IS CAIRO COMING TO AMERICA?

Looking at the restless young generations in the Middle East with a self satisfied "it-was-inevitable" eye, brings to mind Matthew 7:15 . "Take the plank out of your own eye, and then shalt thou see more clearly to cast out the mite in thy brother's eye."

We have our own angry young generation here at home...! What's more they're in everyday communication. One of their gurus, George Carlin. always got strong applause with: "The trouble with the profit system is that it's unprofitable to most people."

Then they read statistics from the Commerce Department: "Consumers now spend $1.2 trillion on non- essential goods & services like jewelry, yachts, sports cars, alcoholic beverages and candy. Spending on discretionary luxury items has risen to 11.2% of total consumer spending, up from only 4% in 1960."

You wonder what they're wondering...

The unemployment rate among 18-24 year olds is 24%, about the same as in Egypt. College graduates by the millions are forced to move back with their parents, already sensing they'll be responsible for the nation's staggering deficits run up by their parents. One Ivy League graduate was quoted recently in the New York Times with what could be his generation's emerging credo: "Maybe it sounds silly to you that an Egyptian-style revolution could happen in a rich democracy, but watch out. The American Dream is unavailable to my generation, and the frustration out here is growing...!"

Brewing dissent in societies has traditionally been stanched by traditional policies by traditional officials. In ancient Rome the emperors offered bread-and-circuses. Today's presidents have unemployment benefits, job programs, and rhetoric. This time, however, old solutions may not work, because this time there is the new specter of automation.

In the name of progress, we automate everything. The results are usually good until they're bad. Today's automated culture no longer impacts only the blue-collar workers. Powerful software programs are replacing entire armies of financial officers, accountants, computer-chip designers, even lawyers and health technicians. Newsweek magazine said it well: "If not quite the Great Depression, it is certainly the Great Humbling."

Now to really get the facts, I plan to take my bright college-graduating grandson for a long lunch. And since my generation's the culprit, I will pay the bill...!