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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask if you're pissed off with the Baby Boomers?

825 replies

DamFineBeaver · 08/02/2015 17:33

Because people who are currently young-ish adults (MN's main demographic?), and younger, will be paying for the lavish lifestyle they've enjoyed?
The money borrowed for their nice big pensions will be paid back by us and our children.

Does this mean they shouldn't spend so much time in Tenerife?

OP posts:
GentlyBenevolent · 09/02/2015 11:54

Feline It wasn't a large chunk. It was

Ubik1 · 09/02/2015 11:55

Previous generations perhaps never had the opportunity to grow old in the same way that the 60's generation has.
They were the first generation defined in terms if 'youth' - they really thought they mattered.
I see it with my own parents and their peers too. They desperately search for a 'meaning' fir their generation.
My grandmother - who went through the war and was a single parent before any benefits at all - was happy to have a roof over her head and live in peace.

thegreylady · 09/02/2015 12:09

My teachers pension is about £700 a month and state pension about £450 on top which seems fair enough for over 30 years paying in to occupational pension and 40 paying NI. I do feel fortunate but I think today's generation need to work to change things politically. What do you expect us to do exactly?

Original poster
DamFineBeaver · 09/02/2015 12:11

I think (and correct me if I'm wrong), that lots of people of my parents' generation sort of thought things would continue to get better and better. The excitement of "progress" (quality of life, social mobility, foreign travel, technology) has been huge for people growing up in the 40s/50s. Now they see their kids struggling in many ways they never expected. I think my parents are also slightly surprised and disappointed that all the changes haven't stopped them from ageing in much the same way as their parents did.

OP posts:
thegreylady · 09/02/2015 12:12

My generation felt that if everyone listened to Bob Dylan singing protest songs , wore flowers in their hair and made love not war the world would be wonderful. We were right but everyone didn't and we all grew up.

thegreylady · 09/02/2015 12:22

Of course in my day only a tiny proportion of people went to university so grants were feasible. Nowadays with almost 50% of the population going it is very different.

bloomingMargaret · 09/02/2015 12:25

In many ways young have it much easier. There was no tax credits for me, no help to buy schemes and I had to deal with 15% interest. Buying a house in many ways is much better these days.

SconeEater · 09/02/2015 12:26

Except for the price tag Marg.

TheChandler · 09/02/2015 12:34

Most non-baby boomers don't use tax credits or help to buy schemes bloomingMargaret.

Tanith · 09/02/2015 12:34

Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, not the internet, in 1989.

The internet itself has been around for decades: I used it in the 80s when I worked in a University computer centre using JANET (Joint Academic Network). In fact, I also used the WWW when it first came out in the early 90s.

Baddz · 09/02/2015 12:35

Of course if people were paid a living wage there would be no need for tax credits.....

TheChandler · 09/02/2015 12:37

And our equality rights weren't invented by the baby boomers, most of them came as a result of our joining the EEC in 1972, as they were compulsory for membership. The father of the EEC and before that the ECSC were really the war (and inter-war) generation.

MamaMary · 09/02/2015 12:39

I think that this generation are too tired and worn out to get 'politically active'. A lot of them are just trying to survive and pay the rent.

This is a VERY important point.

I'm sick of hearing how the Baby Boomers were so politically active and energetic and hard-working and how they 'fought hard' and 'won' 'hard-earned' rights such as final salary pension ya de ya de ya.

Maybe if our generation had free university education and maintenance grants to live on (grants, not loans) we would have had time to engage in political activism. Instead, the students I know today are working long hours as well as studying. They know that when they get their degree, if they're lucky enough to get a job (temporary, as permanent jobs are like hen's teeth now) they'll have a massive loan to pay off. In the mean time they'll probably have to work a succession of zero hours contract jobs (zero security, zero sick pay, zero rights) just to pay the (extortionate) rent to keep a roof above their heads.

And you're saying they're too lazy to be politically active?

Orangeanddemons · 09/02/2015 12:40

I'm a very late Boomer, on the cusp of Gen X.(actually I'm a Gen Jones which is anyone born after about 58, and I was born in 64)

I think what is happening in today's society is awful for younger people. It's appalling that everything costs so much. But, it's the fault of the successive governments who refused to build enough housing/ fund universities/ etc.

Ubik1 · 09/02/2015 12:42

Tax credits - ha ha. We had to pay back £1000 last year because they had 'miscalculated' them Hmm

There were no tax credits but there was family allowance.

Today - cost of housing necessitates both parents working. Yet childcare is often more than mortgage payment each month.

University - yes great. I have two degrees. But the fact is that do many jobs require a degree. I worked in a call centre next to qualified speech therapists, data analysts and skilled office workers who could not find jobs. All these people will have invested financially in their education - but the jobs are not there.

bloomingMargaret · 09/02/2015 12:42

You can't blame boomers for young people not taking advantage of handouts offered by the government.

Im aware of everything I can claim and make the most of it.

EdSheeran · 09/02/2015 12:46

I'm not jealous of the baby boomers but I am incredulous at a couple of them posting on here. Buying a house is better these days?! Oh and £1300 a month is £15,600 per year. NMW at 40 hrs per week totals £13,124 per year. Wink

GentlyBenevolent · 09/02/2015 12:46

blooming - you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.

Ubik1 · 09/02/2015 12:47

What 'handouts' are available fir young people?

You leave school at say 17. What is there for you?

Bramshott · 09/02/2015 12:47

TBH I am more pissed off with the eejits who started the sell-off of the council houses, and to successive generations of planners as well as all the people who regularly object to every single planning application. Together they have got us into the mess we are in today where housing costs are such a high percentage of people's salary.

Toughasoldboots · 09/02/2015 12:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ubik1 · 09/02/2015 12:49

And let's not get into benefits 'sanctions' fur being 4 minutes late for an appointment.

GentlyBenevolent · 09/02/2015 12:50

I'm pissed off with the people who voted for the successive governments who refused to build enough housing/ fund universities/ etc and the eejits who started the sell-off of the council houses

Who was that again? Oh. Some of the BBs. And those same 'I'm alright Jack' attitudes are still clearly alive and well today.

Toughasoldboots · 09/02/2015 12:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
DamFineBeaver · 09/02/2015 12:52

I think that this generation are too tired and worn out to get 'politically active'. A lot of them are just trying to survive and pay the rent.

Agree this is very important.

And systems which foster this situation are actually pretty damned good for governments who don't want anyone having time to think politically or make much of a fuss.

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