29 October 2023
What is a "Boomer" anyway? It's a shorthand for "Baby-Boomer." According to Wikipedia, the term "Baby-Boomer" was invented by the US Census Bureau to describe to burst of babies born just after the Second World War (1946-1964). Thus, the term refers to a 'generation', though I prefer to think of a generation in terms of twenty-year intervals. The term seemed so successful that the succeeding generations were also given catchy names:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/career/11-reasons-boomers-are-the-worst-generation-according-to-the-internet/ss-AA1iHc3q
The name of this wonderful article is "11 Reasons Boomers Are the Worst Generation, According to the Internet."
Is it true that you younger people don't think that tipping is appropriate? Well, it's all about accountability. If there's a better system to get proper service, employ it, but don't just complain because you're too cheap. Have good reasons for what you do. The people who lived before you were not all idiots. You guys think that Boomers use too much postal mail, and maybe we do, especially when it comes to mailing checks, which is a dangerous practice these days. So, I, as a Boomer, agree with some of these complaints and observations, but not all of them. Some are just silly. Others are generalizations that don't widely apply to my generation. And, no, all Boomers do not carry paper maps under their arms wherever they go, though I do, at times, still use a wristwatch.
I was born in the mid-1950s, so I am a Boomer, alright. I grew up in a middle-class family, in a middle-class neighborhood, in a big city and I attended a big high school. So, I think I'm capable of speaking authoritatively on that segment of Boomers I grew up with and still know, and I have to say that so many complaints against Boomers in that 11-points article are not only unfair, they are also dangerous to hold. The Boomer generation is not the great evil that those in this article are making them out to be. Second, the Bible warns us against holding in our hearts a root of bitterness [Hebrews 12:15], regardless of how much we can "justify" it being there. You know, folks, we only have the future, and not much of it. Jesus told us that he who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of heaven. No matter how bad our hurts are and how real and underserved they are, we have to give them up at some point. Do you really think it's rational to blame all the ills of the current world on just one generation or one bygone president? Look to your own life for the ills you've contributed to this world. Or are you that perfect in your own mind to see yourself as blameless?
Now, I won't quote every point of the eleven points in its entirety, because I want to stay within fair use. If you want, you can lookup the source article for a complete reference.
Point 1:
They Got TheirsIt's easy to be unhappy with people who seem to "get theirs," leaving little for the rest of us. This is a common gripe against baby boomers by younger generations.
This first point sets the tone for the rest of them. Current economics seems to be the focal point of contention of younger people to older people, especially to the Boomers. So here I will make some of my own observations. Most of us Boomers --- that I knew, anyway --- graduated high school, and then, eventually college. We got additional accreditations when needed, and went into debt sometimes to do so. We worked hard at our jobs (having a genuine 'work ethic'), saved money, lived frugally, and, in time we retired as middle-class citizens. I don't know any of my high school friends who got rich. I certainly didn't. I didn't even retire well off. I am at the very bottom of the middle class, for reasons I chose, and I don't fault anyone for my current situation. It's just that, to some people, there are more important things in life than having a lot of money or financial security. For me, these were to succeed at mastering math and physics before I die, rather than pursuing more financially better work. This was my own decision and I am reaping the gains and losses of that decision. I have never owned a home or a new car. In fact, at this point in my life, I cannot afford to own a car at all. So, for me, anyway, I didn't "get mine," as though I collected more than my fair share of the common wealth of the country.
I was born a republican, but converted to being a democrat around 1990, because of the selfish and bigoted direction the Republican party was moving in, away from its moral roots. In my opinion, the Republican party is the real source of the major economic and political ills of American society, though there are elements of the far left (preaching 'wokism' and extreme 'feminism') that are causing a lot of harm to this country. So much of the ills of the financial policies of society are the result of political policies of decades, in which in the name of deregulation and free enterprise, have taken away the rules that were intended to level the playing field so that the rich don't have an unfair advantage over the rest of us. If you vote for the people who vote to continue these pro-rich policies, then don't look any further than yourselves for someone to blame.
In my own opinion, the current Republican party is a long way from having anything to do with the so-called 'moral majority' or traditional Americanism, much less being representative of anything to do with true Christianity. I have nothing to do with them anymore since the day they launched a lethal attack against the US Capitol to steal an election. By the way, there weren't only Boomers in that crowd of traitors.
Point 2:
Things Were Handed to ThemOne person gripes, saying, "They walked into a job at 15 with no experience and within a few years owned a house, two cars, paid for three or four children and had money left over to start buying investment properties. They then claim that younger generations could do this too, which they can't, because boomers made sure to vote for politicians that have made it harder for any other generation to do the same."
This claim is ridiculous on the face of it, except for the political observation in part. I've already stated what the typical Boomer my age did that I personally knew. None of them started to gain their 'fortune' at 15.
I have above presented my own opinions about the harm Boomers and younger generations have done to this country through the Republican party over the last 50 years. But the issue isn't Boomers, per se. The issue is the extremist political policies from both sides, my fellow Americans. There are plenty of Boomers, like me, who share this opinion about the harm certain right-wing policies have had on the country over the last many decades.
To be more specific, many Boomers became Christians and then through that away to become evangelicals, by which I mean political puppets of the political Right. They threw away their salvation in Jesus (having left their first love [Revelation 2:4]) to get some political power, financial gain, racism, and false xenophobic assurance. They'll have eternity to regret that.
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. -- Titus 1:16How long do we as a country have to wait through one mass shooting of innocent people after another, by some right-wing fanatic or some nutcase with an AR-15, until we get down to serious reasonable gun control? There are more ills in this country than just financial ones.
Point 3:
They're EntitledThey conclude, "The boomer generation ruined everything they touched, and now they are just going to die out and leave all the consequences to us."
So far as I'm concerned, these vague accusations are meaningless. If you are younger than me, I have some advantage in judging this than you. So far as I'm concerned, the real problems of this country are much deeper than politics and economics. These problems are just the negative manifestations of much deeper problems that are spiritual, moral, and social. I've already mentioned the traditional work ethic. Do you have it? Do you show up to work, alert, on time, work hard, and then leave without riding the clock at the end of your shift?
The feminists decry the patriarchy, but the loss of traditional values is the biggest problem this country has as a secular entity. No-fault divorce is ruining the foundation of our society. The lust for money, power, free sex, entitlements, and false senses of security are psychological sicknesses not restricted to Boomers.
If the Boomers were graced by anything over the later generations it was this: The Boomers were the last generation to reach adulthood before our parents's generation got divorces in large numbers.
The Boomers were guilty of promoting 'free sex' and I was a part of it. Today, I am a Christian, and I regret being a part of it in those days. But compared to what young people regard as a 'date' these days, we Boomers looked almost puritanical by comparison! Look, if you're in this got-to-have-it (sex) lifestyle as an addiction, and you want out of it, then do what the Bible tells you to do:
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. -- Galatians 5:16
Point 4:
They're PrivilegedI don't know the crowd that this so-called therapist knows, but neither me nor any of my friends have such a malignant economic mindset. Such a mindset would not even be economically beneficial to the Boomers themselves. It's just a stupid claim."Boomers, as per my therapist who's a boomer, are the most privileged generation in human history. Instead of encouraging the same for their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren, they pulled the ladder up behind them and started pouring boiling oil on the rest of us from above," adds one commenter.
Point 5:
They Believe Everyone Can Pull Themselves UpI'm a liberal who believes that government exists to aid in the common good, and part of that good is to see that all capable people have jobs, and that everyone has affordable housing and medical care. Okay, that's one side of it. What about the other side of it? The moral imperative of a work ethic seems to me to be lost on the younger generations. Laziness is an inevitable result of the loss of a work ethic. But that's not the only problem: Distraction by smart phones and social media are other major problems of younger people. Prove to me that I'm wrong!Just because someone may not be able to make it doesn't make them lazy. It just means you may not know their situation fully.
Point 6:
They Don't Understand That Life Has ChangedWell, like I said, I have never owned a brand new car and likely never will. These days, I get by on my electric scooter. Now that's conspicuous consumption!They continue, "It's more funny to me, but I can see how someone would get aggravated by it. They just seem to not understand that a brand new car in the 80s cost them 785 hours of work while nowadays it costs 2,410 hours of work."
Point 7:
They Don't ApologizeDo you ever apologize, and is it sincere? It isn't just Boomers who have a hard time apologizing. Look to yourselves, people! I warn you again: Do not keep such bitterness within you.One person says, "I've never heard of a boomer apologize for anything ever, much less ever assume responsibility and even attempt to heal. When they already have a terminal-cancer level of toxicity,..."
Point 8:
They've Been At It For YearsWell, there are inaccuracies in this claim. First, the beatniks were more often people who were born before the Baby Boomers. Second, judging by the high school I attended, I'd estimate that only 20% of the students were what could be called 'hippies', of which I was one of them. The hippy movement was rather brief, though it did get a lot of publicity, which makes it seem more prevalent in retrospect than it really was. But most Boomers were not hippies by any stretch of the imagination.One person explains, saying, "The hate on boomers didn't start with today's teens. It started while Gen X were teens and I say this with lived first hand experience. We were the first generation boomers tried to mess up. By the time we late teens and early 20s, it was quite evident that they had mostly lost any notion of live, peace, and equality the generation of hippies and beatnicks live to claim they embraced in their youth."
Once again, the vague accusations made in this Point are meaningless. Specifically, how did these Boomers try to mess up the next generation? Give clear details.
Point 9:
They Voted In Ronald ReaganI will not entertain vague accusations. Next.Boomers loved themselves some Ronald Reagan. [grammar?] Many believe he was here to return our culture to a "right" way of life. Sadly, not everyone was included in that.
Point 10:
They Screwed Up the EnvironmentYes, climate change is a thing, but I say this as a democratic Boomer. How much have you screwed up the environment?Climate change is a thing, and it's well beyond time to accept it. According to some commenters, they believe much of it lies at the hands of boomers.
Point 11:
They're SpoiledI've already explained how it was for me and my Boomer friends back in the day that this 'observation' purports to describe. I call it malarkey. I didn't get every job I applied for. You should be, on principle, skeptical of any claim that's wrapped around by superlatives. The "the most comprehensively spoiled generation ever"? Really? I'd say bull!They continue, "We are the most comprehensively spoiled generation ever. We were given everything on a silver platter, and we never had to spare a thought for anyone else --- and when we did, it was, like, cool, man. Groovy. We had college for cheap and affordable housing! We could walk into a place and ask if they were hiring and get jobs offered to us on the spot."
Conclusion:
So, why did I write this rebuttal? Basically, it was to set the record straight as I know it to be. Many of the assumed 'facts' that were presented in this diatribe against Boomers and that time period they grew up in are in error. Do you really want to win your case based on lies? If you do, are you any better than these Boomers you hate?
People who willingly live in an emotionally agitated and bitter state are not likely to have the soundness of mind to speak or act to the betterment of society or even to themselves.
Wherever the truth is, Jesus is. Wherever a lie is, the Devil is.
You either get control of your lusts and feelings of entitlement or they will get control of you. -- Ilfinor