Boomers salting the earth

einreb · 12-18-2005, 08:51 AM

Went to a 'Boomer' christmas party last night. What a frightening group of people.

The same folks that were buying pets.com at NASDAQ 5000 have now sold their houses that were almost paid off and bought McMansions and have huge mortgages and cracking drywall. Just in time for their kids to move out of the house. They're worried about retirement and how job prospects are poor because they have gray hair. What a bunch of whiners.

So... their parents lived through the depression, fought of Hitler, eventually got elected and won the cold war.

What did the boomers do? Doped and screwed their way through the 60-'s and 70's (cant really blame them there), spent their way through the 80's. Borrowed their way through the 90's and are now mortgaging their way through the new millennium.

Us X'ers are gonna have a biatch of a time digging this country out of its debt and restoring some sort of industrial base. My first suggestion is that we turn florida into some sort of forced work camp for all you old farts as you retire. It should allow us some sort of cheap labor pool to compete with the Chinese.

Any other suggestions?

bell · bell's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by einreb
Went to a 'Boomer' christmas party last night. What a frightening group of people.

Any other suggestions?

don't go to any more boomer x-mas parties......

Evans, Marv · 12-18-2005, 09:14 AM

You know, you may be right. But I see plenty of families in their late 20's & early 30's doing the same thing. Unfortunately they may just see that as the way to conduct the economics of life based upon what they have seen as they grew up.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

You sure paint with a broad brush. An awful lot of boomers worked their entire life to make your life a lot better than theirs was. Many have...and are still spending their holidays in some remote corner of the earth protecting your freedoms. Let me paint with the same broad brush. Restart the cold war...give up computers, low pollution/high performance cars, nationwide indoor plumbing, cable/satellite TV, CDs, medicine that will allow the Gen X ers to live very long unproductive lives playing video games and comparing their new tatoos and piercings.......and see how you like the world they inherited. each generation has their share of winners and losers, but the Gen X, Y, etc have not shown me anything yet. They ones I have employed expect a 40 hr week..or much less...while everyone else (baby boomers) are working 50-60...yet continually whine about money because they are the least frugal. They do not expect to pay their dues or work many years to have the things they want like their parents did.

Perhaps if the Gen Xers would pull their weight and get to work...instead of whining about what someone else has....that they don't.............they could solve their own problems.

Perhaps when the Gen-Xers in Iraq come back and integrate into society....they will pull the rest along....much like the GIs of earlier generations.

darkbeer · 09:38 AM

Define "whiners"..........just read einreb's post above...

I was born in '51, didn't go to Nam 'cause my draft lottery # was 314, got my university degree in '74, married, paid CASH for our current home in the most beautiful ****** place in the USA, weather is so mild that I was workin' out in my orchard in a t-shirt yesterday, I'm invested in Mutual funds & annuities AND have a ROCK SOLID retirement plan with 3 income sources, own both cars, the ranch truck & the tractor outright, pay off the VISA every month (use it like a free checking account) & have $ in the bank...I'll probably outlive half the cigarette sucking X'ers I see moppin' around. I don't know what kind of folk's you hang with in "Chicago"(my Dad was born there, left when he was 17 and came straight to California, said he'd rather be dead then go back...) but maybe if you got out of there, you'd cheer up a bit....

"Don't judge, lest ye be judged"
"pick on somebody your own age"
(and the BEST one of all time...) "HAVE A NICE DAY..."

STOP THE PRESSES !!!!! Fintstone & I AGREE on a topic??????....I am blown a-WAY !!! well said Fintster......

Seahawk · 12-18-2005, 09:59 AM

I was born in '56...

Spent the '70's exactly as you described, but also had the discipline to stay focused in school. I also owned a rafting company during college with two other guys, both older "boomers" than me. Sold my interest in the rafting company and left the 70's happy.

Spent the 80's first in flight school with the Navy, then many "cruises" during the end of the cold war...far too many adventures to recount. Invested rafting money at the bottom of the real estate market in San Diego....moved to Maryland in the late '80's very happy.

Left for GWI in 1990 after marrying the coolest person I know. Came back and bought a farm...60 acres on the Potomac, can't make up how pretty the place is. Summers suck, but I can hack three months of humidity so thick you can swear it's alive. Instead of buying new equipment, I repair almost all of the old stuff in the barns.

Children follow. Both my wife and I do well in our careers...we leave the '90's pleased with our efforts.

More to follow, so far the 2000's have been very interesting!

I don't whine...far too busy enjoying the ride.

HardDrive · 12-18-2005, 10:09 AM

You can't paint with a broad brush, but I get pretty sick of boomers.

Many are responsible, but many are still living the 'pleasure now, pay for it later' life style. Look at our national debt. Look at the fiscal state of California.

darkbeer · 10:38 AM

I hear Whining again....
it was "boomers" that kept the 911 alive, by BUYING them, whilst X'ers were busy spankin' their monkeys

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by HardDrive
You can't paint with a broad brush, but I get pretty sick of boomers.

Many are responsible, but many are still living the 'pleasure now, pay for it later' life style. Look at our national debt. Look at the fiscal state of California.

That is because many boomers spent their entire lives and fortunes on their thankless children....who spend their time whining because their parents now want to have a few nice things themselves...instead of saving their pennies to buy a few more video games for their grown kids who should fend for themselves.

Get it straight...they are using their credit and spending their money....not yours. If there are social programs that trouble you...the Republican party and the Libertarian party have big tents and will welcome you.
As far as CA....there is no hope.
As far as the national debt...security has a price...but we fixed the debt somewhat after winning the cold war...and will again after we win the war on terrorism. We are fortunate to have a solid leader in office now...instead of wee Willie, the stereotypical poster boy of excess...and boomers...

darkbeer · 12-18-2005, 10:44 AM

so the guy gets his chicken washed by some Gen X wannabe, IN the oval office...I know, I know...rightious indignation bla bla bla...ya gotta admit though, 1st: that was Pure Boomer Ballsiness 2nd: imagine looking down & seeing Hillary workin' it (RUN FORREST, RUN!!!)

coloradoporsche · 11:08 AM

Yea, einreb's post is pretty "in your face", but I applaud him for vocalizing a concern that many of us have:

I'm 35. My wife and I work hard and save a decent amount of our paychecks, planning for retirement. By comparison, I look at my older cousins (children of a WWII vet). They have zero savings yet drive new cars, live in a big new house… buy pretty much anything they want, whenever they want. I can’t help but think they are counting on either an inheritance (which they may not get at all should their father live long enough to spend it) or the government to take care of them.

It irks me to pay social security (and money for other social programs) knowing that my generation is unlikely to see any return on that money. It’s just a tax. I don’t mind giving grandma a check so she can pay the heating bill, but I hate knowing that many boomers who could save just don’t because they are counting on having a chunk of my paycheck to spend later.

As the no-saving boomers retire, they will simply use their political prowess (strength in numbers) to increase entitlements as necessary. The X generation has a legitimate reason to be concerned!

darkbeer · 12-18-2005, 11:14 AM

Coloradoporsche...you wannabe (sorry) concerned???watch out..the world LARGEST VOLCANO is sitting a few milles north east of you (Yellowstone basin) & when it blows, you won't NEED retirement...

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

You might be suprised at just how much many of us "baby boomers" have accumulated. Millionaires don't always share or flaunt it. I have a very nice house and car...but invest well and live quite frugally otherwise. Equity in a home is also a large part of net worth. If your cousin pays off a $500k house over 30 years and you pay off a $250k home in the same time (while both appreciate at a 3 to 5% rate)...who is the loser? The guy that enjoyed living in the nicer home?

tdatk · 12-18-2005, 12:11 PM

I'm a little lost on this doped and screwed our way through the 60-70's deal. I was born in 58 and got out off HS in 76. The country was deep in debt, unemployment was 10-12% we just got out of Viet-Nam , gas crunch, and god forbid disco.....I couldn't find any work in WNY nor could most of my graduating class so I had to pick up and move where there was work,Houston Texas as did ~20% of the kids I grew up with at age 18. I have been employed ever since , got my Master electricians licence in 84 and been paying into the SS tax since 78. Thats 27 years in a row.....how long has your whinning X butt been kicking in???? I don't expect to see and SS assistance either, but I 'll bet I've got more to lose than you will. Oh ya, we were also brought up to respect our elders and quietly help them into there golden years. Something that has been lost by the current Generations, as they are already complaining and the first Boomers haven't hit the SS system yet. Geeeze I'm not looking forward to the future with this whinny crowd.

yellowline · 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fintstone
That is because many boomers spent their entire lives and fortunes on their thankless children.

Oh boy, I'm feeling a rant coming on. I'm very appreciative of what my parents did. I'm also not fitting into your perceived norm. I have no piercings, or anything else you'd consider abnormal for a kid to have, beyond the Porsche. I'm 6'1", 170 lbs, not the obese kid raised on videogames, as you cited...with a bit more muscle and the right attitude, I'd be physically ready for a draft, if needed. But I digress. Let's weigh the good and bad that has taken place over the time the Boomers have held power, shall we?

Good: Defeated the USSR, instilled a greater sense of patriotism in kids (Vietnam in terms of social protest and disrespect for soldiers isn't happening again), the environment is improving, personal safety is taken care of, and racial tensions decreased more than any previous generation.

Bad: Debt out of control, as are taxation, lawsuits, and red tape. Manufacturing base has shrunk, it's been made acceptable to buy foreign everything. Divorce rate is holding at ~50%, 63% of families considered "dysfunctional," according to a recent study in the news, the advent of teen depression and its associated "find a pill to cure anything" syndrome, nobody wants to discuss or improve Social Security (that great fund I'll never see at all...I'll be 55 in 2042), "new math" and its related cost to implement in schools, infrastructure not being repaired or renewed adaquately, political correctness and hypersensitivity to anything that might offend a person, political apathy (look at voter registration numbers), $9,000 average credit card debt, etc.

Food for thought: All the problems I listed above can be attributed to the death of personal responsibility and common sense, and I think we can agree it's happened over the past 30 years. That means that it happened under the Boomer watch. Where should blame lie? What generation should step up and take the blame?

It's very fair to accuse my generation of various things, and to point fingers. But like I said, 6 in 10 kids living in a dysfunctional household will produce a generation that won't turn out much better. But life wasn't like that 40 or 50 years ago. Average surroundings were likely better as a whole. Fewer people had the misfortune of not having two parents at home for everything from discipline to someone to play catch with. Those few households that had one parent probably weren't broken homes. Schools were better and taught kids the 3 Rs. I hope I have an accurate concept of American life in the past...it's what my parents and grandparents have told me.

Pelicans here seem self-motivated, able to live within their means, and generally have a head on their shoulders. I'm not making a personal attack against anyone here. I know that generalizations aren't accurate when applied to all individuals. Not all boomers are deserving of the sketch I put above. But the norm seems to fit parts of it.

Enough about the past. It's time that my generation steps up to fix these problems. To do my part, I'm looking into registering to vote during my Christmas break. [/rant]

turbo6bar · 12-18-2005, 12:43 PM

I don't think it's "boomers" that have lead the country wrong. I think they are just reacting to the changing environment. Post WWII introduced productivity and technological gains that changed the American background. Women started working, productivity gains gave many the ability to own cars and live in nicer homes, and private financial entities began giving out credit like mad.

We got some of the good and some of the bad. Unfortunately, with all those old farts retiring soon, or so they claim ("I'm really retired, but I WANT to work at Wal-Mart part-time. I don't need the money."), there will be serious stress on entitlement programs. Soylent green will eventually be traded as a commodity, and boomers will make it a reality.

I agree with yellowline. Lots o' ***** went down under boomers watch. Are they guilty or just victims of circumstance?

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by coloradoporsche
It irks me to pay social security (and money for other social programs) knowing that my generation is unlikely to see any return on that money.

That's the bit that really chafes my fanny... ...I just grumble when they send those SS statements to my house... "Look how much money I've paid out so some guy that mortgaged his A$$ up to the hilt in the BOOMIN EIGHTIES to buy Nagle prints and rolling up his sport coat sleeves can retire.

Dixie · Dixie's Garage

I'm a Boomer…

And I think you're pretty much on target. You see, all generations have their trials, tribulations, defeats, and accomplishments. But due to our vast size, the accomplishments of the Boomers have always been considered grander-than-reality. Marketing, politics, and more have found it fruitful to pander to Boomers. As a result, Boomers are like a spoiled child, considered to be a genius for learning to do normal things like eat and walk.

And don't sweat what is said about your generation. I heard much, much worse said about ours. ;-)

tabs · 12-18-2005, 01:29 PM

First the Boomers DIDN'T win the Cold War....The WW2 Generation did...you might say that was their last Hurrah...

Second the Boomers are a JOKE...just who do you think is running this country...the two leaders it has produced so far are.....Bill Clinton and GW Bush.....both are despised by a large percentage of the electorate. Take a look at CA for instance...The Hippies and Flower Children have taken over the state....especially San Francisco. Thats the BOOMERS for ya...

The USA currently has a NEGATIVE Savings Rate.....now to be fair this spend and burn financial planning goes back to JFK....thats when the laws were changed to make it more difficult to save than spend.

The Boomeres unlike their parents have had no HARD TIMES to live through... all they have ever known is prosperity...an if anyone of U fkup Boomers thinks different..just talk to an oldtimer who lived through the Depression.

Now some of this pampered, self indulgent Boomer lifestyle can be layed at the feet of the WW2 Generation as well. Out of their misguided largess the WW2 gen SPOILED the Boomers..they didn't want them to suffer the same hardships they had to endure.

An which Gen do you think relys on those Mothers Little Helpers to get through the day....its a pill for this its a pill for that....and th Xers, well if they're fked up look at who they got for role models....

Wrecked944 · 01:52 PM

This may be the wrong place to discuss any trends towards financial irresponsibillity - regardless of the generation, ethnic group, gender etc of the demographic. That's because, by definition, this is a self selecting group of people who have been financially successful. With only a few minor exceptions, the barrier to entry to this forum is the purchase and ownership of an expensive car (some expensive to purchase but all expensive to maintain). So people who can't handle their finances are unlikely to get here and even more unlikely to remain on this forum for very long. It is possible to be a financial idiot and own a Porsche - but it certainly isn't likely.

If you want to discuss the differences between generations on average, then have at it. But you won't find any average people on this forum to use as examples. We don't exactly represent the American median.