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The Generational Issue

1246717

Posts

  • HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    Cantido wrote: »
    At this point I don't think I'll ever marry or have children.

    Hello and welcome to being a Millennial. It sucks.

  • LilnoobsLilnoobs Alpha Queue Registered User regular
    Coinage wrote: »
    Lilnoobs wrote: »
    Off topic, but I was under the impression SCOTUS hasn't ruled on that yet. Did I miss something?
    No, the ruling is in June. I don't know why he would think that, other than that some people are speculating that there's a decent chance they'll strike down the mandate and take the whole law with it.

    Thanks, that's what I thought.

  • Muse Among MenMuse Among Men Suburban Bunny Princess? Its time for a new shtick Registered User regular
    About when would one have to be born to be considered a Millenial? Because I keep reading conflicting things.

  • LilnoobsLilnoobs Alpha Queue Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    I think it varies between 1980-1983 for the beginning. One of the defining traits is being the transitional generation between "old school" and "new school" in the classroom--knowing the dewey decimal system and growing up with the internet. I think the cutoff for the generation after millenials is a bit more in flux, but they (the multitaskers? I forget what they are called exactly) are the kids who are "always connected" and grew up in a world not knowing what it was like before cell phones, computers, technology. I've seen the end dates for millenials vary from mid 90's to 9/11.

    Lilnoobs on
  • EddEdd Registered User regular
    About when would one have to be born to be considered a Millenial? Because I keep reading conflicting things.

    1982 and on, you're a Millenial, also known as a Generation Y. This may also mean you're fucked.

  • ElldrenElldren Is a woman dammit ceterum censeoRegistered User regular
    Edd wrote: »
    About when would one have to be born to be considered a Millenial? Because I keep reading conflicting things.

    1982 and on, you're a Millenial, also known as a Generation Y. This may also mean you're fucked.

    I personally consider myself to be part of the last gasp of Gen X, but it is a fairly fuzzy indecisive line.

    I do know the Dewey decimal system, but as my dad was a nerd I participated in the early internet and assorted non-internet networks since middle school.

    fuck gendered marketing
  • Muse Among MenMuse Among Men Suburban Bunny Princess? Its time for a new shtick Registered User regular
    1992, what does that mean?

    I'd very much like to place myself in the winningnot-sinking generation-boat.

  • thatassemblyguythatassemblyguy Janitor of Technical Debt .Registered User regular
    Speaker wrote:
    Thoughts on the article and ways to address the problem?

    I think the article is a very succinct picture of things today for anyone born after 1980ish. We've been sold a bill of goods that is rotten and rusted.

    The solution?

    Soilent Green.

    ---

    Seriously?

    Get active; We can't be looking at our parents generation and say, "Hey! Stop that!" because they're not going to stop anything. The key is to focus on ourselves and how we can provide for us, and begin subverting the harm that is being done in a constructive manner.

    * Your baby-boomer-heavy city-council cut funds for community improvements because they don't want to pay the property taxes? Come up with a game plan for a community improvement program, and shop around for grants from external entities in the time you're not actively looking for employment.

    * The baby boomer heavy U.S./State Congress pissing you off? Start a Super PAC, and actively seek out young political candidates that you want to support.

    * Those baby boomers laughing at you with their Stock Market? Start an investment club with your friends; even if you don't have much to spare per month, the exercise of analyzing a potential investment provides some interesting insight and educational experience.

    * Want to engage your creative peer group into growing their own businesses? Start a space where self-employed entrepreneurs can come, work, collaborate and flourish. Discriminate heavily against baby-boomers, but don't tell them that was the reason, find some other reason "We don't think your business model is synergistic with the space we're trying to grow here."

    If you don't have any ideas, try setting networking events with your friends and encourage them to invite anyone they know. Don't let these turn into bitch-sessions, "Oh man I didn't get that job again"; Instead try to focus on things that are happening in the community and abroad, "Wow, so I heard that there was this event xyz, do we want to help out? What kind of widget can we market to them?" Try to market and grow the events as a good place to make meaningful connections. Eventually, you'll start seeing ideas grow organically; some (ok, most) will be shit, but at least it's something better to do during the down time between being rejected for job positions.

    I'd like to stress again, we need to focus on actions that we can actually take right now. Those actions will lead to next actions. While there are benefits to crunching the numbers and understanding how badly the baby-boomer generation is messing things up; throwing the data into the baby-boomer's faces it isn't productive, and neither is dwelling on it. We need to start figuring out how we want our future to look, and start taking actions to shape it.

  • chrisnlchrisnl Registered User regular
    Something that young people can do is to pay attention to elections, and vote for candidates that will at the very least screw you over the least with their positions. There are a lot of Boomers, and a good chunk of them vote. There are also a lot of Gen X/Y/whatever comes next, and many have come to believe that their vote doesn't matter so why bother? Giving up rarely makes things better.

    steam_sig.png
  • Pi-r8Pi-r8 Registered User regular
    Honestly, watching elections and voting makes me feel even more powerless. It's a pretty miserable experience seeing the guy you hate win by a million votes even after you voted, volunteered, and donated.

  • HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    About when would one have to be born to be considered a Millenial? Because I keep reading conflicting things.

    Are you 18 or over as of this post? Congratulations, you're a Millennial. Sadly, we don't have t-shirts or secret decoder rings; those were sold to pay for Medicare and Social Security.

  • Cultural Geek GirlCultural Geek Girl Registered User regular
    I'm in Lilnoobs "millennial grey area" window, and I don't consider myself a millennial or a Gen Xer.

    For a while, we were calling ourselves "Children of the 80s" or "The Nintendo Generation," both of which I prefer to either of those potential categorizations. To me, Gen X'ers were always people older than me, their defining values and outlooks were not mine, and the millennial were at least five years younger, probably more.

    But back on topic.

    I'm doing OK, but not because of anything sensible I did with my life. I lucked into a job by having a skill two years before everyone had it: (moderate Japanese Language fluency), and using that to get me a mailroom-style job in an industry I actually enjoy. My company had some layoffs and I tried to freelance while looking for a new job, but I'm working a real job again now. I make a pretty decent salary, but work an outrageous amount of overtime. You know, the standard version of a "success story" for someone born in the early 80s.

    But I have a bunch of credit card debt. Why? Because when I was freelancing, I bought health insurance like an idiot. I was always taught that you have to have insurance or you can screw yourself over for life, so when the choice came between putting my insurance premiums on my credit card and going without, I did what I thought was responsible, and screwed myself over financially, potentially for decades. Before that, I was in great shape, with substantial savings: I was even contemplating buying a house (/gasp). Now, unless I get married to someone who makes substantially more than I do, the next four or five years will be spent trying to get back above water, because I was stupid enough to buy health insurance.

    Our generation seems to run into a lot of these damned if you do, damned if you don't situations.

    (Also, in the only industry where I can hope to make a living wage, I have no choice but to live in a neighborhood where a one-bedroom apartment rents for half my monthly takehome pay. I recently switched to living with a roomate, now rent alone only takes slightly more than a third of my monthly takehome pay.)

    Still, I can't believe that the first solution you guys jump to is "destroy the social safety net." Newsflash: that will probably mostly hurt the people who voted democrat and got equally screwed by the system as we did, which is a decent chunk of the boomer generation and older. It's not like everybody over 40 signed up for the "free money while we laugh at the youth" club.

    And that "they didn't pay any taxes" line is bull as well. If they were lower class or middle class, they paid as much taxes as we did, or more. It's them, the ones in the boat with us, that you'd strangle if you destroyed the net, not the people who actually caused this stuff.

    I can't believe that's the first impulse, when I always thought there were a bunch of really obvious things to do to fix this whole mess. It's simple: raise taxes on ridiculous things. Private jets will be taxed heavily enough that they cost twice what they cost now, because really? They're the most inefficient and stupid thing ever, but right now they're a tax writeoff. Same for any car that costs more than $100,000. Raise the tax rates to Eisenhower levels, adjusted for inflation. Have the government set prices on routine medical services... the exact same MRI costs $280 in France and can run over $2000 in the US.

    Tax capital gains on a scale that starts at 30% on $200k and up and goes to 90% for capital gains over 5 mil. Do something similar with salaries.

    Make a law that banks can't sit on real estate and let the properties decay under them... they have to sell, or maintain the properties for renters - their choice. This would bring property prices more in line with demand, as right now things are still screwed because banks would rather let houses moulder than report the relevant losses.

    The vast majority of the ultra-wealthy were either complicit in or directly benefited from the extremely questionable policies of the last few decades. Do what good old Ike did: tax 'em, and use that money to build roads and schools and make America great again.

    Buttoneer, Brigadeer, and Keeper of the Book of Wil Wheaton.
    Triwizard Drinking Tournament - '09 !Hufflepuff unofficial conscript, '10 !Gryffindor
    Nerd blog at culturalgeekgirl.com
  • sanstodosanstodo Registered User regular
    So, yeah, didn't get that job.

    I proceeded to tell the guy, essentially, that he was an unprofessional cunt.

    Fuck this world.

    It sucks that you didn't get the job. I've been there. I know it hurts.

    That said, companies and recruiters talk to each other. As frustrated as you are, letting it spill out only makes things harder. There's plenty of time to vent in private, then regroup to try again or explore other angles.

    Also, I echo the thought that shredding the safety net for the elderly is a horrible idea. Raising taxes on the wealthy makes sense but robbing millions of middle to lower class seniors of healthcare is monstrous. Instead of looking at this as a zero sum game, we should be focusing on ways everyone can have a good chance at a happy, fulfilled life at all ages.

    Btw, if any of you are thinking about graduate school, I am an admissions and test prep expert. I'd love to provide free, basic advice about what programs might be a good fit and how to get started.

  • Giggles_FunsworthGiggles_Funsworth Blight on Discourse Bay Area SprawlRegistered User regular
    Coinage wrote: »
    Lilnoobs wrote: »
    Off topic, but I was under the impression SCOTUS hasn't ruled on that yet. Did I miss something?
    No, the ruling is in June. I don't know why he would think that, other than that some people are speculating that there's a decent chance they'll strike down the mandate and take the whole law with it.

    Yeah. Went over this in the thread about it, but I was catching up on the news cycle, and there was a lot of talk about how they'd decided the Individual Mandate was unconstitutional, and I misunderstood all the hyperbole and thought that meant that they'd struck the bill down. Edited it later on in the same thread before he commented and said as much, but that if they struck down the bill in it's entirety I would be putting serious thought and effort into moving to Europe after putting a few more years into my career to make it easy to find a job where I don't have connections.

    I am mostly shitting bricks right now because I'm afraid my girlfriend is going to lose her health insurance for taking a semester off from school because of uncertainty caused by me losing my job combined with a move we had planned and not knowing if I'd be getting unemployment. That was okay under the ACA but if things go back to the way they were she might lose her insurance.

    So fed up with this shit. I got sick while I was in the middle of the two year stretch of unemployment I mentioned above, had to visit emergency care. Was supposed to get Emergency MediCal for being shit broke unemployed, didn't go through for reasons I don't fully understand. Hospital told me they couldn't work with me on payments but that a Collections Agency definitely could! Now I can't even think about getting a non-rapey credit card, auto loan, or home loan for at least another six years even though my skills/experience have landed me in a six figure bracket a year later.

  • HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    Hurray for old people detached from reality!

  • nightmarennynightmarenny Registered User regular
    Lawndart wrote: »
    Casual wrote: »
    Lawndart wrote: »
    Casual wrote: »
    Speaker wrote: »
    Thanatos wrote: »
    The solution to this is to simply repeal Medicare.

    No government healthcare for us? Fine, then, no government healthcare for you, either.

    I would have trouble really entertaining the idea of doing this to my grandparents.

    I wouldn't. "You want to financially and socially cripple me? Fine, but don't expect me to work for the next 20 years to pay for your hospital bills/pension." Seems like a fair enough arrangement to me.

    Fun fact: people well under the age of retirement, namely those people with disabilities so severe they prevent them from getting regular employment, can qualify for and receive both Social Security and Medicare benefits.

    Are you suggesting it's impossible to provide for those people without also crippling ourselves economically trying to provide for the boomer generations pensions? No one has had it easier than they did to become independently wealthy and now thanks to them no one else will. So no, fuck you boomers, I don't want to pay for your pensions.

    Yeah, it's much easier to blame an entire generation instead of, oh I don't know, government policies. Especially when you can swallow the right-wing talking point that paying for the Boomers' retirement will "cripple ourselves economically" when there are plenty of solutions that keep social welfare programs like Medicare and Social Security solvent and effective through the Boomer retirement bump.

    Are you suggesting there is no cause and effect between a group of people and the policies created by its democratic government? Because there isn't.

    I'm mad at the Birther generation as a whole for voting to make these things happen.

    I'm mad at my age group for being to stupid to realize their vote matters.

    These people are largely at fault.

    Quire.jpg
  • Fallout2manFallout2man Vault Dweller Registered User regular
    Still, I can't believe that the first solution you guys jump to is "destroy the social safety net." Newsflash: that will probably mostly hurt the people who voted democrat and got equally screwed by the system as we did, which is a decent chunk of the boomer generation and older. It's not like everybody over 40 signed up for the "free money while we laugh at the youth" club.

    And that "they didn't pay any taxes" line is bull as well. If they were lower class or middle class, they paid as much taxes as we did, or more. It's them, the ones in the boat with us, that you'd strangle if you destroyed the net, not the people who actually caused this stuff.

    I can't believe that's the first impulse, when I always thought there were a bunch of really obvious things to do to fix this whole mess. It's simple: raise taxes on ridiculous things. Private jets will be taxed heavily enough that they cost twice what they cost now, because really? They're the most inefficient and stupid thing ever, but right now they're a tax writeoff. Same for any car that costs more than $100,000. Raise the tax rates to Eisenhower levels, adjusted for inflation. Have the government set prices on routine medical services... the exact same MRI costs $280 in France and can run over $2000 in the US.

    Tax capital gains on a scale that starts at 30% on $200k and up and goes to 90% for capital gains over 5 mil. Do something similar with salaries.

    Make a law that banks can't sit on real estate and let the properties decay under them... they have to sell, or maintain the properties for renters - their choice. This would bring property prices more in line with demand, as right now things are still screwed because banks would rather let houses moulder than report the relevant losses.

    The vast majority of the ultra-wealthy were either complicit in or directly benefited from the extremely questionable policies of the last few decades. Do what good old Ike did: tax 'em, and use that money to build roads and schools and make America great again.

    It's more sadrage at feeling unable to right the ship alone. We could fix things policy wise if the PA forum reflected the majority of the electorate. Sadly, we do not. So as it's much more likely that we will see the social safety net utterly destroyed for the non-elderly of today then I can at least sympathize with the sentiment of "well, if they're going to destroy our safety net, let's at least make sure they're not living the high life on our backs." Since it's much more likely currently that we'd be able to destroy the safety net for the elderly than we would be to institute all of the huge list of structural reforms we'd need to put this nation back on the right track economically.

    On Ignorance:
    Kana wrote:
    If the best you can come up with against someone who's patently ignorant is to yell back at him, "Yeah? Well there's BOOKS, and they say you're WRONG!"

    Then honestly you're not coming out of this looking great either.
  • CasualCasual Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Flap Flap Flap Registered User regular
    I'm in Lilnoobs "millennial grey area" window, and I don't consider myself a millennial or a Gen Xer.

    For a while, we were calling ourselves "Children of the 80s" or "The Nintendo Generation," both of which I prefer to either of those potential categorizations. To me, Gen X'ers were always people older than me, their defining values and outlooks were not mine, and the millennial were at least five years younger, probably more.

    But back on topic.

    I'm doing OK, but not because of anything sensible I did with my life. I lucked into a job by having a skill two years before everyone had it: (moderate Japanese Language fluency), and using that to get me a mailroom-style job in an industry I actually enjoy. My company had some layoffs and I tried to freelance while looking for a new job, but I'm working a real job again now. I make a pretty decent salary, but work an outrageous amount of overtime. You know, the standard version of a "success story" for someone born in the early 80s.

    But I have a bunch of credit card debt. Why? Because when I was freelancing, I bought health insurance like an idiot. I was always taught that you have to have insurance or you can screw yourself over for life, so when the choice came between putting my insurance premiums on my credit card and going without, I did what I thought was responsible, and screwed myself over financially, potentially for decades. Before that, I was in great shape, with substantial savings: I was even contemplating buying a house (/gasp). Now, unless I get married to someone who makes substantially more than I do, the next four or five years will be spent trying to get back above water, because I was stupid enough to buy health insurance.

    Our generation seems to run into a lot of these damned if you do, damned if you don't situations.

    (Also, in the only industry where I can hope to make a living wage, I have no choice but to live in a neighborhood where a one-bedroom apartment rents for half my monthly takehome pay. I recently switched to living with a roomate, now rent alone only takes slightly more than a third of my monthly takehome pay.)

    Still, I can't believe that the first solution you guys jump to is "destroy the social safety net." Newsflash: that will probably mostly hurt the people who voted democrat and got equally screwed by the system as we did, which is a decent chunk of the boomer generation and older. It's not like everybody over 40 signed up for the "free money while we laugh at the youth" club.

    And that "they didn't pay any taxes" line is bull as well. If they were lower class or middle class, they paid as much taxes as we did, or more. It's them, the ones in the boat with us, that you'd strangle if you destroyed the net, not the people who actually caused this stuff.

    I can't believe that's the first impulse, when I always thought there were a bunch of really obvious things to do to fix this whole mess. It's simple: raise taxes on ridiculous things. Private jets will be taxed heavily enough that they cost twice what they cost now, because really? They're the most inefficient and stupid thing ever, but right now they're a tax writeoff. Same for any car that costs more than $100,000. Raise the tax rates to Eisenhower levels, adjusted for inflation. Have the government set prices on routine medical services... the exact same MRI costs $280 in France and can run over $2000 in the US.

    Tax capital gains on a scale that starts at 30% on $200k and up and goes to 90% for capital gains over 5 mil. Do something similar with salaries.

    Make a law that banks can't sit on real estate and let the properties decay under them... they have to sell, or maintain the properties for renters - their choice. This would bring property prices more in line with demand, as right now things are still screwed because banks would rather let houses moulder than report the relevant losses.

    The vast majority of the ultra-wealthy were either complicit in or directly benefited from the extremely questionable policies of the last few decades. Do what good old Ike did: tax 'em, and use that money to build roads and schools and make America great again.

    Tax.. the rich...? We can't do that! Because... uhhhh, wait I got something here... hmmm.... Right I got it! We can't tax the rich because of business! And China! That's why.

  • chocoboliciouschocobolicious Registered User regular
    Well, we can make them once the boomers die. As it is they basically have a majority vote, that's how ridiculous that generation is. So, no, taxing them and such isn't even moderately feasible. Those kinds of things just wouldn't pass in the current political climate.

    Basically as said before, basically just have to watch our own asses and maybe fix things down the line when we can.

    I have no problem helping a generation or two behind me have a better country to grow up in. frankly I know I'm pretty much already fucked to mediocrity, lower middle class at best. gotta have a transitional generation occasionally, I guess. Hah.

    steam_sig.png
  • HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    edited March 2012
    gotta have a transitional generation occasionally, I guess. Hah.

    The "stepping stone" generation. I'm sure history will vindicate us.

    Hopefully.

    Hacksaw on
  • CantidoCantido Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    Oh for fucks sake. I liked this article on Facebook and somebody likes it, only to say that Fair Tax is the solution.

    Cantido on
    3DS Friendcode 5413-1311-3767
  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    Well, we can make them once the boomers die. As it is they basically have a majority vote, that's how ridiculous that generation is. So, no, taxing them and such isn't even moderately feasible. Those kinds of things just wouldn't pass in the current political climate.

    Basically as said before, basically just have to watch our own asses and maybe fix things down the line when we can.

    I have no problem helping a generation or two behind me have a better country to grow up in. frankly I know I'm pretty much already fucked to mediocrity, lower middle class at best. gotta have a transitional generation occasionally, I guess. Hah.

    Didn't the boomers have a fuckton of babies? Do we not outnumber them?
    And I'd gladly vote for some younger people to get them into the government, but none run. Hell, Gen-Xers are barely getting into office now.

  • AManFromEarthAManFromEarth Let's get to twerk! The King in the SwampRegistered User regular
    Well, we can make them once the boomers die. As it is they basically have a majority vote, that's how ridiculous that generation is. So, no, taxing them and such isn't even moderately feasible. Those kinds of things just wouldn't pass in the current political climate.

    Basically as said before, basically just have to watch our own asses and maybe fix things down the line when we can.

    I have no problem helping a generation or two behind me have a better country to grow up in. frankly I know I'm pretty much already fucked to mediocrity, lower middle class at best. gotta have a transitional generation occasionally, I guess. Hah.

    Didn't the boomers have a fuckton of babies? Do we not outnumber them?
    And I'd gladly vote for some younger people to get them into the government, but none run. Hell, Gen-Xers are barely getting into office now.

    We outnumber boomers 3-1 in real terms, but not in voting terms.

    Lh96QHG.png
  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    Well, we can make them once the boomers die. As it is they basically have a majority vote, that's how ridiculous that generation is. So, no, taxing them and such isn't even moderately feasible. Those kinds of things just wouldn't pass in the current political climate.

    Basically as said before, basically just have to watch our own asses and maybe fix things down the line when we can.

    I have no problem helping a generation or two behind me have a better country to grow up in. frankly I know I'm pretty much already fucked to mediocrity, lower middle class at best. gotta have a transitional generation occasionally, I guess. Hah.

    Didn't the boomers have a fuckton of babies? Do we not outnumber them?
    And I'd gladly vote for some younger people to get them into the government, but none run. Hell, Gen-Xers are barely getting into office now.

    We outnumber boomers 3-1 in real terms, but not in voting terms.

    Well, for which guy who is completely afraid of, and ignorant of, the internet do you wish to vote into office?

  • EddEdd Registered User regular
    Well, we can make them once the boomers die. As it is they basically have a majority vote, that's how ridiculous that generation is. So, no, taxing them and such isn't even moderately feasible. Those kinds of things just wouldn't pass in the current political climate.

    Basically as said before, basically just have to watch our own asses and maybe fix things down the line when we can.

    I have no problem helping a generation or two behind me have a better country to grow up in. frankly I know I'm pretty much already fucked to mediocrity, lower middle class at best. gotta have a transitional generation occasionally, I guess. Hah.

    Didn't the boomers have a fuckton of babies? Do we not outnumber them?
    And I'd gladly vote for some younger people to get them into the government, but none run. Hell, Gen-Xers are barely getting into office now.

    Quite a few of the freshman Tea Party Congressmen were Gen Xers, no?

  • AManFromEarthAManFromEarth Let's get to twerk! The King in the SwampRegistered User regular
    Well, we can make them once the boomers die. As it is they basically have a majority vote, that's how ridiculous that generation is. So, no, taxing them and such isn't even moderately feasible. Those kinds of things just wouldn't pass in the current political climate.

    Basically as said before, basically just have to watch our own asses and maybe fix things down the line when we can.

    I have no problem helping a generation or two behind me have a better country to grow up in. frankly I know I'm pretty much already fucked to mediocrity, lower middle class at best. gotta have a transitional generation occasionally, I guess. Hah.

    Didn't the boomers have a fuckton of babies? Do we not outnumber them?
    And I'd gladly vote for some younger people to get them into the government, but none run. Hell, Gen-Xers are barely getting into office now.

    We outnumber boomers 3-1 in real terms, but not in voting terms.

    Well, for which guy who is completely afraid of, and ignorant of, the internet do you wish to vote into office?

    The one who is least likely to fuck up as much. Politics is never about the perfect.

    Lh96QHG.png
  • BagginsesBagginses __BANNED USERS regular
    Hacksaw wrote: »
    About when would one have to be born to be considered a Millenial? Because I keep reading conflicting things.

    Are you 18 or over as of this post? Congratulations, you're a Millennial. Sadly, we don't have t-shirts or secret decoder rings; those were sold to pay for Medicare and Social Security.

    Population_Growth_Chart.jpg

  • HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    Edd wrote: »
    Well, we can make them once the boomers die. As it is they basically have a majority vote, that's how ridiculous that generation is. So, no, taxing them and such isn't even moderately feasible. Those kinds of things just wouldn't pass in the current political climate.

    Basically as said before, basically just have to watch our own asses and maybe fix things down the line when we can.

    I have no problem helping a generation or two behind me have a better country to grow up in. frankly I know I'm pretty much already fucked to mediocrity, lower middle class at best. gotta have a transitional generation occasionally, I guess. Hah.

    Didn't the boomers have a fuckton of babies? Do we not outnumber them?
    And I'd gladly vote for some younger people to get them into the government, but none run. Hell, Gen-Xers are barely getting into office now.

    Quite a few of the freshman Tea Party Congressmen were Gen Xers, no?

    Sadly, yes. Every generation has its kooks.

  • JarsJars Registered User regular
    the idea of repealing medicare is only conveying a point across really(to us this is like if they repealed medicare). Considering republicans are actively looking for ways to get rid of it I don't think any of us truly support the idea because it's playing right into their hands of getting rid of all safety nets so the wealthy can earn another million a year.

  • SpeakerSpeaker Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    Thanatos wrote: »
    The solution to this is to simply repeal Medicare.

    No government healthcare for us? Fine, then, no government healthcare for you, either.

    Reading through this thread and this really resonated with me. Posted this yesterday on Facebook when I was reading about what was going on with the Healthcare debate in the Supreme Court:

    "Oh hey, just found out the Supreme Court struck down the Healthcare bill. Fuck this country moving to Europe as soon as I can swing it financially."

    Today my uncle responded with this:

    "Don't let the door hit you on your sorry, self-serving, intitlement ass on your way out. There is a reason people from all over world want to come here. Figure it out!"

    Responded with this, he has yet to respond, not sure if he'll be able to come up with anything really:

    "So I suppose you aren't going to make any use of Medicare in a couple of years?"

    I liked my uncle a lot more before he got a Facebook and started getting all up in my politics. He is a rad dude, nice guy for the most part, rebuilds top fuel dragsters and races them, we have a good time whenever we hang out; but for some reason he's a neocon asshole and I just don't get it.

    Had a lot of problems with my dad when I was out of work from 2008-2010. Then he started trying to find a new job in late 2009 and he got a lot nicer to me. Step mom's still a bitch though. Lately they've both become Obama supporters and we talk about a need for healthcare reform and it's kind of hilarious considering they used to be super Republican.

    I wouldn't want to get rid of Medicare because most if not all middle-class retirees wouldn't be able to cope financially, but I don't get how more of them don't see that there's no fucking difference between Medicare and Single Payer Healthcare for everyone. It's fucking stupid.

    Watching my dad come around on Obama has been the weirdest thing.

    Part of me wonders if it is just because he plugged into my network of liberal friends on facebook, whereas before he lived in the imagined community of conservative talk radio listeners.

    Speaker on
  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    Gen X is not on our side.

  • SpeakerSpeaker Registered User regular
    Elldren wrote: »
    Edd wrote: »
    About when would one have to be born to be considered a Millenial? Because I keep reading conflicting things.

    1982 and on, you're a Millenial, also known as a Generation Y. This may also mean you're fucked.

    I personally consider myself to be part of the last gasp of Gen X, but it is a fairly fuzzy indecisive line.

    I do know the Dewey decimal system, but as my dad was a nerd I participated in the early internet and assorted non-internet networks since middle school.

    I always found a pretty sharp cut in culture between people born mid-70s and early 80s.

    I feel like the culture changed a lot when it went from Cheers and hair bands to Seinfeld and Pearl Jam. Depending on when you were a teenager, you just were moving in a different wave.

  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    Speaker wrote: »
    Elldren wrote: »
    Edd wrote: »
    About when would one have to be born to be considered a Millenial? Because I keep reading conflicting things.

    1982 and on, you're a Millenial, also known as a Generation Y. This may also mean you're fucked.

    I personally consider myself to be part of the last gasp of Gen X, but it is a fairly fuzzy indecisive line.

    I do know the Dewey decimal system, but as my dad was a nerd I participated in the early internet and assorted non-internet networks since middle school.

    I always found a pretty sharp cut in culture between people born mid-70s and early 80s.

    I feel like the culture changed a lot when it went from Cheers and hair bands to Seinfeld and Pearl Jam. Depending on when you were a teenager, you just were moving in a different wave.

    It's not hard to see why.

    People born in the 80s grew up during the Clinton boom. They don't even remember the Cold War being a thing. They probably don't even remember music pre-grunge. That's a big big change in the world they inhabited.

    Funnily, these same kids who grew up during the Clinton Boom, graduated during the Bush recession more or less.

  • LilnoobsLilnoobs Alpha Queue Registered User regular
    shryke wrote: »
    Gen X is not on our side.

    They are at a weird place. A good chunk of them are taking care of the older generation (boomers) and their children (millenials), sandwiched between. They were also the hardest hit generation when it came to the housing market. I wouldn't write off the X'ers just yet like I would the boomers. I think a lot of what is happening in politics and economy will bring them around from believing in the old ways, eventually.

  • HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    shryke wrote: »
    Funnily, these same kids who grew up during the Clinton Boom, graduated during the Bush recession more or less.

    Yup. I graduated from college into literally the worst economy we've had since the Great Depression. And with a nearly-obsolete skill set as well.

    I am so smart! S-M-R-T!

  • Kipling217Kipling217 Registered User regular
    Lilnoobs wrote: »
    shryke wrote: »
    Gen X is not on our side.

    They are at a weird place. A good chunk of them are taking care of the older generation (boomers) and their children (millenials), sandwiched between. They were also the hardest hit generation when it came to the housing market. I wouldn't write off the X'ers just yet like I would the boomers. I think a lot of what is happening in politics and economy will bring them around from believing in the old ways, eventually.

    Speaking as a Gen Xer, my generation has a strange position in the world. Boomers and late Silents where our parents and it shows. Our parents told us to be distrustful of the Man and his bureaucratic minions. At the same time our home life went straight out the window when the divorce rate went up. Having divorced parents may be nothing today, but back then it was a major upheaval(still is, its just been silenced). The world was in constant chaos beyond our control.

    Is it any wonder that a lot of Xers became reactionary distrustful assholes? Generation Xers got fucked over more by boomers then anyone.

    The sky was full of stars, every star an exploding ship. One of ours.
  • Pi-r8Pi-r8 Registered User regular
    shryke wrote: »
    Speaker wrote: »
    Elldren wrote: »
    Edd wrote: »
    About when would one have to be born to be considered a Millenial? Because I keep reading conflicting things.

    1982 and on, you're a Millenial, also known as a Generation Y. This may also mean you're fucked.

    I personally consider myself to be part of the last gasp of Gen X, but it is a fairly fuzzy indecisive line.

    I do know the Dewey decimal system, but as my dad was a nerd I participated in the early internet and assorted non-internet networks since middle school.

    I always found a pretty sharp cut in culture between people born mid-70s and early 80s.

    I feel like the culture changed a lot when it went from Cheers and hair bands to Seinfeld and Pearl Jam. Depending on when you were a teenager, you just were moving in a different wave.

    It's not hard to see why.

    People born in the 80s grew up during the Clinton boom. They don't even remember the Cold War being a thing. They probably don't even remember music pre-grunge. That's a big big change in the world they inhabited.

    Funnily, these same kids who grew up during the Clinton Boom, graduated during the Bush recession more or less.
    Yeah, and also the 80s seems like the time when anti-soviet propaganda was really at it's peak. Anyone who watched rocky 4 as a kid and took it seriously must have had a really warped view of the world.

  • mcdermottmcdermott Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    Lawndart wrote: »
    Yeah, and also the 80s seems like the time when anti-soviet propaganda was really at it's peak. Anyone who watched rocky 4 as a kid and took it seriously must have had a really warped view of the world.

    Ha, so true. Even in the late '80s, which would have been when I saw it, it was still a thing that was taken seriously. Prior to the fall of the Wall, it really was "serious business," and it's hard for me to understand that there are people who never really lived (in any cognizant manner) under that. It was definitely a whole different flavor of "ever-present enemy" than terrorists.

    EDIT: I think some of your real crazy-libertarians in their late 20's and early-to-mid 30's stem from that, too...I've known some guys who got indoctrinated hard, like daily, by their parents on the constant threat of communism/socialism/etc. With a splash of "those people want to nuke us."

    mcdermott on
  • Kipling217Kipling217 Registered User regular
    Yeah, the Cold War... Its so weird to think that something that seems to permanent as the Soviet Union would just crumble into the wind.

    Its why I never bought into the whole War on Terror. Even in his wildest dreams Osama could never match the real spine chilling terror of 3000 nuclear missiles.

    The sky was full of stars, every star an exploding ship. One of ours.
  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    mcdermott wrote: »
    Lawndart wrote: »
    Yeah, and also the 80s seems like the time when anti-soviet propaganda was really at it's peak. Anyone who watched rocky 4 as a kid and took it seriously must have had a really warped view of the world.

    Ha, so true. Even in the late '80s, which would have been when I saw it, it was still a thing that was taken seriously. Prior to the fall of the Wall, it really was "serious business," and it's hard for me to understand that there are people who never really lived (in any cognizant manner) under that. It was definitely a whole different flavor of "ever-present enemy" than terrorists.

    It doesn't even work with terrorists for many I think. Maybe for the kids born mid-to-late 90s who won't remember a time before 9/11.

    Growing up in the 90s, there WERE no existential threats to "our way of life". The very concept is odd.
    EDIT: I think some of your real crazy-libertarians in their late 20's and early-to-mid 30's stem from that, too...I've known some guys who got indoctrinated hard, like daily, by their parents on the constant threat of communism/socialism/etc. With a splash of "those people want to nuke us."

    I've said it before, but the Cold War is one of the most culturally and politically destructive wars the US had. So much fucked up shit because of that conflict. You can trace so many political and cultural issues the US is still suffering from (and that the Boomers are still lapping up) to anti-communist rhetoric.

    shryke on
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