Yup, they were too easy on them. The greatest generation wanted their kids to have a better life but they did not make their kids work for it.
Well don’t forget you had Vietnam and all that pretty much defined the generation and led to a lot of disillusionment with the world of their parents. Kids in those days were expected to conform above everything else. You didn’t have an opinion, at home or at school, and retaliation was often harsh and accepted to be the way to raise kids. And as for pot smoking, I’ll wager 90 per cent of the parents with their nightly cocktail hours were alcoholics
IT WAS A JOKE.
On the other hand, I truly believe that every American generation has the potential for greatness if given the opportunity and the challenge.