Page 20 | "boomer" thread

Maireas · 2023-08-28T19:29:53+00:00

You've hidden this evening's offensive, ageist thread, stereotyping "boomers". Will this be deleted? Can we have a robust response to ageism on MN?

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 22:58

Again, though, you are reducing this down to personal attacks and individuals, when it is about generations, and socio-economic trends over decades and millions of people.

I think you've already done that several times.

Including your own parents.

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 22:59

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 22:54

Yes. So I answered you, and told you what things I have campaigned for or spent my career on trying to change to make things better for the future, or done in my free time through charities to try to do so, regarding the issues that I see as critical to the life chances and prospects of my children and other children growing up in the UK now (and elsewhere, to an extent e.g. the stuff of sustainability and climate change).

And likewise the older generation who have done just that.

Well, not enough of them did, otherwise we wouldn't be where we are. In other countries the same generation made different policy choices in terms of taxation, healthcare and pension models, education funding, infrastructure management and investment, international trade and relationships, and their young people - despite the globally challenging economic environment at the moment - do not face such dire prospects as a result of those choices.

justasking111 · 29/08/2023 22:59

Someone pass me the nematodes 😂😂

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:00

justasking111 · 29/08/2023 22:59

Someone pass me the nematodes 😂😂

Haha! That's exactly where the name came from. I've sprayed them all over my garden, the bastards were eating my beloved dahlias.

Jamtartforme · 29/08/2023 23:00

Clarabe1 · 29/08/2023 22:53

You know what I do when I see these ageist threads? Sit back and laugh!! When you are young you never believe you will get old, one day the nasty young women on these threads will look back, cringe at their words and understand how it feels to be sidelined as ‘old’.

Nasty young women? That’s a bit ageist isn’t it?

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 23:01

Well, not enough of them did, otherwise we wouldn't be where we are. In other countries the same generation made different policy choices in terms of taxation, healthcare and pension models, education funding, infrastructure management and investment, international trade and relationships, and their young people - despite the globally challenging economic environment at the moment - do not face such dire prospects as a result of those choices.

And some made much worse choices.

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:02

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 23:01

Well, not enough of them did, otherwise we wouldn't be where we are. In other countries the same generation made different policy choices in terms of taxation, healthcare and pension models, education funding, infrastructure management and investment, international trade and relationships, and their young people - despite the globally challenging economic environment at the moment - do not face such dire prospects as a result of those choices.

And some made much worse choices.

Not many I can think of, not amongst the countries that were our historic comparators. Care to name examples?

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 23:09

Not many I can think of, not amongst the countries that were our historic comparators. Care to name examples?

I don't even know what a 'historic comparator' is .

So no I'm not going to get into a socio-economic- history -off with you , 😁especially as it seems like that is your supreme area of interest.

So don't care to.

But what I can tell is that you have no sense of the difference between the personal human experience and vast swathes of data.

When you reduce people to data and stats yes they will get angry, upset and defensive. Because no one likes being stereotyped.

justasking111 · 29/08/2023 23:10

"A population that does not take care of the elderly and of children and the young has no future, because it abuses both its memory and its promise." ~ Pope Francis

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:12

Goodness if they insult you after this they really will look petulant

Apparently that was no barrier @Jamtartforme 🤣

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:15

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 23:09

Not many I can think of, not amongst the countries that were our historic comparators. Care to name examples?

I don't even know what a 'historic comparator' is .

So no I'm not going to get into a socio-economic- history -off with you , 😁especially as it seems like that is your supreme area of interest.

So don't care to.

But what I can tell is that you have no sense of the difference between the personal human experience and vast swathes of data.

When you reduce people to data and stats yes they will get angry, upset and defensive. Because no one likes being stereotyped.

Oh dear.

How many times?

Discussion of economic facts and socio-economic trends is not a personal slight on you as an individual.

And yes, data and research is valid for this purpose, and your individual experience of life is irrelevant to it. You are one out of the millions of people who that data represents so whatever your personal anecdotes are has literally no measurable impact on the facts of the matter at a UK population level whatsoever.

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 23:17

*Oh dear.

How many times?*

Oh so you do do a teeny bit of personal attacking?

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:19

And if you have no knowledge of economics or of how international comparisons between countries are made - which is how evidence-based and sensible policy choices are evaluated - then it is probably a good idea not to try to start an argument about it. Especially not with an economist. 😆

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:21

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 23:17

*Oh dear.

How many times?*

Oh so you do do a teeny bit of personal attacking?

How is that a personal attack? It's simply stating that it's exasperating to have to repeat the same thing over and over again and it still not seem to be absorbed in any way.

ToastyCrumpets · 29/08/2023 23:23

I personally think economists are more to blame for poor policy decisions recently than anyone in the baby boomer generation (and I am not in that generation myself)…

greenhydrangea · 29/08/2023 23:23

I hate to break it to you, slugs and jam tarts, but to many of the truly young, you are both just "Boomers".

In any case, it won't be that many years before you find yourself, if you are lucky, to be in the age range that you despise. I hope in the meantime you are out there campaigning for all the changes you say the Boomers should have made. I also hope you are spending your free time now and in the coming years vigorously defending the rights the previous generations fought hard for, that are being eroded and disappeared right now.

I do hope you will also be ready to give up whatever accomodation you have, and move into a cardboard box beneath an underpass if need be, once you reach a little over 55.

justasking111 · 29/08/2023 23:24

I know an economist who studied at Durham university.

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 23:26

*Discussion of economic facts and socio-economic trends is not a personal slight on you as an individual.

And yes, data and research is valid for this purpose, and your individual experience of life is irrelevant to it. You are one out of the millions of people who that data represents so whatever your personal anecdotes are has literally no measurable impact on the facts of the matter at a UK population level whatsoe*

oh dear

again

If this is just a lecture on economic trends across history-

You mention your parents specifically?

you call older people "entitled "?

You say they are selfish and self righteous?

Get real. Stop hiding behind your reams of data . It is really really personal.

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 23:28

How is that a personal attack? It's simply stating that it's exasperating to have to repeat the same thing over and over again and it still not seem to be absorbed in any way.

Are you for real?

it's simply being super snarky.

sunglassesonthetable · 29/08/2023 23:30

How is that a personal attack? It's simply stating that it's exasperating to have to repeat the same thing over and over again and it still not seem to be absorbed in any way.

How tiresome for you.

How exasperating that I'm not absorbing things the way you want.

🤦‍♀️

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:30

greenhydrangea · 29/08/2023 23:23

I hate to break it to you, slugs and jam tarts, but to many of the truly young, you are both just "Boomers".

In any case, it won't be that many years before you find yourself, if you are lucky, to be in the age range that you despise. I hope in the meantime you are out there campaigning for all the changes you say the Boomers should have made. I also hope you are spending your free time now and in the coming years vigorously defending the rights the previous generations fought hard for, that are being eroded and disappeared right now.

I do hope you will also be ready to give up whatever accomodation you have, and move into a cardboard box beneath an underpass if need be, once you reach a little over 55.

I don't despise anybody.

We were trying to have a factual discussion about social and economic trends, structural economic problems, and also understand why people who have benefitted immensely from favourable economic conditions but as a cohort dropped the ball on future-proofing things to provide opportunities, security and social mobility etc for future generations seem to be so vehemently opposed to accepting they made some serious mistakes and have left subsequent generations to pick up the pieces, and costs.

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:31

justasking111 · 29/08/2023 23:24

I know an economist who studied at Durham university.

And?

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:32

ToastyCrumpets · 29/08/2023 23:23

I personally think economists are more to blame for poor policy decisions recently than anyone in the baby boomer generation (and I am not in that generation myself)…

Ha! Ok. Economists now are to blame for things that were done before they were qualified, or even able to vote, or even born. That is a new level of deflection. Thank you for the laugh.

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:35

you call older people "entitled "?

You say they are selfish and self righteous?

Have you read many of the posts on this thread? Including your own?

greenhydrangea · 29/08/2023 23:35

WarOnTheSlugs · 29/08/2023 23:30

I don't despise anybody.

We were trying to have a factual discussion about social and economic trends, structural economic problems, and also understand why people who have benefitted immensely from favourable economic conditions but as a cohort dropped the ball on future-proofing things to provide opportunities, security and social mobility etc for future generations seem to be so vehemently opposed to accepting they made some serious mistakes and have left subsequent generations to pick up the pieces, and costs.

Show quote history

Your tone is one of contempt.
Blahblahblah. What are you doing? It's very adolescent to blame an entire previous generation (who you seem to know very little about) for the current state of things and not be active yourself in fixing them, and rallying for your "cohort" to turn things around.