The New Demographic-Technological Model An Introduction A People without History is like the Wind on the Buffalo Grass. --- Lakota Over the course of the last few years, we have presented in discussions in  The Millennial Files  the basic structure of a new demographic-technological model of  United States   history. First of all, the model represents   a combination of Neil Howe and William Strauss's new demographic paradigm, described in their book, Generations: The History of America's Future, with our work on the technological cycles of the 200 years of American industrialization. It is important to note that each of these models was developed independently; we believe, however, they reinforce each other in a manner that enhances both models' credibility and utility. In Generations Strauss and Howe proposed a highly original and universal generational paradigm that they applied to the specific history of the United States. Strauss and Howe's work concentrated on t

  I. Beginnings Generational Configuration Behind the headlines about the National Debt, the Budget Deficit, Social Security, Medicare, Taxes and the generally difficult economy confronting most younger people today is a simple truth: For the past two and one-half decades, the American economy has been dominated by a Generational configuration that has arranged things to its own economic advantage. And it has done so without regard to the consequences for the succeeding generations. To say this is not to commit an act of generational war, but merely to speak the truth. My generation did something to yours that was never done to us or to any other generation. We didn't pay our debts.   - Lee Iacocca, 1992 The Generational configuration that has so dominated our lives over the last twenty five years is, however, near an end. This reality represents the central social, political and economic fact of our time. All of the major issues that confront our country today relate, one way or a