Whatever the outcome of the “deal, or no deal” scenario with Iran, the public attitude toward the war has been disturbing. Despite President Trump’s constant admonition that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, a majority of those polled oppose the intervention. A side effect of the war has been complaints about higher gas prices. That grumbling caused me to do some reminiscing about a different America and different Americans.

Over Memorial Day weekend we again heard about “The Greatest Generation,” but do we take the time to consider what made them great?

While political divisions existed during World War II, the slogan “We’re all in this together” forged a unity that is nearly unheard of today, unless we are attacked as on 9/11.

My mother told me what it was like during WWII, as I was too young to know anything about sacrifice. To me, doing without, getting only one Christmas present, saving paper, rubber bands and other things for the war effort was my normal.

Gas prices during the war averaged 20 cents a gallon, but gas was rationed as were many other things, and long road trips were almost unheard of (the Interstate Highway System would not be built until the Eisenhower administration).

If Mom ran out of ration stamps before the end of the month, a neighbor who had some extras would share some of hers. It worked in reverse, too. Neighbors knew neighbors. Neighbors helped neighbors. We were Americans and that meant something.

Today, we seem to be plagued by complainers who whine about almost everything. Too many appear oblivious to the threat posed by Iran, preferring cheaper gas. They seem unconcerned about a greater cost in more than gas should Iran acquire nukes. Let the devil take tomorrow. Help me fill up my tank for under $40 today.

As we approach the nation’s 250th birthday, the country that older Americans once knew seems to be slipping away. Teenagers take over streets and trash restaurants. Fraudsters steal tax money meant for children during Covid. Antisemitism is on the rise. Respect for authority, including the police, seems to have evaporated. Institutions which once reflected what were regarded as foundational principles - from a useful education leading to real jobs, to objective truth and a near universal sense of right and wrong - are now regarded as relics from a distant past few want to re-visit. Republicans hate Democrats and vice versa.

When my father and four of his brothers returned from the war (a fifth served on the homefront) they had a sense of accomplishment. Evil had been defeated and prosperity would quickly arrive in the form of suburbia and flashy new cars.

The values that helped my parents and grandparents sustain themselves through the Great Depression and World War II were jettisoned during the 1960s, largely because universities and the wider culture claimed modern values were better. Bob Dylan summed up his generation’s ingratitude to the Greatest Generation:

“Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’ ”

They did change. Compared to the values of my parents and grandparents that change, civil rights excepted, was not always for the better.

President Trump alludes to the entitlement sentiment that has gripped so many, especially younger people, when he asks Americans to endure higher gas prices for a short time in exchange for Iran not getting a nuclear weapon. Gas prices have been high for only a few weeks. The Great Depression and World War II spanned 16 years.

Stop whining, America.

©2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.