As the first of 78 million people from the post World War II baby boom generation -- those born between 1946 and 1964 -- approach retirement age, their legacy has already impacted society more than any other generation. But not necessarily in a good way. The latest examples of profound irresponsibility are former president Bill Clinton and current president George W. Bush, both leaders of the generation. Clinton did all he could to help dig a monetary grave for taxpayers with a giant tax increase and a grab for national health care with Hillary Clinton at the helm. Bush is shoveling dirt in the grave with yet another massive entitlement expansion in the form of prescription-drug benefits for seniors. Why? For the enormous senior voting block, and the votes of fellow boomers on the cusp of retirement, in his 2004 presidential bid for re-election.

The irony is not lost on many coming-of-age boomers who began their legacy by rejecting their parents -- belatedly recognized as the greatest generation -- and revolting against the social, political, education and corporate establishment. Elements of the generation decided they were self-ordained to change the world, so they embarked on missions of good intentions: Civil rights, equal rights for women, growing government, revising the education system, controlling corporate America and re-defining society. Much of what the generation accomplished was good. However, they were driven by extremists, including deeply disturbed social gurus from their parents' generation.

It took little more than three decades for the 60's generation to ruin public education by dumbing down the system and replacing it with feel-good social promotion, the indoctrination of moral relativism, rejection of truth, and the reconstruction of history to reflect their ideology. The overall problem was that academics, progressives, civil rights activists, pandering politicians, government bureaucrats, environmentalists and radical feminists simply went too far. They turned America into a stressed-out society steeped in uncertainty, relentlessly assaulted by selfish interests, hyper commercialism, junk psychology, political and environmental terrorism, and legal anarchy. The results are clearly a litigious society of political correctness, demonization of classes, social aggression, punishing taxation and media-driven chaos, which created cultures of unrelenting political rancor, censorship, tyranny of the minority, separatist diversity, war against whites, war against males, devastated families, confused children, hopelessly frustrated relationships, cheaters, and all manner of other social and economic extremes.

Radical elements of the boomer generation vowed to change everything, and they did. They spread their ilk like communicable diseases. They asaulted society with the proliferation of ignorance and battered society with the failures of good intentions. In the process, they created the new establishment: An academic system that robs students of their education; inept, intrusive government replete with repressive regulations; stock market madness, corporate thieves and Wall Street bandits; dishonest politicians and arrogant bureaucrats; mind-numbing drivel disguised as art and entertainment; and last but not least, biased news media and deceitful journalists of both political persuasions who abdicated their responsibility as defenders of the people and the watchdogs for democracy.

Lest we forget, rebellious boomers launched the drug culture, free love and personal irresponsibility that have become corrosive plagues on society. Those who drove our nation into this unconscionable quagmire know who they are and they certainly aren't the best of us. Alas, the 'Me' generation are in charge of things now. They betrayed democracy and the meaning of America and replaced it with cultures of animosity, selfish interests, victims, government dependants and entitlements. Indeed, it's certainly going get tougher on everyone else when the largest block of voters want more of everything for themselves, and the AARP becomes the most powerful organization in the country. Question is, can society survive the crippling effects of what has undoubtedly become the worst generation?

This is not to say that the entire generation is bad. Far from it. Many boomers are working hard to reverse the tide. But it's too late and there aren't enough of them. Yet with a lot of help from younger generations, and those from the small pre-1946, 'silent' generation who quietly witnessed the erosion of society with little resistance, maybe the generational war that will surely begin when self-absorbed boomers demand more and more tribute, Social Security and Medicare at the unbearable expense of others, including their own children, can be avoided.