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That was also when the first wave of the Millennials began to be born. That recession pretty much directed the course of the future in terms of school and jobs for Millennials. Boomer and some X parents pushed their Millies to excel in school to get into a good college to be sure they would be living well off right out of college. Well, that didn't happen did it? Just like their grandparents and their grandparents, the Millennials are coming of age during economic disruptions. Their ancestors came of age during the Great Depression, now the Millies are coming of during the Great Recession. And this is a cycle of 80 years in the making.
I disagree about the early 80s recession being worse, the unemployment rate today is actually higher than what the govt. officials show. We are much worse off in terms of spending and the federal debt and deficit.
The unemployment rate was fudged back then, too. What you don't take into account was that coming into that recession (which actually was a continuation of the one that started in 1973 with the first of the oil price shocks) was that inflation was high single/low double digits and interest rates were touching 20%
Being a Gen Xer I am between the two generations. I have a preference for boomers over Gen Y. I like boomers politcally as they are more diverse while Gen Y is around 80% liberal Democrat.
But it's reality shows such as Jersey Shore that really turned me against Gen Y. Boomers were just so much more likeable. Of course I am being very general. I'm sure there are many individual Gen Yers I would like and boomers I wouldn't.
Being a Gen Xer I am between the two generations. I have a preference for boomers over Gen Y. I like boomers politcally as they are more diverse while Gen Y is around 80% liberal Democrat.
But it's reality shows such as Jersey Shore that really turned me against Gen Y. Boomers were just so much more likeable. Of course I am being very general. I'm sure there are many individual Gen Yers I would like and boomers I wouldn't.
They are more collectivist than liberal, given the right leadership they could easily sway to classical liberalism. They were just wowed by Obama.
Being a Gen Xer I am between the two generations. I have a preference for boomers over Gen Y. I like boomers politcally as they are more diverse while Gen Y is around 80% liberal Democrat.
But it's reality shows such as Jersey Shore that really turned me against Gen Y. Boomers were just so much more likeable. Of course I am being very general. I'm sure there are many individual Gen Yers I would like and boomers I wouldn't.
The younger generation may be more liberal, but I don't they're that liberal.
About a third of the Mills I know are Republican, a third are Democrat and another third being Independent or having no party.
Most I know are against abortion, many I know believe marriage is supposed to be a man and a woman, so there are still some pretty conservative ones.
Like most P&OC threads, this thread would be much improved if it acknowledged that all members of any particular group do not think or feel 100% one way or another on any issue; i.e., Why do some Baby Boomers look down on Gen Y?
I'm a Boomer, and I don't "look down on Gen Y" ... nor do I think that my parents' generation was "the greatest generation."
Each generation is faced with difficulties; each has its victories and its defeats; each has its good points and bad.
We look down on you because we're usually standing up while you're sitting down.
Of course while you're sitting you are catching up on Facebook, sending tweets, downloading games and asking for a day off when you have no leave accumulated.
All kidding aside, what pisses off the Boomer in me is the incessant whining about how tough it is. This isn't the first recession the US has had and it won't be the last. The Boomers went through several and after each one, especially the 1981-83 one (which was arguably worse than today) the whole nature of work changed. That stranded a lot of people and all of a sudden the old rules of having a high school diploma and a willingness to work didn't apply anymore. That was when the push for "college for all" started.
Also many Gen Y, and a fair number of Gen X, seem to have a sense of entitlement-they want the quick promotion, they want a "starter" home that is what took their parents decades to get, if they ever did. You wouldn't believe the number of 20 to 35 year olds I talk to that just absolutely can not survive in anything less than 4000 sq. ft. for two people.
I just re-read your original and I'd like to know what summer job in the 1960s and early 70s, when minimum wage was between $1/hr and $2.50/hr, would get you enough to pay tuition? That's just more bull****, to go with some of the rest. To give perspective I worked a factory job in the mid 70s that paid $4.65/hour. Top rate at that unionized factory was $11.50/hr for a journeyman electrician.
So if the next generation has a problem moping floors at McDonalds to pay off their massive college loan they are incessant whiners?
We are not in an ordinary "recession." Did the privately owned Federal Reserve Print money 24/7 in 1981-83 to prevent a total collapse? No. We are NOT coming out of this one. We do not have the manufacturing capacity that we had in 1981 to pull us out of this mess.
I agree that life has always been tough although the Baby Boomers enjoyed the best years of this formerly great country. I hope they enjoyed the self-indulgent ride because we are about to pay the piper and experience a whole new level of misery. Simply printing money and throwing it at the problem won't fix it.]
If anything the Millennials are coddled and pampered way to much. Remember, they are the "Baby on Board" generation. The boomer's want to still helicopter around them and protect them.
Gen-X is the generation hated by the boomers.
Yeah, I was going to say something along the lines that all generations basically seem to hate one another. There's a poster on here who says really terrible things about gen X but I think he's a Gen Yer because I get the impression he's in his early 20's. But it does seem Gen X gets the brunt of the abuse.
We look down on you because we're usually standing up while you're sitting down.
Of course while you're sitting you are catching up on Facebook, sending tweets, downloading games and asking for a day off when you have no leave accumulated.
All kidding aside, what pisses off the Boomer in me is the incessant whining about how tough it is. This isn't the first recession the US has had and it won't be the last. The Boomers went through several and after each one, especially the 1981-83 one (which was arguably worse than today) the whole nature of work changed. That stranded a lot of people and all of a sudden the old rules of having a high school diploma and a willingness to work didn't apply anymore. That was when the push for "college for all" started.
Also many Gen Y, and a fair number of Gen X, seem to have a sense of entitlement-they want the quick promotion, they want a "starter" home that is what took their parents decades to get, if they ever did. You wouldn't believe the number of 20 to 35 year olds I talk to that just absolutely can not survive in anything less than 4000 sq. ft. for two people.
I just re-read your original and I'd like to know what summer job in the 1960s and early 70s, when minimum wage was between $1/hr and $2.50/hr, would get you enough to pay tuition? That's just more bull****, to go with some of the rest. To give perspective I worked a factory job in the mid 70s that paid $4.65/hour. Top rate at that unionized factory was $11.50/hr for a journeyman electrician.
I wholeheartely agree about the younger crowd and the Facebook/tweeting/texting/entitlement attitudes many have, but I work with some older Boomer folk who just can't seem to figure out how to work multiple lines on a telephone switchboard, how to copy and paste, or scan a report on a xerox machine no matter how many times their hand is held and they're shown...and they've worked with the company for years.
Boomers are the most self-indulgent, overrated generation ever. Terrific post.
Well of course .. Afterall, we built all of the stuff you guys seem to take so for granted .. I kind of wonder, if we had been lazy, what you guys would be doing about now .. oh I know .. you would be watching 3 UHF channels on TV, or listening to AM Radio ..
Is it going to take another world war for you guys to get off your butts and build something worthwhile?
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