This thread is an interesting phenomenon, as it has spanned over 17 years (and counting) and the subject keeps taking on new dimensions.
DJW, I was a young man in the '80s too. It's hard to explain to people now, but the fear of nuclear war and the Cold War conflict was at the forefront of everyone's mind. The rhetoric and constant news bombardment may have had some role in attracting people to an apocalyptic group like the JWs. Reagan claimed later that his buildup of the US military was an intentional arms race intended to bankrupt the Soviet Union. I really don't know how true that was, but I do believe that the Reagan and Gorbachev combination of leadership resulted in defusing a world threatening crisis. This is one reason the Ukraine war is so alarming to me.
Back to the thread:
Several of my family members are still in, one a Bethelite, so I get some exposure to what the JWs are talking about. I've never heard anyone say anything about 2034, and the 'generation' is not mentioned at all anymore. Most JWs don't talk much about scriptural things. Its more of a social club now. They talk about getting hours, etc, but there is no substance to it.