How Baby Boomers Benefited from The Greatest Generation's Legacy, Then Tore it Down

Discussion on Reddit about the Boomer generation taking advantage of the social programs their parents created and then kicking the ladder away for everyone else: (a lot of generalizations)

“Here’s my basic understanding of what went down: The generation that birthed the Baby Boomers suffered like hell. Depression, World War II; they shouldered that shit. So when the US was growing more successful following WWII, they didn’t want their children to suffer. And their kids loved this. They lived in relative safety, had a clear boogeyman to fear in the USSR and ideology to love in the US of A. They got opportunities, whether to get jobs straight out of high school, or go to college, or travel the world, or whatever. Not everyone got this, of course, since we still did have poor souls shipped out to Vietnam. But white suburbanites? Shit was pretty damn cash. They got awesome music, got to experiment with drugs, and then got jobs alongside their hardworking, nose-to-the-grindstone parents of the “Greatest Generation”. And as those parents retired and died, we were left with a overwhelming number of coddled, spoiled children running the show. And the problem with that is that they haven’t grown up. They didn’t understand the hardships that drove their parents decisions. So they made decisions that didn’t aim to avoid those hardships, which has saddled us with debt, terrible regulations of tons of industries, and a number of unwanted and unwinnable wars (Iraq, Afghanistan, Drugs), which has led to Gen Xers and Millenials getting the short end of the stick, and being generally bitter about it. Even a cursory glance at what we call the generations even gives some insight into the Boomers’ thoughts toward their children compared to their parents. “Greatest Generation” vs. “Generation X”. Past vs. future, and the future gets humped. Now, that’s not to say that every Boomer is like that. Plenty aren’t. It’s also not to say that this is a 100% correct reading of the situation, but it does seem to reflect what history has shown (so far) the Greatest Generation, Boomers, and Gen Xers to do.”

Is it true? Did the baby-boomers take advantage of the social programs their parents created and cemented, then voted to dismantle those same benefits for their children in the name of freedom, individual responsibility, and more benefits for themselves? Can a generation be that selfish? : politics.


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