American Politics 3.0 - Back to Brunch

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I've said this before, but there is no problem on earth I'd run to a boomer for help with. Their life experience just isn't that valuable or relevant in today's world.

Please don’t take it personally as I say this with respect but that’s stupid. Are your parents boomers? Is there nothing you’d seek their advice about? Have they not learned anything on 50, 60 or 70 years that wouldn’t be helpful to you?

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Based on cognitive decline I would say 60 years old should be the limit.

Disagree. With age comes experience which is valuable. There are exceptions but prohibiting serving in government past 60 is wrong. I served two terms in local government after age 60. I say run if one wishes and let the voters decide. They can elect young idiots too.

[timun]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Please don’t take it personally as I say this with respect but that’s stupid. Are your parents boomers? Is there nothing you’d seek their advice about? Have they not learned anything on 50, 60 or 70 years that wouldn’t be helpful to you?

My parents are baby-boomers, and I absolutely would not seek their advice about anything whatsoever.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Disagree. With age comes experience which is valuable. There are exceptions but prohibiting serving in government past 60 is wrong. I served two terms in local government after age 60. I say run if one wishes and let the voters decide. They can elect young idiots too.

The best villains are heroes in their own story.

Put me down for an age 60 limit, then you've gotta take a driving test and do psychometric testing every year with results compared to your age 55 baseline...should go for board of directors as well.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by timun

My parents are baby-boomers, and I absolutely would not seek their advice about anything whatsoever.

That’s sad. Our kids ask our advice on occasion.

[Ozy_Flame]

My parents are boomers, and I think boomers have great advice. Not everything is expert-level, but they learned enough through a lifetime to know what works and what doesn't in most situations.

One thing I have to give the boomers credit for is just pulling up their bootstraps and getting through life. Education, marriage, kids, building businesses. They just did "stuff" and didn't really complain about it. If they did it was under their breath.

Millennials and Gen-Zer's are the biggest whiners on the planet, and I include myself in that category. Everything seems to be overthought, dramatic, and they are unreliable as they come from in terms of adult responsibilities and things they should know by age 25-30. Maybe that one is on the boomer parents. who knows.

Now boomer politics, I can do without. No thanks.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by timun

My parents are baby-boomers, and I absolutely would not seek their advice about anything whatsoever.

that is sad- my parents are a little older than Boomer actually and I think of my dad as a wonderful source for advice on many things (although yes at this stage he shouldn't be president)


Biden of course is actually also pre-boomer (silent generation- first member of that generation 'officially' to be president), Clinton/BushJr/Obama/Trump are the 4 Boomer presidents. Reasonable chance Gen X will be skipped over, much like silent generation is/was til grampa Joe showed up

[JohnnyB]

Personally, as a millennial, I hate "okay, boomer" and similar kinds of dismissive language from fellow millennials and gen-z. I just find it rude and discriminatory. If anything, it reflects poorly on the person saying it.

[timun]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

That’s sad. Our kids ask our advice on occasion.

I suppose it is sad; that your kids still ask for your advice is perhaps a reflection of your good parenting. Frankly my parents' advice is neither welcome nor useful anyway.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

One thing I have to give the boomers credit for is just pulling up their bootstraps and getting through life. Education, marriage, kids, building businesses. They just did "stuff" and didn't really complain about it. If they did it was under their breath.

Millennials and Gen-Zer's are the biggest whiners on the planet, and I include myself in that category. Everything seems to be overthought, dramatic, and they are unreliable as they come from in terms of adult responsibilities and things they should know by age 25-30. Maybe that one is on the boomer parents. who knows.

I find your entire line of thought here super amusing, because in my experience the truth is the exact opposite. Unreliable and unknowledgeable? There are a litany of things my baby-boomer parents ought to have known by age 25-30, didn't, and still don't at 65+.

"Just doing 'stuff'" is also something that I don't find very admirable. Again, my parents as example: should they have gotten married and had kids? Probably not, but they "just did", to my and my siblings' detriment...


Middle-class and up baby-boomers had "life" handed to them on a platter; by comparison they got to skate through life. Education, marriage, kids, etc. is easy when a blue-collar job pays a comparatively great wage, post-secondary education wasn't required for menial office jobs like it is today, and even if you did go to college or university it was an order of magnitude less expensive in the first place.

[timun]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Personally, as a millennial, I hate "okay, boomer" and similar kinds of dismissive language from fellow millennials and gen-z. I just find it rude and discriminatory. If anything, it reflects poorly on the person saying it.

Agreed. As much as I said some less than complementary things about baby-boomers in the preceding couple posts, the "okay, boomer" nonsense is tiresome.

(I've also said as much about the "Edmonton = no good" stuff on these boards before, but anyway...)

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Disagree. With age comes experience which is valuable. There are exceptions but prohibiting serving in government past 60 is wrong. I served two terms in local government after age 60. I say run if one wishes and let the voters decide. They can elect young idiots too.

You'll notice there was a little more nuance in the post. Yes, there was a limit on age in being an elected official. There is intent to prevent problems with people that become career politicians and have no real expertise beyond fundraising and don't bring value to the governing mechanism (Grassley, Feinstein, McConnell, etc.). The next comment expanded on that.
This restriction wouldn't mean you can't continue to work in government and provide your vast expertise to the actual function of government, only you can be a representative. In fact, I followed up with the defense of us old ####ers who have a lot of expertise and experience that provides great benefit to the operations of government. Go work for a specific department and bring your subject matter expertise there. Go become a diplomat and work the foreign service. But let's get people more in touch with the issues affecting the average person into the mix rather than a bunch that are out of touch with the reality facing most.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Please don’t take it personally as I say this with respect but that’s stupid. Are your parents boomers? Is there nothing you’d seek their advice about? Have they not learned anything on 50, 60 or 70 years that wouldn’t be helpful to you?

It's not stupid at all. Parents are boomers, yes, and of course I talk to my mom and she gives me her input on stuff, but that's by virtue of the fact that we know each other super well (my whole life).

I'm saying there's no circumstance (or so few as to be completely immaterial) where I'd solicit the help of a random boomer over somebody in their prime and more cognizant of the reality myself, my peers and my kids live in. Sure there can be some niche areas of expertise only somebody old would have, but generally the way the world works now and how to successfully navigate it are above a boomer's pay grade.

It'd be like if I went into a high school and walked around carrying my skateboard asking how my fellow teenagers were doing. Or if I was somehow elected as class president over at Sir Winston Churchill High School. The notion is ####ing ridiculous.

[mikephoen]

I wouldn't listen to anyone's advice, unless they're a current expert in the subject. But if they're a current expert, and I need advice, I wouldn't disregard it just because of their age (old or young).

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Political threads are usually very negative, but here's something to make you smile a little bit. Pretty cool.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1651573016810119168

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Political threads are usually very negative, but here's something to make you smile a little bit. Pretty cool.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1651573016810119168

So Biden learning Gangnam Style .......

[calculoso]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1651612493276381184

[MoneyGuy]

Just watched a video of a pastor suggesting trans people should be executed. It’s crap like this that’s turning people away from religion.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Just watched a video of a pastor suggesting trans people should be executed. It’s crap like this that’s turning people away from religion.

The rape of children was bad, but this, this is over the line.

[photon]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...mplaint-trans/

A Nebraska state lawmaker and mother to a trans child is being formally investigated over a potential conflict of interest for opposing restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, a move that several senators from both parties were quick to denounce.

The complaint, filed by Omaha lawyer David Begley, alleges that Sen. Megan Hunt (D) has a financial stake in the Let Them Grow Act — which would prohibit puberty blockers, hormone therapies and genital or non-genital surgeries before the age of 19 — because she has a son who is transgender and could receive a financial benefit.

https://apnews.com/article/montana-t...6d90be90862772

The latest high-profile example of statehouses deciding who can be heard during legislative debates is playing out in Montana, where a transgender lawmaker on Wednesday was barred from speaking on the House floor for the remainder of the session.

For days before voting to discipline her, legislative leaders in the GOP-controlled statehouse had not allowed Rep. Zooey Zephyr to speak during debates because she said colleagues who voted to ban gender-affirming care for youth would have “blood” on their hands.

The remark provoked outrage from Republicans who said the language was belittling and an affront to civil discourse.