When we talk about economic devastation, I think one fact that is missed by many people is how concentrated the effects of that devastation can be on a particular generation within the overall society. These are two historical statistics that can help exemplify this. The 1950s in Ireland was a lost decade. The economy in deep recession. Emigration reached levels unseen since the Great Famine. Nearly 500,000 people left -- equivalent to 80% of all those born in the 30s -- emigrated. Most went to Britain, many to London, however they found the English capital unwelcoming. 80 percent of Soviet men born in 1923 died during the war (WW2). That staggering 80 percent statistic hides another important fact: These men didn't all die in the war. The war was not even the most important reason for the low survival rate of these Soviets. The babies of 1924 were born at an awful time and faced a dismal future. Between 1914 and 1921 their families had endured seven years of war and civil war, immediately followed by a major famine. Not all of society is affected equally by economic trouble. It's typically the younger generation (especially younger adult generation) who experiences the brunt of the trouble.
