Old people have noone to thank but themselves.

[HoreTore]

I'm getting tired of hearing old people whine. "My pension is too low", "we need a tax cut", etc etc.

The fact is, that the 80-year olds of today were in their 50's during the 80's. And what decade was that? The "me, me, me" decade. That was the decade where tax cut were preferred over pensions and health care for the elrly. They expect us young people to use our tax money to pay for what they didn't want to pay for? No say jose. The retired people of today didn't build the nation, they didn't save us from Hitler. That was done by the generation before them. No, the elderly today inherited a fully functioning state and decided to ruin it inorderto give themselves more money.

They whine about property taxes; well, at least they own property. because they have worked continously to increase their property values, it is harder than ever to but your first house. In the 60's, we built houses so that everyone could own their own home. When did that stop? The 80's.

And what happened when the me-society of the 80's chrashed and we had to rebuild a chrashed financial system in the 90's? That's right; they retired.

The old people of today have done nothing but care to themselves, and thought nothing of the consequences. And now they expect me to pay for them? Hah!

[rory_20_uk]

You've forgotten a couple of other things:

Final salary pensions - appeared when they were young, now too expensive and are closed when they are old.
Pensions at 60/65 for them (hell, 55 in many cases). For us? Oh, 67, 70 - may be 75...
Free healthcare which has expanded to the point it might no longer be free in the future.
University grants. Sadly stopped now.

The 1980's was the "me" society, as the self absorbed "young people first" of the 60's had moved up in the world, had decided to stop trashing the place and settled down into accruing wealth for themselves at the cost of everyone else.

[drone]

If you think it's bad now, just wait until the baby-boomers are retired en masse.

[Beskar]

I still don't get why they never bothered saving up for their own pensions...

[Centurion1]

they do. do you realize how much money it requires to retire these days.

Edit: and things just get more expensive the older you get

[HoreTore]

they do. do you realize how much money it requires to retire these days.

Edit: and things just get more expensive the older you get

The cost skyrocketed when they were intheir 50's, or in other words, while they were running the show. It was they who chose to create this world, it was they who traded long-term security for short-term gains. Reagan isn't the one behind reganomics, it was a product of the times.

They expect me to pay for what they didn't care to pay for. Fat chance.

[Beskar]

Yet, the usual complaints are from the 'State Pension', not the private pension. Your private pension is a lot more extra ontop of a state pension (untill it hits a certain threshold). Thus, if they had a private pension, they wouldn't be concerned about the state pension.

[Rhyfelwyr]

It's just part of the wider culture where we think we're entitled to everything. People just sit on benefits their whole life complaining how the system is against them and expect that the government is somehow obliged to tax working people to keep funding their 5 McDonalds a day and cable TV.

Although there was a bit on the TV recently about how there will be problems with pensions in the future because the companies people have been using have went bust, that's different.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Yet, the usual complaints are from the 'State Pension', not the private pension. Your private pension is a lot more extra ontop of a state pension (untill it hits a certain threshold). Thus, if they had a private pension, they wouldn't be concerned about the state pension.

You are right of course, but that would require people to take enough responsibility to sit down with a financial planner and then follow her advice. Industry surveys suggest that only 44% of Americans, for example, have tried to calculate the amount of money they will need when they retire. An even smaller percentage factors in all of the necessary wrinkles -- future value of a dollar, realistic rate of return on investments, life insurance needs -- in making that assessment. Currently, 60% of Americans retire on an income of $30k/year or less -- in a country where the poverty level for a family of two is $14.6k.

[Fragony]

More concerned about the babyboomer-generation, granny can complain.

[naut]

Hahah. The irony. Whinging about people who only think of themselves, because you can only think of yourself.

[InsaneApache]

Ageist.

[Meneldil]

While I do not completely agree with Hore Tore there, I must say I find it pretty laughable when old people bitch and whine about society and what not. Not only they enjoyed an era of peace and unpreceded growth, but they somehow screwed it up. The fact that some of them have the nerve to complain while I can't find a stable job with two different diploma sometimes makes me go "meh".

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

If you think it's bad now, just wait until the baby-boomers are retired en masse.

God help us.....


They should have save their own money.....

[Hosakawa Tito]

Hahah. The irony. Whinging about people who only think of themselves, because you can only think of yourself.

Ageist.

Hehehe, this is why some species, on occasion, eat their young.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Hehehe, this is why some species, on occasion, eat their young.

Swift rejoinder, friend Hosa.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I don't particularly blame the Baby Boomers. Their generation was a revolt against the generation before them of ultra conservatism kids are to be seen not heard and you must follow your government no matter what. I mean, these are same people who were experiencing the Vietnam War in their late teens, early 20s a war that made no sense and little results (in their eyes) but the parents didn't push against it because they weren't that anti-government. That was most likely due to their parents (AKA the "greatest" generation) having to struggle during the great depression and later seeing Roosevelt and his administration lead them out of it, which made them much more government and establishment friendly.

This is how I currently view the lead up and our situation:
The liberal 60s and 70s weren't really a time of "liberalism" but of anti-establishment and selfishness which provoked liberal policies because people wanted the government to give them more instead of using all their resources on fighting for "all of us" in proxy wars. Then they got old enough by the 80s to implant themselves in the high places of society and government and the selfishness now continued in the area of being able to lower taxes drastically and with businesses and families to worry about it now became good again to spend large amounts to protect their life from the evil Russians.

Basically their selfishness when not in power lead to liberal policies, and selfishness when they got in power lead to conservative policies.

I really rushed this post, but that is just my looking at the situation from a glance. Now with newer generations born in the 60s, 70s, and 80s getting into power in government and society these Baby Boomers are now feeling threatened in their benefits they have worked out for themselves over the decades which is why we have groups like the Tea Party coming about. I'm sure if you had a list of Tea Party members and cross referenced with a list of people who protested in the 60s and 70s over Vietnam there would be a lot of names on both lists (I assume).

[Shaka_Khan]

Not only they enjoyed an era of peace and unpreceded growth, but they somehow screwed it up. The fact that some of them have the nerve to complain while I can't find a stable job with two different diploma sometimes makes me go "meh".

Fortunately, my parents don't complain. My dad still has a good job.
Anyway, our parents certainly started to have jobs during a more stable time than we do now. At least that's what I can tell from my dad. When he was growing up, one person can support his/her entire family. Graduating from college made it 100% possible to find a job. So I guess that he had a more positive outlook on the future until the Oil Shock happened. The situation got better (but still not as good as the 60s) by the time he graduated.
A lot of my suppliers' factories have closed down because the economy of their main market that they sold to became stagnant. It's hard to get a decent amount from them and the prices have gone up.
I feel sorry for the younger generation because it doesn't look like any of the companies I do business with will be hiring more people for a long time. I heard that my suppliers kicked out a huge portion of their workforce two years ago. Maybe my customers will hire a few secretaries on minimum wage. Fortunately, my younger cousin got hired into a decent job a few months ago. It took a long time. He is 28 and this is his first job.

[drone]

Basically their selfishness when not in power lead to liberal policies, and selfishness when they got in power lead to conservative policies.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Hehehe, this is why some species, on occasion, eat their young.

And other species eat their parents. And in some species the young have out-evolved their parents to such a degree that now the adult version no longer exists.

[Beskar]

And other species eat their parents. And in some species the young have out-evolved their parents to such a degree that now the adult version no longer exists.

That is why the egg came before the Chicken.

Unless you don't believe in evolution, then God magic'd the Chicken first.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

That is why the egg came before the Chicken.

Unless you don't believe in evolution, then God magic'd the Chicken first.

Actually, I believe it was recently demonstrated that only a chicken creates a chicken-like egg, so the chicken came first, and then started producing chicken-like eggs.

[woad&fangs]

In birds, the eggshell forms around the embryo after the embryo has been created. So by necessity, the chicken must have come first and the egg formed around it.

[InsaneApache]

Good God. Youngsters today!

[Gregoshi]

The omelette came first. And God said it was good. So he made the chicken to lay the eggs to make more omelettes. Simple, really.

[Kocmoc]

Amazing tread! Had a good laugh.

Im 35 with 2 kids and i pay a shitload of taxes, doest it hurt me? No! Old people build up my country and had their own crap times back after the war.
Can i blame People who want to get something back for working hard? No!

Times change, thats correct. In germany back in the 70s we brought up a system which give you money once you retired or stoped work. Enough to live quite good.
In the 70 7 employer had to pay for 1 old person, today 2,5 employer pay for 1 old person.

Clearly the system dont really work anymore, so people in my age have pay twice. First for the old people and second for myself, since when Im an old grandpa noone is goin to pay for me.
Doest ist hurt me? No!

Get some good education, build up some houses and enjoy your life. If thats not good enough for you, than buy more houses or just leave the country whuch you obviously dont like at all.

People who whine about this, are usually not good enought to earn some proper cash or run an own company.


Koc