Baby boomers are what's wrong with America's economy

[Commodus]

I hesitate to blame specific boomers, but at the same time... let's not pretend that it's the younger generation that's the problem. They're not the ones running governments or most giant corporations (Facebook is about as close as you get).

If you take a lot of these semi-editorialized stories at face value, millennials have been accused of killing virtually everything. They're called entitled, but in many cases it's because the boomers (and Gen Xers, for that matter) feel entitled to running things exactly the way they were before, or have hurt the economic opportunities for millennials and are shocked when they can't afford a similarly lavish lifestyle.

You're supposed to buy an oversized home in the suburbs, drive a gas-guzzling SUV, watch terrible movies in a theater and stay in a mediocre job for 20 years until you're laid off or die. Prefer to live in a downtown apartment, bike everywhere, stay at home with higher-quality shows on Netflix and switch jobs when you either get a better offer or find your existing work unsatisfying? You're practically a traitor to the country as far as some older people are concerned.

And it's always amusing when older generations complain that millennials aren't doing X or Y when they literally can't afford to do X or Y because of those older generations' policies. Hey, maybe they could afford these things if you raised the minimum wage, kept rents under control, provided a clear path from school to a career and didn't vote for corrupt politicians simply because they promised you a tax cut.

 

[Puffnstuff]

That's great for those that can return to college or university. I can only assume this is the result of some military benefit?

I received absolutely no assistance from the military or VA when I returned to school. Citizens qualify for Pell Grants after successfully completing two consecutive semesters and my high academics opened the door to private grants and scholarships.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Wife and kids? I've been trying to convince my wife to return, it's extremely costly for us though.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Wife and kids? I've been trying to convince my wife to return, it's extremely costly for us though.

Wife passed away in '03 and when my youngest son set out on his own I went back to school. The cost is tremendous and if it weren't for the grants and scholarships my student debt would be much higher than it is.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Thanks for sharing

 

[Puffnstuff]

Now I completely understand why companies want educated workers rather than experience alone.

 

[K1052]

And it's always amusing when older generations complain that millennials aren't doing X or Y when they literally can't afford to do X or Y because of those older generations' policies. Hey, maybe they could afford these things if you raised the minimum wage, kept rents under control, provided a clear path from school to a career and didn't vote for corrupt politicians simply because they promised you a tax cut.

There is a not small portion of my generation that feels the boomers have, intentionally and selfishely, pulled the ladder up after themselves then proceeded to chastise us for not being able to jump up high enough to reach the next level.

 

[Paratus]

They reap what they sow...

Better raises?

 

[ch33zw1z]

Now I completely understand why companies want educated workers rather than experience alone.

People who are bright, motivated, and real world smart aren't necessarily book smart or paper smart.

I work alongside people with 4 year degrees who can barely function a windows laptop, but on paper they're more than qualified to be sys admins.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

We baby boomers elected local. state and federal representatives that we thought were level headed, responsible people. They spent money they didn't have and we couldn't afford on things they thought we needed in order to retain their political power and get re-elected.

hah, nice excuse! So the boomers were all tricked by those mean, lying politicians? Aww powr baby, so sad Lol. Boomers voted for people they knew full well would give them free shit, tax cuts, expensive wars, state subsidized oil jobs that are now gone etc. They can't get out of it that easily!

 

[Genx87]

Lets not forget the Boomer generation came of age during Vietnam and protested war. But once they gained power have been engaging in war for nearly every year the past 30-40.

 

[pmv]

hah, nice excuse! So the boomers were all tricked by those mean, lying politicians? Aww powr baby, so sad Lol. Boomers voted for people they knew full well would give them free shit, tax cuts, expensive wars, state subsidized oil jobs that are now gone etc. They can't get out of it that easily!

This is a bit silly - baby boomers didn't all vote the same way. What came out of that era was just the (partly unintended) outcome of an ongoing fight between many different groups, not some collective decision of an entire generation.
Besides, if you are a Millennial, you better start bracing yourself for the blame you are going to get from your as-yet-unborn grandchildren.

 

[pmv]

They reap what they sow...

I took this as referring to those corporations, complaining about the disloyalty they themselves engendered. Was it supposed to mean something else?

 

[pmv]

Lets not forget the Boomer generation came of age during Vietnam and protested war. But once they gained power have been engaging in war for nearly every year the past 30-40.

*cough*Chris Hitchens*cough*

 

[obidamnkenobi]

This is a bit silly - baby boomers didn't all vote the same way. What came out of that era was just the (partly unintended) outcome of an ongoing fight between many different groups, not some collective decision of an entire generation.
Besides, if you are a Millennial, you better start bracing yourself for the blame you are going to get from your as-yet-unborn grandchildren.

No, but enough voted a certain way. And that's what matters.

 

[tommo123]

People who are bright, motivated, and real world smart aren't necessarily book smart or paper smart.

I work alongside people with 4 year degrees who can barely function a windows laptop, but on paper they're more than qualified to be sys admins.

same for doctors, radiographers i knew. some work actually smart but a scary amount were as thick as pig shit and couldn't turn on a PC

 

[Puffnstuff]

People who are bright, motivated, and real world smart aren't necessarily book smart or paper smart.

I work alongside people with 4 year degrees who can barely function a windows laptop, but on paper they're more than qualified to be sys admins.

I know the type and many of them come into the workplace with a pompous attitude. It's the combination of education and experience that produces the best people. The degree opens the doors that experience alone cannot.

 

[pmv]

No, but enough voted a certain way. And that's what matters.

Sheesh. As if there aren't enough things people can be collectively blamed for already (race, class, urban/rural, gender, sexuality, disability status, nationality, preferred mode of transport...). Now 'generation' has to be added to the list. Truly, no-one is innocent!
Maybe you best concentrate on getting your own generation to vote the right way such that your grandkids don't hate you in turn, then? As you know how this works, you should make use of your forewarned condition.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

Sheesh. As if there aren't enough things people can be collectively blamed for already (race, class, urban/rural, gender, sexuality, disability status, nationality, preferred mode of transport...). Now 'generation' has to be added to the list. Truly, no-one is innocent!
Maybe you best concentrate on getting your own generation to vote the right way such that your grandkids don't hate you in turn, then? As you know how this works, you should make use of your forewarned condition.

Wait, we can't blame voters for who gets elected now anymore? Then who is responsible? People of voting age in the 70 are responsible for who got elected in the 70. I did not think this would be controversial..

 

[pmv]

same for doctors, radiographers i knew. some work actually smart but a scary amount were as thick as pig shit and couldn't turn on a PC

I feel Ben Carson single-handedly destroyed the idea of 'brain surgeon' as a marker of great intelligence. There's only 'rocket scientist' left now.

 

[pmv]

Wait, we can't blame voters for who gets elected now anymore? Then who is responsible? People of voting age in the 70 are responsible for who got elected in the 70. I did not think this would be controversial..

Well, you're an American, right? So I blame you for foisting Trump on the world. Not to mention for the US's production of greenhouse gases.

Are you also white? Can I blame you for slavery then?

 

[sandorski]

IMO, blaming the Boomers is pretty much on par with blaming Illegal Immigrants. Just an easy scapegoat. This is a logistical problem, not a Moral Failing problem. The Baby Boomers did not choose to be born into an unusually large Bubble, but they were. The negative affects of this Bubble have been known for decades now so no one should be suddenly surprised that the effect of this Bubble has negative repercussions on the Economy.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

Well, you're an American, right? So I blame you for foisting Trump on the world. Not to mention for the US's production of greenhouse gases.

Are you also white? Can I blame you for slavery then?

I'm not actually, I just live here. I can't vote.
Regardless though, yes I collectively blame americans for Trump. You can't blame individual americans unless you know their vote, but he's was popularly elected based on the wishes of americans as a whole (within their quirky system). Similarly; massive subsidies to oil companies, poor regulation and opposing anti-global warming efforts are the wishes of americans as a whole (or should I say those who vote). They are not in e.g. Germany so their policies are different. That's how it works.

I refuse you are dumb enough to believe the white, slavery thing. That's just a moronic argument.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

IMO, blaming the Boomers is pretty much on par with blaming Illegal Immigrants. Just an easy scapegoat. This is a logistical problem, not a Moral Failing problem. The Baby Boomers did not choose to be born into an unusually large Bubble, but they were. The negative affects of this Bubble have been known for decades now so no one should be suddenly surprised that the effect of this Bubble has negative repercussions on the Economy.

It's not the bubble, it's the fact that they voted to grab everything for themselves, at the expense of putting away and planning for the future.

 

[Jhhnn]

Sheesh. As if there aren't enough things people can be collectively blamed for already (race, class, urban/rural, gender, sexuality, disability status, nationality, preferred mode of transport...). Now 'generation' has to be added to the list. Truly, no-one is innocent!
Maybe you best concentrate on getting your own generation to vote the right way such that your grandkids don't hate you in turn, then? As you know how this works, you should make use of your forewarned condition.

People can't change their date of birth any more than they can change the color of their skin.