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I think the problem with the Boomers is that its well known they were dealt a pretty good hand with post WWII peace and being one of the few civilizations in the world that was not razed to the ground.
it was certainly not all bad . They were right about civil rights and Vietnam. However they just bit off more than society could chew. People in the past did not choose the things they did. Most of human history was about survival and there is a reason why some of those old ways existed. Even if you go from the horse and buggy to the automobile you can learn from that history on how to implement what is new. The impression we all got was Boomers thought their parents were stupid, evil or both.
In terms of purchasing a first home, student loans, getting the required credentials for even getting our foot in the door in the first place, recent grads have been feeling the heat and have had to pay out the wazoo. I make an alright salary in an extremely high cost of living area, graduated with an engineering degree, and I absolutely laugh at the prospect of me having the 2.3 kids, picket fence, etc. etc. without finding a wife who has a similarly decently paying job - which is rare in this economy
::went to college when school was 2-3k per year and could be paid for with summer job money::
::went to law school under the same circumstances::
::to the extent college became a joke, set the boomer policies that made it so (participation ribbons for all; everyone should go to college; no dumb questions/people; bitchtits soft majors espousing one group or the other is oppressed; emphasized feeling over counting/discovering/observing)::
::worked many fewer hours than youngs as technology has made most high paying jobs (all professional service jobs, most middle management and higher industry jobs) 24/7/365 efforts::
::grew up and worked in one of the greatest periods of growth and prosperity one country has ever experienced in the history of the world::
::didn't save enough for retirement::
::instead bought a used Porsche boxer and ****ty vacation house in Florida which is now 300k underwater::
:asses healthcare law that has effect of youth subsidizing olds (pre-medicare age olds) health insurance::
::refused to subsidize their parent's health insurance in the manner they're demanding of their kids (healthcare debates of 86 and 93)::
::refuses any and all changes to social security and medicare::
::refuses any tax scheme that would pay for same (even with help from youngs)::
::demands younger generations pay for all + interest -- all while knowing younger generation won't get their levels of benefits, if they get anything.::
::Intentionally drives economy off cliff because assume only people that will still be around when it hits the hard rock bottom are kids and grandkids ::
::refused to ever ****ing grow up (see, e.g., all the ads aimed at boomers, often for ED medication, portraying 50+ year old boomers in rock bands, surfing, and rock climbing; the many offices around the country where the greatest generation and the under 40 workers wear suits and the boomers wear rumpled polos and khakis in order to stick it to the man).::
::refused or were incapable of raising kids because they were overgrown children themelves (with a totally cool corvette!)::
::to the extent kids were raised, they were raised to be trophies for the boomer's happiness/contentment/bragging. Another way to oneup Tim Jones next door::
::are on pace to die penniless; they had the greatest wealth of any american generation and are projected to pass on the least to their kids and heirs::
::calls younger kids lazy and entitled::
Each generation gripes about the next generation and visa versa, the greatest generation complained about the boomers and the boomers thought they were superior to the greatest generation (they aren’t) and so on. It isn’t anything new.
Each generation gripes about the next generation and visa versa, the greatest generation complained about the boomers and the boomers thought they were superior to the greatest generation (they aren’t) and so on. It isn’t anything new.
That's right. It's nothing new. We older boomers complained to our parents too. We were right about the Viet Nam War though, which our parents compared wrongly to WWII.
We worked hard and many of us did okay while some struggled, especially after a divorce. Our parents didn't usually get divorced and they had one breadwinner while the other stayed home and did the boring work. That produced unhappy housewives and we didn't want to emulate what we saw of that. Previous generations usually had both spouses at home on the farm or one would go to work near home and be home for lunch. So there wasn't the 50's model of the successful man with the poor, bored housewife feeling worthless and bored with the tedium.
So with boomers both spouses worked and I know some were into conspicuous consumption because I see it on the Retirement Forum. Show offs with huge houses and several cars. But most of us are not like that.
What I see wrong with the younger people is that so many are helpless. They had bad parents who coddled them and they got participation trophies. I saw that happen with the younger Boomers--afraid to say NO to their child. Afraid to hurt their poor wittle feelings. So they are ill equipped to deal with the world. They don't know what to do if they fail at something and they still depend upon their parents too much.
That's the fault of bad parenting, spoiling the kids, by the younger Boomers. They didn't play the part of a parent, they made their kids their best friends instead. I think these "kids" will have to learn the hard way because their Boomer parents didn't teach them how to deal with life's problems. But most of them will learn. Also, maybe one positive result of the pandemic will be that today's kids have had to learn to cope with a few things like masks and school closures and remote learning. It hurts to see them suffer but it could make them stronger and more prepared for life as long as they learn to cope with it. Instead of being coddled, they should be told how brave they are and how well they are learning to cope and to figure things out!
Last edited by in_newengland; 01-26-2022 at 02:28 PM..
Gen X here, and I don't judge a generation. I don't really judge anyone period. What I do is observe, and in every generation, you have sad sacks and you have workers.
My wife and I are Gen X workers. We grind paychecks and have for 30+ years each. We know plenty of Gen X'ers who are shiftless, layabout whiners.
My niece and her boyfriend are Gen Y/Millennials. They grind paychecks and have for close to a decade each. And they know plenty of their generation who are shiftless, layabout whiners.
Etc etc.
Every generation has workers and wastrels. That's called human nature and normal distribution.
Gen X here, and I don't judge a generation. I don't really judge anyone period. What I do is observe, and in every generation, you have sad sacks and you have workers.
My wife and I are Gen X workers. We grind paychecks and have for 30+ years each. We know plenty of Gen X'ers who are shiftless, layabout whiners.
My niece and her boyfriend are Gen Y/Millennials. They grind paychecks and have for close to a decade each. And they know plenty of their generation who are shiftless, layabout whiners.
Etc etc.
Every generation has workers and wastrels. That's called human nature and normal distribution.
We can all go ahead and get over ourselves now.
I know Millennials who got married, had three kids, and moved in with his parents! His poor parents who were just about ready to retire and who don't have a lot of money. They are freeloaders who do not pay rent, do not contribute to any of the electric bills, they buy nice cars for themselves and the only contribution is that he mows the lawn and probably helps with snow removal.
They even told the parents that they should GIVE them the house! Whose fault is it that they turned out like this? Well, the family was kind of dysfunctional when he was growing up but he's wrong in the head to feel so entitled.
But then there are Millennials who have gotten good jobs, bought a small starter home in a not so great neighborhood, and have put off having kids until they can afford them.
As an older Boomer (there are two sets of Boomers, just in case people want to stereotype further, lol) I agree that the parenting has often been poor and also that colleges became too greedy with the money, but where there's a will there's a way. Often Millennials just take a little longer to figure it out, mainly due to poor parenting where they were the "trophy" kids. Most will eventually turn out okay.
That's right. It's nothing new. We older boomers complained to our parents too. We were right about the Viet Nam War though, which our parents compared wrongly to WWII.
We worked hard and many of us did okay while some struggled, especially after a divorce. Our parents didn't usually get divorced and they had one breadwinner while the other stayed home and did the boring work. That produced unhappy housewives and we didn't want to emulate what we saw of that. Previous generations usually had both spouses at home on the farm or one would go to work near home and be home for lunch. So there wasn't the 50's model of the successful man with the poor, bored housewife feeling worthless and bored with the tedium.
So with boomers both spouses worked and I know some were into conspicuous consumption because I see it on the Retirement Forum. Show offs with huge houses and several cars. But most of us are not like that.
What I see wrong with the younger people is that so many are helpless. They had bad parents who coddled them and they got participation trophies. I saw that happen with the younger Boomers--afraid to say NO to their child. Afraid to hurt their poor wittle feelings. So they are ill equipped to deal with the world. They don't know what to do if they fail at something and they still depend upon their parents too much.
That's the fault of bad parenting, spoiling the kids, by the younger Boomers. They didn't play the part of a parent, they made their kids their best friends instead. I think these "kids" will have to learn the hard way because their Boomer parents didn't teach them how to deal with life's problems. But most of them will learn. Also, maybe one positive result of the pandemic will be that today's kids have had to learn to cope with a few things like masks and school closures and remote learning. It hurts to see them suffer but it could make them stronger and more prepared for life as long as they learn to cope with it. Instead of being coddled, they should be told how brave they are and how well they are learning to cope and to figure things out!
My mom was a housewife and majority in my neighborhood my friends mothers stayed home, we had more time playing with our friends, had to earn allowances, nice to always come home from school and smell dinner cooking and older having coffee with my mom…. I wasn’t spoiled and never thought about keeping up with the latest trends at least not till jr high, most kids dressed in the same styles.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,585 posts, read 81,260,275 times
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Maybe that poor engineering grad just isn't trying hard enough. Where I work a young college graduate 3 years ago cam in a a summer intern in electrical engineering, was hired in a permanent Jr. Engineer position, and a year later promoted to a Sr. Design Engineer position, and bought a house.
I don't get the question either. OP seems to think we look down on our own children and grandchildren.
BTW, this thread started in 2011.
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