Re: Basics of Generational Theory
Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:39 am
I have always been interested in generational theory since I first heard about it back in the 1990's.
The thing I see missing and not delved into on this website is the link between the awakening phase of the cycle and the great secular crises phase of the cycle. the awakening phase drives the secular crisis. The awakening phase of the cycle represents a great spiritual reawakening and their is always a great burst of spirituality in the awakening phase>
The spiritualism at the turn of the 20th century in Austro-Hungary with its occultist writing by Madam Blovotsky and others helped create the Nazi religion. These were writings about the lost continent of Atlantis and a race of supermen who came from it that were Aryan but who were corrupted by mixing with inferior races. The treaty of Versailles at the end of WW1 set the stage for Hitlers rise to power. The occultic thought gave the Germans the justification to blame all of societies ills on the Jews, simple answers to complex problems. You can see how in this case how the secular crisis was driven by the great awakening. The occultic thought gave rise to a great Nazi religion of supermen who were destined to rule the world. The failure of the treaty of Versailles that occured at the end of the awakening period set the stage for Hitlers rise to power.
In the last era and this era there has been a dark side to these spiritual awakenings that have created the great secular crises of the era.
Strauss and Howe also mention the fact that this wave of awakenng and secular crises propagates itself without any conscious human intervention. The reason is that when you are in the secular crises phase of the cycle you neglect issues that drive the next great awakening. You have to put all of your energy into solving the great existential crisis. You cannot do everything at once. When the great secular crisis passes all of these neglected issues come to the forefront. During the great awakenings issues that drive the next great secular crisis are neglected, once the great awakening subsides they come to the forefront. For instance, during WWII FDR shunted thorny civil rights issues to the side because the South made up part of his governing coalition and he could not loose them if he was going to fight the great depression and WWii. Durin his term in office a bill dealing with lynching came for a vote in congress but a coalition of southerers blocked it from moving forward and FDR decided not top press the issue. These civil rights issues took center stage during the great awakening of the 60's and the 70's. during the 70's we saw the beginning of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism but the U. S. was still fighting the cold war and the country was deeply affected by Viet Nam. Half measures were used to fight the Islamic menace up to 9/11. The country since Viet Nam (a great awakening issue) has always been adverse to going to war and Viet Nam made us isolationist again. Most of the skirmishes like Grenada were small. The Gulf War of the 1990's was the biggest skirmish up to 9/11 in that period and it lasted just months.
The thing I see missing and not delved into on this website is the link between the awakening phase of the cycle and the great secular crises phase of the cycle. the awakening phase drives the secular crisis. The awakening phase of the cycle represents a great spiritual reawakening and their is always a great burst of spirituality in the awakening phase>
The spiritualism at the turn of the 20th century in Austro-Hungary with its occultist writing by Madam Blovotsky and others helped create the Nazi religion. These were writings about the lost continent of Atlantis and a race of supermen who came from it that were Aryan but who were corrupted by mixing with inferior races. The treaty of Versailles at the end of WW1 set the stage for Hitlers rise to power. The occultic thought gave the Germans the justification to blame all of societies ills on the Jews, simple answers to complex problems. You can see how in this case how the secular crisis was driven by the great awakening. The occultic thought gave rise to a great Nazi religion of supermen who were destined to rule the world. The failure of the treaty of Versailles that occured at the end of the awakening period set the stage for Hitlers rise to power.
In the last era and this era there has been a dark side to these spiritual awakenings that have created the great secular crises of the era.
Strauss and Howe also mention the fact that this wave of awakenng and secular crises propagates itself without any conscious human intervention. The reason is that when you are in the secular crises phase of the cycle you neglect issues that drive the next great awakening. You have to put all of your energy into solving the great existential crisis. You cannot do everything at once. When the great secular crisis passes all of these neglected issues come to the forefront. During the great awakenings issues that drive the next great secular crisis are neglected, once the great awakening subsides they come to the forefront. For instance, during WWII FDR shunted thorny civil rights issues to the side because the South made up part of his governing coalition and he could not loose them if he was going to fight the great depression and WWii. Durin his term in office a bill dealing with lynching came for a vote in congress but a coalition of southerers blocked it from moving forward and FDR decided not top press the issue. These civil rights issues took center stage during the great awakening of the 60's and the 70's. during the 70's we saw the beginning of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism but the U. S. was still fighting the cold war and the country was deeply affected by Viet Nam. Half measures were used to fight the Islamic menace up to 9/11. The country since Viet Nam (a great awakening issue) has always been adverse to going to war and Viet Nam made us isolationist again. Most of the skirmishes like Grenada were small. The Gulf War of the 1990's was the biggest skirmish up to 9/11 in that period and it lasted just months.