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

[Moonbeam]

fskimospy: But why would it? We talk about them all the time. Some problems, like climate change, really have a huge generational component. It's foolish to ignore that climate change is a much more difficult issue to deal with now than it would have been had we been following more responsible public policies for the last several decades. Boomers made that public policy (for the most part), so boomers answer for it.

M: I'm sorry, but boomers can't, won't and needn't answer for anything, any more than any generation answers for anything just like right up to the present and far into the future. Humanity is asleep, unaware that it is a collective machine, incapable of either responsibility or blame. You may attribute features, generalize and stereotype generations but to blame them or expect them to take responsibility for what they are is just another aspect of being asleep. Everything is exactly as it must be. The desire to blame or hold responsible is self hate, the product of internalized guilt. The notion of accountability is tremendously irresponsible of you to suggest, an irresponsibility you yourself do not and cannot hold yourself to as long as you sleep with that unconscious assumption and can't awaken from it.

There is only one opportune time in history to awaken and it never changes. It is right now.

Cause and effect, wheels within wheels, levers moving levers, stimulus response. You can describe what you see all you like, but to be free of it you must be at cause and that is possible only to he or she who is free to act spontaneously as an awakened entity. There are two worlds. The world of dreamers, the only one they know of, and the world of the awake, known only to those who are themselves awake.

 

[pmv]

But why would it? We talk about them all the time. Some problems, like climate change, really have a huge generational component. It's foolish to ignore that climate change is a much more difficult issue to deal with now than it would have been had we been following more responsible public policies for the last several decades. Boomers made that public policy (for the most part), so boomers answer for it.



I have to say the idea that affluent millenials are a principal driving force in the economic inequality we see today is...dubious at best.



And to some extent that is entirely warranted, as a lot of the policies that enabled those shifts could not have been enacted without the votes of other baby boomers who felt culture war was more important.



I'm quite sure they wouldn't, but that's been a well known attribute of 1950's and 1960's America for a long time now. The myth that those were the good old days doesn't reside in millennials or genxers, it resides in boomers. Very few people under 40-45 or so actually think of that time as when America was super great.

With climate change, I'd say the young need to worry more about their responsibility to do something now, before their grandkids put them in the dock for it (the oldies, however culpable they are, will be long gone by then, so you'll take the rap). Besides, the variability of responsibility is far more about nation than generation.

And there are as many beneficiaries of inequality among the Millennial generation as any previous one - the class system didn't suddenly disappear in the 1980s. If anything the inequalities within generations are far greater than they used to be.

I dunno about the 'culture war', we don't really have it over here, so I'm not qualified to say.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'm not convinced many black older Americans see the 1950s as the good old days. Here its predominantly middle-class people who bang on about the awesomeness of the 1960s (the 50s were rubbish here for almost everyone).

That said, I'm glad that Millennials here apparently (according to polls) lean significantly to the left of their elders. I find that hugely cheering.

But all this is surely driven by larger demographic and economic trends, not by individual or even collective wickedness. The post-war economic boom was an anomaly that allowed poorer people to move up a bit. Then business as usual reasserted itself.

And its part of a hugely complicated development, that includes the shift of wealth and power from the West to the developing countries. It might just be that this generation in the West have had the misfortune to come of age just as the western working class starts to lose out as the global poor gain ground (though, as always, the rich continue to grab as much as possible of the loot along the way).

 

[fskimospy]

With climate change, I'd say the young need to worry more about their responsibility to do something now, before their grandkids put them in the dock for it (the oldies, however culpable they are, will be long gone by then, so you'll take the rap). Besides, the variability of responsibility is far more about nation than generation.

Right, but the baby boomers refers specifically to a US generation, so nation is already baked in. And of course we have to do things about it now but in no way does that absolve the boomers of their actions.

And there are as many beneficiaries of inequality among the Millennial generation as any previous one - the class system didn't suddenly disappear in the 1980s. If anything the inequalities within generations are far greater than they used to be.

This is kind of proving my point. Public policy is a strong determinant of income distribution and that policy was made by the boomers.

I dunno about the 'culture war', we don't really have it over here, so I'm not qualified to say.

Large minorities of American voters vote based solely on banning abortion, for example.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'm not convinced many black older Americans see the 1950s as the good old days. Here its predominantly middle-class people who bang on about the awesomeness of the 1960s (the 50s were rubbish here for almost everyone).

You missed the point. Older black Americans don’t view them as great but plenty of older white Americans do. Neither black OR white millennials do now though (generally) so again, this is a boomer problem. It’s important not to fall victim to bothsides-ism when it’s really not ‘both sides’

That said, I'm glad that Millennials here apparently (according to polls) lean significantly to the left of their elders. I find that hugely cheering.

But all this is surely driven by larger demographic and economic trends, not by individual or even collective wickedness. The post-war economic boom was an anomaly that allowed poorer people to move up a bit. Then business as usual reasserted itself.

In that case then we can’t really hold anyone responsible for anything as it was basically baked in. I don’t accept that the boomers aren’t responsible for their public policy choices. Economic trends didn’t force them to hugely cut taxes for rich people while cutting services to the poor or ignore climate change, those were choices they made and should be held responsible for.

And its part of a hugely complicated development, that includes the shift of wealth and power from the West to the developing countries. It might just be that this generation in the West have had the misfortune to come of age just as the western working class starts to lose out as the global poor gain ground (though, as always, the rich continue to grab as much as possible of the loot along the way).

The shift of power away from the West doesn’t explain or excuse the newly unequal distribution of income within the west. The west is richer than it has ever been, we have simply given all those gains to the top.

 

[pmv]

Right, but the baby boomers refers specifically to a US generation, so nation is already baked in. And of course we have to do things about it now but in no way does that absolve the boomers of their actions.

But the term 'baby boomer' is used across the English speaking world, all of which experienced a demographic bulge in that era. You haven't specified you only mean Americans, and in any case your arguments mirror some of those made in other countries.

Plus this is getting into 'proving too much' territory. You can blame the older generation for everything bad about the world you have been born into, but in that case you also have to credit them for everything good. Its a bit trite to just observe that past generations created the world we are in.

Now if you are arguing about what that generation are doing _now_, how they vote in relation to climate change, say, compared to their co-existing younger, but voting, compatriots, you might have a point. But going on about what they did before the young came into existence seems pointless to me and a bit too close to "I didn't ask to be born" type shouting at parents.

This is kind of proving my point. Public policy is a strong determinant of income distribution and that policy was made by the boomers.

But it emerged as the result of vicious fights over policy. And in any case, I don't accept its just a voluntarist 'choice' its a consequence of an endless series of cause and effect, the evolution of an economic system that goes back centuries. My fear is the only reason you got a short-lived decrease in inequality was because there was a massive, global-system-disrupting, war. Unfortunately the effects of that eventually wore off. That's not just about choices made in a vaccum, it's about real material things.

Large minorities of American voters vote based solely on banning abortion, for example.

Well, I dunno about that stuff, its not really a contentious issue here, and I very much hope that continues to be the case. That said, wasn't it baby-boomers who fought for abortion rights in the US in the first place? Likewise gay rights were initially fought for by those baby-boomers.

You missed the point. Older black Americans don’t view them as great but plenty of older white Americans do. Neither black OR white millennials do now though (generally) so again, this is a boomer problem. It’s important not to fall victim to bothsides-ism when it’s really not ‘both sides’

I'd say you missed the point. You are lumping together rich and poor, black and white, of that generation. Yet you've just had to admit there are significant differences within that group. Why blame black baby boomers for the views of white baby boomers?

In that case then we can’t really hold anyone responsible for anything as it was basically baked in. I don’t accept that the boomers aren’t responsible for their public policy choices. Economic trends didn’t force them to hugely cut taxes for rich people while cutting services to the poor or ignore climate change, those were choices they made and should be held responsible for.

I philosophically don't agree with this - there are material forces at work, actual physical changes to the world, in the form of technology and infrastructure etc. And you can't really hold past generations to blame for losing battles till you've won a few yourself. For example, I remember, as a child, the miner's strike. I remember them being literally starved back to work. Sorry, but I'm not going to slag them all off as 'baby boomers' because they were defeated in that fight.

The shift of power away from the West doesn’t explain or excuse the newly unequal distribution of income within the west. The west is richer than it has ever been, we have simply given all those gains to the top.

Well, yes, and no. I don't even know what I think about this. I agree with you that its a problem. It's just awkward that any discussion of the increasing inequality in the West can get shot down by someone smugly insisting that that's not important compared to the decrease in inequality globally. And if its free-trade and capitalism that is responsible for the latter _and_ the former, is it possible to have one without the other?

 

[pcgeek11]

This coming from the asshole that doesnt care what the condition of the world is in the future because he will be dead. All of the young people of this country will be paying for this pathetic excuse for a human beings last days. And this pos thinks he is some independent man who took care of himself.

You are weak. Your generation was spawned by the greatest generation and they spoiled you with opportunity. Pathetic.

You know nothing about me or where or how I was raised. You and all the whiners are the pathetic ones. Grow up.

 

[pcgeek11]

They are pretty much ignored. Like the silent generation before the boomers. The voting block that is the boomers played hungry hungry hippos with the country.

LOL.

 

[pcgeek11]

Nobody is blaming you. As a whole the generation failed to be good stewards of the treasure that was left for them. you have guys like @pcgeek11 who dont care about anything that happens after they are dead. And he isnt the only one. When you have a large population group that is around the same age and feels tis way you end up with destructive policies.

OK what specifically did I do? Other than piss on your pity party?

It was brought up about how people will blame me and my generation in 2000 years and I honestly stated that I will not be here in 2000 years and I don't care what they say. I'll be dead just like you.

 

[fskimospy]

But the term 'baby boomer' is used across the English speaking world, all of which experienced a demographic bulge in that era. You haven't specified you only mean Americans, and in any case your arguments mirror some of those made in other countries.

I'm pretty sure everyone else in this thread is referring to America, at least primarily.

Plus this is getting into 'proving too much' territory. You can blame the older generation for everything bad about the world you have been born into, but in that case you also have to credit them for everything good. Its a bit trite to just observe that past generations created the world we are in.

I'm not trying to blame them for everything, I'm saying there are clear, deliberate, specific policy choices that we can point to that have had these effects. They were well publicized and have been debated for decades.

Now if you are arguing about what that generation are doing _now_, how they vote in relation to climate change, say, compared to their co-existing younger, but voting, compatriots, you might have a point. But going on about what they did before the young came into existence seems pointless to me and a bit too close to "I didn't ask to be born" type shouting at parents.

The boomers' responsibility for their policy choices exists entirely independently of when I was born. They are either responsible for their choices or they are not.

But it emerged as the result of vicious fights over policy. And in any case, I don't accept its just a voluntarist 'choice' its a consequence of an endless series of cause and effect, the evolution of an economic system that goes back centuries. My fear is the only reason you got a short-lived decrease in inequality was because there was a massive, global-system-disrupting, war. Unfortunately the effects of that eventually wore off. That's not just about choices made in a vaccum, it's about real material things.

Again, this comes back to nobody being responsible for their choices, which I reject. You can point to clear policy choices with effects that were entirely foreseeable.

Well, I dunno about that stuff, its not really a contentious issue here, and I very much hope that continues to be the case. That said, wasn't it baby-boomers who fought for abortion rights in the US in the first place? Likewise gay rights were initially fought for by those baby-boomers.

This also misses the point, I didn't say that boomers' choices were solely enabled by culture war aspects, I said that the decision of significant portions of the electorate to vote based on culture war issues caused them to enable these other policies.

I'd say you missed the point. You are lumping together rich and poor, black and white, of that generation. Yet you've just had to admit there are significant differences within that group. Why blame black baby boomers for the views of white baby boomers?

I didn't blame black baby boomers for the views of white baby boomers, I said that generation had these negative effects in the aggregate, which is true. As you asked before, it is perfectly correct to blame America for Trump, as America elevated him to the presidency. Of course not everyone (or even most people!) wanted to do that but that doesn't magically mean that we no longer have to take responsibility for what happened. This is why I never blame -individual- boomers for the disastrous results of their generation's policies, but I am perfectly happy to blame the generation as a whole.

Frankly I view it as an abdication of OUR responsibility if we don't hold the boomers accountable for their actions. That just encourages us to do whatever we can get away with and screw the next generation as well.

I philosophically don't agree with this - there are material forces at work, actual physical changes to the world, in the form of technology and infrastructure etc. And you can't really hold past generations to blame for losing battles till you've won a few yourself. For example, I remember, as a child, the miner's strike. I remember them being literally starved back to work. Sorry, but I'm not going to slag them all off as 'baby boomers' because they were defeated in that fight.

Well, yes, and no. I don't even know what I think about this. I agree with you that its a problem. It's just awkward that any discussion of the increasing inequality in the West can get shot down by someone smugly insisting that that's not important compared to the decrease in inequality globally. And if its free-trade and capitalism that is responsible for the latter _and_ the former, is it possible to have one without the other?

Yes, it's definitely possible to have one without the other. I see nothing fundamentally incompatible with foreign investment and progressive taxation.

 

[Moonbeam]

fskimospy: Right, but the baby boomers refers specifically to a US generation, so nation is already baked in. And of course we have to do things about it now but in no way does that absolve the boomers of their actions.

M: You keep using these words of guilt like absolve as if things could have been different. People are no more awake now than they were then. Only the nature of what they remain asleep to has changed. You are using hindsight as if there is no such thing as the foresight to know you do not know what will be tomorrows hindsight about you. You are thinking in terms of the idea there is some prescription that intellect can bring to the table that can substitute for being awake. Sleepers can't be absolved of anything or held accountable either. The term does not apply.

f: This is kind of proving my point. Public policy is a strong determinant of income distribution and that policy was made by the boomers.

M: Yes in their sleep.

f: Large minorities of American voters vote based solely on banning abortion, for example.

M: There is a dominant concealed prejudice among many religious Americans that abortion is evil. That is an ancient prejudice still transmitted to many youth today. I watch the brainwashing of young boys in a Catholic Church just a few months back.

f: You missed the point. Older black Americans don’t view them as great but plenty of older white Americans do. Neither black OR white millennials do now though (generally) so again, this is a boomer problem. It’s important not to fall victim to bothsides-ism when it’s really not ‘both sides’

M: There is no virtue or guilt in having been born in the environment you were born in. If you could switch all the children of Jews and Palestinians in their cribs they would grow up hating and killing their real parents. Machines, programming, sleep.

f: In that case then we can’t really hold anyone responsible for anything as it was basically baked in. I don’t accept that the boomers aren’t responsible for their public policy choices. Economic trends didn’t force them to hugely cut taxes for rich people while cutting services to the poor or ignore climate change, those were choices they made and should be held responsible for.

M: If they were not forced, a delusion I think you hold, then it happened by accident and again they are guiltless. People who sleep are programmed and unaware of that fact. Why would you be any better at seeing the forces that cause people to do what they do if you also are asleep? The very fact you don't seem to see the fact that things are exactly as they have to be tells me that you don't see the mechanical nature of that to which you wish to ascribe blame.

f: The shift of power away from the West doesn’t explain or excuse the newly unequal distribution of income within the west. The west is richer than it has ever been, we have simply given all those gains to the top.

M: Again with the terms like excuse. How do you excuse a clock from ticking?

 

[Moonbeam]

fiskimospy: I'm pretty sure everyone else in this thread is referring to America, at least primarily.

I'm not trying to blame them for everything, I'm saying there are clear, deliberate, specific policy choices that we can point to that have had these effects. They were well publicized and have been debated for decades.

The boomers' responsibility for their policy choices exists entirely independently of when I was born. They are either responsible for their choices or they are not.

M: Yea and the answer is that they are not.

F: Again, this comes back to nobody being responsible for their choices, which I reject. You can point to clear policy choices with effects that were entirely foreseeable.

f: No, you can point to them not only in hindsight, but because you are sufficiently aware to foresee the results, as you are aware today to a greater extent than most to other important issues. None of that however means diddly squat in terms of the guilt or responsibility of those too deeply asleep to have picked up on that.

M: Your whole approach is based on a delusion that people are at fault for their visual limitations. People can be no more consciously aware than they are. We were all put to sleep and the degree and the liberation or evolution are growth from whatever our original degree of programming is whatever it is and not amenable to a capacity for choice. We are the machines that we are and that, up to this moment, is all we could be. You can only awaken in the now. You look for explanations and solutions to problems that all derive from being asleep. There is only one road to freedom and it lies in self understanding of the problem of sleep. Blame and the desire to ascribe responsibility is a deflection. There is only one enemy and it is our fundamental of our condition. Blame is sleep and sleep isself hate. There are no political problems to solve, nothing to do, nobody to blame, nobody to hold responsible. There is only the problem of realization that all of that is there to keep us away from the real issue. We do not want to feel what we feel. At root of the need for accountability is rage. We are the monsters we hate.



f: This also misses the point, I didn't say that boomers' choices were solely enabled by culture war aspects, I said that the decision of significant portions of the electorate to vote based on culture war issues caused them to enable these other policies.



I didn't blame black baby boomers for the views of white baby boomers, I said that generation had these negative effects in the aggregate, which is true. As you asked before, it is perfectly correct to blame America for Trump, as America elevated him to the presidency. Of course not everyone (or even most people!) wanted to do that but that doesn't magically mean that we no longer have to take responsibility for what happened. This is why I never blame -individual- boomers for the disastrous results of their generation's policies, but I am perfectly happy to blame the generation as a whole.

Frankly I view it as an abdication of OUR responsibility if we don't hold the boomers accountable for their actions. That just encourages us to do whatever we can get away with and screw the next generation as well.



Yes, it's definitely possible to have one without the other. I see nothing fundamentally incompatible with foreign investment and progressive taxation.

M: I tried to deal with the rest here in my last reply above.

 

[Sonikku]

You know it's interesting that most of the media today tend to cast millennials as a bigger cause of the nation's decline than baby boomers. As if our generation was the one running the show.

 

[ivwshane]

You know it's interesting that most of the media today tend to cast millennials as a bigger cause of the nation's decline than baby boomers. As if our generation was the one running the show.

That's because, so far, their generation hasn't been influential. They don't vote, they typically aren't informed about political issues and they don't really watch the "media". The boomers are still the media's bread and butter so they continue to cater to them, they know better than to bite the hand that feeds them. This coddling is why boomers typically don't take responsibility for anything, they don't need to because nobody holds them accountable.

 

[Moonbeam]

I get it, one group that was uninfluential in achieving political responsibility is responsible for another group that is also is so far uninfluential. In one case a lack of responsible influence is a flaw and in other an excuse for its lack. That makes a lot of sense.......

 

[ivwshane]

I get it, one group that was uninfluential in achieving political responsibility is responsible for another group that is also is so far uninfluential. In one case a lack of responsible influence is a flaw and in other an excuse for its lack. That makes a lot of sense.......

Are you now claiming the baby boomer generation had no influence in politics for decades?

And just for the record because you seem hell bent on making sure "others" are blamed, if the millennials choose not to engage in politics under their watch and we continue down the path we are despite them holding majorities, you betcha they will be blamed and held responsible. But by all means continue complaining about future generations while ignoring your generations own faults, how big of you.

 

[crashtech]

I want to make sure I have this straight, are those who agree with the OP's premise okay with a benefit reduction for select retirees? I can't see how on earth that could be successfully implemented. Perhaps on top of a bigger reform package? It's been clear for a long time that the tax needs to go up, but all the left wants to do is figure out how to soak higher earners. I think it all needs to happen, benny reductions, increased tax, means testing, and a more rapid raising or elimination of the contribution cap.

All we need are some politicians with guts. Ha.

 

[FIVR]

I agree with the premise of the thread however I do not understand how you delineate between boomers and the later greatest generation and early gen X. They are all conservative and they all were around to endorse the same idiotic policies. To me, it appears that americans haven't had sensible government since the 40s and it is a direct result of their own votes.


I submit that old people are generally conservative and that it is actually the conservatives that are the problem. Obviously there is a huge amount of overlap between old people and boomers but I think it is somewhat unfair to pick out my parents who voted liberally for their whole lives and somehow regard them as more at fault than their parents who voted republican from the 50s to the 90s and 2000s when they died.

 

[WHAMPOM]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...-boomers-american-economy-20151107-story.html

great article running down all the issues with the boomer generation. Some snippets:

Boomers soaked up a lot of economic opportunity without bothering to preserve much for the generations to come. They burned a lot of cheap fossil fuels, filled the atmosphere with heat-trapping gases and will probably never pay the costs of averting catastrophic climate change or helping their grandchildren adapt to a warmer world. They took control of Washington at the turn of the millennium, and they used it to rack up a lot of federal debt, even before the Great Recession hit.

If anyone deserves to pay more to shore up the federal safety net, either through higher taxes or lower benefits, it's boomers - the generation that was born into some of the strongest job growth in the history of America, gobbled up the best parts, and left its children and grandchildren with some bones to pick through and a big bill to pay.
-----------------
Meanwhile, future generations will have to pay the costs of weaning the world from fossil fuels and/or adapting to warmer temperatures, rising seas and more extreme weather. (Estimates vary, but some projections suggest that could total trillions of dollars for the United States alone.) They will also have to shoulder the burden of keeping America's retirement promises to the boomers. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the rising costs of Social Security and government health care that will stem from an aging population will consume two more percentage pointsof America's economic output by 2040. If policymakers don't find the revenue to pay for it all, the CBO projects that the national debt will climb past 100 percent of annual gross domestic product - quadruple its post-World War II low.

And yet almost no one suggests that boomers should share the pain of shoring up those programs. Folks my father's age like to say they've paid for those benefits, so they should get them in full. But they haven't. The Urban Institute has estimated that a typical couple retiring in 2011, at the leading edge of the boomer wave, will end up drawing about $200,000 more from Medicare and Social Security than they paid in taxes to support those programs. Because Social Security benefits increase faster than inflation, boomers will enjoy bigger checks from the program, in real terms, than their parents did.
============
me talking now

Boomers should take a small hit on their ss. If they were serious about not having other generations pay for their ss they should of done things while they had power to stop it from happening.

assholes.

Is that the same generation that works more hours and increases production year after year after year?

 

[JSt0rm]

Is that the same generation that works more hours and increases production year after year after year?

Thats all americans.

 

[Chaotic42]

I'm at the old end of the Millennial generation and I've worked with Boomers and Gen Xers all of my career and more recently in a leadership position working with new college grads. On the whole, I'd have to say that the Gen Xers seem to be the most productive, but I've seen very few slackers amongst the Millennials. They tend to work really hard and be a lot more wiling to learn new things and put in more time. The Boomers I've worked with tend to expect a lighter workload because of their experience. Every generation has its good and its bad.

What I will say is that it appears that the Boomers will have had the best lives as a whole in the US likely for generations to come. Free love, cheap schooling, cheap land and housing, great economic growth, and enough people below them to fund their retirement and health care.

I expect to either die at my desk or homeless on the streets.

 

[FIVR]

I'm at the old end of the Millennial generation and I've worked with Boomers and Gen Xers all of my career and more recently in a leadership position working with new college grads. On the whole, I'd have to say that the Gen Xers seem to be the most productive, but I've seen very few slackers amongst the Millennials. They tend to work really hard and be a lot more wiling to learn new things and put in more time. The Boomers I've worked with tend to expect a lighter workload because of their experience. Every generation has its good and its bad.

What I will say is that it appears that the Boomers will have had the best lives as a whole in the US likely for generations to come. Free love, cheap schooling, cheap land and housing, great economic growth, and enough people below them to fund their retirement and health care.

I expect to either die at my desk or homeless on the streets.

Don't forget wars. We could all die in wars.

 

[Moonbeam]

Are you now claiming the baby boomer generation had no influence in politics for decades?

And just for the record because you seem hell bent on making sure "others" are blamed, if the millennials choose not to engage in politics under their watch and we continue down the path we are despite them holding majorities, you betcha they will be blamed and held responsible. But by all means continue complaining about future generations while ignoring your generations own faults, how big of you.

I was very clear. I said you blame boomers because they didn't have the positive effect you thought they should and excuse the current generation for exactly the same thing. Naturally, I didn't think even clear language would cause you to see that. I said nothing at implying they didn't have any influence.

 

[ivwshane]

I was very clear. I said you blame boomers because they didn't have the positive effect you thought they should and excuse the current generation for exactly the same thing. Naturally, I didn't think even clear language would cause you to see that. I said nothing at implying they didn't have any influence.

Nope, I was pretty clear that millennials would be blamed as well for their inaction.

I blame boomers because they are the majority and have been and its their policies, either directly or indirectly, that is the cause of where we are today. If you can't see that then I'm afraid there is no hope for you and you'll continue being mad at people who hold up a mirror to your face.

 

[Mai72]

I'm at the old end of the Millennial generation and I've worked with Boomers and Gen Xers all of my career and more recently in a leadership position working with new college grads. On the whole, I'd have to say that the Gen Xers seem to be the most productive, but I've seen very few slackers amongst the Millennials. They tend to work really hard and be a lot more wiling to learn new things and put in more time. The Boomers I've worked with tend to expect a lighter workload because of their experience. Every generation has its good and its bad.

What I will say is that it appears that the Boomers will have had the best lives as a whole in the US likely for generations to come. Free love, cheap schooling, cheap land and housing, great economic growth, and enough people below them to fund their retirement and health care.

I expect to either die at my desk or homeless on the streets.

I agree.

The Boomers were very fortunate and will many will continue to be fortunate into retirement. Fully funded government pensions are just one example. Even when many state and local governments are BROKE.

I'm a Gen Xer and we are so fucked. Same with Millennials. This is all going to go downhill fast. It's why I cringe when I hear Boomers give advice to young people. The way that the Boomers lived life is going to dramatically change in the near future. Automation is just one example. Many of those sweet retirement packages are going to be a thing of the past. Unemployment is going to probably be rampant. America is going to rapidly change. Maybe for the worst Time will tell.

 

[pcgeek11]

What I will say is that it appears that the Boomers will have had the best lives as a whole in the US likely for generations to come. Free love, cheap schooling, cheap land and housing, great economic growth, and enough people below them to fund their retirement and health care.

I expect to either die at my desk or homeless on the streets.

Oh yes I remember when houses were dirt cheap and only 18% Interest Rate on my massive 6,000 dollars a year earnings. Like I couldn't afford a new car until I was over 30 years old. Man that was the life. I had it made and didn't even suspect.

 

[Jhhnn]

Nope, I was pretty clear that millennials would be blamed as well for their inaction.

I blame boomers because they are the majority and have been and its their policies, either directly or indirectly, that is the cause of where we are today. If you can't see that then I'm afraid there is no hope for you and you'll continue being mad at people who hold up a mirror to your face.

It's deeper than that & actually goes back further. The oldest Boomers were 34 in 1980 when Reagan was elected & damned few of us voted for him. The structural changes to the economy & the tax system wrought during his presidency were profound & were the turning point in where we've been since. It also was the beginning of the massive propaganda effort on the part of well financed right wing think tanks & institutes. Too many Boomers have been swept up in it since then but we did not create that paradigm shift.