The return of the great Nemesis

I can’t remember exactly how the article went (and in all honesty I probably only read half of it) and going back through my (decidedly dark and wayward) search history feels chore-some. And probably embarrassing, so I’m gonna have to try and do this from memory. *stretches out his fingers in a manner meant to intimate prowess and… eh… recollection*

The gist of it was a supposition that large number of American GenXrs were joining the Ukrainian Foreign legion because they’d grown up repeatedly brain-damaging themselves by watching Red Dawn in the 80’s. And that, all they ever wanted to do growing up, was fight the Russians… eh… on horseback. In Colorado.

That opportunity, (and the opportunity to relive the glory days of Ronald Reagan) have, somewhat annoyingly, been rather fleeting since 1984. For some reason the United States decided to go muck around in Iraq and Afghanistan (hardly comparable nemeses) instead of taking on the real enemy.

Vaguely I wonder if this includes me? Have I been ‘brain-damaged’ by 80’s (and 90’s) television. Although years of boxing has likely seen to that, and more in an actual, as opposed to a figurative, sense. Perhaps ‘influenced by’ is a better term. I note with a sardonic snort the stark difference between the ‘influencer’ of today versus the action-hero of that era (which broadly served the same purpose I suppose). Obviously I am inclined to espouse that ‘ours’ are better… because… um… well, I’m competitive that way. (And also because I’m right)

Since we are, in our formative years, essentially a meat-sponge, am I… who I am… because of the popular culture of my time? Is my awesomeness directly proportional to absorbing an above average dose of First blood, Grayskull and the Care-bear stare, my sense of justice and politics tempered by the likes of Han Solo and Inigo Montoya?

We knew who the bad guys were back then. They wore fur caps and fought Rocky in… eh… Rocky (counts on his fingers) IV. Millennials and Z’s didn’t get a good antagonist growing up. They got the Twin Towers, an iffy revenge story and two financial crises. (and are potentially going into their third). Sucks to be them.

ON THE PLUS SIDE… the old/new bad guy is back on the world stage. Albeit in a very much reduced/more incompetent kinda way. But when you have the most nuclear warheads you kinda get pushed to the front of the queue, despite all your other… issues.

Oceania is back baby! Or are they Eurasia? My Orwell isn’t what it used to be… and really, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that they’re back! And with them, at the motivational goodness that comes with eh… us being on the right team.

I mean this could also be the beginning of the end (of the world),the odds are not zero right? But lets focus on the motivating power of a good nemesis. While it lasts.

“Guess who just got back today? Them wild-eyed boys that’d been away. Haven’t changed, had much to say. But man, I still think them cats are crazy”

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