Millennials and Gen Z will dictate American politics in 2024

thanks. As you know, I was lucky to make it outta my early 20s.

do you recall the big party we had when we lived on 16th? I woke up on my floor with no pants, but with my shoes on. Funny thing is, those pants could only be taken off by first taking my shoes off.....?!?! So glad that cell phones weren't a thing back then. This is how sick my memory is, your GF, B, wore a tartan print skirt & I wore nearly identical tartan shorts (until I took em off) that night. At one pt you thought my GF, D, (whose BD is also today) was kissing your GF, but it was me.

p.s. let me know if you'd like me to remove this

 

Happy Birthday, Doc

 

I used to agree with that. There is a shred of truth in it. But more recently it seems older generations have lost touch reality and gone down the rabbit holes of conspiracy and aggrievment. some of it I attribute to our generation and older as being completely ill equipped to deal with the new Information Age and it has sucked them in to the point of no return. The younger generation grew up with it, and while they have also suffered because of it in mental health they are probably more likely to adapt to itt

 

gosh. I had forgotten most of that. lol. I wondered if you and D ever refound each other? The past is the past. I am good with this up here. lol

 

Instead of using all of your energy on focusing on Boomer's wealth and telling people to jump into lakes....pay attention to yourself and what you're doing.

There's plenty of opportunity for every generation out there but you're going to have to work for it....which seems to be the biggest problem millennials have in this discussion.

 

Why get out? No need to even hunt down a mail-in ballot. Just wait for the harvesters to knock on your door.

 

Seriously, accusing the rest of us for not working hard is so out of touch with reality. It’s not even worth rehashing how home prices and cost of living have outpaced growth of wages and how none of us have guaranteed retirement pensions etc. there is a reason we all now just say, ok boomer. So… ok boomer go jump in a lake.

Generational Wealth Gap: Millennial vs Boomer Wealth Gap

In 1989, 40-year-old boomers had a median income of $70,000, median wealth of $112,000 and median debt of $60,000. In other words, income and wealth far exceeded debt. In contrast, millennials have more debt relative to their income and accumulated wealth. With a median debt of $128,000 and income of $73,000, millennials have a much harder time paying off debt and building wealth. In addition, you might notice that the median income for millennials is only $3,000 more than the median income for boomers back in 1989. Wages remain stagnant and are outpaced by inflation. For these reasons, boomers were better set up to accumulate the wealth that they’ve amassed today.

Millennials are the largest workforce and the least wealthy — why? - Minnesota Reformer

Here is another one

 

Oh ok... disagreeing with facts. I wish I was surprised.

 

For the record....I'm not a Boomer. I'm a Gen Xer. I've had to deal with many of the challenges you're talking about.

Gen Xers have had to live behind the Boomers and adapt to changing environments more than any generation before or after us.

Judging by the statistics above you would consider me more than wealthy. The thing is none of it was given to me. I took chances, I worked hard long hours. In fact before I owned my own business my employer used to pay me out my vacation pay because I never took any vacation days. I never needed or took a "mental wellness" day off from work. I never ran to a "safe place". I also never asked for a raise. I didn't need to. I made myself an asset to the company that I worked for.

I'm out the door at 5:30 am every day for work....even on Saturday and Sunday even if it's just for a few hours. Even if I'm hung over from a night of drinking....I'm still up and out of the door. I get home around 6:30pm every night. Sometimes I skip dinner all together.

When I tell people how I've made my "wealth" most people say they don't want to work that way....and that's completely understandable and ok....just don't complain because someone else has more. In general, you don't become "wealthy" without sacrifice....and the sacrifice comes before the wealth. This sacrifice comes at a cost in your personal and professional life. Some people don't want to make those sacrifices....that's ok too. It's your choice.

There are PLENTY of opportunities out there. I even see some millennials taking advantage of them.

Yes you will have to work hard. Yes you might fail. Yes you will have to take chances. Yes those chances will make you uncomfortable and can possibly cause you to go broke but it's that whole risk vs reward thing.

Just because you exist doesn't mean you "deserve" anything.

The great thing about accumulating wealth....is it's your choice. If you don't want to work to become "wealthy" that's on you.

You don't have to be "born into money" or be a doctor or a lawyer. Hell, you don't even need a college degree but you do have to work and when I say work I don't mean showing up for work right at starting time and leaving right at quitting time. That's not work. That's just paying the bills.

 

Everything you just said doesn't address anything. Just an anecdote about your own life. Congrats to you for having things work out.

There are plenty of us working hard just like you - some of us have also done well, others not so much. I know plenty of millennials working two jobs trying to make ends meet. They work ridiculously hard. But the reality is they can't earn enough money to keep up with how much everything costs. You are just another person in a long line that for some reason seem to have blinders on to the very real and legitimate systemic obstacles that Millennials, as a group, have had to face.

Lastly, at no point have I said anyone "deserves" anything. Even those who work hard - don't deserve anything - which is funny because for some reason people like you always fall back on this idea of hard work paying off - like hard work is enough. Well I can tell you there are plenty of people working hard every day that will never ever ever be wealthy, or even comfortable. Ever. Period. What's funny, is based on your language, it is obvious you think you DESERVE everything you got because of hard work.

 

Ezra Klein and Pippa Norris had a good discussion recently about generational differences vis a vis the populist right; that older generations grew up being less financially secure but are now focused on cultural and social changes that are coming at a staggering and numbing pace, resulting in a nostalgic desire to return to a time they understood. Maybe not a surprising or new analysis, but I think it's worth listening to for those interested.

 

When the boomers die off their money will be passed on to whoever they leave it to.

In about 20 years the next generation will become the scapegoats.


Rinse and repeat.

 

I thought it was single and divorced women who were the GOP’s Waterloo ?

After all, young people do grow up. At least some of them.

 

Love Ezra's podcast and been meaning to get to that one. Just downloaded it

 

The new RW conspiracy involves the crypto meltdown of FTX. First I have heard of it

 

Nothing in life is guaranteed. Some people smoke and drink and live to 100.
Gimme a freaking break. @gator10010 took you to task. Take note, listen and you might grow and learn instead of non stop griping that everyone is owed something.

 

people are very narrow minded IMO in their notions of wealth. I don't think I'd ever call anyone who works from 5:30am to 6:30pm wealthy unless they really liked their job.

 

Lmfao coming from you that means almost nothing. Also you guys are obsessed with people thinking they are owed something but nowhere have I said that.

 

I had listened to it. My ADHD brain has a hard time following but from what I gathered for all she had to say she didn’t seem to say anything new or unusual. EK made it out to be this revolutionary new theory that explains the world but it just seems like she wove together a lot of the conventional wisdom that is out there.

 

Fair point. I thought some specifics and background she added were interesting. Sometimes I think really good points and arguments are made by the way they are explained or connected together. I also think sometimes very wise statements come across as very common sense.