http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_06/b3970136.htm

The epifany isn’t that kids today are facing a seeming new challenge, or even that there is irritation, aggravation and even anger toward the retiring boomers, but that not only does each generation always seem to be met with unfair challenges, but that each generation is always angry with the preceeding one for laying that insurmountable barrier(s) for them to climb over. 

An equally smacking epifany is that what each of the previous generations did to create the catastrophy(ies) for the one to follow was almost always based on decisions of ‘rage’ when they, themselves, were the same age of those who suffer in the present.!

We create a domino effect for each other, like pushing and shoving.  I remember placing ‘blame’ on our parents and remember listening to them placing blame on their parents etc. 

Perhaps the best way to go, to bring civility, peace and coherance is to stop breeding entirely for a VERY long time?  You know….skip a generation?

If we skip a generation, who is going to pay off all our deficit spending?  Us?  Hell, no!

Actually, I read the two books reviews, and find myself both agreeing and disagreeing.

For one, when was it ever easy to get ahead?  Never!

Traditional benefits of health care, pensions, and stuff?  These notions were initiated in the 50’s and 60’s.  That is hardly ‘traditional’.  They came about because of the artificial prosperity in America, due to us being the only industrial country whose factories were not bombed to hell during WWll.  The rest of the world had no choice but to buy our stuff at whatever price we set.

That is why American cars were so crummy and over-priced, there was no one else to buy them from!  No competition anywhere!  So why try harder?  And the unions and the work-force demanded a larger slice of this pie, and they got it.

Now, in recent times, we have to compete with the rest of the world, and our standard of living has to reduce itself from that artificial high, back to where it belongs.  Thus, the erosion of health-care, pensions, virtually automatic promotions, etc.  The money to buy all that stuff has to come from somewhere!

Now, on the other hand, peace-time deficit spending is a new calamity, began in earnest in the Reagan era, and pursued quite happily ever since.  Yes, deficit spending did stop under Clinton, but remember it is Congress who controls the money, not the President, and during that time, no one thought to do something so ridiculous as pay down the deficit.  Why bother?  Those who will finally have to pay it off are in grade-school now, and cannot vote.

Why spend so foolishly?  Because spending in one’s own congressional district secures campaign contributions from developers, unions, and whoever else is benefitted from that spending, which in turn makes it a virtual cinch to get re-elected.

And what of the debt burden that is getting created, that will inevitably become a monster that consumes us all?  Congress and the White House do not care, the poor suckers that will shoulder that burden cannot vote yet!  So who cares?

Taxation Without Representation!  Yahoo!

Dan the Budget Analyst

Gee, Hulitoons, I thought this topic would elicit lots of responses, particularly from people wanting to inform me that life now is actually way harder than at any previous time.

Dan the Disappointed

Blah blah blah…everyone is selfish…

I don’t blame anyone in the PAST for things that are happening now.  I blame people NOW for what is happening now.

Actually, I just had a hard time getting past the hideous spelling in the initial post, decided it wasn’t worth my time.

Robin Bobcat - 26 April 2006 02:57 AM

Actually, I just had a hard time getting past the hideous spelling in the initial post, decided it wasn’t worth my time.

Yeah, I re-read it….....isn’t ‘epifany actually ‘epiphany’?

But maybe that is an English version,  like ‘theater vs theatre’.

Still, the article had some interesting points, most of which I decided, (in my limited wisdom) to challenge.

I do like Maegan’s comment about dealing with things in the present (because when else can you?).  Makes pretty good sense!

We need a strong President with the courage to explain to the American People why we cannot continue to borrow money from our children, hoping that some miracle will come about and bale them out.

Funny, we love to give other people’s money away!  But, of course, we take the credit for helping the poor, the aged, and the indigent, but not with our own money, with someone else’s!

Dan the Altruistic Citizen

[off topic] Nope, it’s spelt ‘epiphany’ over here in the UK too.[/off topic]