The Baby Boomer Question

[LARPing_wokeNPC]

I understand your point of view very well. I just refuse to accept the blame for the fact that your generation happened to be born after the "powers that be" plunged America into decline.

A generation isn't what caused the decline of America.

Essentially, the wealth of America is being harvested by the handful of people who have the power to do so. If you can think deeply enough on the matter you will eventually understand where that power comes from. Blaming fellow Americans of a certain age group is ridiculous. They have no more power to do anything about it than you do.

Every generation has had gatekeepers and every generation has to play the hand they are dealt.

I associate America’s plunge with the Boomers because the most foolish plays have been made by leaders from that generation once they started taking positions of power, which is pretty much from the 90’s onwards. And this despite being dealt a great hand which was pretty much their game to lose. To name a few- gutting the manufacturing base and outsourcing it overseas, changing student debt laws, the war on terror, 2008 crash, bailouts, QE… the national deficit and the money printing has gone exponential under the Boomer‘s watch.

At least the WW2 generation had the sense to keep the deficit relatively in check because they had lived through that war and the depression.

I understand your point that one generation isn’t alone to blame. The country has been creeping towards this point for much longer than that, but it did begin to tremendously misstep in a much more irreversible, accelerated way once Boomers got into power.

 

[Elipe]

Basically, everyone is being trained to point their finger at a generation instead of pointing it at the *real* source of the problem.

It's another example of the propaganda that's being pushed out there today.

Don't get me wrong, there absolutely is a satanic conspiracy.

But don't hide behind conspiracy theories. Not everything you dislike is a conspiracy. Like I said, it's a common enough direct, firsthand experience on the part of many millennials who have been exposed to their boomer relatives. This isn't brainwashing millennials to hate boomers because of some intangible, invisible attribute like racial original sin (white privilege) or being born comfortable with what's between your legs (cis-hetero-normativeness or whatever they call it). The Boomer Question is a very much real one, driven by direct observation.

It's not a bunch of distant CEOs and politicians with no relation to people that the Boomer Question is about. It's about Uncle Boomer who shows up at the family Thanksgiving gathering. The pattern plays out, and there are many Uncle Boomers and Dad Boomers and Mom Boomers who millennials can relate with each other over. Those are people that millennials see with their own eyeballs and hear with their own ears. People that share a common denial of current reality with regard to economics and culture, which frustrates millennials to no end because they feel like their own parents don't understand them or why they're struggling so much to follow in their parents' footsteps.

 

[Trewolla]

Every generation has had gatekeepers and every generation has to play the hand they are dealt.

I associate America’s plunge with the Boomers because the most foolish plays have been made by leaders from that generation once they started taking positions of power, which is pretty much from the 90’s onwards. And this despite being dealt a great hand which was pretty much their game to lose. To name a few- gutting the manufacturing base and outsourcing it overseas, changing student debt laws, the war on terror, 2008 crash, bailouts, QE… the national deficit and the money printing has gone exponential under the Boomer‘s watch.

At least the WW2 generation had the sense to keep the deficit relatively in check because they had lived through that war and the depression.

I understand your point that one generation isn’t alone to blame. The country has been creeping towards this point for much longer than that, but it did begin to tremendously misstep in a much more irreversible, accelerated way once Boomers got into power.

Yes, but you're alluding to the power brokers who were in charge "during" the Boomer generation. Those elements were in power before the Boomer generation and they're in power today.

The "Boomer blame" narrative is much more personal. It attacks individual members of the Boomer generation. Societal changes took place during the 60s. The individual members of the Boomer generation had about as much to do with them as the Millennials have to do with the societal changes taking place today.

Antifa and BLM activism is being orchestrated by the same power broker element which orchestrated the activism of the 60s.

Again--at its root its Satanic.

20 years ago I wouldn't have seen nor believed in the Satanic influence in society's problems. Today it's "in your face" so flagrantly that I can't believe that everybody doesn't see it.

I guess it's easier to believe that it was all caused by a generation.

 

[Trewolla]

Don't get me wrong, there absolutely is a satanic conspiracy.

But don't hide behind conspiracy theories. Not everything you dislike is a conspiracy. Like I said, it's a common enough direct, firsthand experience on the part of many millennials who have been exposed to their boomer relatives. This isn't Da Jooz brainwashing millennials to hate boomers because of some intangible, invisible attribute like racial original sin (white privilege) or being born comfortable with what's between your legs (cis-hetero-normativeness or whatever they call it). The Boomer Question is a very much real one, driven by direct observation.

It's not a bunch of distant CEOs and politicians with no relation to people that the Boomer Question is about. It's about Uncle Boomer who shows up at the family Thanksgiving gathering. The pattern plays out, and there are many Uncle Boomers and Dad Boomers and Mom Boomers who millennials can relate with each other over. Those are people that millennials see with their own eyeballs and hear with their own ears. People that share a common denial of current reality with regard to economics and culture, which frustrates millennials to no ends because they feel like their own parents don't understand them or why they're struggling so much to follow in their parents' footsteps.

I haven't used the word "conspiracy" or the term "conspiracy theory"

I said that the evil we're experiencing in America today has a Satanic origin. It's goes much deeper than any conspiracy.

 

[Trewolla]

Don't get me wrong, there absolutely is a satanic conspiracy.

But don't hide behind conspiracy theories. Not everything you dislike is a conspiracy. Like I said, it's a common enough direct, firsthand experience on the part of many millennials who have been exposed to their boomer relatives. This isn't brainwashing millennials to hate boomers because of some intangible, invisible attribute like racial original sin (white privilege) or being born comfortable with what's between your legs (cis-hetero-normativeness or whatever they call it). The Boomer Question is a very much real one, driven by direct observation.

It's not a bunch of distant CEOs and politicians with no relation to people that the Boomer Question is about. It's about Uncle Boomer who shows up at the family Thanksgiving gathering. The pattern plays out, and there are many Uncle Boomers and Dad Boomers and Mom Boomers who millennials can relate with each other over. Those are people that millennials see with their own eyeballs and hear with their own ears. People that share a common denial of current reality with regard to economics and culture, which frustrates millennials to no end because they feel like their own parents don't understand them or why they're struggling so much to follow in their parents' footsteps.

I didn't have an optimum experience with the generation before me either. They were very big on conscription servitude. We didn't pass that on to Gen X.

 

[MartyMcFly]

For those quick to blame boomers, you might want to look at the dates of birth of 'the squad' which are the most radical members of congress. They are all Gen-X and Millennials. Many of the most dangerous politicians that millennials love so much like Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Nancy Pelosi are actually members of the silent generation and I don't hear the silent generation being blamed for things.

The Squad (United States Congress) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Even if the boomers messed up the USA, do you really believe that the younger generations are making basic efforts to change this by embracing proper traditional values? Gen X and the Millennials have enough votes to elect politicians with views similar to pat Buchanan but they don't seem to want to.

We can fairly blame boomers when younger people are voting for better candidates by huge margins but these candidates lose simply because of the boomer vote.

"Power to the (Young) People: How Millennials and Gen Z Helped Elect Joe Biden President" - Jill Quadagno, Ph.D. | November 2021

Guns, climate change, racial justice, and the response to COVID-19 all alienated younger voters from the Trump administration and lead to the election of Joe Biden.

www.mheducation.com

"Overall, 65 percent of voters ages 18 to 24 voted for Biden, as did 54 percent of voters ages 25 to 29"

Note that boomers favored Trump over Biden. Do people really think Trump is a worse president than Biden?

Behind Biden’s 2020 Victory

A new analysis of 2020 validated voters examines change and continuity in the electorate, both of which contributed to Joe Biden’s victory. It looks at how new voters and voters who turned out in either 2016, 2018 or both voted in the 2020 presidential election, and offers a detailed portrait of...

www.pewresearch.org

Note: I am not tagging all Gen-X and Millennials with the same brush. You can see that even on radical college campuses, there are conservative organizations that invite speakers on their campuses and ask reasonable questions and politely listen.

I will blame boomers for making things worse, but will younger generations improve things?

 

[Trewolla]

I will blame boomers for making things worse, but will younger generations improve things?

But,....but,...it's not the fault of the younger generations. The only generation required to accept responsibility for the condition of the world is the Boomer generation. All subsequent and previous generations get a pass.

Again,...the Mt Everest of hypocrisy.

The truth is, western society has been in decline for quite some time. The first half of the 20th century contained the Great Depression and two world wars. A fairly brief era of prosperity existed in America at the close of WW2. But once it ripened, the power brokers decided to harvest it.

The Boomer generation was fortunate enough to pass through during an era of prosperity, but they neither caused it nor ended it.

 

[The Penitent Man]

I love browsing this thread every now and again. It gives me a good laugh to see the back and forth. I’m not all aboard the boomer hate train, but some jokes just write themselves (or boomers write them in their own defense). I stumbled upon the following old article just by typing in “boomer” to an image search. Not sure if it’s satire (it doesn’t appear to be), but it sure belongs in this thread. Enjoy:

How the Baby Boomers Saved Everything by P.J. O'Rourke

As the last of the boomers generation turns 50 and more retire, P. J. O'Rourke discusses this wealthy, educated, spoiled-rotten generation.

www.aarp.org

Edit: It appears this was written as tongue in cheek comedy, but it’s really not that funny. These people just aren’t serious about anything.

 

[Trewolla]

I love browsing this thread every now and again. It gives me a good laugh to see the back and forth. I’m not all aboard the boomer hate train, but some jokes just write themselves (or boomers write them in their own defense). I stumbled upon the following old article just by typing in “boomer” to an image search. Not sure if it’s satire (it doesn’t appear to be), but it sure belongs in this thread. Enjoy:

How the Baby Boomers Saved Everything by P.J. O'Rourke

As the last of the boomers generation turns 50 and more retire, P. J. O'Rourke discusses this wealthy, educated, spoiled-rotten generation.

www.aarp.org

Considering that the AARP is a blatantly leftist organization, it's easy to believe that an article like that is intended to generate Boomer hate.

The left is all about division--especially as it involves Caucasians--and the Boomer hate movement is extremely divisive and almost exclusively a Caucasian phenomenon.

 

[MartyMcFly]

But,....but,...it's not the fault of the younger generations. The only generation required to accept responsibility for the condition of the world is the Boomer generation. All subsequent and previous generations get a pass.

Again,...the Mt Everest of hypocrisy.

The truth is, western society has been in decline for quite some time. The first half of the 20th century contained the Great Depression and two world wars. A fairly brief era of prosperity existed in America at the close of WW2. But once it ripened, the power brokers decided to harvest it.

The Boomer generation was fortunate enough to pass through during an era of prosperity, but they neither caused it nor ended it.

Boomers could have voted for leaders that would have fixed many of these problems and ensured society was fairer and that things would be better for the next generation. Many of the power brokers were boomers such as George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and trump and Obama. This means that from 1992-2020, we have had boomers as presidents. Have these boomers made the nation better or worse? Boomers had a lot of years at the top of power to make the nation better and they blew their chances.

For other issues like drugs and divorce and abortion, boomers were not forced to do these things but many decided to embrace them. My guess is that most crack users in the 1980's and 1990's when it was at a huge peak were boomers (just one example).

Lets hope that Millennials and Gen Z will say 'enough is enough' and decide to choose leaders that will make divorce harder, end all racism (meaning all races are treated equally), ban homosexual marriage, kick out all illegals and fix the border, and end free trade agreements to protect American jobs. They can also write their congressmen stating their views and requesting the congressmen vote for more traditional values. I tried recently asking them not to vote for Ukraine support (writing failed in this case, maybe the next issue it will help). So far they are not off to a good start though.

Simply living by decent values in their own lives and setting good examples for their peers and questioning those that behave badly will be a huge start and possible the next generation will turn America around.

 

[Trewolla]

Many of the power brokers were boomers such as George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and trump and Obama.

Those people were under the thumb of the power brokers--yes--even Trump.

 

[Trewolla]

Lets hope that Millennials and Gen Z will say 'enough is enough'

Gen Z is still a bit too young to see where they'll land. But the Millennials are old enough to get a take on how they lean. It doesn't look very positive.

Millennials grew up at ground zero of the current propaganda campaign. It doesn't seem like they're able to screen it very well.

 

[MartyMcFly]

Considering that the AARP is a blatantly leftist organization, it's easy to believe that an article like that is intended to generate Boomer hate.

The left is all about division--especially as it involves Caucasians--and the Boomer hate movement is extremely divisive and almost exclusively a Caucasian phenomenon.

The article is funny (although obviously with liberal bias) and has a lot of interesting facts thrown in. One part I found the author was wrong about:

"Boomers didn't exactly create a race-blind society, but the kids we've raised might."

This is funny because the young people seem more racist than boomers and gen-X. They make everything about race.

 

[Caduceus]

Lets hope that Millennials and Gen Z will say 'enough is enough' and decide to choose leaders that will....

The time when you could fix society's problems with voting and elections is long past.

At this stage only a ruthless strongman dictator, civil war, huge natural disaster, or a deadly plague (not the fake one we've had since 2020) can reverse the awful situation the western world finds itself in.

 

[MartyMcFly]

Those people were under the thumb of the power brokers--yes--even Trump.

They could have refused to listen to the power brokers and voted with integrity. They could have told the truth as well about who is trying to manipulate things.

 

[DanielH]

I don't see a lot go "gloating". Painting Boomers as a group who sits around and "gloats" is just a disingenuous way to generate hate for a generation.

I disagree with boomer hate but I do see this often with boomers. Two very wealthy boomers I know with multiple homes and several children each brag that they're not going to leave anything for their children- they'll spend it all in their last years having fun.

In this thread I see boomer posters calling out us younger generations for being terrible. As much in that direction as the other. Yes by any objective measure the younger generations are terrible. What little we've been given we waste more frivolously than the boomers. The boomers are our parents and grandparents though so it comes off as very nasty, disdain for one's own children type stuff. If a boomer were to say “hey we did X wrong, I see millennials/Gen Z doing this wrong as well, I'm giving you a heads up, stop doing that,” - that is a sign or repentance and us younger generations would be very receptive to that. That is how a rebuke should be done if you want change in people with less seniority and life experience than yourself. But I've only rarely heard that in person or online. And one of the boomers who made such a repentant comment is almost in poverty, or is in poverty depending on how you define it.

 

[Trewolla]

The article is funny (although obviously with liberal bias) and has a lot of interesting facts thrown in. One part I found the author was wrong about:

"Boomers didn't exactly create a race-blind society, but the kids we've raised might."

This is funny because the young people seem more racist than boomers and gen-X. They make everything about race.

Being race blind today can have fatal consequences.

 

[The Penitent Man]

Considering that the AARP is a blatantly leftist organization, it's easy to believe that an article like that is intended to generate Boomer hate.

The left is all about division--especially as it involves Caucasians--and the Boomer hate movement is extremely divisive and almost exclusively a Caucasian phenomenon.

That article was written by boomers, about boomers, and for boomers a decade ago, long before boomer bashing was en vogue. I agree it’s a leftist outlook, but it just reflects the frivolity the younger generations have come to associate with that entire generation. I was just browsing images and came upon it, but it gave me a laugh.

Guys like you get a bad rap because of the more vocal elements of your generation and a lot of the stereotype pushed by Hollywood during your generation and by your generation. Also because of the incompetent and corrupt leaders who have emerged from your generation who will all die in office. And also the fact that the the entire culture of the West was gleefully abandoned and pissed on by many, many boomers, resulting in the rapid decay and looming collapse of western civilization as a whole during the tenure of your generation on this earth. Many boomers also had nothing to do with the corruption of their peers, and are wrongfully lumped in with their reputation. There isn’t anything you can do to change it. Just let it go.

You don’t have to defend your whole generation, we are only accountable for what we can control. I don’t defend Millennials because they’re even worse. I just don’t get my nose pushed out of joint when someone lambasts lazy, retarded and corrupt Millennials because the criticism is warranted.

 

[Trewolla]

I disagree with boomer hate but I do see this often with boomers. Two very wealthy boomers I know with multiple homes and several children each brag that they're not going to leave anything for their children- they'll spend it all in their last years having fun.

I don't doubt that such attitudes exist, but I don't see it as being typical Boomer behavior.

 

[DanielH]

I don't doubt that such attitudes exist, but I don't see it as being typical Boomer behavior.

These boomers live in affluent suburbia which I think may be a breeding ground for that attitude.