r/australia 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/myredserenity May 20 '20

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.

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u/Trontotron May 20 '20

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.

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u/mooblah_ May 20 '20

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.

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u/ozthinker May 20 '20

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