Posted on 05/29/2008 3:25:08 AM PDT by Nony
Here is how our baby-boom generation solves problems:
-- Recently, George Bush went to Saudi Arabia to ask the ruling House of Saud to pump more oil. That request had about as much chance of success as the Democratic-led congressional effort to “sue” the Saudis in American courts for their selfish “price-gouging.”
The current debate about energy in the United States has devolved into doing the same old thing—consume, don’t produce and complain—while somehow expecting different results. Congress talks endlessly about the bright future of wind, solar and new fuels, while it stops us from getting through the messy present by utilizing abundant coal, shale and tar sands; nuclear power; and oil still untapped in Alaska and off our coasts.
-- For the past five years, we fretted over a “housing boom” that had priced an entire generation out of the market. In response, government and lending agencies got “creative” by relaxing standards to allow shaky “first-time” buyers into the red-hot market of high-priced homes. Home-improvement TV shows proliferated on how to “flip” houses and buy “no-down-payment” properties.
When the bubble inevitably burst, cries of outrage followed about how “they” (never “we") caused a “depression” in housing. Our leaders shrieked about greedy lenders and incompetent regulators who foreclosed on us—never that the American people themselves caused much of the speculation problem, or that housing prices are finally becoming affordable again for new couples.
(Excerpt) Read more at primetimepolitics.com ...
Blame the Boomers AGAIN
You aint a boomer! you’re fast attack! ;)
And to point out that we have an election in November so make your money now then sell at a discount else they get Carter II destroying the American economy and causing Oil Embargo II. Also they'll get the political rise of the trial lawyer industry going after their American assets. Bush probably also talked about accelerating military jet purchase delivery and clearing out the account balances to minimize the problems should Carter II happen.
Like every generation Boomers played the cards that were dealt to them. Unfortunately I don’t see the generations coming after the Boomers as any more equipped to deal with the problems Hanson cites than the Boomers themselves. In fact, these follow on generations seemed to have swallowed the Boomer mentality “hook, line and sinker” as the cliche goes. But what would anyone expect? Boomers were their parents, teachers and “spiritual advisers”.
The Greatest Generation gave us LBJ and the entitlement Great Society that we live with today.
The majority of boomers didn’t reach voting age until Carter and Reagan.
Another attack sailor who despises boomers!
First, they gave us FDR and the New Deal - a federal government with no practical limits on the scope of it's authority.
I have to agree with the author. I am a babyboomer and my parents were members of generations who experienced the austerity and sacrifices caused by the Great Depression and WW II. Boomers compose both political parties. And I have come to understand with what I have seen from two Republican terms in the White House and six years of congressional majorities that both parties are essentially the same. The Democrats believe in a form of socialism which is up front and immediate and which destroys the middle class by redistributing wealth with burdensome taxes now. The Republicans are not as up front with their socialism, they will destroy the middle class by not the direct redistribution of wealth through burdensome taxes, but through the redistribution of burdensome debt by continually passing on to future generations. Both forms highlight the essence of being a boomer, never accept any form of individual austerity when you can put on the collecive group. Balanced budgets and living within your means is for past and future generations, boomers live in the present only and that means squandering what was left them as well as putting those who follow in a bind.
I saw my glow-worm son off to Pearl 3 weeks ago for fast attack duty.
“Like every generation Boomers played the cards that were dealt to them. Unfortunately I don’t see the generations coming after the Boomers as any more equipped to deal with the problems Hanson cites than the Boomers themselves. In fact, these follow on generations seemed to have swallowed the Boomer mentality “hook, line and sinker” as the cliche goes. But what would anyone expect? Boomers were their parents, teachers and “spiritual advisers”.”
The Boomers are no better and no worse on the whole than any other generation.
The issue that has magnified all of the bad stuff (and some of the good) is the sheer size of the Boomer generation. Their numbers have been so large that they have been able to swamp the concerns of anyone but their own demographic. Everyone else has been ignored while the Boomers tried to fashion the world they wanted. If the Boomer gen had been a normal size group then they would have had their moment as self-absorbed teens and then grown up but they have been able to stretch that moment into a lifetime.
If we take a look back to the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, we will see that the main issues which gov’t has legislated have always been what is important to the main demographic of the Boomers. The most recent example is prescription drug bennies for aging Boomers. Boomers didn’t care about that 20-30 years ago because they were too young to care about it but once they started getting older they wanted someone else to pay for it. If the majority of the Boomers was in their 30’s instead of their 60’s does anyone seriously think that universal health care would be a hot topic?
The most interesting thing to watch will be the next couple of elections. Right now the Boomers are still driving the bus because they vote in such large numbers. But they will only be able to do that for a couple of more elections. Then what will take shape? Hopefully we will return to a more sane political existence where there is not one major demographic outweighing all the others.
Another factor which separates the Boomers is the growth of media. Ours was the first generation to be raised entirely by television. I think this had a huge impact on shaping the agenda as well as Boomer voting patterns. All of the great issues of the Boomer’s formative years (political assassinations, asymmetrical warfare, urban riots) were driven right into formerly safe living rooms “in living color” by television.
I expect Boomers will continue to be a huge impact as so many in this over-sized generation stop pulling the cart and start riding the cart. Social Security and Medicare costs will explode yet Boomers will continue to vote and politicians will continue to pander. I don’t expect they will be voting themselves benefit decreases but instead will vote for tax increases (on others) to keep the system paying out. In fact, this is exactly what Obama and his enablers are currently proposing.
Another curious quote that I recall -- "the free-spending boomers haven't saved enough to quit, and, besides, they're too work-obsessed to leave before they have to be carried out. Moreover, increased immigration will ease any worker shortages, and new technology will eliminate the need for some of today's workers."
??
"The fault of this age, dear baby boomers, is not in our stars, but in ourselves"
... What are the baby boomers’ collective traits? Like all perpetual adolescents who suffer arrested development, we always want things both ways: Don’t drill or explore for more energy, but nevertheless demand ever more fuel from other suppliers.
There are never bad and worse choices, but only a Never Never Land of good and even-better alternatives. Housing not only has to stay affordable for buyers, but also must appreciate in value to give instant equity to those who have just become owners.
When things don’t go well, we always blame someone else. Why drill off Santa Barbara or Alaska when we can sue those terrible Saudis for not putting more oil platforms in their Persian Gulf?
And why accept that the conduct of all wars is flawed and victory goes usually to those who persevere in making the needed adjustments when we can just keep pointing fingers at the official who disbanded the Iraqi army or sent too few troops after the invasion?
Victor Davis Hanson Ping !
Let me know if you want in or out.
Links: FR Index of his articles: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson
His website: http://victorhanson.com/
NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp
Pajamasmedia: http://victordavishanson.pajamasmedia.com/
>If the majority of the Boomers was in their 30’s instead of their 60’s does anyone seriously think that universal health care would be a hot topic?
Hell yes, I do.
The demographic dynamic heating that up is the immigrants - and their potential votes - and others who have nothing at all and come with their hands out to take all that they see, from food stamps to medical care.
The vast majority of Boomers - and everyone that I know - have, and have had, their own health insurance, bought and paid for by themselves, - myself included - and nobody ever gave them or me anything except a hard time about it.
As they ease into retirement the health concerns are taken by Medicare, not universal health coverage.
so there I disagree. Thank you for your post. - bill
Just so ya know, I have never voted for a Dim and never knowingly voted for a lib, socialist, or commie.
Hats off to your boy!
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