to think the biggest threat to this country is war between generations

[suziepra]

In modern UK the young have to look forward to a backbreaking amount of debt as even to be a pa you need a degree. Then once they graduate they will be lucky to get a decent wage and only a tiny amount of people under 30 (3% of homes win last six months were purchased by under 30s) will be able to buy a houses. They will probably have a miserable time stuck at home during their 20s and 30s finding it difficult to start a family. Then they will have to work for the rest of their lives. Whereby watching their parents who bought cheep homes, retire in their 60s and enjoy 20 years of retirement. Yes I know there are exceptions to what I said, but this does seem to be the norm in the south east. I can see things going nasty.

"Biggest threat etc" - nah.

A bit unfair? Yup. Housing issues are worst manifestation this. Nimbyism (did you hear Clegg the other day talking about paying homeowners gave garden cities built them? Wtf???) and high house prices being popular with voters, both are basically immoral.

War? No, that's massively over the top. But it is an issue and it does massively piss me off to see the boomer generation lining their pockets at the expense of younger generations.

There is a very good article today in The Guardian which tackled this:

This looks to me suspiciously as if the having-it-all generation, just as it ought to be preparing to bow out, is greedily lining up to have a bit more. These are the people born between 1946 and 1964. That really was like winning the first prize in life. Free university, the housing boom, the Pill, the explosion in white-collar jobs and pensions – for a majority, that has been a golden ticket to a life of unparalleled good fortune.

Their children have not quite inherited a wasteland. It just feels like that to them (at least early in the morning), chasing scarce jobs, too poor to leave home, burdened with what looks as if it will be a lifelong debt for a degree that seems to be doing them no good.

It is possible to buy in your late twenties if you are in a long term stable relationship, both employed, don't have any debt and don't live in London I think.

I don't think there will be a war as a lot of young people buy into the American/capitalist myth that everyone can be millionaires if they work hard enough. Therefore blaming themselves instead of government policy.

Well I think OP has a bit of a point.

Young people today are being faced with a very difficult road ahead. And previous generations have to take some responsibility for that.

I'm not a boomer, born a few years too late but my road was easier. Free university tution, grants that easily covered my costs, affordable housing, 100% mortgages. As for employment, immigration was at a relatively stable level and competition for good jobs was not global as it is is today.

It's not just NIMBY, it's BANANA and SOBBY who are the problem.

Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone.

And build everything I want but in Some Other Bugger's Back Yard!

didn't new labour introduce tuition fees first, they have been around for a while.

also 70s governments with power cuts, inflation and 3 day weeks weren't too great.

3 day weeks sound great! Better than decresing wages working 6 days a week

but they only got 3 days' of money so not great

If homes weren't so expensive most people would be able to live on 3 days

susie, homes weren't that cheap relative to salary. my in laws really struggled. each generation had their own issues.

They were for most as only one parent used to work.

true susy but people weren't particularly well off and didn't have so much.

Shelter was cheaper. But there has been some technological advancements but lots of down steps in terms of the basic needs.

It certainly never used to be the case that significant amounts of people were still living at home in their 30s

Divide and rule: Get the plebs to hate granny / disabled / immigrants / unemployed / gay people .... rather the 0.1% who've cornered nearly all the wealth & power.

YABU for saying "even to be a pa" - I've done that job, it's bloody hard work and takes a lot of brains and organisational skills. It was extremely well paid too.

BigChoc: Very true.
Also make alcohol very cheap so lots of people spend their time sozzled rather than being politically active.

We now have thousands more students than in the 60's but very few demonstrate about anything other than student loans. Most prefer to enjoy the cheap drink.

Where all the money went:

The 5 richest families in the UK are wealthier than the bottom 20 per cent of the entire population, 12.6 million people.
The richest family alone has more money then the bottom 10%, 6.3 million people
OxfamWealthReport

I didn't say being a pa isn't hard work but its work that shouldn't require a degree.

That article in the Guardian is crap.

As has already been said, very few went to University. I had 21 cousins, all born between 1947 - 64. One went to University. The rest of us left school at 15 or 16 and worked. We still are all working.

Everyone one of us left home when we got married. No living together in those days. No boyfriends / girlfriends staying over.

But the amount of people getting free university education was much higher back then, that's the point! Guardian article raises many good points but far too many boomers just was to silence everyone else

My nephew is at University. He finished for the summer at the end of May and goes back at the end of september. Four whole months off, plus the two months off at Christmas.

His course is a rip off. It could easily be condensed into two years, but then it would have only cost 18k rather than 27k.
University seems to more about making money from course fees than educating people.

So Suzie, are your parents boomers? Have they had good fortune?
Have they not shared it with you? Will you get the money from their house when they die? Did they retire early and have lots of holidays?

I'm trying to work out why you are so bitter.

Governments have encouraged kids to go to University to keep the youth unemployment figures down.

It is a another con.