Why are the baby boomers often called the greatest generation? Do we understand the implications behind such a preposterous statement?

They're not. It's the baby boomers parents, who fought and won WW2, that are called the Greatest Generation.

It was Tom Brokaw who popularized the phrase as applied to the generation that survived the depression and went on to fight in World War II.

"it is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced." He argued that these men and women fought not for fame and recognition, but because it was the "right thing to do."

If you consider it a preposterous appellation, then come up with a counterexample.

Other support for the claim:

http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/b/brokaw-genera...

It is not the baby boomers who are considered the greatest generation, it is their parents who lived through the depression and fought in WWII

It is not the Baby Boomers who are called "The Greatest Generation."

It is the parents of the Baby Boomers who earned that title.

> First they faced down the Great Depression

> Then they spent years fighting World War II to face down and defeat the Nazis

> When they came home, they got married and went to work without complaining, making the United States one of the most modern and most prosperous nations the world has ever seen

> They stayed married all their lives, and they sent their children (the Baby Boomers) to college in unprecedented numbers

> Along the way, they faced down and defeated Communism and the USSR

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When the GIs came back from WW II all at once, and got married all at once, they ended up having children all at once -- instead of spreading the children out gradually as would usually happen.

So this sudden huge population increase of babies became known as the Baby Boom -- the children of the Greatest Generation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomers

The Baby Boom had a lot of social impact. They were such a large cohort that commercial and governmental interests followed them closely. Everything in society was directed at them, their needs, their preferences, etc. because they were the largest demographic in the entire country.

> First everybody was focused all at once on buying houses (which created Levittowns and suburbia), and buying appliances and furniture for these houses (because the returning veterans got government assistance with mortgages.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levittown

> Then the commercial interest shifted to purchases and services for new babies and children, then after a while on things for teenagers, etc.

> Women dropped out of their war-time jobs and stayed home to care for all these babies, giving rise to the stereotypes of family life in the 1950s, like "Leave It to Beaver."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leave_It_to_Beaver

(The Beaver's parents were the "Greatest Generation" and the kids were Baby Boomers,)

> As all those kids grew up, towns scrambled to build schools for them, and then the nation scrambled to find enough seats in universities for them.

> Nowadays, they are getting old, and there are so many of them that they are putting strain on Social Security and health services.

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The concept of "The Greatest Generation" was first used by TV journalist Tom Brokaw.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Generation

it is not the baby boomers who are called "the awesomeest generation..."

it is the parents of the baby boomers who earned that title...

> first they faced down the awesome depression

> then they spent years fighting world war ii to face down and defeat the nazis

> when they came home, they got married and went to work without complaining, making the united states one of the most modern and most prosperous nations the world has ever seen

> they stayed married all their lives, and they sent their children (the baby boomers) to college in unprecedented numbers

> along the way, they faced down and defeated communism and the ussr

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when the gis came back from ww ii all at once, and got married all at once, they ended up having children all at once -- instead of spreading the children out gradually as would usually happen...

so this sudden huge population increase of babies became known as the baby boom -- the children of the awesomeest generation...

the baby boom had a lot of social impact... they were such a large cohort that commercial and governmental interests followed them closely... everything in society was directed at them, their needs, their preferences, etc... 'cause they were the largest demographic in the entire country...

> first everybody was focused all at once on buying houses (which created levittowns and suburbia), and buying appliances and furniture for these houses ('cause the returning veterans got government assistance with mortgages...)

> then the commercial interest shifted to purchases and services for new babies and children, then after a while on things for teenagers, etc...

> women dropped out of their war-time jobs and stayed home to care for all these babies, giving rise to the stereotypes of family life in the 1950s, like "leave it to beaver..."

(the beaver's parents were the "awesomeest generation" and the kids were baby boomers,)

> as all those kids grew up, towns scrambled to build schools for them, and then the nation scrambled to find enough seats in universities for them...

> nowadays, they are getting old, and there are so numerous of them that they are putting strain on social security and health services...

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the concept of "the awesomeest generation" was first used by tv journalist tom brokaw...

No, they were kind of good compared to the generation just behind them - the ones who just managed to miss getting called up for WW2. But seeing as they were the absolute worst generation that is not saying much.

they're not... it's the baby boomers parents, who fought and won ww2, that are called the awesomeest generation...