June 9, 2004
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A last comment about Reagan. While watching the funeral procession get going (all networks had that rather than news), I heard a significant remark by Richard Reeves, who is writing a new biography of Reagan. He said that one of the things which most suprised him was that Reagan had no friends, only acquaintances and employees. Almost all of those he interviewed said they had absolutely no contact after he left office. He said some were very emotional about that fact. Reagan was apparently all facade; and he did that role exceptionally well.
I have been surfing the web a little and one aspect of it has suprised me: the amazing number of "let it all hang out" websites. Apparently many (most?) Generation Xers , see no particular need for personal privacy and are not disturbed by voyeurism as long as they remain more-or-less anonymous. I expect that ties in with another phenomenon, that of almost total self-absorption and self-reference. They are like three-year-olds (or cats) in some respects; if it doesn't concern them, it doesn't really exist.
This doesn't mean they are not socially concerned, just that they focus on themselves, even in the social activism framework. This might explain why so many of them support and vote against their best interests. They associate themselves with the most successful, wealthiest candidate and spurn the idea that they are part of the "downtrodden masses", even when they are. This has happened in America in the past, notably during the post Civil War era when the country was turned over to the damnest bunch of crooks we've ever had. They were elected and re-elected in spite of scandal after scandal.
