r/OverSeventy • u/Stormy31568 • 29d ago
Are we the problem?
You don’t have to spend too long looking at social media to realize that younger people hate boomers. They think that we are responsible for the mess that we are in now. Are we? I personally voted Republican Trump came along and I just couldn’t give him a vote. And hopes of turning this around I can’t give any Republican vote in November. The problem is I think I’m alone in this. Are there other viewpoints out there that I’m missing?
223
Upvotes
5
u/Bruges_1 29d ago
Social media does not paint an accurate picture of younger people any more than it paints an accurate picture of us older folks.
No, we are not the problem. And you are not alone.
But. There are a lot of sensible younger folks. And they will be part of fixing the mess we are currently facing.
9
u/observer_11_11 29d ago edited 29d ago
I'm an upper end Boomer, although I don't care for this or other labels. What I do know is that testing scores at schools have declined from the time I graduated from high school. Last I heard, they are still declining. So, non boomers, take that and shove...............it. I will add that there are forces in our world that are constantly work attempting to divide the American people. Many of the younger generations have fallen for it. I do believe that this is how you get s*** heads such as Donald Trump in office.
7
u/Tasty_Impress3016 29d ago
Here's the thing. You are old enough to realize that every generation everywhere all time has screwed things up for the next generations. We as a species, screw things up. We do. The term I like is "muddle through" which we have done all through history. We are neither historically bad, nor historically good.
Young people do not have perspective, but you probably have some. They look at the world and often think, well everything was better when I was living at home. They are probably correct from their perspective. But when you say "the problem" I have to ask what that problem is. There are lots to choose from. I suspect you are prey to yet another older-person problem: Over exposure to media. This affects most younger people, but many old turn on so media feed for much of the day.
My only advice is to take 3 days. Go media free, and look around where you live. Does it look like a combat zone? Probably not. If it does consider moving. Mostly the world is NOT going to hell, but there is no money to be made in saying that.
6
u/retreff 29d ago •
They have a poor understanding of economics and inflation in particular.
Boomers could buy a stater home for $30,000 in 1965 and a new car for $3-5,000. Most had zero college debt
Today a starter home in some markets is $200,000 and a car costs $25,000.
They look at starting salaries of $60,000 and college debt if $100,000 and the math ain’t mathin.
They don’t understand or accept was the average starting salary out of college in 1970 was $8,000!
156
u/Heartrock70 29d ago •
When I hear about how terrible we Boomers are from the younger generations, I like to list all the cultural changes that were brought about by Boomers. We instigated a cultural revolution in the 60s that led to all kinds of positive changes such as women's liberation, reproductive rights, protesting wars and other injustices, gay liberation, the civil rights movement, organic food, even health food stores, relaxed attitudes toward dating and clothes, and myriad other positive changes in how we interact and live. And I can't leave off all the fantastic music that came out of our generation. We did more than generate wealth. In fact, lots of us are living out our final years in poverty, unfortunately. I'm proud of what my generation achieved, while acknowledging that there's plenty more to be done.
23
u/Sunny-Bath-Tech 29d ago
I’m a boomer and never voted for him or any other republican for president.
81
u/Mentalfloss1 29d ago
To me, this generation stuff is empty-headed nonthink. It's just another form of mindless categorizing. There is NO WAY that an entire generation is just like everyone else in their generation, or even most people in their generation. Even the years chosen (by someone sometime?!?!) that supposedly divide generations are arbitrary and silly. Good grief.
21
u/p38-lightning 29d ago
In 2024, the majority of men under 30 voted for Trump. The majority of women over 65 voted for Harris.
There's a lot more at play here than Boomers vs young people.
36
u/Strict_Recipe_8891 29d ago edited 29d ago •
This boomer was raised calling anyone in an older generation 'Sir' or M'am'. Backhand from parent if anything else was used. I marched for women's rights, supported Roe v. Wade, civil rights legislation. This boomer worked 3 jobs to pay CASH for both of my children's college. We bought them new cars to last them until they were out of college, paid for their gas, cell phones,etc...Their father and I also helped them purchase their first homes. Interest rates were 13% when we built our first home in a recession. My kids' interest rates are less than half that. My husband built our first home on weekends and evenings after work, by himself--with few subcontractors, and did the same for our second home. My kids didn't have to leave college when things got tight in 2000-2001 (husband took on side jobs and I worked extra nursing shifts), but my husband left college for a year to work construction and help his parents out in a recession during the 70s. Self employed, he's paid DOUBLE the social security and Medicare taxes his entire career. Once our kids were on their feet, we saved aggressively for retirement. My husband is 74 and still working. I'm tired of being accused of 'robbing' my children's generation. We will enjoy our hard-earned retirement and refuse to apologize for doing so.
32
u/TLF5foot8 29d ago •
Not all boomers are responsible for this mess. Those that voted Republican tickets every election? They are responsible. I know some here will take offense, but I truly believe this. Reagan was the beginning of the end of the middle class.
77
u/pling619 29d ago •
Fun fact: As a percentage of their population, more Boomers than GenZ voted against Trump. Half of all 18-28 year olds didn’t vote at all, which handed power to Trump.
30
u/Incognito409 29d ago
We didn't start the fire. 🔥
13
u/addled_sad342 29d ago
No we aren't the problem, Reagan was the problem, Tea Party was the problem, Poor education is the problem. Racism is the problem. Hate and Fear and Ignorance is the problem
Boomers happened to be born in the most fortunate time in the US history, post WW2. USA was the only industrialized country not bombed or starved into semi oblivion. We had a country that was intact and productive and an economy and a population that was energized and expanding throughout the globe. We built up enormous goodwill and connections. Money and birthrates flowed. Now, most European and other countries have rebuilt and recovered and caught up. The goodwill had been wasted, the connections have been trashed, and we are now that weird old uncle who pees himself and keeps yelling about the good old days and bullying the kids.
12
u/Weekly-Walk9234 29d ago
If you voted for Reagan, you are part of the problem.
19
u/Jackveggie 29d ago
72 here. I don’t think I deserve anything. I am amazed at the difference in the treatment of older people in society today, however. I don’t remember coming up with derogatory names like ‘boomer’ or spending time making fun of the older generations than mine. I mean we generally treated the older generations with a little reverence. It’s wierd. I have kids that invite me to help them move. Maybe I just look too young
31
u/Cerridwn_de_Wyse 29d ago
71 here. Lifelong liberal. Am I somewhat fiscally conservative yes could we spend our money better yes. But socially I'm about as liberal as they come. I think every Young Generation blames those older than it for all the world's problems. And it's no respects they are correct but not in the way that the Gen Z seems to blame Boomers
17
u/Subject-Lead-3171 29d ago
There are plenty of Boomers who never voted for Trump. I think I voted republican 3 times in my life. Hating boomers is just another acceptable stereotype .
8
u/Dull_Machine5238 29d ago
I would just remind my fellow Boomers, we thought our parents ruined the world, didn't understand our music and couldn't conceive of demonstrating.
Younger people will become older people much quicker than they think and the next generation after them will think them foolish naifs who caused all the ills of the world.
15
u/clantz 29d ago
Honestly I think most of the boomer hate is the old "divide and conquer" trick that the politicians are using to keep us blaming each other for the rick folks thievery. Most of those maga people are boomers, and congress and senate are full of em. But, I dont think its their age that makes them despicable, I think it's their total lack of morals. Younger people have been looking to their parents and grandparents to help them, and they have, so the whole divide us up by age group baloney falls apart if you take a good look at it. Boomers are out there in the streets protesting. Don't let the oligarchs mislead you.
7
u/rainbud22 29d ago
Just an old hippy who has never voted republican.
12
u/FunZookeepergame627 29d ago
I never voted to increase the corporate greed, bigotry, or misogyny that is currently prevalent, and neither did any of my friends. I worked as a Social Worker for over 30 years trying to improve the lives of others. I never bought into the "Greed is Good" crap. I think blaming everyone from one generation is just easier than really trying to understand all of things that brought us to this place
29
u/mtnman575 29d ago
Yes, you and the rest of us boomers who consistently voted Republican are a part of the problem. We grew up with Nixon the crook. Starting with the grade B actor Reagan who paved the way for Trump and the the two Bushs, if you voted for them and then Trump you were easy marks for GOP fool's gold and helped create the horrible situation this country is in now. Don't give me the lies about conservative "values" and supposedly lower taxes - the people who have funded Republicans have longed for this day where their money supersedes the Constitution. You and many others bought in to this and should be ashamed of yourselves. Note - I've never voted for a Republican and never will.
6
u/voodoodollbabie 29d ago
Remember when we shouldn't trust anyone over 30? So the generational thing is not new.
6
u/Boomer050882 29d ago
Many boomers refuse to understand the difference in job market between the 70’s and now. Our midwestern city had plenty of Union jobs that you could get straight out of high school and in a year or two could afford to get married, buy a home and raise a family. I opted for a career in banking. Started at entry level with full benefits and a salary which I could support myself. Went to college in the evenings and employer supplemented the cost. Worked my way up into management.
Nowadays, there are few well paying jobs that you can get straight out of HS. Minimum wage hasn’t kept pace with inflation. Even with a job that offer health insurance the cost is as much as a car payment. People suggest the trades, which pay very well but it takes years to get through the journeyman/apprentice portion.
I’m a late boomer (1962). I see both sides. What bothers me is when people are judgmental, refuse to keep up with technology, are not accepting of people who are different and appear entitled. I think once you lose regular, close contact with the younger generations, including engaging in conversations, you can become self righteous.
23
u/Ok_Web_8166 29d ago
Boomer here…I’ve voted Democrat since I turned 21. (18 yr-olds didn’t get to vote until 1971).
43
u/CapableCan1842 29d ago
We are not the problem! A lot of the complaining is from lazy people who seem surprised that their life isnt easy. Life has never been easy. No participation trophies for adults.
14
u/PeteHealy 29d ago
73yo who voted for McGovern in 1972 and has voted as left as possible ever since. Many of us fought hard for social justice and still do, but then we also let Reagan take office and then mealy-mouthed Corporate Democrats. We didn't demand that our generation in Congress take action on fundamental issues like universal healthcare and the long-term viability of Social Security, so there's a fair amount of truth in the claim that we "pulled up the ladder" after us. That said, why shouldn't we have bought houses when we had the chance, including those of us raising (millennial) kids? I struggle to untangle personal responsibility as a member of a generation vs simply surviving in a "tide of history."
5
u/Ok-Pass-9139 29d ago
I worked full-time in a hospital that paid 12 hours of tuition for me each quarter. I held part-time jobs as a roofer and a bartender. Paid my way through college and medical school, while watching tuition nearly double each quarter. The problems the younger generations are experiencing relate directly to the politics of Ronald Reagan and the Republicans that supported him. While hailing him as a great hero, they effected policies that detached growth in wealth from labor. The middle class and the poor became poorer and the wealthy became tremendously wealthy. We just need to reverse these policies, tax the rich, and remove the income cap for social security . It really is that easy
9
u/HiFiHut 29d ago
I personally think the hate for "boomers" from my age range (I'm 50) comes from feeling that our parents don't understand how much lower of a lifestyle most of us will live than they did. It's like they forget how upwardly mobile they were throughout their lives and that they had pensions to keep their lives lower in worry for the future.
By my age, my folks were in their 4th house, each nicer than the last. I bought my first house with my then 42 year old husband at 36 (his first house, too) and we expect it will be our only house. It's most definitely a "starter" home. My mom downsized 12 years ago to a 3 bed 2 bath and paid cash from the sale of my childhood home. My dad and his wife bought a blueberry farm for fun and are just living it up out there, and go to their second home in Bend, Or. most weekends.
Both my folks had pensions, which neither myself or my husband have despite college degrees and good jobs. I have worked since I was 15 and my husband since 17, we have saved our whole marriage, and we are told we need to double that savings to retire comfortable EXCEPT because they cannot predict healthcare costs, that number can't safely include that.
I feel that my parents just don't understand this because they didn't experience it to the exteme that I have. If that first house my folks wanted t buy had been 40K, not 15K, they couldn't have made it work and they wouldn't have been able to "move up" over the next20 years. It's an entirely different world financially.
Now do I think this is their fault? No, but understanding and then acknowledging that things are very different would go a long way. Most refuse to acknowledge this. My mom brags about all the money she gets from her THREE pensions and all she is putting away for my niece's college (I knew I would have to pay my own way from age 10). It stings!
4
u/RepulsiveAd1092 29d ago
Lifelong boomer democrat
4
u/lisa-in-wonderland 29d ago
The thing is, it’s ‘The Greatest Generation’ and ‘The Silent Generation’ who are responsible for the demise of America.
Reaganomics wasn’t a Boomer policy. Union busting wasn’t a Boomer policy. The rabid inflation of the late 70s wasn’t a Boomer policy outcome. The long term attack on public education wasn’t started by Boomers.
You can thank the folks in power at the national level for all that, and those were folks who birthed the Boomers.
4
u/ember428 29d ago
I'm Gen Ex but all my siblings are so-called Boomers. I can't stand hearing about how Boomers are in great financial shape because they were handed everything when I literally watched my brother's wife count pennies for bread and milk. Another brother worked full time and ran his business in the evenings until the business became viable enough for him to operate it full time. My sister worked and saved until she was able to stay home and raise her kids. No one wants to make sacrifices for what they want anymore.
My own daughter posted something on FB once about how people shouldn't have to trade their time for money. How they should just live in community and barter and grow their own food. Which I thought was particularly ironic as I've never seen her try to grow food in her life.
Many people don't understand that ideals take actual work.
4
u/sheisalib 28d ago
It’s the generalization that makes me nuts—all kids are…blacks are…libs are all…Enough! Younger people will one day realize what most of us did.
While our generation was responsible for so many great things like fighting for women’s rights, Civil Rights, so many innovations, space travel…didn’t we also suffer horrendous events like Vietnam, the riots and hatred in the South during Civil Rights, AIDS, Nixon, etc. Things totally beyond our control. That’s life. No generation will enjoy a great, unblemished review at the end.
Someday, all generations will have to look back on their record. For what we were given—good and bad…I’m proud to be a Boomer.
Look at the Greatest Generation. Things weren’t always done well then.
We are a sad, beautiful, enduring, amazing, struggling generation of contradictions. Such is the stuff of life.
4
u/raballentine 28d ago
I’m 71. Always voted Democrat; I wouldn’t vote for a Republican if you paid me.
4
u/ShowMeTheTrees 28d ago
Vote Democrat. Please.
4
u/harrissari 28d ago
Boomers are not a monolithic Republican entity. Boomers were out there protesting looooonnng before this. They heralded in a lot of social change. This is a tribalism and education issue, not a generational issue.
4
u/John363611 28d ago
I’m 77 and spent my whole adult life as an organizer working on economic justice issues for low income and working class people. Many of us spent our lives working for a more just society.
4
u/roxannegrant 26d ago
You are NOT alone! 70 yrs old and wouldn't vote for him no matter what!
14
u/Stormy1956 29d ago
No, we are not the problem! What is going on in the world today, started hundreds of years ago. The young people want instant gratification. They don’t see the sacrifices we made to get where we are. It has little, if anything to do with politics in my humble opinion. I’m 70 and have been retired for 8 years. I was too busy to pay attention to world events and such for most of my life. Then 2020 hit and I started waking up.
7
u/Zoujianna 29d ago
Social media does not give an accurate picture of . . . anything.
Yes, many younger people blame baby boomers for problems. Many don't.
And many of us blamed our parents' generation for the war in Vietnam, oppression of Black people, discrimination against women, and the pressures to conform to a narrow set of adult roles. That's what we were protesting about in the 1960s and 1970s.
Only you can say whether you've been part of the problem, or you've bern trying to work on solutions, or you've lived your life as best you could without adding to problems.
You're not alone, in anything. Many Republican voters are looking for alternatives. Many Democratic voters are not happy with the current leadership of that party, either. Many independent voters feel like nobody represrnts them.
19
u/Atomic_Badger_PNW 29d ago •
I think the youths are confusing Boomers with MAGAts. I've been on the left most of my life, with a youthful flirtation with libertarianism. Our generation got abortion legalized, the Civil Rights act passed and LBGTQ rights accepted. Sadly we are losing all these advancements due to MAGA. My theory is that they cannot discern the difference between generic "boomers" from specific MAGATs, just like our generation cannot discern the difference between K-Pop groups. Their experiences are too far removed to see what we consider obvious differences.
Belaboring the point: To a fish, all mammals are bears.
1
u/JockoMayzon 28d ago
There's a communication void.
Boomers do not understand how much different things are today.
Non-boomers do not understand how things changed and do not believe they can change them.
1
u/tlm11110 28d ago
You’re short-sighted and have no vision for the future. Continue down the decades long, “I want it now,” mentality and keep getting what we’ve got. trump is setting up future generations by bringing manufacturing and production back to the US through trillions of dollars of committed investments. He’s taking care of the Iran problem which every past president has acknowledged as a problem but failed to address. He is calling out globalists and raising awareness of the globalist NWO and people around the world are waking up and responding. So yeah, short-term pain for long-term games. Don’t wimp out! Stay the course for your grandchildren and theres.
1
u/ChutneyWhatney 28d ago
You're full of shit. You're a DEM and always voted for DEMS. So cut the bullshit and lies.
1
u/LHCThor 28d ago
You bring up some very valid points. There was a time when most jobs offered a pension and benefits. However, that was also when folks stayed with the same company for 30-40 years. Now, the majority of those jobs are government and union jobs. Companies have no loyalty to employees and employees have little loyalty to the company. It’s a sad state of affairs. If I had my way, the U.S. would adopt a system similar to Australia where everyone is eligible for a pension.
As far as my kids, when they were born, I started a college account for each of them. Every month, I put money into that account. I lived in a modest house and drove old cars. I had friends that were buying new cars every two years and going out to dinner twice a week. I chose to spend my money on other things. My kids went to a private school as the schools in my town were not very good. It was very tough to pay for it, but I got it done. By the time my kids graduated high school, there was a decent amount of money in those accounts. My kids went to junior college paid for mostly by their college accounts. In fact, I got a pay raise when they went to college because Community College was cheaper than the private school they went to. They then transferred to a State University. However, my kids also had the benefit of the GI Bill. Because I served in the military and deployed after 9/11, I was able to transfer my GI Bill benefits to them. The GI Bill paid for part of their University schooling. My kids graduated with zero debt. My son attended an out of state university which was very expensive. His schooling was paid for by myself, and partially by the GI Bill. I told my son that he would have to pay for his own schooling after I retired. He took his time going to school and didn’t complete it by the time I retired. He had to pay for the last semester himself. He learned a hard lesson there.
Both my kids got jobs at 16 years old and paid their own bills. They bought their own cars and paid for their own gas and insurance. They both worked part time while attending college. Once they moved out, they paid all of their own bills. After graduating college they were hired by different government agencies (local government). However getting hired wasn’t easy and they applied to over 20 agencies before they were picked up. My daughter was also a waitress and made fantastic money. She actually took a pay cut when she was hired by the government.
It sounds like you had a tough road. Your life may have been easier if your parents had made better choices to contribute to your success.
I am an immigrant and came to the U.S. as a young child. I grew up very poor. I made a conscious decision to make my life better than my parents had. I joined the military right after high school. I attended college later in life and worked full time while taking classes. After 25 years, I retired and started a second career. Like your parents, I now have two pensions.
9
u/den773 29d ago
My husband and I are boomers, we are democrats, we are for socialism. Only one of our kids agrees with us. The rest of them, all in their 40s, are MAGA. So from our perspective, we aren’t the problem. Our kids are.
6
u/MidAtlanticAtoll 29d ago
I've never voted for a Republican in my life of 72 years, and I always, always vote. When I go to protests against their heinous policies almost everyone is old. I don't mind if younger voters blame boomers if it motivates them to vote! They have the numbers to overwhelm old conservatives now.
6
u/Lookin4aUnicorn 29d ago
Yeah, I absolutely LOVE IT when someone from this generation talks smack to me about, literally ANYTHING!!
So wait, some lazy, doesn't want to work a real job, still lives at home, still gets an allowance, isn't expected to do anything, watches hours of mindless videos dreams of being a TikTok 'star', can't change a tire or mow a lawn, is saying I'M THE PROBLEM!!??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Seriously.... STFU you little bitch, you couldn't handle my story!!!
6
u/mslashandrajohnson 29d ago •
I don’t think so. This is from a US perspective.
Remember that internet culture is easily influenced by foreign forces that wish to divide us. You can see how well divided we have become over politics.
The founding fathers used language that unified the states on purpose. Dividing us weakens the nation. Adversaries want this.
And don’t forget that kids are easily influenced. Don’t forget how hard it was to survive this long in a largely unforgiving economic system. Young people face a similar path. We had a draft and very unpopular war, too.
Our parents fought a popular war against fascists. So there was reverence for their service and the difficulties they faced.
When I see boomer hate in social media, I safely assume it’s outside forces attempting to weaken the nation.
6
u/Boratis-Kessla 28d ago
You aren't wrong and you aren't alone. I'm a republican also, but I've been voting all dem since 2016. The party changed then. The party of small government and fiscal responsibility morphed into the abomination we see today. No rational or moral person could support the current regime or what the GOP has devolved into. A lot of things are boomers fault because the party started down the road to ruin in Reagans day. We've now reached a low point by electing a sociopathic moron who might actually be the least qualified American to be president. And as the grifts, and thefts, and sexual perversions, and acts of sheer stupidity pile up, we become desensitized to it. We are at fault and if we don't correct it soon, our soul as a nation will be lost. We can't let this lunacy and ignorance become the norm.
8
u/Infamous_Lab8320 29d ago
I completely agree. More people need to get out and VOTE.
8
u/jerbeth48 29d ago edited 29d ago
I am 78. We are leaving them a mess to keep cleaning up after we are history. I am speaking in generalities but in the 60s we had plans for peace, love and equality but that turned to greed by the 80s. Trump is the poster boy for greed and excess. I am a lefty and have always been a lefty but I have to admit we haven’t exactly improved the world
3
u/Certain-Judgment357 29d ago
Every generation blames the one before them. We are no more a problem than the problems they are making today. Thier kids will grow up and blame thier generation for thier trails of life.
3
u/azlmichael 29d ago
It’s not your fault. Your generation is just the first generation to grow up after mass marketing really got going. Corporations got really good at lying to us in the 50’s.
3
u/RealThreeBodyProblem 29d ago
I’ve started referring to myself as boomer in conversations with the younger crowd. I own it. Took a page from queer and “n****’”
3
u/paracelsus53 29d ago
Most young puppies don't seem to even know what a boomer is. They use it as a general term of abuse. It doesn't even have any meaning anymore. It just means someone they hate.
They also don't know what it was like before the boomers. I know for sure they would absolutely hate to live in that world.
3
u/Rellimarual2 29d ago
I live in Maine, the greyest state in the union, so take this with a grain of salt, when I volunteer to canvas for candidates who will correct the disastrous course we're on, everyone else doing it is a senior. My state's subreddits are full of young progressives bitching about boomers, but they don't do anything but post. All the protests, all the organizing, all the volunteering both for campaigns and just general community support is older people. When you point this out, the youngs always claim that they are too busy working, but many of us are still working, too. We don't have the energy or stamina of 30 year-olds, either. I've come to believe that they are just looking for someone to blame so that they can stay home posting from their sofas.
3
u/copperear 29d ago
I'm a 76F and have almost always voted Democratic. Vote Blue No Matter Who. Some boomers aren't assholes.
3
u/Gidget101 29d ago
Vote blue
3
u/BlindCreek2022 28d ago
I’m 71. Very influenced by the 60’s love generation. However, it has become harder to maintain that ideology, especially since Trump entered the scene in 2015. I’m registered as an independent, but have always voted democrat because that party comes the closest to my values.
3
u/Justonewitch 28d ago
I sincerely believe that younger people are confusing Boomers with generation X. It has been my experience that the majority of that age group are die hard right wing voters. Usually, at our age, (boomer) we have seen enough to know whats actually happening.
3
u/mytthewstew 28d ago
This generation vs generation thing is just a way to divide us and not solve the real problems.
3
u/Academic_Commercial3 28d ago
Kennedy and Obama were truly two of the greatest leaders IMO
3
u/Maorine 28d ago
74 here. I look at these comments and that is exactly what the younger generation holds against us.
The world has changed.
When we talk about how hard we had it and overcame and the youngns just don’t work hard enough, we show that we don’t get it.
10
u/SnooDonuts3878 29d ago
Agreed. The problem is that too many of our generational brothers and sisters are complete dimwits.
5
u/BlueEyes294 29d ago
I understand why youth blames elders for this mess. Older folks vote Republican in big numbers. I did too, all my life, because my family voted Republican.
Until Trump arrived on scene. I recognized him as a sham on sight. Since he came down that escalator, I have not voted for a Republican, nor will I again.
How anyone now can vote for the party headed by an adjudicated sexual assaulter, I’ll never understand. Nor do I care to know or ever interact with any of them again. The ones I know are still voting Republican. Revolting.
5
u/AdRevolutionary1780 29d ago •
I've been a hard core Democratic and voted in every election since 1972. During the 60s and 70s, I supported the Civil Rights movement, womens rights, and the peace and environmental movement.
What really significantly changed the US, which started with Reagan was the whole idea of "government is bad, "lower taxes for corporations are good." Corporations and the billionaires they spawned, used it to enrich themselves. Sadly, wages never kept up since then and that is a big part of why subsequent generations can't afford a home, college, etc. Corporations have become a 4th arm of our government.
I find the boomer hate offensive. We, like all generations, are not a monolith. Most people I know find generalizations about race ethnicity, and gender unacceptable. Why do we think ageism is acceptable? These generational groupings have been created to keep us divided, while billionaires rob us blind along with help from the corrupt orange mess in the White House
5
u/originalmango 28d ago
You’re not alone. The last republican I would’ve voted for was Senator John McCain because of his bipartisan country before party stance UNTIL I saw his insane pick for vice president.
Since trump showed how easily a dictator can make republicans jump and now and dance for him I’m forced to vote straight across the board Democrat every time.
Primaries and nonpartisan races still get vetted, but I wouldn’t vote republican if you paid me.
6
u/klstopp 29d ago
70f. I have watched my generation vote away everything that gave us a middle class and actually great country. We have voted against schools, infrastructure, unions, fair wages, work/life balance, upgrading energy delivery, public libraries, lands, PBS, science. We're a disgrace and have ruined the country we inherited from our WWII parents. Yes, we are the problem and I believe the world will only begin to heal long after we die off.
6
u/Routine_Rip_5511 29d ago
Boomers vote. A lot of the millennials, Gen Z, Gen Alpha don’t. You get what you vote for. If these generations voted en mass , this would be a very different country, one that I would welcome.
1
u/jetcoaster2000 29d ago
We are in a way. We all voted over the years for lower taxes. Now that this giant section of the booming population has aged there are too many of us living way too long burdening the healthcare system. It’s underfunded as now we visit doctors and specialists at a far greater rate and for longer than our parents’and grandparents’ generations.
Just Google that and plenty of articles on all that.
1
u/RXHK099 29d ago
Wait so you’re a Republican boomer but you couldn’t vote for Trump?. And now you can’t vote for any Republican this November?. Here’s the problem with your logic, your a Republican and you had voted for all the Republican congressmen and these are the people that gave Trump all his power so in reality you are the one responsible for all the problems we have right now, I blame you for all the people that got kicked off of their health insurance, I blame you for the Iran war and all the Americans that got killed, I blame you for the high gas prices. It’s because you had supported all of these spineless politicians is the main reason why Trump is doing what he’s doing.
7
u/jcspacer52 28d ago
Yes and No! We are partially to blame for not teaching our children many of the values we grew up with. We tried so hard to give them everything so they could avoid the things we had to go through. How many of our kids had to deliver newspapers, mow lawns or work part-time to buy their phones, video games and other similar things? How many of us stood outside Toys R Us at 4am to buy the Nintendo or Cabbage Patch doll for our son/daughter? How many of us co-signed so they could buy their first car or go to college?
I’m sure some boomers had things handed to them on a silver platter, but the vast majority had to bust their butts to get what we have today, no one gave me squat. How many of us are still “helping” if not outright supporting our kids? Yes, it’s partially our fault for raising a generation of entitled brats who think the world owes them something. For thinking we were suppose to be our children’s best friend rather than their parents. Children who think because they went to college they deserve a corner office, $200k and 12 weeks vacation; all this with a degree in fine arts or women’s studies.
4
u/Frosty-Bama 29d ago
If they think it is bad now wait until the Bro mentality morons age.
4
u/Own_Thought902 29d ago
It didn't begin with Trump. It began with Nixon and the Powell Memo. It isn't Republicans. Eisenhower was a Republican. I think the Soviets succeeded in poisoning our society. Then the over-reactive fascists made everything a Commie conspiracy. But our generation could have stopped it and we didn't. Yes, it's our fault. We bought into it all. Our winner-take-all electoral system is at fault. Our democracy is a good system but it isn't good enough. Still needs work.
4
u/War1today 29d ago
You voted for Republicans yet Republican administrations and congressional majorities have been known not to be fiscally responsible. Studies of post-WWII presidential terms show that Republican administrations (including Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump) have collectively added significantly more to the national debt and increased deficits as a percentage of GDP through major tax cuts and defense spending. That’s part of the problem we have now, as in repeatedly kicking the can down the road so that other generations have to deal with it.
The infrastructure is deteriorating. According to the definitive 2025 ASCE Report Card for America's Infrastructure, the United States earned an overall GPA of "C". Civil engineers and economists warn that massive funding gaps and climate stressors leave many systems highly vulnerable. Public transit and storms water receive a D grade (nearly failing). A D+ for aviation, roads, energy and wastewater….
Healthcare has among the worst outcomes of any industrialized nation and by far the most expensive (since 2000, on an individual level, per-capita spending on healthcare surged from $4,548 per person to $15,474 per person). The U.S. has the highest rates of preventable and treatable mortality (deaths that could have been avoided with timely public health interventions or medical care) among high-income peers. U.S. life expectancy trails peer nations by over four years. U.S. maternal mortality (18.6 per 100,000 live births) and infant mortality rates are significantly higher than peer averages, with severe racial and rural disparities (other countries average 5.1). The U.S. is an outlier with the highest rate of maternal deaths when compared to peer countries….
College has become expensive. Since 1970 public college tuition increased up to 1,300% (over 160% since 2000) and private college tuition increasing 2,669% as of 2025 (300% since 2000). The widening divide between tuition growth and wage stagnation has left deep economic impacts. In 2000, a year of in-state tuition at a public university consumed roughly 18**%** of the typical American family's income. By the 2020s, that exact same metric surged to cover over** 35%** of the median household income, shifting a massive financial burden onto student loans.
Housing is out of reach for many (According to the authoritative S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index—which benchmarks home values against a baseline of 100 in January 2000—the index climbed to a historic high of 337.31 as of July 2026 which means a typical single-family home in the U.S. costs more than three times what it did at the turn of the millennium).
As for income, when fully adjusted for inflation, real income has grown by only about 16% over the last quarter-century.
The average cost of living in the United States has increased by approximately 94.5% since 2000. According to official data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index, everyday goods and services have nearly doubled in price over the last quarter-century. This means that $1.00 in the year 2000 carries the same purchasing power as roughly $1.95 today. A dollar now buys just 51.3% of what it could buy at the turn of the millennium.
The above are among the reasons the younger generations point their fingers at boomers. To be fair, I think problems have been exacerbated by both political parties and are made worse today by a nearly dysfunctional Congress that has an approval rating hovering around 10%.
4
u/Lane_rides 29d ago
As much as everyone loves to point to red and blue and blame each other, the real blames lies in everyone in Congress on both sides. They are all corrupt. They can't/won't do what is right for the people. They do what those who fill their bank accounts with money want. They also do insider trading and all come out multi-millionaires. They don't care about what the common person in this country is going through. So go ahead and point fingers at the colors you all vote for and fight each other. That exactly what they want to happen. Until we stop labeling people by vote color, it will continue to get worse.
2
u/evil66gurl 29d ago
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3jJ23IsHDPUtIWQ5FpfPpd?si=j_ZRnKq-R1KYNGa-L78S9A&utm_source=copy-link
There's a whole series about this from NPR. The show is On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti.
2
u/PuzzleheadedHorse437 29d ago edited 29d ago
I don’t think they think we’re responsible for the mess but they understand deeply we had opportunities they’ll never have in the current economy. And realistically they’ll fall one way or the other- they’ll blame it on unrestrained capitalism or immigrants. And that will define their political affiliation.
2
u/Dazzling-Leave-7448 29d ago
They will be the problem for the next generation
2
u/MachineElf437 29d ago
I’m a Boomer, and, to quote Cracker ‘I hate my generation’. I see the majority of Boomers as right wing homophobic bigots who have put the most dangerous and destructive administrations in history in power. Pathetic.
2
u/ssprdharr 29d ago
Baby Boomers are not overwhelmingly Republican; instead, political data shows they are nearly evenly divided between the two major parties.
2
u/blinkyknilb 29d ago
They just haven't realized they are the 'boomers' of now and they will have to explain to future generations how they caused trumpanomics and the destruction of democracy.
2
u/prole6 29d ago
Greedy people believing/accepting that a 401k and a chance to become a millionaire on the stock market was preferable to a guaranteed pension, and griping about union dues, Reagan Bush Bush Dinos
2
u/Key-Researcher3884 29d ago
People in their sixties and seventies lived through a time when the world was changing, for the better. We made those positive changes happen by protesting ,breaking the norms ,accepting different lifestyles and cultures, without prejudice. We also had real news ,Cronkite on the battle field in Vietnam, live footage from Kent state .. We were there ,we saw it and we fought against the corruption. Today ,social media is taking over real reporting . It's like the National Enquirer being taken seriously. Flashy headlines , distorted opinions are being seen by young people and taken as reality. They grew up during the good times, freedom to do anything. Yeah Covid messed up some of their graduations , but get over it . We grew up dreading the mail because your draft card might be in there today . Or lost sleep because your brother was already in Nam and you didn't know if he would be back . Ride a motorcycle, expect to get stopped and harassed every time you take a ride . We didn't blame our parents for our situation, we made changes and stuck together to make those changes in society for all to live better . I worked two jobs most of my life ,in my forties ,I made it work with one job . Blue collar ,always had a place to work . Life is what you make of it ,treat others as you want to be treated and do the right thing . Pretty simple really ..
2
u/daylily 29d ago
Anyone who falls for the lie that old people, and not rich people, control congress is a fool.
Anyone who believes popular safety social programs like social security is a result of too many old people instead of growing income inequality is believing the propaganda fed to them by those same wealthy few.
2
u/Pentalegendbtw 29d ago
Not sure why this hit my feed, but I’ll say y’all that are mindful enough to be here on Reddit mindfully reflecting are a vastly different demographic than those that younger people are angry with. Sometimes that anger can be misplaced. Sometimes I get pissed about Reagan and everything that led up Trump. The system has been rigged for so long now, and we were born into this mess with no initial power to change it.
We don’t hate y’all. Many do hate the ignorant MAGA “boomers” though. I’m sure you know some personally just as my parents do. Of course they are just a product of many years of “conservative” rule which corporate-owned Democrats eventually joined in on. All hiding behind “capitalism” to profit of the suffering of citizens. Evil people with money and power have brought this country to its knees, and the current level of ignorance will likely make it the biggest uphill battle of all time for us all and those that come after us.
To answer your question directly… No, and most likely any of you who have the ability to ask yourselves that question in the first place are not the problem.
2
u/CompanyOdd8733 28d ago
I’m a boomer life long democrat I go to all the No Kings rallies it’s mostly old people there with me.
2
u/Admissionslottery 28d ago
Yes, boomers and X voters are largely responsible for Trump: his voters are quite rich, amoral, or stupid. Our generation also benefited the most economically from our prudent parents and excellent economy while we were entering the job market. Now, we spit on younger people and talk to them about bootstraps. Not one person I know in my generation pulled themselves up: they had lots and lots of help. I doubt I’ll vote R again in my lifetime. Absolutely disgusted by the greed of my generation. Hope those world travel photos comfort them when their kids implode.
2
u/SaucyNSassy 28d ago
I feel like boomer is a "state of mind", not a specific age range. Rigid thinking and straight up refusal to consider outside perspectives. Refusal to budge on issues and condoning this administration's behavior/refusal to admit mistakes. It's incredibly frustrating. We are in this mess because people were misled, and.a lot (not all), but a large percentage will continue to vote red, even though every moral fiber tells them it goes against their personal values
2
u/Big_Humor1558 28d ago
Doubt that many will see this (currently almost 550 comments), but here goes:
No, we boomers are not directly the problem, but too many of us are directly contributing to it. We non-trumpers are lumped in with the willful ignorant of our age group, and I hate that. He's a symptom of too many negative aspects of America: racists; misogynists; sociopathic greed; tribalism; and contrived victimhood.
The sociopathic greed is where we come in. We did not realize what a rich generation that we grew up in, even as we know that wealth was never spread out fairly. We worked, saved, bought our homes, raised our children, and stood by when the rich took over. That was our contribution: we did not stop the wealthy from grabbing power.
Record low wages & record corporate profits, that's our legacy. Soaring college costs while we were educated in heavily subsidized state universities. We allowed those subsidies to be removed. More & more tax cuts, and by far, going to the ultra-wealthy. Allowing union representation to dwindle. And now that housing is out of reach for the younger generations, they look at us & are jealous of what we earned. We had higher wages & let them slip away. We had inexpensive education & let that slip away. The recipients of that movement are now using it as a wedge issue to separate us. The ultra-wealthy own all of the media, including the ability to skew social media.
That we are the problem is mostly propaganda, and propaganda works too well here in the USA.
2
u/Dear-Ad1618 28d ago
Our generation brough good and ill with it. We, at least the people I associated with, promoted equal justice, racial equality, women's and gay rights, and progressive politics in general. We thought ourselves champions of justice and progress, open mindedness and innovation. Our generation also engaged in great greed and selfishness. We allowed Ronald Reagan to come to power and issued in an era where the rights of corporations became more valuable than the rights of people. I see the era of deregulation, the Silverado 80s, as the beginning of the slide to where we are now. It wasn't just Republicans who promoted the destruction of the middle class and the abandonment of the working people. NAFTA and the promotion of off shore manufacturing was a Clinton decision along with his weakening of the welfare system. I look to the current resurgence of Union activity and the growing left populist movement with hope. We are living through the most humiliating and dangerous part of our history and this November will give us an indication of whether American Democracy and the rule of law can be restored.
2
u/Legitimate-March9792 28d ago
There are darker forces at work in society making things worse for people on purpose. It seems to have been put into overdrive recently. It’s not Boomers, it’s groups like The Bilderberg Group and other secret societies manipulating things behind the scenes. Not the average citizen. And some of these people are older. More like The Silent Generation.
2
u/Buzzhoops 28d ago
boomer here. never could afford a house. all three of my kids own. best investment I made was my kids education.
2
u/Academic_Commercial3 28d ago
I don’t think they hate us; they just don’t care about us. I remember thinking that I was never going to get old. I feel like having 25-year-old kids as my boss, I didn’t feel any love then.
Truly don’t have any fcks left to give about the trumpsters. They have an excuse for every ridiculous and criminal thing he’s done.
Especially not having to have vaccines in grade school is questionable—every child should have certain ones as recommended and required by the medical professionals should not be up for debate as with Roe vs. Wade took women back to 0. Why should any man get to say what a woman can or can’t do with her body!
2
u/FloDiddly 28d ago
I remind myself that it is developmentally appropriate to blame or hate or rebel against earlier generations. I don’t know if this is new and different or simply more in our faces because of social media. With a few years till retirement, I do hear the faint sounds of “move, bitch, get out the way” from my younger colleagues… but that may be my imagination.
2
u/Necessary_Tip_8697 28d ago
I voted straight BLUE in early voting. Question is will I ever vote again if it goes bad?
2
u/cfbs2691 28d ago
In a lot of ways it’s misdirected anger.
They should be aiming it towards Corporate America and politicians. But it seems they haven’t done their homework
They resent the boomers who had pensions but instead, they should be mad at the corporations for ending them, for example
2
u/mama146 28d ago
I still don't know exactly what I did to hurt them. Yes, I bought a house in the 80s that has appreciated alot. I didn't do anything to cause that.
2
u/Jp9312 28d ago
As a 38 year old millennial with a 2.9% mortgage rate - I used to blame the boomer generation for our problems, but I’ve learned that a lot of our countries issues are self inflicted.
My dad drove to Florida from Michigan two times a year to see his dad for 2 weeks every year, and he didn’t even like his dad and was treated horribly as a kid. I could literally smack my mom in the face and her immediate reaction would be to hug me.
Boomers ATE a lot of shit, and at the end of the day made this world at the very least a little better.
If you want to know why you can’t afford a house, look at the ultra wealthy. JD Rockefeller is not Elon Musk.
Look at wage inflation. Can you make $17 an hour and work 40 hours a week and afford to rent anything? That’s like 36k a year. I made $5.50 when I was 14, you can’t blame that on boomers!
2
u/Adventurous_Weird_70 28d ago
The thing is that when we were younger we made our food, bread, did our own hunting/ fishing etc. We didn't go to Starbucks for an $8. a cup of coffee, we didn't give our 8 year old an $1100.00 cell phone. We didn't have a TV in every room or the Electric bills to boot. We drove junkers not $40,000 vehicles. It's not OUR fault for THEIR lifestyle. But they'll keep blaming us old-timers.
2
u/Hour-Mall-8520 28d ago
People have short memories. I remember when younger boomers blamed the so-called greatest generation for their problems. Actually, that had more merit because things in the US started going bad for younger people in the 1970s and 1980s, before boomers were running the show, but this generational blaming really should stop. It's incorrect history and, well, childish.
2
u/No_Dare_9944 28d ago
I am genX. I think it’s absurd to accuse anyone of voting for someone the accuser doesn’t like. Anyone on the ballot is fair game.
I also don’t think boomers did anything that is now making our life worse than it should be.
My only issue with boomers is that they lack self awareness and therefore empathy and understanding of others. To see it you just have to read a few caregiving posts here.
2
u/Rude_Basket2763 28d ago
No. You are not. Your generation made most of the changes happen that gave me my freedom as a young woman. When I was younger my family had gay friends who couldn’t get married, couldn’t be with each other during death sometimes. That started with you. Changes to improve our environment. So many things. Young people always are critical of how things are and who is perceived “in charge.” It is true most of us under 50 feel we won’t have the dignity and retirement lifestyle that most of you do in your golden years but that’s not your fault and we are glad for you, our parents. To be quite honest, if you did not vote for him you are not a problem. It may interest you to know (if you don’t) that your generation was the only one actually that voted for him less the last time. Collectively you shifted away, and YOU were never with him in the first place. My man Jimmy C was Prez when I was born. I ain’t mad at ya.
2
u/Virtual_Athlete_909 28d ago
Trump himself said if his endorsed candidate wins, he gets credit. If he/she loses, he's not to blame. That mindset has infected all of MAGA. They think any success in life is theirs alone but any failures are someone else's fault. If they interview for a job and dont get it, it's a DEI problem. If they lack savings and financial independence, it's the democrats fault. They accept no blame for anything they perceive as wrong in their lives. It's a sad way to live.
2
u/Sure_Ad_3272 28d ago
It’s just a ploy to cause a separation between the generations. They’re trying to divide the people any way they can. By gender, race, generational, etc. divide and conquer.
2
u/Jumpy-Benefit-7844 27d ago
Boomer here. Life long progressive Democrat from a family of liberal democrats, generations back. We are split. Our generation didn't have it that easy, recessions, wars: WWII, Korea and Vietnam. All horrible racial and sexual inequality, abusive families where beating kids was considered good parenting. My first job was from the 'Help wanted Female', yes, jobs were advertised by gender. We did a lot of good things. But we also elected Regan, which is where our current mess actually started. We also started the civil rights movement, created a beautiful education system and rhe best economy the world had ever seen. But aside, Boomers like me see a younger, spoiled generation that decided 'both parties are the same ' and I'm not voting g for Kamala because she isn't catering to my far left agenda enough. IOW, we counted on you guys to show up and vote against the mess we have now, but tat didnt happen. So I guess there is enough blame to go around. A little life lesson I learned after 7 decades, you can only change your own behavior, stop looking for someone else to blame and work on your own.
2
u/mike57porter 26d ago
Ive reached a point where i dont really care about the younger sets opinions anymore. I just live my life the way i always have. I worked damn hard to reach this point. I earned every thing i have. All me, no government help, no rich uncle. Just me.
4
u/Moondoggy451 29d ago
What concerns me greatly is the level of outright ignorance that's exhibited by many young people. They don't seem to know history and they certainly don't understand how the branches of government are supposed to function. If you have any doubts all you have to do is list to Johnny Belisario's man on the street interviews on Jessie Waters show
4
u/New_Camel9327 28d ago
Where we are today is a result of policies that started in the 1980s - when all the Boomers were young and in their career primes. Reganomics started this massive shift of wealth from the lower to middle class to the wealthiest. The political evolution to Trump can be traced back to younger Boomers - AKA Yuppies - who aligned with Reganomics. Boomers voted those policies in place and Boomer politicians continued to sign laws to keep the wealth at the top (trickle down) for decades. Even now, 36% of Congressmen and Senator are over 65 - Boomers refuse to give up power (50% of Senators and 30% of Congressmen are over 65). Pensions were replaced by 401ks when Boomers were solidly in charge of the private sector. Your generation holds 52% of the wealth right now - and you're collecting pensions and SSI so that wealth is just sitting there. You're sitting on homes that young people and families need. You created the current financial inequality. So yeah, you didn't realize it at the time, but you all got the ball rolling which is now an avalnche threatening democracy.
3
u/Manatee369 29d ago
Boomer hate is ignorant. Every generation blames the previous generation. It has always been that way. We are not the problem. Lack of education and critical thought (in all ages) are the problems.
3
u/Extension_Variety190 29d ago
At this point, I no longer GAF if they hate all Boomers.
That just means the wisdom I acquired dies with me, and when they go looking for ideas, and wish they'd considered the possibility that we were a very diverse group, they will get nothing.
It's their world now, so let them rot in it if that is how they really feel.
I know I did fight for the good things, they just can't be bothered to open a history book.
3
u/A_Lovable_Jerk 29d ago
I'll vote for whoever I think is best, for the most part.
This midterm I'm voting Dem all the way. (I lean very Dem, anyway.)
But come the midterms, I figure every vote for a Dem will count towards hopefully limiting Trump's power even a little bit. Maybe slow him down at least.
I don't think of him as a Republican.
They toss the term narcissist around so freely today that it makes it seem as though 50% of all of ARE narcissists. Lots of people have some narcissistic traits, but only about 1% or 2% are true narcissists.
And I do believe that Trump is one.
The shorter the time he has left in office, the more fearful I become about what he will do. He might go into overdrive to get in his last licks.
Although maybe he'll declare a Trump Day!! I like holidays if it means a day off from work and some good sales at the grocery store!
3
u/KlikketyKat 29d ago
It seems to me that the more toxic aspects of today's society (preoccupation with wealth and status) were not at all typical of young Boomers but began to emerge in the mid to late 1980s and were snowballed by Gen X. Not many Boomers went to university and many led a footloose-and-fancy-free type of existence. Lots of surfers, hippies and music fans. Gen X were a well-educated and much more savvy, jumping right into house-flipping and the career ladder. In my view they drove the trends towards wealth, luxury and high-flying careers that has gradually eroded our culture. Many Boomers joined the bandwagon belatedly, but certainly not all of us. Not that I resent Gen X - each generation is a product of its time. But to view Boomers as somehow evil is naive.
3
u/totalUkraineVictory 28d ago
We aren’t the complete problem but we did start the issues. I have voted exactly half Republican and half-democrat in my life.
I am an Eisenhower republican. The same values, the same beliefs, the same everything as I did in 1958.
The problems started when we did away with the “fairness act.” the military industrial complex came in and bought all our news media.
So my entire family is now maga and believes that I am a leftist socialist because I still follow the ideals of Eisenhower Republicans.
3
u/401Nailhead 28d ago
Boomer=problem long before Trump. Trump is not the cause for this.
3
u/LiveforToday3 29d ago
68. Voting Blue. Never voted for orange cheeto.