Boomers have paid their dues to society

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | 5/18/05 | Jan Murray

[qam1]

Jan Murray believes boomers are right to demand your money.

I am having trouble empathising with the bleating about whose taxes will fund the ageing baby-boomer bunch in the near future. Such mean-hearted tripe. Such chutzpah - the high-chair set having a hissy fit just thinking about the load it's going to have to bear.

So, who started it and how do we stop it is what I want to know. I feel like digging out my pewter jewellery and hurling it at the next Generation-X pet who complains that his or her taxes will be supporting the likes of me because I haven't been clever enough to save for my Zimmer frame.

OK, so a decent slice of your taxes are going to have to keep us in the style we invented and will insist upon while there's breath in our used, abused (and increasingly refused) bodies. Pardon us for making up 39.76 per cent of the population.

Let's just hold that thought while I run through a few home truths.

Imagine a world without teenagers. Who invented the phenomenon? We did. The adolescent baby boomers were the social malcontents of the 50s who cut loose from the oppressive ruck and insisted on being recognised as individuals with a right to be listened to, marketed to and feared by a conservative Yesterday because we were Tomorrow - our own tomorrow, and yours.

Imagine if we had not rebelled. Elvis would have been sent back to his mum to have his mouth washed out. He would still be singing gospel in some clapboard church in Memphis, telling his grandkids how a rush of blood to his head a long time ago made him do some foolish things with his hips.

Look at it this way: the money you've been saving on dentistry - because we gave you flouride in your drinking water - is the equivalent of the tax rise you'll need to come up with on our behalf.

Between sorting my vinyls and renovating my sea-change home, I pause to wonder: why all the ingratitude and grumbling resentment? Should we have left off trying to make this a better world? Should we have just climbed the corporate ladders and left the multinationals to rip down the trees and put in their car parks?

I haven't even touched the 'f' word. This fight alone would be reason enough to drop a donation in as we pass the hat around. I'm not talking flares and fondue, either. Of course the boomers gave the world them. Just as we gave it fast-food, rock'n'roll, heart transplants, aerobics, tantric sex and the F-111. OK, so the Concorde proved to be a dud and the AK-47 was nasty, the multi-function polis never eventuated and body shirts were neither here nor there. But imagine a world without tampons, child care and equal wages.

Yes, I'm talking about feminism. Boomers went in hard on that one, and the Gen -ers who hold up half the sky today need to be reminded with each pay cheque. But that's an argument for another day. Why not just pay up and do it with a smile? Life's too short for hassles, man. Dig?

[international american]

"Let us add a casual disrespect for authority and the law to the list while we are at it."

Yes, we must add this.

I was a conservative at age 15, after having read National Review for about a year. I lived in a hotbed of radicalism (Boston suburb)

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I studied history. It taught me the cost for believing ideology over reality.

[poobear]

"I was temporarily a sort of hippie from age 17 to 21."

Isn't everyone at that age at one time or another? Wised up at 24 and never looked back. I've never blamed any generation before or after me for my successes or failures. I am in charge of where I go in this life. Except for the intrusion of the government from time to time, we are ALL to blame for where we end up in life! So, as a previous poster wrote:

"I'd like to give some of you guys two words with one finger!"

[Tamar1973]

Why not just pay up and do it with a smile? Life's too short for hassles, man. Dig?

Maybe if the Boomer generation hadn't condemned 40 million Gen X and Gen Y to death before they were even born, I might have more sympathy and a greater willingness to support them in their old age. As it is, the burden falls on it and it's largely their fault.

Fortunately for Gen X, the Baby Boomers are also the one's pushing for Euthanaisa, Dutch style and maybe they won't be a burden for as long as people think.

[international american]

I took a number of history courses at Boston College.
It does teach one a great deal about how ideology can
destroy nations.

[international american]

We forgive you your 4 year brain cramp: ) I too started my own business at 25, and started buying real estate shortly thereafter. I don't expect a dime from Social Security.

[XR7]

Maybe if the Boomer generation hadn't condemned 40 million Gen X and Gen Y to death before they were even born, I might have more sympathy and a greater willingness to support them in their old age. As it is, the burden falls on it and it's largely their fault. Fortunately for Gen X, the Baby Boomers are also the one's pushing for Euthanaisa, Dutch style and maybe they won't be a burden for as long as people think.

Payback time.
The old fart boomers will just be "mercy killed."
Then they won't be a "drain" on society.
All for the common welfare, you know - the collective good.
Give peace a chance.

[Radix]

Oh goody, another thread condemning (sort of) the Boomers.

Gosh we were born, and then the sheite hit the fan.

The Boomers are screwed just as much as the Xers, well maybe almost as much. The Social Security scam is going to fall onto the Xers and beyond but the likely first recipients of the sensible euthanasia policies to follow will likely be the latter Boomers. Gee, go figure, most of us contributed to that SS scam for all of our working days. We also contributed a lot more than those seniors who even still are reaping the benefits. I do not envy their benefits, I simply marvel at their selfishness and stupidity. That being represented by their voting patterns. Posterity clearly means nothing to them, by and large.

Retards who continue to vote for the likes of Dennis Kucinich, Ted Kennedy, and those of their ilk will likely forever blame the Boomers because of a Ponzie scheme which we never put into play.

Well, when they take me out, I'd like to a watch a replay of the Patriots winning the Super Bowl accompanied by a bit of Mozart. Perhaps rather a good rendition of J. S. Bach's rendition of a Musical Offering.

Soylent Green is people!

[Radix]

How about the Internet.

I want to say "blow me" but I liked your post too much!

[shellshocked]

That generation gave us:

1. Disrespect as a poor example of behavior.
2. AIDS.
3. Massive drug use.
4. Massive welfare.
5. Mini-Vans.
6. Ecoterrorism.
7. Spoiled brats.
8. Narcissism.
9. Mediocrity.
10. Destruction of higher education, once known as universities, now known as adult day care centers.

[griswold3]

Someone should post Billy Joel's "We didn't start the fire".

[NMR Guy]

Boomers have paid their dues to society

Dear Boomers,

What dues are those?

The one where you sat by while officials spent the SS funds which were collected, instead of saving them as any sane society would?

Maybe you paid your dues by standing idly by while radical leftists took over the courts and universities?

Or maybe the dues you Boomers paid were those which led to your apathy when any hints of religion and moral teaching were expunged from public life and education, and the churches were taken over by deviants hucksters, and power hungry social engineers?

Oh wait, maybe you mean it was the due you paid by sending school buses to ship me, my brothers, sisters, and cousins from our poor neighborhood to another, so we could be alternately abused, mocked and ignored by enlightened progressive San Francisco teachers because of the color of our skin?

No, no, it must be the huge mountain of socialist entitlements you've set up, to be paid for by others, so that you don't have to pay for them yourselves or be bothered serve the less fortunate with your own time. That's it, right?

Or maybe the real due you paid was to just ignore that all of the above what happening, without any concern for the future you left to your children.

Yes, thanks so much.

[jec41]

I was born in 1941 and we paid taxes too. Perhaps the highest ever in history. My family fought in every war and my son is in Iraq now to defend this country. I would have been ashamed to tell someone that I can't find a job. We were always taught to yourself a job. We understood that security is between your ears and not with the government or employer. Wish I had my taxes back because I feel they have been poorly used. Ever try to buy a 1942-1945 automobile. They didn't make them . Everything went to the war effort just to survive. Most people don't realize that even food was rationed. I still have my sugar stamps. Things have been pretty good in this country since the 50's although the liberal agenda is going to going to cause big problems. I think that n the near future your medal will be tested every bit as much as we were and I hope that you handle yourselves well and survive fit. Notice the tax rates we paid in the table below starting with 94% on $200,000 in 1945. People always wonder how we paid off the debt. Well this is how!!!!!!! Sorry the table did not print out in columns Historical rates (married couples, filing jointly) Table Tax year Top marginal tax rate (%) Top marginal tax rate (%) on earned income, if different<1> Taxable income over-- 1913 7 500,000 1914 7 500,000 1915 7 500,000 1916 15 2,000,000 1917 67 2,000,000 1918 77 1,000,000 1919 73 1,000,000 1920 73 1,000,000 1921 73 1,000,000 1922 58 200,000 1923 43.5 200,000 1924 46 500,000 1925 25 100,000 1926 25 100,000 1927 25 100,000 1928 25 100,000 1929 24 100,000 1930 25 100,000 1931 25 100,000 1932 63 1,000,000 1933 63 1,000,000 1934 63 1,000,000 1935 63 1,000,000 1936 79 5,000,000 1937 79 5,000,000 1938 79 5,000,000 1939 79 5,000,000 1940 81.1 5,000,000 1941 81 5,000,000 1942 88 200,000 1943 88 200,000 1944 94 <2> 200,000 1945 94 <2> 200,000 1946 86.45 <3> 200,000 1947 86.45 <3> 200,000 1948 82.13 <4> 400,000 1949 82.13 <4> 400,000 1950 84.36 400,000 1951 91 <5> 400,000 1952 92 <6> 400,000 1953 92 <6> 400,000 1954 91 <7> 400,000 1955 91 <7> 400,000 1956 91 <7> 400,000 1957 91 <7> 400,000 1958 91 <7> 400,000 1959 91 <7> 400,000 1960 91 <7> 400,000 1961 91 <7> 400,000 1962 91 <7> 400,000 1963 91 <7> 400,000 1964 77 400,000 1965 70 200,000 1966 70 200,000 1967 70 200,000 1968 75.25 200,000 1969 77 200,000 1970 71.75 200,000 1971 70 60 200,000 1972 70 50 200,000 1973 70 50 200,000 1974 70 50 200,000 1975 70 50 200,000 1976 70 50 200,000 1977 70 50 203,200 1978 70 50 203,200 1979 70 50 215,400 1980 70 50 215,400 1981 69.125 50 215,400 1982 50 85,600 1983 50 109,400 1984 50 162,400 1985 50 169,020 1986 50 175,250 1987 38.5 90,000 1988 28 <8> 29,750 <8> 1989 28 <8> 30,950 <8> 1990 28 <8> 32,450 <8> 1991 31 82,150 1992 31 86,500 1993 39.6 89,150 1994 39.6 250,000 1995 39.6 256,500 1996 39.6 263,750 1997 39.6 271,050 1998 39.6 278,450 1999 39.6 283,150 2000 39.6 288,350 2001 39.1 297,350 2002 38.6 307,050 2003 35 311,950 Graph This graph is a plot of year (first column in the table) against the corresponding top marginal rate (second column in the table) (in blue). Where the top marginal rate on earned income differs (1971--1981), it is also plotted (in red). Comments For a more detailed discussion, see the references below. Note that

[Bernard Marx]

I got the impression this was written somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

Somewhat, but I'd call it more "kidding on the level."

[AdamSelene235]

Of course the Boomers seem to think they invented Sex...

No they invented "never shutting up about sex".

[kalee]

bump

[litehaus]

I resemble that remarque...........

[AdamSelene235]

(Born 1957) I don't want a dime from anyone!

Well, that's nice but you are going to get your dime and future generations will pay for it with greatly reduced standards of living, social disintegration, etc.

[tertiary01]

I believe she has her generations mixed up. She is really talking about the generation before the Boomers which included James Dean, Elvis and John Kerry. I think it is called something like the Forgotten Generation. They were the original rebellious teenagers.

BUT I know many, many boomers who seemed to have been born thinking that someone else owed them an existence. Used to drive me crazy, and as a result I never felt I had much in common with my own age group.

[AmishDude]

Have no fear. I have the ultimate Social Security solution: