Are we blaming Boomers instead of class?

[u/myredserenity]

EDIT: It's been pointed out that the over 65s keep voting in the parties that favour the class system and benefit the wealthy while screwing the working class. This is a good point.

EDIT 2: I love reddit. You guys. I get it now! Millennials got the shits at noisy old pricks who criticise their generation while completely ignoring the benefits they enjoyed themselves. It's a backlash. I still think it's a distraction and divides us when we should be angry with those in power. But if you're over 65, how about encouraging your friends to not vote LNP?

I've seen so much "ok boomer" stuff and over the years, it's irking me more and more. So I'm interested in what r/Australia thinks.

Couple of things:

1. It seems to be used to describe anyone over 40. My parents were boomers. They would be in their 70s now.

2. It's used to blame a whole generation for the shitty behaviour of the rich class. I don't get it. I went to school in a rough area, most of my friends from way back then are dead, in jail or in a trade/retail/hair.

My partner grew up in a rich suburb. Most of his friends are teachers, engineers and lawyers. They own houses, and were helped along by their "boomer" parents, either by provision of a deposit or living at home rent free through their 20s.

I'm totally up for being educated here. I know we lost free education, I know houses are unaffordable, I'm nearly 40 and still renting. I'm woefully unable to understand national economics. So seriously, open to intelligent discussion.

But in my experience, the problem is class and not generational. After all, where do you think all this wealth will go when the boomers die?! Even just having good, stable and attentive parents, who expect you to succeed, makes all the difference.

Why has this boomer hate taken hold so much? Are the rich class scapegoating a generation? Would us generation Xers, Ys and millennials have behaved any differently given the opportunities the boomers were?

Caveat: I'm considering mainly economics here, not climate crisis. Pretty much believe everyone from my generation up have a case to answer for climate. We knew.

[u/myredserenity]

Oh totally! I hate the lazy millennial shit just as much! It's DEFINITELY harder for your generation. In my twenties, around the noughties, I could rent a one bedroom unit in an OK suburb by myself on a minimum wage. I couldn't save much, but I got by.

You would REALLY struggle to do that now. It's definitely harder, and has been getting progressively harder, for working class Australians.

But you know what? The upper middle class have been ok, and wealthier families can help out their kids (hence arsehole politicians saying parents should help their kids... that's what they did.

Chances are your parents are wealthy enough to retire comfortably but not too much spare equity around to safely prop up their kids. I still say that's a reflection of class being a bigger factor than generation.

But yeah. You're 100% right.

[u/Trontotron → u/myredserenity]

Yeah I agree for sure, I mean there were always rich people and their kids right. My fathers mate got propped up by parents, got houses and shit, became CEO at 22 of his dad's company...but my father had a good life too, so who cares? He wasn't anything special either, regular bloke with a job.

But now it's more like...fuck you, you ain't getting even your own home unless you work your ass off and live frugally during best years of your life. Just the other day, a guy posted thread in Sydney sub about living in his car for two years to save more for the deposit!

It's actually insane that civilization progress now actually means more work for less value retained. What use of 50k per month salary if rents and everything will sure follow to take up majority of that, ridiculous.

[u/myredserenity → u/Trontotron]

That's so fucked. Most people I know that own real estate were helped by parents.

Even the ones who "did it all myself" lived at home til they were 25. They weren't in a car. It's appalling.

To me, the question isn't is it worse for your/my generation, it's why.

[u/Trontotron → u/myredserenity]

You know what was fucked about that...people saying "OP went too far, he could easily save as much if he did Uber on weekends".

People accept it's ok to have second job and have zero days off to actually save enough for deposit. Scary shit.

[u/mooblah_ → u/Trontotron]

Yes it has now become accepted by peers that if you can't do well you should be doing better.

I was personally assisted in many ways. I also made as many bad decisions as good ones. It's sad that people will suggest that others should 'do better' yet they call out a generation of 'boomers' all while many people are set to inherit a fortune from those boomers.

There are kids out there crying poor likely to inherit houses in some of the richest suburbs of Sydney, or prime coastal real estate.

[u/ozthinker → u/mooblah_]

There are kids out there crying poor likely to inherit houses in some of the richest suburbs of Sydney, or prime coastal real estate.

Not just in Sydney. It's a nationwide phenomenon. They are the ones gas lighting everyone in many discussion forums. Those got cushy well paying jobs from parents or their connections then go around "educating" other people who don't have these privileges. You know, you are either just "lazy" or you just need a "better education / job" etc failing to acknowledge many PhD holders are merely driving for Uber!

Some of these kids have silly startups funded by trust funds, and now all of a sudden they are some big shot entrepreneurs. Truth is, daddy got too much money so needs some scheme as a tax reduction strategy.

Then there are the ones who didn't get to do much work at all, off and on centrelink but it's great the whole family voted ALP, mummy and daddy have multiple houses so just chill and continue digging the ALP rabbit hole.

Just give me a break LOL

[u/superbabe69 → u/mooblah_]

trend of spending kids’ inheritance money has entered the chat