The Boomer Bust

Fox News ^ | Thursday, July 31, 2003 | The Boomer Bust

[AdamSelene235]

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury.

[blam]

" We should take very good care of them, if they would all please retire by 2013."

I retired at the end of 1994 at the age of 50, on my nickel. Anyone decide they want to euthanize me, I say, come on down.

[angry elephant]

Boomers gave us x-42 and Ms Rodman Xlinton will give boomers our 401k's. You did really expect to keep your money did you ah ha ha ha ha

Actually, although Clintoon is Boomer age, he was voted for and admired by Xers who enjoyed his adolescent behavior.

[optimistically_conservative]

Generations Apart: Xers and Boomers in the Officer Corps
by Dr. Leonard Wong
October 2000 http://www.carlisle.army.mil/ssi/pubs/2000/apart/apart.pdf

[qam1]

In the early 90's, the boomers launched a huge media blitz calling all of generation X (a meaningless name) worthless. children included. They held themselves up as this overachieving super generation that saved the world. They also saw their parents as closed minded and uneducated.

Well said, Though they think they are the greatest and the most enlightened generation the fact is the baby boomers are by far the worst generation in the history of America, They failed their parents, They failed their kids and they failed their country.

The WWII generation saved the world for Democracy and Gen-X changed the world by bringing forth the Information age. The Boomers, Well they became lawyers.

Just like Hitler in the bunker at the end of the war blaming his failures on the German people because they weren't worthy of his genius with their self congratulatory, Elitist, I know everything attitudes the boomers blame other generations for theirs.

In pyscho-babble (another great boomer invention) it's called projection.

[metesky]

It is not really helpful to generalize about generations.

Silent generation ('44) bump.

[Jimmy Valentine]

I am a "Boomer" and I have been paying into Social Security since I was twelve (44 years). I am never going to get anywhere close to what I paid in back, much less the "earnings" 2% on my "Social Security Account".

If I could withdraw from Social Security now with no more money stolen from me, the U.S. Govt. could keep every dime they already have and I would waive any benefits going forward and STILL make out better when I decide to retire.

Aging (and pissed off) Regards

[metesky]

My father worked full time until he was 89 and quit in disgust when he wasn't promoted.

My hope is to stay as healthy as he was until his death last November at 95.

[Jimmy Valentine]

The problem with Gen Xer's of my acquaintance is thet they may be over educated on paper, but undereducated in fact. Also their interest in actually working, i.e., being positively productive is mostly a fiction. They are pretty good at showing up on payday though.

Regards,

[metesky]

Gen-X changed the world by bringing forth the Information age.

Bill Gates, born on Oct. 28, 1955, is a Boomer and so were most of his original crew. Same goes for the Apple crowd.

[RockyMtnMan]

Boomers have a while to fix the Social Security boondoggle so I won't hold it against them if they fix it before leaving congress. As for entitlements, unfortunately there are a lot of boomers who like them and will continue to vote for them. Most on this forum would be against such ridiculous wealth redistribution schemes.

Remember the boomers still have the opportunity to fix what they don't agree with about their parents generation. If they don't want to be viewed by their children's generation in a negative light they had better get it together.

[Area51]

It's a false argument to claim an entire group of people, whose only common linkage is their birth years (and even those dates we can't all agree on), all got together en masse and decided "Hey, let's go screw over everyone born after us and steal their money!" (Like nobody that was 75 years old in the 1960s or 1970s ever voted for a liberal entitlement program. Like every person that was 25 years old in 1995 all voted against any liberal entitlement programs. Bullpuckey.)

To claim that everything that happened between X date and Y date is the fault of whatever age group happened to be getting the most media attention at that time is utterly ludicrous.


106 posted on 08/06/2003 8:17 PM PDT by Timesink

---

Uh hate to burst you bubble but that is what most here call a Representative Republic.

See, the Boomers and previous generations ELECTED a Democrat Controlled congress for 35 years. Whom, raided SSI, spent like drunk sailors, created massive social programs that destroyed the family structure and then Put off the financial disaster till after they were all dead and gone.

So you need to rethink your position. Because when the Voting was taking place for FREE Stuff, I was to young to vote. But they made damned sure I would be the one that had to foot the bill.

Doubt it? Then explain to me why they back in the late Eighties, decided to raise the Retirement age STARTING after 2000? Why didn't they do it right then? Perhaps they were selfish enough to know that the AARP would run them out of office if they proposed such things that would immediately affect their members. (Anyone can join over 50)

[Area51]

I am a "Boomer" and I have been paying into Social Security since I was twelve (44 years). I am never going to get anywhere close to what I paid in back, much less the "earnings" 2% on my "Social Security Account".

If I could withdraw from Social Security now with no more money stolen from me, the U.S. Govt. could keep every dime they already have and I would waive any benefits going forward and STILL make out better when I decide to retire.

Aging (and pissed off) Regards


166 posted on 08/07/2003 5:07 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)

---

You'ld better check you aim there Jimmy boy. First off, you or someone your age will get back EVerything you paid in in less than 3 years. The rest of your average 20 years on the tit (Retirement)is paid for by yours truely. You can say thanks any time.

Second, Your first 25 years you paid less than 2.5 percent of an average income of 2-4 thousands dollars.

I on the other hand started out paying 7.65% on much much more than your wages were and the amount I have paid has increased every year because of increased wages.

So before you start with the I paid it BS, get your facts straight. You are the last generation that will get back more than you paid in. Now with the Perscription drug coverage you will be getting a mammouth windfall at your grandkids expense.

And one other thing, I would make a wager with you right here. You will run right down and sign up for your SSI and Medicare the minute you retire if not sooner.

I have yet to see ONE person that makes the kind of statements you make back it up with actions. Fact is, when the gravy train comes by you ALL come a running.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

"Well said, Though they think they are the greatest and the most enlightened generation the fact is the baby boomers are by far the worst generation in the history of America, They failed their parents, They failed their kids and they failed their country."

Right on. Let's be clear, we are talking about the archetype, not all.

Gen X was the most maligned generation in history. (I speak here for older X, I'm 34) That attack on us really pissed me off. My entire high school overall (nj) was hard working, free thinking, patriotic, moral, responsible, etc

We studied hard,played every American sport(sometimes in the street all day!) worked manual labor (happily in summer and even after school-work that 'is not good enuf for americans anymore-BS), thought freely and philosophically and thus more conservatively, supported usa against our enemies(russia) and kicked ass without question in the Gulf War,and most never collected a dime of any govt money. In our spare time we mastered computers and helped launch mainstream pc use in families.

We also lived a little hard, drinking alot of beer on weekends outdoors among 100's of friends, had meaningful, responsible love affairs, drove muscle cars, and carried ourselves like MEN, and did not appreciate Gestapo authorities. This was just the reality. its just my memory of my circle. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>cont

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Sorry, sent you post by mistake...

[At _War_With_Liberals]

"Well said, Though they think they are the greatest and the most enlightened generation the fact is the baby boomers are by far the worst generation in the history of America, They failed their parents, They failed their kids and they failed their country."

Right on. Let's be clear, we are talking about the archetype, not all.

Gen X was the most maligned generation in history. (I speak here for older X, I'm 34) That attack on us really pissed me off. My entire high school overall (nj) was hard working, free thinking, patriotic, moral, responsible, etc

We studied hard,played every American sport(sometimes in the street all day!) worked manual labor (happily in summer and even after school-work that 'is not good enuf for americans anymore-BS), thought freely and philosophically and thus more conservatively, supported usa against our enemies(russia) and kicked ass without question in the Gulf War,and most never collected a dime of any govt money. In our spare time we mastered computers and helped launch mainstream pc use in families.

We also lived a little hard, drinking alot of beer on weekends outdoors among 100's of friends, had meaningful, responsible love affairs, drove muscle cars, and carried ourselves like MEN, and did not appreciate Gestapo authorities. This was just the reality. its just my memory of my circle. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>cont

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

Would the X-ers prefer that Mom and Dad move in with them?

that's this X-er's plan.

[jpl]

There are many Gen X'ers and Gen Y'ers who don't want mom and dad spending their inheritance on the pills.

Unless one's family is rich and well-connected enough to establish a trust fund, for all intents and purposes there is no such as an "inheritance" any more after the taxes, debts, and other various expenses.

[Timesink]

Bill Gates, born on Oct. 28, 1955, is a Boomer and so were most of his original crew. Same goes for the Apple crowd.

Just ignore him. He went off on a loony attack on me on this exact same issue in another thread a few days ago, using many of the same false arguments he uses above but also including a couple of snide personal attacks on me and all the rest of Boomerdom, all because I included the following two sentences, that don't even mention Baby Boomers, in an otherwise purely technical post:

And IMHO, the only real differences between Gen-X and Gen-Y are that Gen-Y is growing up to be far more conservative and less whiny than Gen-Xers, who all thought they were going to change the world (gee, wonder where they got that idea from) through their big dotcom fraud, and are all pissed off that they didn't get to retire at 30 after all.

That alone was enough to garner me a several-hundred-word rant about the raw brilliance of Generation X, how they've all changed the world for the better (yes, single-handededly inventing the "Information Age"), and how I'm just jealous because I'm an aging, bitter boomer.

I haven't yet bothered to tell him I'm 33.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Its also pretty disgusting how the republicans jumped on gen X, mostly kids, with equal vigor. Old school republicans still have a problem understanding the differences with different generations while respecting their core beliefs and loyalty. They dared not criticize boomers, but we were a disgrace they loved exposing.

Liberal boomers and vietnam- total revisionist history. The whole intellectual anti war movement was illegitimate. They turned cowardice and hate for America into some sort of virtuous crusade never before envisioned by mere mortals. Take clinton model- virtuous prophet of peace? No. Pantiwaist anti american elitist (although white trash) faggot that did not have the balls to really fight for anything he believed in. And the media and the leftist conspiracy conned older generations into adoration over this! Who went to the Gulf War and kicked ass?

[skeeter]

This whole Xer vs. Boomer debate is ridiculous and makes us all look like fools.

Right or wrong, every group votes, and will CONTINUE to vote, in its own interest, period.