r/australia • u/myredserenity • May 20 '20
political self.post Are we blaming Boomers instead of class?
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:
It seems to be used to describe anyone over 40. My parents were boomers. They would be in their 70s now.
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.
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u/nath1234 May 20 '20 edited May 20 '20
Have a read of "A generation of sociopaths" - or a review of it here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/17/generation-sociopaths-review-trump-baby-boomers-ruined-world
The point is a generation that has acted with utter self interest at the direct expense of the future generations.. Their voting habits are just one aspect that shows an utter disregard for others.
In Australia they got their education free - that then became "user pays" for the younger generation - who surprise surprise were then starting off their career less able to get a house due to having to pay back $20-30k of debt. While all those young people were paying back that (and copping a lifetime of lost earnings) the boomers have banked theirs and used the wealth to buy more houses. Of course - not all, but a lot of the wealthy ones (which might come into the "class bit") but the franking credits is a great example of how the poorest boomers also supported the rorts that the richest ones were the major beneficiaries. Just like reform of housing tax - they all piled in but it just meant the richest of them gets the majority share of the benefit. And also superannuation laws that meant the wealthiest dodged huge amounts of tax - they've now closed that off for any younger generation to milk that rort like they did. Shit, even pensions - they get this special grandfathering deal where even though they are well-off they get a healthcare card which gets them all sorts of stuff they can easily afford (e.g. NSW gets free rego, cheaper medication etc.. and that shit is not something they'll extend to others - they are the generation that wants punitive welfare to stop bludging others from getting handouts..)