Meet the Greedy Grandparents

Slate ^ | Dec. 10, 2003 | Steve Chapman

[RC30]

I wonder if all of the little whinie-hinies who are cursing "old geezers" can even remember how hard their folks worked to get them those cars they thought they HAD TO HAVE the day they turned 16; or the $100 pair of shoes or jeans they couldn't live without; or the $500+ spent on graduation night for a limo, corsage, dress or suit; or all of the video tapes and CD's and computers and TV's...all of which you had to have in your VERY OWN room; or all of the stuff (amounting to thousands of dollars) that you demanded you 'needed' BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE HAS IT! Grow up, little kids. You've been raised in the richest country that ever existed, and you're not showing much appreciation...imho.

If they raised their kids like this then they deserve to have kids who act like that. Im only just over 30, but I bought my first $250.00 car from money I made. I've had job since I was 14. If there was stuff I wanted other than the $20.00 shoes, I had to buy it. Computer? I Bought it? College? I paid for it (Ok, OK my Grandfather chipped in $150.00/mo). Limo for Prom? Nope, went in my 82 mustang, that I bought. Parents that spoil their kids deserve spoiled cry babies.

[qam1]

The WWII generation may have a legitimate claim at SS as they fought against Hitler and the such. But what did the Baby Boomers do? Help bring us what their parents fought against. I don't want to pay for them, and I especially don't want my kids paying for them. BTW I'm on the tail end of the BB generation.

Come on now, Shouldn't the baby boomers get paid just because once they got in power they made our educational system the best in the world.

And hell the WWII just fought in a war and the Xers just brought computers into the mainstream, It was the Baby boomers who really made an positive impact on the world by becoming lawyers. Hitler and Tojo that the WWII generation defended us against were pussycats, It's evil corporations like Mcdonalds that makes their coffee to hot which I might spill on myself that's the real danger and lucky we have boomer lawyers to stop that. 

If it weren't for all the Health and Safety regulations passed by enlightened Boomer politicians I don't even know how I could get out of bed     

[tubebender]

I wonder if it would have been cheaper for the government to just nationalize the drug companies and give free pills to seniors...

[wtc911]

Good for you. Believe it or not you had it the way almost all us boomers did, nothing given unless the grand-parents were around for a visit. OTOH, I did my best to give my kids more than I had coming up. Every perk though was pegged to some level of effort and/or achievement. And, if the mark was missed then the perk was witheld.

My kids are grown or almost grown (18-28) and in spite of the usual teen-age angst driven difficulties they're all productive and, appropriate to age, successful.

[Bernard Marx]

The blame should be placed squarely on the shoulders of Congress/Government. They have betrayed the American people, demanding mandatory compliance and then squandering the proceeds.

While I agree that politicians squandered the proceeds from SS, the blame for the program should be placed squarely on the voters during the Depression who demanded such a program from their representatives.

Politicians do what the voters demand or they don't get reelected. It goes directly to the old truism that democracies last only as long as it takes the voters to learn they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury. Roosevelt's New Deal taught Americans that lesson.

I paid into SS from the age of 11, when I lied about my age to get a job delivering newspapers. At retirement I'd been contributing for 54 years. I'd be happy just to receive back the original amount I contributed over that time -- adjusted for inflation! Until then I'll thankfully cash my monthly SS check which I use mostly to help my kids. For the next year or so it'll be helping to pay for my grandson's orthodontistry.

[qam1]

I wonder if all of the little whinie-hinies who are cursing "old geezers" can even remember how hard their folks worked to get them those cars they thought they HAD TO HAVE the day they turned 16; or the $100 pair of shoes or jeans they couldn't live without; or the $500+ spent on graduation night for a limo, corsage, dress or suit; or all of the video tapes and CD's and computers and TV's...all of which you had to have in your VERY OWN room; or all of the stuff (amounting to thousands of dollars) that you demanded you 'needed' BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE HAS IT!

Well let me tell you I pretty much worked and paid for everything

But I know a lot of Boomer parents who did lavish those "Goodies" on their children and those children all ended up screwed up because the "Trinkets" the parent gave their kids weren't given because they wanted the best for them, No they were given as a substitute for time because the self absorbed baby boomer parents were too busy Finding themselves and/or doing their own thing and couldn't be bothered with the effort it takes to do actual parenting. Either that or they handed out goodies in an attempt to try and buy the love of their kids in order to get back at the other parent in their divorce wars

[Area51]

If any of you want to reform this freaking ponzi scheme, there is one way to do it.

A National Referendum Mandating that demand that all members of Congress shall receive the exact same retirement as any other citizen that has paid into SSI.

No special retirement fund, no special treatment.

Then watch the SOB reform the system!

[wtc911]

The only thing I am suggesting is that your over the top need for "revenge", your violent ideation and your all too apparent anger is indicative of a deeper personal problem; one that I hope you sort out before you do have children of your own.

[45Auto]

15 years ago I was willing to write it all off - just let the bastards have it and consider it part of my 'education' (about the crooks in government and how they NEVER change). But now, after over 30 years of tax and SS and Medicare theft that totals up near a $million, I am in no mood to be philanthropic.

They can pay me off in one lump sum and I won't bother them again. Let the SOB's in Congress give up some of their vacation pay in order to balance the books or stop sending welfare checks to a bunch of crackheads and whores who live like leeches on the backs of those of us who "did the right thing" and worked and raised a family and slaved under the yoke of a less than benevolent, lying, tyrannical government and an overwhelming tax burden for a third of a century. I've completely written off all the tax money that represents the theft of nearly 50% of my earnings - I don't mind buying a few bombs to knock off the ragheads - but I am damn sick and tired of having the RATs (and a lot of Repubos too) telling me that I owe "my fair share" so that a bunch of illegal aliens, hookers, morons, dopers, drug pushers, corporate pirates, criminal politicians and assorted riffraff and vermin can live sucking off the taxtit at my expense forever.

[45Auto]

My luck I'll have a stroke and die early.

That might be a lot better than having a stroke, ending up in a second rate nursing home and spending what life savings you built up on your long-term care. Its already happened to some of my family members.

[WASH]

Does anyone know which generation Jim Robinson, the owner and operator of this site, belongs to? It just might be helpful to know before bashing all members of one generation or the other on this site.

[Gritty]

I think everybody is missing the solution, which has already been passed by our generous Congresses and signed by our benevolent Presidents, starting with LBJ and getting a huge leg-up by GWB. It is known as Medicare and the Prescription Drug benefit. The entire government establishment is foresquare behind these programs.

Medicare alone (along with the trial lawyers, of course) is already slowly destroying medical care. Eventually, these will so destroy the medical services industry we will be forced to go to a Single Payer System aka socialized medicine.

As in other countries with these grand schemes, there is de facto rationing of care. Guess who needs the most care? Right! Guess who gets to die quicker because the complicated and expensive care will not be available? Right again!

The problem has already been addressed and solved. All that remains in the future is to haggle over the details.

[thoughtomator]

Apparently you aren't aware of the therapeutic benefits of realized revenge. Look up the psychological effects thereof - that is in fact the very therapy you are suggesting I get!

And I will have it. My revenge will be to bring up happy, healthy, sane, and loving children... the ultimate embarassment to the generation before me which self-deludingly professes to have put so much effort in that very task.

[thoughtomator]

The irony is that being a good parent ends up as the goal of any meaningful effort towards self-realization.

[mountainfolk]

One of the most entertaining and interesting threads I've read in awhile. Angst all over the place. One thing that is not being addressed is the fact that not all of SS taxes go for retirement payouts. Social Security covers payments to retarded children, widows , widowers, orphans, disabled persons, some premature babies, persons with emotional disorders, and a multitude of other programs that have been grafted on to the system. If all of the retirees currently collecting SS benefits were to (all at the same time)take the 'eternal dirt bath' that Boortz speaks of, the SS taxes would not stop. Sorry about that, but matters are worse than you may have thought!

[Maria S]

"Damn greedy old grandparents won't just quietly jump off a cliff, or commit hara kiri ,or something - taking care,of course, to leave their ill-gotten wealth to their children.
"What's that you say ?
They don't HAVE any great wealth ??
They spent most of it on their children and grandchildren???
Humph ! Guess they were STUPID, too !!!"


Thanks for the post! Every time I write a check for $1,000 to one of my grandkids ('Granny, could you spare for a car?'), or float another "loan" (which is never paid back) to another grandchild (college DOES get expensive these days), I only hope and pray that one of these days they won't make a crack about how their grandma is 'taking advantage' of them! Their parents (my kids)...they're working like crazy and saving so they will have enough to retire on. Anyone who wants to call us so-called "rich" baby boomers 'selfish, self-centered, etc.' better watch their mouths around me! My home is very modest, my car is an older (bought used) model, and my spending habits spare. Extra ALWAYS goes to the needy in our community, our church, and an occasional stranger...if they look like they need help. I am neither a moron nor stupid, and I have been blessed because I have been frugal with money and invested it well.

[freedumb2003]

Certainly rap's use of samples justifies socialism and enslaving the young to the old.

Huh? I was just pointing out the complete lack of originality in Gen X (something that has gone unchallenged btw).

I won't be seeing a dime of SSI and I have paid a LOT of money into it my many decades of work. Don't try to hand me that "the Boomers took my money" nonsense. Gen X has a heck of a lot more subsidies than BB ever had. And they get them now, not later. And they generally don't make enough to pay for them. Who pays the tab? The Baby Boomers, what's who!

Ingrates, the lot of you.

[Maria S]

"There seem to be a more than a few kids here who never got over the fact that their mommy and daddy weren't perfect or were too self involved to wipe their noses for them every time they sniffled. Gee, too bad they missed growing up in the fifties when everything was Ozzie and Harriet. Of course, since they can't get over being screwed by the parental lottery, everyone in mommy's club is evil and must pay. Buncha losers. I wonder how long before they start a reparations movement."

Best post I've read so far!

[paul51]

Besides I could pay for my own health insurance if only I did not have to pay school taxes

LOL. That's pretty good.

[qam1]

Memo to Gen X from baby boomers: Get over yourselves. You are least-productive and whiniest generation ever created. A bunch of slacker losers who can't even make their own music (you rhyme-speak or steal, oh excuse me, "cover" or "sample," ours). BB should be very ashamed of having built you.

First, In regards to music all the great artist from the boomer generation were in fact from the previous generation, So if anything the musical legacy of the boomers is Disco. Even so, When musical artist of our generation speak out with anti-American statements (Like the Dixie Chicks) we shun them, When musical artist that your generation listened to spoke out against America (Like John Lenin) you made them heroes/Gods.

I hate to tell you but we Gen-Xers even though we are still relatively young already changed the world for the better and had a bigger positive influence on the world than the baby boomers. It was us who spawned the internet and brought computers into the mainstream and ushered in the new era of the Information Age which has had an overall major positive effect all over the world that will be felt and enjoyed for generations to come. When we set out to change the world we created something unlike the Boomers who when they set out to change the world instead of creating something they instead became Lawyers and we all know how wonderful it is that we have all these lawyers and regulations running around.

The Baby Boomers accomplished nothing and destroyed everything they touched and are basically self serving parasites and will go down as the worst generation in history.

Shall we review

Compare the Legacy

Gen-X

Spawned a new era in the history of mankind: The Information Age

Will Fight and Win the war on Terrorism.

Voted in a Republican Majority*

VS

The Baby Boomers

The ACLU,  Activist Judges, Junk Science, Tune in, Turn on and drop out, Health/Safety Nazis, RINOS, Destruction of the Nuclear Family, Destruction of the Black Extended family, Frivolous lawsuit, The Constitution as a living document, The Welfare State, The Nanny State, It it feels good do it, The Liberal Media elite, The founding fathers were nothing more than evil slave owners, Sound bites over substance or facts, Smoking bans in bars, Abortion on demand, The Clintons, Seatbelt laws, Feminism, Tree Huggers, Criminals that have more rights than the victim, Meathead, Blame America First, Latch key kids, Kids being raised by their grandparents and/or strangers, Helmet laws for Motorcycles, Helmet laws for freaking Bicycles, Cradle to grave entitlements, War on Fat, 21 year old drinking age, Yuppies, Careers over your children, Hatred of the Military, Reporters who think they are not only part of but bigger than the story they are covering, Focus groups, Weekend dads, Single moms, Prisoner rights groups, Prozac, Ritilin, Viagra, ½ our income going for taxes, America owes me, Living past failed dreams through your children, Republicans who grow the government nearly as much as the Democrats, Cocktail Parties with the like of Micheal Bloomberg, Turning an educational system that once was the best in the world to S!@, The 2nd Amendment doesn't mean the Right to bear arms, Peacekeepers instead of soldiers, The weakening of the CIA, Power Couples, Soccer Moms, NPR, Eradication of Dodge Ball, It's all society's fault type excuses and made up syndromes instead of personal responsibility, and so many more but I will close with.  

And an Obscene National $6,915,000,000,000 and growing Debt that WE have to pay off.

* Yes we did vote in a Republican majority in Congress, Senate and White House but unfortuanetely those Republicans we voted in also happen to be Baby boomers and just like everything else connected to that pitiful generation they to are turning out to be disappointments and failures.