Quote:
Originally Posted by NHartphotog
I'm talking about actual cases. Yup, the early Baby Boomers were our parents. On one side, a truck driver with a stay at home wife, on the other a salesman with a stay at home wife. Both had full health care coverage for the families. The truck driver did very well and got a very generous pension, and retired at age 62 to travel the world. The salesman didn't have a pension but only worked 20 hours a week for the last 10 years until he, too retired at 62. He saved enough to pay for retirement until their deaths at 76 and 87. They get Social Security and Medicare.
Then our generation: all two-income families who had to pay for advanced education (not required for our parents). Our entire lives were during the wage stagnation that began at the end of the 1970s. Jobs were always incredibly difficult to get. Cost shifting of benefits began early, and soon outrageous health care costs were 50% ours. By being born after 1960, our Social Security retirement have already been moved to age 67, if we get any at all--which there's no way we will. Pensions disappeared or were legally voided--even after full vesting. Today, our employers expect 80 hours a week, 50 weeks out of the year, and the 2 weeks of vacation on the phone with the office most of the day.
All I'm saying is that the EARLY Baby Boomers, and those born shortly before them, saw the BEST quality of life in return for hours worked, that ANY demographic group has ever had, in the history of the world. Not every one of them lucked out, but the vast majority did.
I don't think the late Baby Boomers--or anyone coming after--will do nearly as well, overall. They will be MUCH poorer, have to work MANY more hours, and the vast majority will end up far poorer than then would have if they had been born in better times.
Sorry for those who feel attacked, or who resent anyone not singing PollyAnna songs. I'm saying our nation and our economy are NOT moving in the right direction, and it is NOT good for coming generations. We need to STOP the Free Trade fiasco, STOP the endless foreign Wars, STOP crushing the working class and the small businesses with the weight of massive government that doesn't solve ANYONE's poverty problems.
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I'm of the earliest group and here's my tale:
Had a father who returned from 4 years overseas in 1945, and obviously celebrated his return with my creation. He drummed it into his children that a college, university, or failing either of those a 'skilled trade' was going to be absolutely necessary to compete with what he determined would be a mechanicly, technological driven economy of the future. His words; "machines will rule!"
I took the skilled trades route with taking and attaining certification in 3 trades. Heavy Duty diesel mechanic, general machinist, and 4th class stationary engineer. I worked the bulk of my working life in the machinery trades using at some point each one of these trades; NEVER UNEMPLOYED.
My point is: I got good parental advice and HEEDED it! Those of you who perhaps thought you could drop out of grade 11 and bring up a family have no one but yourselves to blame for your inability to excell.
If you had more than one functioning brain cell you could easily have predicted the way the world was going in relation to technology by just looking at the routine items on display in any store front from week to week or better yet on any car lot. To say you've been ambushed or taken by surprise is complete and utter crap!
Entrenpreneurship came into it's zenith years during your upbringing and if you failed to find your "brass ring" it ain't no ones fault but your own!
Yep; the days might be gone where all you needed to have a fairly decent job with benefits was a willingness to work. Blaming boomers for that is disengenuous in the extreme. We didn't foster illegal immigration. We didn't train skilled trades by the millions in eastern europe to then rely on those skilled trades immigration to man our factories here.
Your very school system is partly to blame. That bullcrap preached by guidance counsellors; "it's either a doctorate or a failure". is mainly to blame.
I bought my first house in 1969, as a batchelor, when all my buddies were out buying toys on time payments, a 1600 sq ft bungalow, paid it off in 76 and STILL live in it. I didn't lust after the 2800 sq ft 4bdrm, 3 bthrm with the three car garage and a toy in each bay. After marrying in mid 70's, we renovated and added to it but kept within common sence for a working couple. I contributed to a 'defined benefit' penison fund from the time I was 21 and old enough to take responsibility for my own retirement planning. I continued to contribute to that fund regardless of where I was employed or a member of my employer's fund or not. Now it's gravy time for me, but it's all based on early decisions taken that involved some sacrifice on my part.
We didn't do without. My wife and I are partners in every sense of the word and both worked for over 40 years.
You want it all from the get go? Guess what, every purchase you make with borrowed money is costing you more than you could ever imagine! The interest you're paying HFC on that washer dryer is discretionary income you don't get to use for a beneficial purpose.
You live in a country noted for generations for it's freedoms and with that comes some responsibilities: you are free to choose! Choose wisely or take the consequences without whining!
Yes it's really that simple!
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