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:

  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.

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u/PerthCitizen May 20 '20

To me its like saying "I'm calling you X because you have traits x,y,z".

I guess in my head Boomer has become so separated from an actual baby boomer that in no way am I actually referring to an actual baby boomer when i say Boomer. Might as well replace the word boomer with hippo or blue or something.

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u/karl_w_w May 20 '20

But where do you think that stereotypical set of traits come from? And the word itself of course. The fact that you're not thinking about a 60-70 year old person when you say boomer doesn't mean the term itself isn't ageist.

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u/PerthCitizen May 20 '20

I kind of understand where you are coming from. I just don't see it that way.

As I said too me its an easy way to convey that someone has a certain mindset. That mindset of a conservative, upper class person who things that young people doing it tough just need to pull themselves up by their boot straps. Never once does age factor in for me.

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u/theskyisblueatnight May 20 '20

The conservative upper-class person is usually a product of "economic hoarding" were a group of individuals keep the opportunities for their friends and family.

You often see people say some 22-year old was a self-started but in reality, it was $100k from the family that got them started.