The Atlantic: The Boomers Ruined Everything

[Blimey]

The Boomers Ruined Everything

I'll start by saying I've thought for many years that Boomers are largely responsible for screwing over the youth in this country as it pertains to their pensions. This article clearly has the same view. I did find some of its arguments tenuous and without much to go on, because boomers alone are not responsible for all of the problems the country faces. There is much generational overlap. So overall not a hugely compelling article.

But back to the pensions thing. This is exactly what I'm talking about, and it's unconscionable that boomers have allowed this to happen. Who pays for this? Their kids. That means me. It also means millennials who are now not only covering 2-3 decades of their grand parents' retirement, but trying to live with terrible, generation-record debt while doing so and a labor market tougher to navigate than ever.

Unfortunately if we look at this chart we must also hold responsible boomers' parents as well. And to be fair, I expect my generation to be equally selfish when we get old and also bitch and whine about "I'm owed this" and "I paid in", even if it punishes our own kids

 

[Mr. terzmo]

"Worried about the kids" "Parents(Boomer's) Fault. IF kids would move out of their "Boomer's" home and support their selves, that would be a start. IF certain "kids" got off public assistance and worked, that would be a start. If kids didn't come home and "borrow" to pay rent,car,insurance but have tattoo's, gold jewelry and $200 sneakers, that would be a start. If kids registered and voted they "could" get the old Politicians out. Fingers are pointed everywhere but maybe most should turn that finger around and stick it in their chest. I have none of the issues suggested. My "kids" are responsible adults who have never asked for a handout....or like some , demanded a handout. Their Parents brought them up right.

 

[Podmonkey]

Pensions? Well that was something negotiated in a contract at least.
No the sin of the boomers was the introduction of mass scale narcissism into American Culture.
No one can deny this, the boomers themselves referred to themselves as the "Me Generation"
Spoiled rotten by the well meaning but ultimately misguided Builder Generation the boomers have started this Nation down the path of self importance, decadence and avarice. Tge concept of personal accountability began to die with the boomers. Every generation since has raced headlong ever faster into cultural annihilation. My generation, generation x, has been even worse. All the vices of the boomers with a great big helping of apathy, lethargy and a truly pronounced lack of any accountability to go with it. We have ruined the millennials with our helicopter parenting and "everyone's a winner" bullshit. And the millennials, oh the millennials. So completely sheltered, so utterly deluded and coddled that in the absence of any real crisis they invent them in their minds, become outraged at anything and everything because they actually believe the world should give the slightest fuck about them personally.
Gen Z, well I have hope for them. I can only hope they see the destructive lunacy of their parents and grandparents and pull back from it.
There are some promising signs, the most interesting of which is that it is said that Gen Z are more entrepreneurial than prior generations. As a matter of necessity, long gone are the days of a working man's wages comfortably supporting a family, and the days of millennials mortgaging their futures on massively overpriced and oft irrelevant college degrees only to get a mediocre office job are coming to a close as well.
We have fallen into this trap of employment under others, laboring to make others money but not for ourselves. But in an age of automation and mass illegal immigration Gen X has no other choice but to go into business for themselves, the jobs are running out. So you go Gen Z, next time some millennial screams at you for being insensitive or problematic or not inclusive enough you bust out their teeth and tell them to fuck off. Go make a small fortune as an independent content creator on alternative social media or something. When they are making their own money they are going to question hard why they should give so much of it back to the government. And if the can carry that on into the era where they are to lead maybe they can unfuck this country. Gen Z doesn't owe us shit. You young folk, just let us older fucks die, pay us no mind.

 

[Mr. terzmo]

Boomer's work...work hard. Now We retire and should enjoy it and NOT be burdened with BS finger pointing whiner's of who's at fault. Greed,lazy, irresponsibility, etc is where the finger should be pointed.

 

[Podmonkey]

Boomer's work...work hard. Now We retire and should enjoy it and NOT be burdened with BS finger pointing whiner's of who's at fault. Greed,lazy, irresponsibility, etc is where the finger should be pointed.

We all work hard. Work harder and harder for less and less. For example in the 70s a hard working trucker pulling a van or reefer would make $100,000 year in today's dollars. Now days that same trucker would be doing around $65,000 a year.

 

[Modean]

I don't recall being given a choice about paying into Social Security over the past 30+ years. Yes, I absolutely expect to collect the pension I was promised, and I have zero guilt about it.

 

[Podmonkey]

I don't recall being given a choice about paying into Social Security over the past 30+ years. Yes, I absolutely expect to collect the pension I was promised, and I have zero guilt about it.

I ain't gonna see a dime of that shit.

 

[Paxal]

Hind sight is 20/20. Pension negotiations were...negotiations. No one thinks seven generations ahead...but they should. No one really cares about the children of their children when money is involved. This article is eye opening, but pointless unless it leads to a change in the hearts and minds of the millenial generation and those that follow. I’m a “boomer” and for years I’ve taken issue with the “me” generation. But, all I can do about it is resiste it personally. “You can not end evil in the world, you can only resist it in yourself.” That old saying applies to almost everything in life. Live according to that (in a different form it’s called, “The Golden Rule”) and most of these problems work themselves out. The hard part is simply applying it, when it forces you to do something that is not in your immediate self-interest. That’s the rub, that’s always the rub.

 

[Mr. terzmo]

I ain't gonna see a dime of that shit.

The Dems want to give you a grand a month

 

[tony]

If something bad happens it’s always someone else’s fault...

Hmmmm...

 

[Phazer]

It is NOT just about pensions.

Post-WWII, the baby boomer generation started to create an "entitlement state." Based on emotion, they sought to craft a world based on what they "felt" and not on what was practically feasible. Those Progressives believed that government could perfect humanity. That "perfection" and drive to their unobtainable Utopia had a cost and required tremendous deficit spending. But, since it was meant to improve our society, the cost was deemed to be worth it by the Progressives (in both parties). They launched their "wars" on poverty, homelessness, and drug use. They indoctrinated the rising generations to believe in their Utopian dreams. In the end, their spending accomplished almost nothing for our society except to leave us with soul-crushing fiscal debt and ever-expanding deficits.

What did the Progressive's spending accomplish, then? It secured incumbency for politicians that bought into the massive "entitlement" and pork barrel spending. Thus, both parties used massive deficit spending to secure personal power and firmly entrench "The Establishment" in the federal government. Out of that Establishment, we got the Deep State - our "moral superiors" who will guide use and save us from ourselves...even at our own peril.

As someone poignantly once stated (paraphrase): " The government no longer taxes to get the money it needs to spend. The government now spends all of the money that it gets through taxes."

Government now exists to promote government. The people who pay taxes are merely the peons who are worked to provide for the government. As long as those in government can personally benefit from the labor of taxpayers, those officials will continue to do so evermore.

 

[Cavalry]

"Worried about the kids" "Parents(Boomer's) Fault. IF kids would move out of their "Boomer's" home and support their selves, that would be a start.

I agree with where you are coming from, but boomers ended in the mid 60's. They would likely be staying with their Gen X and early Gen Y parents.

 

[ajoe59]

I don't recall being given a choice about paying into Social Security over the past 30+ years. Yes, I absolutely expect to collect the pension I was promised, and I have zero guilt about it.

You're 100% correct. The social security system was well planed and should of worked. If greedy politicions didn't tap into it, excuse me, steal money from it, it would be in good shape. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Wait till the state pensions start to run out of money. And again, those employees paid into that fund with there own money.

 

[Mr. terzmo]

I agree with where you are coming from, but boomers ended in the mid 60's. They would likely be staying with their Gen X and early Gen Y parents.

My Brother was born in 1959..last year of Boomers....2 children..3 grandchildren and son in law live with him

 

[Uzi]

"Well not me and my kids"

 

[reinhardt]

I am a Boomer. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa. I would like to add 1 thought to this conversation. Might there not be a great transference of wealth to the children and grandchildren of Boomers once they die? There should be accumulated capital to be left to the heirs. I would hope that every dime rec'd as pensions, Social Security 401k's, etc. is not entirely spent during the"Golden Years". $ from selling houses and other physical assets will go to the adult children. Boomers should be running to elder care lawyers to plan on how to prevent losing assets when the time comes for the pre dirt nap assisted living phase of life arrives.

 

[Podmonkey]

Hind sight is 20/20. Pension negotiations were...negotiations. No one thinks seven generations ahead...but they should. No one really cares about the children of their children when money is involved. This article is eye opening, but pointless unless it leads to a change in the hearts and minds of the millenial generation and those that follow. I’m a “boomer” and for years I’ve taken issue with the “me” generation. But, all I can do about it is resiste it personally. “You can not end evil in the world, you can only resist it in yourself.” That old saying applies to almost everything in life. Live according to that (in a different form it’s called, “The Golden Rule”) and most of these problems work themselves out. The hard part is simply applying it, when it forces you to do something that is not in your immediate self-interest. That’s the rub, that’s always the rub.

Here's the thing: I think any honest, decent, right thinking person today hates their own generation. Unless you were born before WW2 or something.
You hate your boomers, I hate my gen xers, I know my little brother hates his fellow millennials. My brother, let me tell you something about my little bro, he is a pure throwback to the Builder Generation. Busts his ass like no one in this country does anymore. Blue collar workin' man, taking care of his wife, 3 kids and the dog. When he was younger he worked like an absolute madman to get established, set up in a house to start his family. That kid would double shift everyday at whatever job he had then he would go do his part time side thing. Not kidding, that not would work 48 hours straight sometimes. They don't make em like my brother anymore, that's for sure. I'm glad he has a good job now that he can work mostly like a regular person now, have time to spend with his family.

 

[Podmonkey]

The Dems want to give you a grand a month

Oh, yeah. They'll give you a thousand dollars then take back nine hundred ninety nine.
We used to sing about that shit.
The reality though is they will give you a grand and tax your employer ten grand and that puts you out of work and you are groveling for your sub-subsistence gov't money like a slave. Which is what they want.

 

[tirwin1]

I don't recall being given a choice about paying into Social Security over the past 30+ years. Yes, I absolutely expect to collect the pension I was promised, and I have zero guilt about it.

Except it really wasn't a pension. It was a generational ponzi scheme.

I've had this discussion with my 86 year old father whose personal obsession is politicians that threaten social security. He talks about how SS dollars have been misused over the years. That is true to a certain extent. But the simple fact is he has received far more in SS payments than he ever put into the system - even assuming very generous investment returns.

The SS system was predicated on two basic assumptions:
1. The average life expectancy was not much greater than 65
2. There would be an ever expanding pool of working age people to pay for retiree's benefits

Fast forward to 2019. The average life expectancy is much greater than 65 so the payouts each month are cumulatively more than any individual contribution. And the ratio of workers contributing to SS versus retirees is much smaller. This situation cannot go on forever. The govt has given everyone a warning. If you look at your SS statement (in the fine print) it says that unless there are reforms by 2034 only 79% of the scheduled benefits will be paid out. I expect that figure to actually go down because once the general population realizes this there will be a rush of early retirements as people try to get as much as possible before the system comes crashing down.

The boomers made things worse because they didn't make the structural changes necessary to fix the problem. But the structural problem was present at the creation. Thanks FDR, you lying weasel.

 

[Podmonkey]

Except it really wasn't a pension. It was a generational ponzi scheme.

I've had this discussion with my 86 year old father whose personal obsession is politicians that threaten social security. He talks about how SS dollars have been misused over the years. That is true to a certain extent. But the simple fact is he has received far more in SS payments than he ever put into the system - even assuming very generous investment returns.

The SS system was predicated on two basic assumptions:
1. The average life expectancy was not much greater than 65
2. There would be an ever expanding pool of working age people to pay for retiree's benefits

Fast forward to 2019. The average life expectancy is much greater than 65 so the payouts each month are cumulatively more than any individual contribution. And the ratio of workers contributing to SS versus retirees is much smaller. This situation cannot go on forever. The govt has given everyone a warning. If you look at your SS statement (in the fine print) it says that unless there are reforms by 2034 only 79% of the scheduled benefits will be paid out. I expect that figure to actually go down because once the general population realizes this there will be a rush of early retirements as people try to get as much as possible before the system comes crashing down.

The boomers made things worse because they didn't make the structural changes necessary to fix the problem. But the structural problem was present at the creation. Thanks FDR, you lying weasel.

FDR fucked this country hard, no lube.

 

[Phazer]

FDR fucked this country hard, no lube.

YES!

Want to know how bad? Read: New Deal or Raw Deal?: How FDR's Economic Legacy Has Damaged America https://www.amazon.com/New-Deal-Raw-Economic-Damaged/dp/1416592377

 

[Airborneguy]

@Podmonkey I’m a GenX’er and I love “us”. I think our generation truly had the best of both worlds, especially those of us who were slightly older in the 80’s than I was. Say like born in 1970 or so. Our only major suck is that all of our best musicians OD’d or killed themselves.

 

[Phazer]

@Podmonkey I’m a GenX’er and I love “us”. I think our generation truly had the best of both worlds, especially those of us who were slightly older in the 80’s than I was. Say like born in 1970 or so.

I'm still stuck in the 80s! (My wife hates my mp3 collection now: "You've been listening to that stuff for 35 years. Enough already!")

We got to watch and participate in the evolution of video games. We grew up without, and then with, personal computers. We can remember needing pay phones while being able to embrace smart phones. We got to enjoy movies like "Meatballs" and "Stripes" that could not be made today because of harming sensibilities. We remember seeing the original Star Wars films in theaters...multiple times. We can remember thumbing through TV Guide to find out when "our" shows were going to be on, what they were up against, and having to decide what to watch because we didn't have VCRs yet. We remember actually having to talk to our friends. High school in the 80s was the prototype for the current set of "rebels" (spiked hair, colored hair, mods, punks, grunge, etc.) We also had Miami Vice and SNL when it was good (Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Tim Kazarinsky, Dana Carvy). We got to see the heyday of the mid-late 80s excesses that were made possible by the Reagan economy.

Man! I miss the 80s.

 

[Airborneguy]

Spot on. We were the end of the real people. Most who came after us (and even many Gen X’ers) are totally digital world freaks.

 

[BDinPutnam]

I'm with you guys.

'75 baby here.

 

[Phazer]

I'm with you guys.

'75 baby here.

I'm sorry. You missed high school in the 80s. I'm class of '87. So I was right in it.

But we can all get a feel for those times by watching John Hughes' films: The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, and Weird Science.

When I worked at a video club, I used to recommend "The Breakfast Club" for anyone who'd ever been in or through high school. Those character archetypes are timeless.

 

[Airborneguy]

I'm '78. Started high school in 1993. But I remember the 80's well from the active kid end and also because my coolest uncle is only 10 years older than me so my cousin and I (grew up like brothers) had someone to show us all the cool kid stuff

 

[fresch]

So most of you missed the sex,drugs, and rock n roll, years.
It was/is the political game still going on today, they (politicians) tell you one thing then do an other all the while stealing from us all. Why do you think the tax system is so hard to follow. Who is the central bank?
All we need is a good ground war to thin the herd, again. But like LBJ there is money to be made in war. Someone will need to pour the concrete, build the bases etc..

 

[Phazer]

So most of you missed the sex,drugs, and rock n roll, years.

Can't argue with that.

In the 80s, we also saw the rise of HIV and AIDS. So....that put a damper on a lot.

 

[BDinPutnam]

All we need is a good ground war to thin the herd, again.

What ground war that "thinned the herd" of Americans, was a good thing?