8 Reasons Young Americans Don't Fight Back: How the US Crushed Youth Resistance

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by firebug

The biggest issue is lifestyle inflation.

The house they bought was 1,200 sq feet at most
Maybe had 1 TV plus a radio.
The new car had no air-conditioning, power steering, automatic transmission, power windows, power door locks or keyless entry.
They may not have had a calculator let alone an iphone, ipod, or laptop.
Kitchen appliances consisted of a stove and refrigerator.

I think it would be likely that we actually can live far cheaper and easier than they did right after graduation if we chose to live as simply.

As you can see, our bigger houses, better cars, more advanced technology, better communication devices, better education, easier living, and longer lifespans are clearly the result of baby boomers keeping us down.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Handsome B. Wonderful

As you can see, our bigger houses, better cars, more advanced technology, better communication devices, better education, easier living, and longer lifespans are clearly the result of baby boomers keeping us down.

How many people from our generation our actually affording these fancy cars and bigger houses on their own? It's the baby boomers who are buying the bigger houses. The people my age (30ish) who are buying property are slaving away for a tiny condo.

I think it all relates back to the culture of dependence that baby boomers have created. The gap between the poor and rich has expanded while the cost of capital has soared.

I definitely agree, however, that consumerism is a major problem with today's youth. As is a disposable lifestyle and the masturbatory pursuit of self-fulfillment.

I just find it ridiculous that people who have worked hard and gotten good jobs like teachers (which are quite competitive to get these days) will find themselves totally unable to pursue basic middle class lifestyles without assistance from parents.

Edit: What I'm trying to say is that if kids in highschool are driving sports cars, the problem isn't with youth having too many resources. It's with the parents having too many. They are the ones supplying their children with these assets. Meanwhile, people who do go out on their own and get respectable careers are finding themselves unable to cope. There's definitely a problem here. However, I don't see how youth "working hard" is going to overcome it.

[firebug]

Originally Posted by blankall

How many people from our generation our actually affording these fancy cars and bigger houses on their own? It's the baby boomers who are buying the bigger houses. The people my age (30ish) who are buying property are slaving away for a tiny condo.

Maybe in Calgary, Vancouver & Toronto where housing costs are some of the highest on the continent. Even still most of my peers (I'm 36) are living pretty comfortably.

All over vast swaths of the US housing is very affordable.

When our spoiled forebearers bought their homes here it wasn't the jobs are everywhere utopia we find ourselves in now.

Originally Posted by blankall

I think it all relates back to the culture of dependence that baby boomers have created. The gap between the poor and rich has expanded while the cost of capital has soared.

The cost of capital right now is the cheapest it has ever been and cheaper than any of our parents or grandparents saw.

The boomers might have created a lot, but a culture of dependence isn't one of them.

Based on all objective measures of 'wellness' today's lower middle classes live better than the Upper class of our parents generation and the aristocracy of our grandparents.

Originally Posted by blankall

I just find it ridiculous that people who have worked hard and gotten good jobs like teachers (which are quite competitive to get these days) will find themselves totally unable to pursue basic middle class lifestyles without assistance from parents.

Edit: What I'm trying to say is that if kids in highschool are driving sports cars, the problem isn't with youth having too many resources. It's with the parents having too many. They are the ones supplying their children with these assets. Meanwhile, people who do go out on their own and get respectable careers are finding themselves unable to cope. There's definitely a problem here. However, I don't see how youth "working hard" is going to overcome it.

There is no reason a couple cannot live an affluent life in Calgary on a starting teachers salary. Of course compared to the affluence they would like to have, and see around them, it may feel pretty grim.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by firebug

Maybe in Calgary, Vancouver & Toronto where housing costs are some of the highest on the continent. Even still most of my peers (I'm 36) are living pretty comfortably.

All over vast swaths of the US housing is very affordable.

When our spoiled forebearers bought their homes here it wasn't the jobs are everywhere utopia we find ourselves in now.



The cost of capital right now is the cheapest it has ever been and cheaper than any of our parents or grandparents saw.

The boomers might have created a lot, but a culture of dependence isn't one of them.

Based on all objective measures of 'wellness' today's lower middle classes live better than the Upper class of our parents generation and the aristocracy of our grandparents.



There is no reason a couple cannot live an affluent life in Calgary on a starting teachers salary. Of course compared to the affluence they would like to have, and see around them, it may feel pretty grim.

I disagree on your assessment of the cost of capital. Try buying or even renting a commercial space in a desireable area.

I also don't see how you can access the standard of living of our generation compared to our parents. The majority of the working middle class still is our parents. Remove them and the resources they provide to their children from their parents and you have a different situation.

Your example of the teachers is also a dual income. Which has become a necessity. A teacher's salary on it's own is in the 45-60k range. After taxes, you're telling me it's easy to raise a family and find affordable housing on that salary?

[firebug]

Originally Posted by blankall

I disagree on your assessment of the cost of capital. Try buying or even renting a commercial space in a desireable area.

The Cost of Capital is nearly free currently (in fact I have read that some US banks have started to charge fees on deposits rather than paying interest). Access to capital is today's issue.

Desireable real estate being expensive is not a new phenomenon.

Originally Posted by blankall

I also don't see how you can access the standard of living of our generation compared to our parents. The majority of the working middle class still is our parents. Remove them and the resources they provide to their children from their parents and you have a different situation.

Obviously I can't remove them but how many of us would choose to go back and be our current age in the Calgary of 1981?

Originally Posted by blankall

Your example of the teachers is also a dual income. Which has become a necessity. A teacher's salary on it's own is in the 45-60k range. After taxes, you're telling me it's easy to raise a family and find affordable housing on that salary?

Nope, not a dual income. A couple should be able to live a life that would've been considered extravagant (if not unimaginable) only 60 years ago on a single, starting teachers salary.

Having a family makes it leaner of course, but I can't be the only one who has raised a family over the course of a year on a $60k household income.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by blankall

I disagree on your assessment of the cost of capital. Try buying or even renting a commercial space in a desireable area.

I also don't see how you can access the standard of living of our generation compared to our parents. The majority of the working middle class still is our parents. Remove them and the resources they provide to their children from their parents and you have a different situation.

Your example of the teachers is also a dual income. Which has become a necessity. A teacher's salary on it's own is in the 45-60k range. After taxes, you're telling me it's easy to raise a family and find affordable housing on that salary?

My neighbours several years ago where profound christians, he didn't think his wife should work, they lived in a tiny house with three kids sharing one room, drove a beater car and she cooked meals like my mum every night, they had no cable or cell phone and holidays were little more than a weekend camping, they lived fine on his 35k salary in metro Vancouver.

Not how I (or most anyone else) wants to live but if you get rid of all the trappings of modern life, cell phones, internet cable, new cars (well new anything really) holidays, going out for food, patching up old clothes buying stuff at value village rather than the mall etc you can survive on very little.

We are an have been sold a lifestyle we can't afford, which is fine as long as we are ok with dog food for dinner when we retire.