I took the trouble to look up my patient from the other day. Less than 6 hours after I transferred her to the ICU, she passed away. Although I knew she was dying, I fought a battle for her to the best of my ability to keep her alive while simultaneously preparing her family for the inevitable. Even though her family weren’t yet ready to admit that she was about to die, I understood that I was buying time for them to come to terms with her death. They told me that she was “a fighter” and would pull through. I knew she wouldn’t, but I still did all that I could for her and for them.
I grew up in the late 70s and early 80s. I remember sitting in school and hearing the local church bells ring 53 times each day at noon, in honor of the hostages being held in Iran. I remember watching the rockets leave, carrying astronauts to the moon. My father worked with rockets and missiles, so I get to go to mroe than a few launches, including the launch of the Apollo-Soyuz mission. I grew up on bands that made some of the best music:
- Journey
- AC/DC
- Dokken
- Rush
- Styx
- Pink Floyd
- Aerosmith
- Dire Straits
- Men at Work
- Guns n’ Roses
- Motley Crue
- Van Halen
and though I didn’t realize it at the time, there were many other sounds and bands that I would come to appreciate more in later years, including Duran Duran. (It wasn’t cool to like them in the circle I ran with). I still sit and listen to the songs of the time, remembering my youth and the things that I saw. I had the distinct honor of serving in the military under President Ronald Reagan, and some of those songs take me back to my time in Europe listening to AFRN.
For those reasons, this article at Legal Insurrection really hit home for me. It does occasionally sadden me to have lived through some of the best times and the high water mark of the greatest nation in human history, only to see it destroyed. This nation isn’t perfect, but it has raised more people from poverty and has accomplished more great things than any other in human history. Watching it die is like watching someone that you love slowly die of cancer.
Like cancer, what is killing this nation came from within. I understand why some of the readers of this blog still think that it can be saved. I went through a period of believing that the old lady was a fighter. I know better now, and I am saddened at our loss, but also filled with resolve at doing what needs to be done as we venture out into an unknowable future.
20 Comments
Anonymous · August 21, 2024 at 5:40 am
I’m about in the same place, class of 76
Bigus Macus · August 21, 2024 at 6:12 am
Growing up I went to HS in Germany and the US (Army Brat) It’s painful to watch what’s happening to Europe as well. All of western civilization is in this death spiral.
Joe Blow · August 21, 2024 at 6:41 am
I could never do your kind of job. Takes a special person. Despite our differences on several subjects, you do have my respect on this one.
Read “The Fourth Turning” if you haven’t already. We’re just corks bobbing along through the cycles of history. That is why I accepted the country is toast. Well, that and the obviousness of it, and lack of resolve to resist.
Divemedic · August 21, 2024 at 7:55 am
It was Reagan who said that “A person with whom you agree 80% of the time is still an ally.”
jimmyPx · August 21, 2024 at 7:22 am
There is no doubt that the destruction of Western Civilization has been done on purpose by the oligarchs but you have to ask why ?
First we are a real threat to them and they know it, so we have to go.
Next they really believe the BS that AI and robots will in the near future do most tasks and they want to keep a few million DUMBED DOWN humans around as slaves and play things.
Of course the dumbasses are totally wrong and the collapse of Western Civilization will lead to a new Dark Age because what civilization exactly will replace it ?
India and China are massively overpopulated and they are part of our civilization too and cannot replace it. Islam is a backward looking 8th century religion that will revel in a Dark Age.
My friends it will be like the fall of the Roman Empire where in decades the population of Rome went from 1 million to 10,000. Science, technology, knowledge will be lost and worse our civilization will finally be put under like Rome in an orgy of conflict and destruction.
J J · August 21, 2024 at 8:05 am
Another Class of ‘76 here. Understand exactly how you feel. Was in USN Submarine Service hunting Soviet submarines believing in our noble mission of keeping the country safe from communism. Only to see it collapse from within to communism. Have gone through a lot of phases of denial, anger, grief and finally acceptance that the country I grew up in is, for the most part, no more.
Divemedic · August 21, 2024 at 8:17 am
Greg was my scoutmaster in my youth. He was born in the Soviet union. His parents smuggled him out hidden in the trunk of a car when he was a teenager. He never saw or heard from them again. They were taken, because the government found out that they committed the sin of smuggling their child to safety. Shot in the head, sent to a gulag. Who knows?
I spent my preteen years hearing stories about what it was like to grow up under Communist rule.
People were required to bring mail unopened to the post office so government employees could read it for subversive content. Sound like the NSA reading emails? People were tossed in jail for opposing the government. Ask J6 protesters who were invited into the building before being arrested how that works. Maybe the jail they are still sitting in awaiting trial for trespassing has visiting hours.
I spent six years preparing to fight commies in Europe, yet they were already here, taking over the government.
Bigus Macus · August 22, 2024 at 5:13 am
I was right above you on CV66 USS America. My first deployment was to the Med then Persian Gulf in 1981. It seems not much has changed 40 plus years later.
Nones · August 21, 2024 at 12:19 pm
I hear you. I’m 73 but still in decent shape. Realistically I think the ONLY solution is to start stackin’ bodies but I believe that ain’t going to happen.I’ve said for 25 years that our country was circling the drain and I have hoped that it would hang on long enough for me to slip this mortal coil…
IcyReaper · August 21, 2024 at 12:56 pm
Dam, it appears lots of us class of 76ers here. Guess we are all old now.
DM, those words are so true. This country was special due to you could go as far as you were capable of and willing to work for. I grew up poor white trash in south carolina basically we didn’t have much. Never knew that though at that time. Only my mom graduated High school in both family sides. She made sure I did though, with my grades maybe the teachers just wanted to get rid of another wild eyed southern boy.
Found my calling in the military and it changed me, been just about everywhere a SM can go on this planet good and bad places. Got 2 college degrees over the years. Mom didn’t get to see the 2nd one, cancer took her from too many years of smoking. She always had 2 pictures of me at her bedside, my HS graduation picture and a picture of me with Ronald Reagan shaking my hand in Europe when I was promoted to a NCO…
Whats happening here is breaking my heart in so many ways I can’t express. No one seems to care, they still can get pot, beer and netflix and the checks keep coming so no issues to them. They vote for total scum on both sides and don’t understand why nothing gets better!!!
They don’t get when the govt agencies are subverted and commies control the elections system, voting wont work anymore. Keep hearing people saying how don’t worry someone will come along and save us and put things back again, WTF!!!
I’m just SOOO tired of arguing about all of it. I have accepted whats coming and I now get the majority of the country cant or wont stand up anymore, too much feminization has taken place. When I hear this crap anymore, I just look at them shake my head mutter Fuck you and burn in hell and walk away. The country I have loved all my life is now dead. My only salvation may be it collapses soon and I and some friends have time to get some payback to at least make a dent in these fuckers. Then whoever survives can try again or go to their knees as they wish because I ad others who believe like me will be gone and probably forever…….
Divemedic · August 21, 2024 at 3:13 pm
The current generation (for the most part) wants free stuff. They don’t want to endure trials and tribulations. This is the most pampered generation in history, and that is entirely our fault. We as the older generation never made them work for anything, so now they are convinced that they can have it all just by voting for it.
OR, for all I know, the Roman older generation felt that way when Caligula was emperor.
jimmyPx · August 21, 2024 at 3:27 pm
Boy isn’t that the truth. Look on Youtube and there are actually videos by Gen Zers that working 9-5 is “criminal and inhuman”. These kids are lazy and spoiled and entitled as all get out. The idea of “paying your dues” is an alien concept to them. When we interview people where I work, we get kids fresh out of college with no experience DEMANDING over $100,000/year, lots of vacation and days off, no overtime or weekend work, etc.
One kid stormed out and said it was an INSULT when we offered him a starting level job at 50k a year with 2 weeks vacation !
It’s so bad that we usually (secretly) interview people over 40.
That generation are weak as jellyfish… they can’t handle any stress or pressure and will up and quit at the drop of the hat. That’s what helicopter parenting did for them.
Luckily my nephews are smart and hard working like we were and both are managers in their late 20s at their jobs because most of their generation are worthless.
If the neocons get us into a big war I strongly suspect that they’ll be drafting old guys like all of us because the younger generation is worthless.
Steady Steve · August 21, 2024 at 7:45 pm
The “most pampered generation” is about to get gobsmacked by reality. Both my parents were born during the Depression and were both solid people because they were raised by parents that learned how times could get harsh real quick and how to survive. Those currently having it easy will be sorted into those that can learn fast and those that will perish fast. The former will raise their kids well.
WC · August 21, 2024 at 4:51 pm
Another Bicentennial grad and RT. Appreciate the blog, Divemedic.
Boba O'Really · August 21, 2024 at 1:39 pm
Resolved indeed.
“My prayer is that when I die, all of hell rejoices I am out of the fight”
Mike Hendrix · August 21, 2024 at 3:52 pm
Dude! Journey at #1 on your list, but no Deep Purple, The Who, Kiss, or Ted Nugent? DUUUUDE!!
Other than that, the rest of the post is dead on the money. 😉
ModernDayJeremiah · August 22, 2024 at 2:37 am
Class of 1980 here. Didn’t really care for Aerosmith or Pink Floyd (although I got a good joke out of them on an exchange trip to Germany. “Pink Floyd is going to Berlin. They’re going to play The Wall.) I would add Kansas and ELO along with early 70s John Denver.
Tractorguy · August 22, 2024 at 6:56 am
Class of ’79 here. EXCELLENT post. Nailed it.
Tractorguy
McChuck · August 22, 2024 at 9:22 am
I no longer believe America can be saved. But I do believe she can be avenged and rebuilt into something better.
There are too many good bands from back when to list. There is very little good music being produced today here in the USA. You can find exceptions on YouTube, if you look hard enough. But even then, most of them are tribute acts, like the Middle Aged Dad Jam Band.
Who would have ever though that Mongolian Folk Metal (The HU) would be a thing?
IcyReaper · August 22, 2024 at 11:47 am
Whats funny about the soft younger kids, they protest for groups that will either, kill them or turn them into sex slave or just run of the mill slaves in the mines and garbage pits.
My sons luckily turned out good. Me and wife did a good job, they can survive. I always told them them better hope I go before mom if you want a inheritance. Because if its just me left and I get wind of the shooting start time: then its on to Vegas for gambling, cocaine and 2 twin 21 year old hookers till I drop.
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