Boomers: The Evil Generation!

[Birdjaguar]

we know.

its not getting passed on. the middle class is shrinking and boomers are selling off everything to fund their lavish lifestyles.

if you didnt want peoples opinion whyd you make the thread? so everyone could tell boomers how great they truly believe they are?

and theres that stereotypical boomer mentality again - any criticism of boomers is just ignorant whining.

everything i said is easily verified with statistics and economic data. its basically common knowledge at this point. to argue otherwise would be ignorance. millennials have a much lower net worth compared to boomers when they were the same age.

boomers drove the global economy down into a ditch. the disparity between wages and housing is at an all time high. the following generations are poorer. millennials are financially much worse off than their parents although they are far more educated. boomers did not provide the same opportunities that the previous generation provided to them. theyve created a more demanding and less prosperous world for future generations.
hh

Boomer wealth isn't being passed on yet because most are still working and they are not selling off stuff to fund a lavish lifestyle. Boomer wealth is poorly distributed and most are still trying to accumulate. You probably mean just the richest ones.

Boomers never called themselves the Greatest Generation. That label was applied to their parents. Get your facts straight.
The middle class is shrinking. Why do you think that is so? How would you fix the problem?
I opened this thread so folks had a place to criticize boomers.
Yes, the great recession had an impact. It affected all across the spectrum. 40% of stock market wealth went up in smoke. Many boomers lost all of there nest egg. Housing market tanked and home values for boomers tanked too. Lots and lots of people lost jobs. But I'm sure you are aware that the boomers all sat around and laughed when they said: Woo hoo we really stuck it to millennials! Have another beer.

economic data is mathematics. economic theories are social sciences.

hh

Lies, damned lies and statistics. You should share some of your economic knowledge with us ignorant selfish folks. Educate us on our mistakes and misguided thinking.

A disgustingly large chunk of that wealth is going straight to the capitalists that run our health care system.

but do consider that health care jobs are among the fastest growing sectors and boomers are paying for all those jobs as well. Non profit healthcare would be a good thing.

 

[Birdjaguar]

You could point them more acurately. George P. Mitchell, the "Father of Fracking" was born in 1919.

You caught us! We stole credit for that and now we've been outed. Damn you AmazonQueen!

 

[yung.carl.jung]

You could point them more acurately. George P. Mitchell, the "Father of Fracking" was born in 1919.

That's entirely true, however the practice did not catch on until after WW2 and grew even more in the late 50s/early 60s. Either way it was just an example

 

[AmazonQueen]

That's entirely true, however the practice did not catch on until after WW2 and grew even more in the late 50s/early 60s. Either way it was just an example

A lot of Boomers were still babies in the late 50s/early 60s (I wasn't born until Dec 64 so I'm almost the last Boomer). None of them were in charge of corporations by then.
Really if Boomers were going to wreck society for their own selfish benefit they could've done a better job. Next time we have one of our secret Wreck the World meetings I'll be sure to mention that they should have waited until I'd retired before raising the retirement age and scrapping final salary pensions.

What you're actually complaining about is the neo-liberalism started by Thatcher and Reagan, inspired by Milton Friedman, none of whom were Boomers.

 

[Hamid.H]

but do consider that health care jobs are among the fastest growing sectors and boomers are paying for all those jobs as well.

the eternal boomer strikes again!

hh

 

[Patine]

the eternal boomer strikes again!

hh

And so does the purveyor of bad, fallacious, and contrived stereotypes, but vicious reactionary should someone else use them, in true hypocritical fashion.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

Manfred is enjoying other peoples' demise. Now that's something new and refreshing! keep me posted with those updates, Manfred!

Sorry I missed the part where I mentioned anyone's demise...

 

[yung.carl.jung]

Really if Boomers were going to wreck society for their own selfish benefit they could've done a better job.

for sure. we've been getting much more effective at it!

the eternal boomer strikes again!

hh

come on, man

either engage him or just leave it, no purpose in this

 

[Patine]

So you have no argument other than hate.

Does he ever? But he accuses every single retort and counterpoint, no matter how rationally backed and well-phrased, as being just "hate" against him. Are you noticing a pattern here?

 

[El_Machinae]

but do consider that health care jobs are among the fastest growing sectors and boomers are paying for all those jobs as well. Non profit healthcare would be a good thing.

No! I know I just wrote my earlier paragraphs today, but this is incorrect.

It's not just the Boomers that are paying for those jobs. Everyone is paying for those jobs, it's just that Boomers have the wealth because it's their turn to have it. The stuff that they used to get that money might not even still be around. It probably isn't. I mean, a retired comedian has money because he made people laugh a decade ago. The laughter was temporary. The dollars lasted longer than the service. It's not like that service propagated itself through time to benefit me. It's not a bridge. It's not a treatment for Alzheimer's. But those dollars exist.

The person taking a Boomer's blood pressure is NOT taking MY pressure. The Boomer is paying paper. This is despite the fact that my current labour is part of the total GDP of the country. I want my blood pressure taken, but I cannot. So, I'm also paying for that medical service, in the form of opportunity cost on the technician's part.

In fact, I even perform a service that the technician values. I'm a great comedian, and they want to come to my club. Ostensibly, we could just swap. But no, the technician must attend the Boomer in order to get the cash to pay to me. In the meantime, I cannot get the technician's services. This is because of the way money works.

It's not a benefit to the next generation that the Boomers are providing jobs. It's just a consequence of the way the wealth was handed out. It's not like Boomers have loaves of bread in a vault that they're handing out in exchange for services, where there's a benefit to the fact they're 'providing work'.

So, I don't actually resent the outcome. Again, I think it's just an expansion of a 'natural' economic cycle when there's a demographic shift. But calling it a favour isn't true either.

A Boomer can point to a bridge, or a space program, or a library, or even a great movie and say "we built this, and now you're better off because we did". But saying "hey look, I have money" isn't a benefit.

The inheritance is the actual. Not the fiscal. When expanded to full scale anyway. "Aren't you lucky you can work for me" only really works when there's a physical transfer of a real asset that's win/win. But most of the transfer isn't a real asset, but a fiat one. By saying to the technician "aren't you glad I hired you to take my blood pressure?", you're also saying "aren't you glad I've denied your services to someone who's actually producing stuff we want?". The technician is pissed if you leave the clinic and outbid for the last scalped ticket to my show, as wel.

edit: any individual transfer will be appreciated, because it is doling out wealth. So, a rich Boomer moving from one town to another will end up benefiting that town. But that's because it's a distribution of wealth in a zero-sum sense. Like it or not, there's legal wealth there, and we're gonna hustle for it.

 

[rah]

It's actually been fun the last 10 or more pages watching the eternal 'the younger generation whine about the older one' to place the blame of their failures.
We complained about our parents, they complained about theirs, etc. It's and endless cycle. At least our generation got over it and had success. May your generation do the same. Your kids will do the same to you so get ready for it. As least be successful enough to give them something to whine about. This has been fricken hilarious

 

[El_Machinae]

I don't think you'll want to claim success juuuuuust yet. There's a decade of demented drooling coming, while the loved ones tasked with caring for you are scrambling to survive a degraded planet.

I mean, glad you could afford to go to The Great Barrier Reef before it got wrecked. But we'll see if the attendant remembers to recharge the wheelchair.

(PS: I'm actually on your team with regards to this outcome being unacceptable, even if I am blushing at how acerbic that was)

 

[rah]

There's a decade of demented drooling coming,

Every generation has to face this, so it's not exactly an insult or a threat. It's life. At least I'll be taken well care of if it happens.

Blaming every ill on the planet on one generation is pretty pathetic. But expected. I hope you take some solace in it.

 

[Broken_Erika]

Admit it Boomer! You're a Cylon!

 

[El_Machinae]

I don't blame one generation.

But, the 'decade of drooling' is pretty new, all told. Curse that anti-smoking movement!

I'm glad you'll be fine. Don't worry, I'll pay for the Boomers that aren't

 

[rah]

I wouldn't trust the next generation to pay for me.

If I did all the things you accused my generation of doing, I might feel guilty. But since i didn't, I don't.

But remember, you all get the ultimate revenge since you're still younger and we're not. Please enjoy it while you can.

 

[El_Machinae]

The only two that I'm actually frustrated about is the systemic system that causes wealth to transfer upwards. Cuz that had a political solution

And there's also climate change. Boomers had about 100 times the wealth that I did when we found out about it. And it didn't get better the entire time they were much richer than I

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Every generation has to face this, so it's not exactly an insult or a threat. It's life. At least I'll be taken well care of if it happens.

Sure about that?

Unguided money doesn't take care of anything. Guided money can take care of a whole lot of things, but as a general rule it takes care of the guide. You may have the money to be confident that you will be well taken care of, but do you have a trustworthy guide for that money?

 

[Birdjaguar]

No! I know I just wrote my earlier paragraphs today, but this is incorrect.

It's not just the Boomers that are paying for those jobs. Everyone is paying for those jobs, it's just that Boomers have the wealth because it's their turn to have it. The stuff that they used to get that money might not even still be around. It probably isn't. I mean, a retired comedian has money because he made people laugh a decade ago. The laughter was temporary. The dollars lasted longer than the service. It's not like that service propagated itself through time to benefit me. It's not a bridge. It's not a treatment for Alzheimer's. But those dollars exist.

The person taking a Boomer's blood pressure is NOT taking MY pressure. The Boomer is paying paper. This is despite the fact that my current labour is part of the total GDP of the country. I want my blood pressure taken, but I cannot. So, I'm also paying for that medical service, in the form of opportunity cost on the technician's part.

In fact, I even perform a service that the technician values. I'm a great comedian, and they want to come to my club. Ostensibly, we could just swap. But no, the technician must attend the Boomer in order to get the cash to pay to me. In the meantime, I cannot get the technician's services. This is because of the way money works.

It's not a benefit to the next generation that the Boomers are providing jobs. It's just a consequence of the way the wealth was handed out. It's not like Boomers have loaves of bread in a vault that they're handing out in exchange for services, where there's a benefit to the fact they're 'providing work'.

So, I don't actually resent the outcome. Again, I think it's just an expansion of a 'natural' economic cycle when there's a demographic shift. But calling it a favour isn't true either.

A Boomer can point to a bridge, or a space program, or a library, or even a great movie and say "we built this, and now you're better off because we did". But saying "hey look, I have money" isn't a benefit.

The inheritance is the actual. Not the fiscal. When expanded to full scale anyway. "Aren't you lucky you can work for me" only really works when there's a physical transfer of a real asset that's win/win. But most of the transfer isn't a real asset, but a fiat one. By saying to the technician "aren't you glad I hired you to take my blood pressure?", you're also saying "aren't you glad I've denied your services to someone who's actually producing stuff we want?". The technician is pissed if you leave the clinic and outbid for the last scalped ticket to my show, as wel.

edit: any individual transfer will be appreciated, because it is doling out wealth. So, a rich Boomer moving from one town to another will end up benefiting that town. But that's because it's a distribution of wealth in a zero-sum sense. Like it or not, there's legal wealth there, and we're gonna hustle for it.

Aging boomers have created a demand for healthcare services. That not only creates jobs at a variety of skill levels, it also creates the infrastructure necessary to perform those services. In addition, job demand creates a need for training people to do those jobs. I'm not really paying anyone to to take care of me. Our various insurance programs and providers are funding the expansion of the industry. Boomers are just providing a money making opportunity for others. Everyone in a community will have the opportunity to use those new facilities and the skills of the new workforce for their benefit. If a community fails to provide sufficient healthcare, then retirees will go elsewhere.

Furthermore, as we retire and find a place to settle, our "out of area" dollars will fuel economic growth in those areas. Our retirement funds will flow into those communities without the need for a community "pay" for them. In most cases communities have to buy economic growth with subsidies and future tax revenue. Retirees bring new money at low to now cost. Growing your local GDP faster than your population is the key to a wealthier community.

There is a lot of money to be made off boomer retirement.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Sure about that?

Unguided money doesn't take care of anything. Guided money can take care of a whole lot of things, but as a general rule it takes care of the guide. You may have the money to be confident that you will be well taken care of, but do you have a trustworthy guide for that money?

For a tiny 5% fee I will gladly guide my your way to satisfying retirement!