The Dysfunctional Generation
By Armstrong Williams

The baby boomers have had quite a run on the national political stage. One of their number recently took the presidential oath of office for the second time—under ethical clouds that threaten to turn into a full-fledged storm. Meanwhile, another master politician of boomer origin was sanctioned for violating the ethical guidelines of the House of Representatives while serving as Speaker.

What are we to make of these men who have reached the political apex of their nation? Ideology aside, Clinton and Gingrich are mirror images of one another. Both are bright and hyper-ambitious. Both are articulate (to excess). Both show a tendency to turn cases of right and wrong into shades of malleable gray. Are these things unique to them, or are they perhaps generational traits?

As much as it pains me to admit this, I would argue the latter. Clinton and Gingrich are walking embodiments of the largest generation in America’s history. Their adolescence gave us anti-war protests and campus rioting in the ’60s; their early adulthood gave us New Age narcissism in the ’70s and economic boom in the ’80s. Now as they enter middle age, they are running this country.

What are we to make of these baby boomers? Former radicals Peter Collier and David Horowitz looked at the cohort who launched protests that led to the collapse of South Vietnam, who encouraged promiscuity that left us with rampant sexually transmitted diseases and tattered relationships, who indulged in "recreational" drugs that decimated inner cities and ruined childhoods. And their harsh judgment was that their fellow baby boomers were a "destructive generation."

I might not go quite that far—perhaps "dysfunctional generation" is better. Clinton and Gingrich, from opposite sides of the political spectrum, display the classic baby-boomer characteristic—acting as if venerable institutions, long-standing policies, and deep principles mean nothing. Instead, everything is personal. Each person can define for himself what is true, good, relevant. The slogan for this generation is and always has been, "If it feels good, do it!"

Many baby boomers have simply never grown up. When the first of them began to enter their fifth decade, the news was accompanied by profiles indicating that in terms of outlook this was the "youngest" group of Americans ever to reach 50!

Clinton and Gingrich are both products of broken homes and re-marriages. As compensation, the world has to revolve around them. Neither one knows how to stop talking. Recall that Clinton made his national debut at the 1988 Democratic Convention by giving the longest nominating address in history. Gingrich, meanwhile, built his career by babbling interminably to the c-span cameras—Gingrich as star. Though each speaks of teamwork and community, one has the distinct impression that it is the "I" of Newt and Bill that each finds all-engrossing.

Is anyone surprised that Bill and Hillary Clinton are turning out to be deeply and personally involved in today’s fundraising scandals? Their enthusiastic handwritten notes make it clear that they were the innovators who dreamed up the most outlandish schemes for generating slush money. As Bob Woodward describes in The Agenda, all that Clinton does and says has one powerful purpose: his own personal re-election.

In the dysfunctional generation, over and over again, rules are to be stretched and bent to the greatest degree possible; when caught, the individual member of the "best and brightest" plays dumb and obfuscates. We have seen it many times in the Clinton administration. We saw it this winter with Newt Gingrich, whose claims of naive innocence stretch credibility. Gingrich’s supporters note that, unlike Jim Wright, the Speaker did not realize any money from his violation of House rules. That reminds me of Democrats who refer to the Clintons’ Whitewater venture as a "land deal that lost money"; each excuse misses the real truth. Scandals involving this dysfunctional generation are often not about money. The currency they prize above all is self-aggrandizement. The goods most coveted by Clinton and Gingrich have been networks by which they could achieve the goals they set their sights on as youth—the Presidency and Speakership of the House.

Another attribute of this generation that must give all Americans pause is its creation of a false intimacy, which diminishes the stature of our political institutions. Clinton’s promiscuous "I feel your pain" and "call me Bill" attitude are well known. Gingrich likewise invites people to refer to him as "Newt." It matters little how empathic these men are; it matters not at all how much they wish the entire world would be their friends. They have acted like the rest of their "Love Generation," and as a result we know far too much about these men. As the centuries-old adage tells us: Familiarity breeds contempt.

Americans need to prepare themselves for future years of baby-boom government. Yes, this is only the beginning. There will be more former ’60s kids in the Senate and House. The Supreme Court will go in the same direction soon.

We must all learn to recognize the traits of the dysfunctional generation and strive to counteract them. We should also recognize and control these temptations inside ourselves. Only then will baby boomers be able to improve America with their many talents.

Armstrong Williams, a former aide to Justice Clarence Thomas, is a national T.V. talk show host and a nationally syndicated columnist.