help, and bless them very abundantly.

R. B.