New study finds baby boomers are in a funk

[IDemo]

(CNN) -- Eighty percent of baby boomers are pessimistic about the current direction of the United States, according to the Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends study released Monday.

Who can blame them, with retirement and pension funds shrinking and with the unemployment rate near 10%?

The boomer generation consists of adults between the ages of 45 and 64, according to the The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank.

"Most Americans are pretty glum three years into a Great Recession and a jobless recovery, but even in that context, the baby boomers stand out," said Paul Taylor, co-author of the study and vice president of the center.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/12/17/pew.baby.boomer.gloomy.outlook/?hpt=C2

[xchrom]

1. indeed. nt

[jtown1123]

2. No shit. Pile all that on top of politicians gunning to cut Social Security and Medicare.

[tridim]

3. They should have never voted for Reagan, especially twice.

Then they voted for Bush and Bush*.

All against their own best interests.

[IDemo]

4. There's a big chunk of they who didn't

:hi: :dem:

[starroute]

29. A lot fewer voted for Reagan than their elders did

I looked up the figures the last time this smear came round. About half of people in their 20's to early 30's voted for Reagan -- but 60% or better of all the older generations.

The Boomers were never uniformly liberal -- especially those in the South and Midwest -- but they were a hell of a lot more liberal than anybody else at the time.

[tridim]

30. I didn't mean it as a smear, sorry..

I'm just thinking about my boomer parents and 95% of their friends. They still think Reagan is gawd, and they all watch Faux newz today.

But you're right, I shouldn't have lumped everyone together.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

52. I didn't vote for Reagan, and neither did anyone I knew at the time

In fact, we were all amazed and heartsick when he won.

[Hello_Kitty]

73. I've seen people blame Gen X for Reagan! Most of us weren't old enough to vote in 80 or 84.

Sadly, there's a lot admiration for him among my cohort but you can't blame us for him getting elected!

[Vincardog]

5. No this one of them

[Mimosa]

6. Some did. *puke* Don't blame me!

But the politicians of both parties have been acquiescent in shippinmg many jobs overseas.

It's hard, seemingly impossible, for a 50 or 60 year old to get a full time good paying job these days. And good Democrats here are among those who suffer from underemployment.

[whathehell]

15. Yes...Me. n/t

[Solly Mack]

7. I didn't vote for Reagan or either Bush and I'm a boomer.

[BonnieJW]

16. Me too.

My husband and I think we'll probably have to work until we phisically can't. We are both blessed to have good jobs and moderate 401k's, but we were counting on SS for some of our retirement. We're not counting on it at all now. If we do collect it, we will put it aside for the near future when we think SS will be discontinued. Such a shame that something that worked so well is so despised by those who will never need it. Why do they hold so much control?

[Solly Mack]

24. Because money can buy power

and they have the money to buy power - and the control. They aim to keep it that way too....and they have a lot of help from people who enable their own oppression (by supporting those who do screw over 'the people')

[maxpower]

8. Agreed (with the help of the "greatest generation")

I've been screaming this from the rooftops. They squandered the American dream for their selfish gain. Remember "Greed is Good"? Saint Reagan loved that one. Of course not all the baby boomers are responsible. But you nailed it right one the head.


Peace
Max

[CountAllVotes]

23. none of my "Greatest Generation" relatives ever

voted for any Repuke ever. They learned a long time ago that these pukes are crooks!

Don't lump all of your corrupt eggs in to one basket.

It is not right to categorize people.

[YvonneCa]

10. Carter, Clinton, Gore,Kerry, Obama...

...here. Generalizing is not helpful.

[CountAllVotes]

11. never voted for ONE of these SOBS you name

did you? :grr:

[whathehell]

12. This boomer never voted for either of them...Even once.

..and I don't know any others who did either, although some surely did...Especially the "younger" boomers who IMO, were too young to have ever been put
in that demographic in the first place.

[Zoeisright]

26. NEVER voted for Reagan or any Bush, and I'm a boomer.

Generalizations are always false, including this one.

[Lorien]

31. Paint with a broad brush much? Giving GOP THEIVES a free pass?

tridim, I have some big news to share with you:, two of those elections were stolen. Yes! Stolen! I know it may come as a shock since the MSM didn't tell you as much, but it's true. Sorry to burst your baby boomer hating bubble.

And NO, some of us worked for the Democratic party during Reagan's reign. You, however, back Reagan's legacy 100% with your cheering of Obama's Reagan era policies. If you want someone to blame for our times then just look in the mirror.

[tridim]

38. I've already apoligized, and never said all baby boomers were Republicans.

I'm basing this observation on my baby boomer parents and their friends.

Sorry if you took it wrong.

[YvonneCa]

53. Okay. I forgive...

...you...this time. ;) But don't let it happen again. :7

[spanone]

32. 'they' is a great big false net

[Crunchy Frog]

62. Broad brush much?

I wasn't even old enough to vote the first time Reagan was elected. Voted for Mondale the second time. And I've never voted for a Bush in my life.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

69. I did? I voted for Reagan, Bush, and Bush? Dang!

I thought I voted for somebody else. Now I can't remember ...

:hi:

[shanti]

72. who is "they"??

i know i didn't!

[WinkyDink]

9. 45 years ago = 1965. These are NOT Baby Boomers, who are the children of returning WWII Vets!

Good grief; one born in 1965 could be the 1945 Boomer's CHILD.
GMAB!

[whathehell]

13. Agreed....I always thought that was absurd. n/t

[IDemo]

14. Not necessarily just the children of WWll vets

The United States Census Bureau considers a baby boomer to be someone born during the demographic birth boom between 1946 and 1964.

[WinkyDink]

34. I don't give a rat's arse what the revisionists claim!

[IDemo]

40. Those born between 1945/46 and 1964/65 had always been considered Boomers

Until Jonathan Pontell divided out those born after 1953/1954 into "Generation Jones" (me). Sometimes the two groups are defined as "Boomer l" or Boomer ll".

The revision was in the separation of the original group into those sub-groups.

[StevieM]

77. Interesting, I always thought the cut-off date was 1959. I heard there was a substantial dropoff in

births in 1960. Maybe that info was wrong.

[Crystal Clarity]

17. Exactly! I see the post above you says the same too.

I'm 45 (just turned a couple of weeks ago) and I've NEVER been called a boomer before. Nor would I want to be. :P... :hide:

[lumberjack_jeff]

18. Born in 1962. Dad was a Battle of the Bulge vet.

:shrug:

That said, my oldest sister was pregnant with her daughter while mom was pregnant with me. She's my niece, but just a few months younger than me.

So yes, it's an arbitrarily large demographic, and I don't have much in common with my older siblings born in the 40's. I think that a better demographic is 1955-1965 "Generation Jones".

[aquart]

19. Actually, Dad doesn't have to be a vet for you to qualify.

All that is required is being born during the burst of births following the return of troops. They settled down and had babies year after year after year after year. But not all the people procreating had been soldiers. NONETHELESS their children are included by dob.

[Crystal Clarity]

28. True that. But a DOB of 1965

falls into the Generation X category in everything I've read about this subject. Except this article.

[Pithlet]

42. That's a bit old for Gen X, too, though.

I think mid sixties is called Generation Jones.

[NashVegas]

50. No, It's Core Gen-X

Generation Jones is just the latest name for people who were initially called Gen-X and then "Baby Busters."

[Odin2005]

57. Gen-X is folks born from 1961 to 1981, Boomers are 1943 to 1960.

According to the late social historian William Strauss.

[socialist_n_TN]

60. That's the time lines I've always heard.........

And this boomer has ALWAYS been a socialist and NEVER voted for a single Republican.

[WinkyDink]

79. Same here!

[WinkyDink]

35. It IS the origin of the term, but okay.

[Lorien]

33. Yep. The reporter is more than a wee bit off there. nt

[Crunchy Frog]

63. These generational labels are completely arbitrary anyway.

I was born in 1963 and have never thought of myself as a baby boomer, but I still get labeled as such. I don't place much stock in these labels myself.

[Jokerman]

66. Wrong.

My dad joined the navy in 1940 and didn't start a family until he retired 20 years later. He was 45 years old when his youngest child (me) was born.

Not everyone fits into a neat little mold.

[mimitabby]

20. another boomer here

I have been voting for democrats since the early 1970's. I can assure you, I voted against Reagan and every other ones of those GOP bums.

[postulater]

21. I've been in a funk since funkin Nixon.

[kenny blankenship]

22. Don't say Recession, say Banana!

Yes, we have no Great Banana.

[Pathwalker]

25. All right, already! I admitted I'm in a funk. Enough with the intervention!

Did my family tell you to do this, huh? ;-)
They've ordered me a light box for Xmas, which will be here Wednesday, and they've already insisted that I begin using it immediately. My GP recommended it, my retinologist agreed as long as I keep my eyes closed while using it, and an associate of his agreed but said I needed to wear my special sunglasses while using it.

Oh, and by the way - I didn't vote for Ronnie The Aged, either. I've been funked out since 12/12/2000.

[TBF]

27. Well of course they are - their 401Ks were looted and they

are starting to retire - of course they are "in a funk" or even pissed off.

I'm in my 40s and still have foolish optimism that there is time to recover, but for someone who is 65 what are they supposed to do?

[WinkyDink]

36. Deja' vu for real ain't fun.

[Name removed]

37. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bettyellen]

39. hateful and ignorant comment.

[MilesColtrane]

41. Attention Baby Boomers:

Things may be bad now, but we've got to look on the bright side.

At least we'll have the sweet release of death sooner than all those young punks out there.

:hi:

[Kablooie]

43. And now it looks like we'll be losing the internet to big business and marketing.

[LuvNewcastle]

44. This talk about different 'generations' is horseshit.

It's a ploy used by people in marketing to get people of a certain age to buy their crap. They're telling you that you have to jump on their bandwagon and buy their junk or you'll get left behind by the other Boomers or Gen Xers or whatever. Just because you share memories of the Ed Sullivan Show or Family Ties with some other guy doesn't mean the two of you have anything in common and it doesn't say shit about who you are as a person.

[Warren DeMontague]

45. It all depends on what sort of funk.

Doesn't it?

[guitar man]

68. word!!

Waitin' on the mothership can sho nuff get ya down! ;)

[Juche]

46. I think boomers and millenials were hit hardest by the recession

Boomers want to retire and can't, their investments/home equity/jobs aren't stable. So they have to work until 70. Millennials can't break into the workforce since the boomers can't retire and the last 10 years have seen literally negative job growth (normally we'd create 20-30 million jobs over a decade. We created about 0 net jobs over the last 10 years. And tons of higher paying jobs were replaced with contract/temp work).

We are all fucked. I don't see 400k jobs a month coming anytime soon.

[hayu_lol]

47. Two and part of a third generation are now suffering...

as a result of this 'depression.' Those of us over 60 and on up into their mid to late 70s have almost no chance of finding work...even the part time jobs that older seniors used to have to supplement their pensions are now gone.

If you are in your 40s, you have a chance at recovery...those older are pretty much screwed.

And, no, most of the older seniors did not vote for Reagan but it sure looks like Obama might have given the chance. Reagan was the guy who set up a national office to help US Corporations move offshore. As we all know, this was a successful move that has resulted in major loss of manufacturing jobs...the kind that raised the rest of you.

[jtown1123]

76. great assessment and I totally agree (I'm a millennial for the record)

[NashVegas]

48. Hey Uh Kids? You're the BIGGEST FRIGGING VOTING BLOCK!

[Crystal Clarity]

61. LOL! + 1000! nt.

[hamsterjill]

49. They needed a study to figure that out?

n/t

[unkachuck]

51. everyone's in a funk....

....when the power of the economy resides in the hands of unelected officials, the result is we have no control over our economic future, unemployment, poverty or funk....

[HEyHEY]

54. You mean the boomers who took away all the social programs they enjoyed when they were young?

Then just left their kids fucked cause they fell for bullshit conservative talking points? Cry me a fucking river.

[Joe Fields]

56. Think much? Or do you always shoot from the lip?

[HEyHEY]

58. I've thought about this quite a bit, so ask yourself the question you've just asked me

The amount of government assistance for post secondary school, family allowance, healthcare, even elementary education has all been reduced greatly in the last 30 years. Meanwhile real estate prices have been allowed to skyrocket, low-cost rental housing has been allowed to be purchased and sold as condos... all this because of the boomers going on their overly capitalistic, conservative kick.

Now, my generation works twice as hard for half as much. Thanks guys. I suppose you'll want all the governments money to make your lives easier again when you retire.

[Odin2005]

55. If I were a Boomer I would be in a funk, too.

If my retirement were being destroyed, SS being attacked, and my kids being stuck in a shitty job market with huge student debts I would be in a funk, too.

[Crystal Clarity]

59. Do you think Odin

that President Obama could be the Gen X crisis leader that was predicted in The 4rth Turning by H & S?

[Odin2005]

64. Not unless he quits acting like Hoover.

[Crystal Clarity]

71. I'm not referring to whether he's been a good or bad leader

S & H left that for history, not their prophecies to judge whether a crisis period leader is, or is not, a good one.

IMHO, they simply say that crisis periods often end up w/lost gen (or in this case, gen x) leaders and hero gens (in this case millennials) as their foot soldiers in whatever action is needed to deal w/a crisis period. The ultimate outcome, they say, can be good OR bad. As too, can be the leaders.

So my original Q was regarding your opinion as to whether or not President Obama may be that gen x crisis leader. I'm assuming by this Q that we definitely ARE in one right now btw.

[AngryAmish]

65. "Baby Boomers" is an it, not a them

If we are to be thinking people then one must generalize about a generation and determine what it wants. IN that way we can determine what is best for everyone in this country and the world. Each baby boomer is an individual who must be judged on their own merits. However, it is clear from all reasonable measurements the "Baby Boomers" are a malicious force in this world and must be dealt with to try to curb it's unending appetite for pleasure and wealth given to it by other people. They create little and demand all. And we have to control it before it destroys us all.

[guitar man]

67. I've been in the funk for a long time

Personally, I blame Clinton for it....this video explains it better than I ever could

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjKFCYzqq-A

[old mark]

70. Lots of people focus on the good things Boomers experienced, but forget

we have been and will be till we are all dead, the targets of greedy schemes and plots to take us for every possible dime they could steal. We were told we would have a golden future ever since we were in high school...we have made tons of money for the bankers and politicians of every possible stripe, and we got nothing in return, and have left little as a legacy.
We have been conned and lied to and manipulated for all our lives and it is getting worse every day.

And, no, I have never voted for a republican in my life.


mark

[earth mom]

74. Of course they are. Boomers were sold bogus hope & change and now Social Security

is on the chopping block.

Anyone who isn't mad as hell isn't paying attention or is so rich it doesn't matter. :grr:

[TheKentuckian]

75. I imagine they are, especially the back end that has worked their lives away

under the diminishing returns of Reagonomics.

I'm in a funk myself, a few years younger. Every thing I have earned has been stripped away by unending waves of buy outs, shut downs, mergers, and outsourcing.

The 15 years since college has all been about building and crashing over and over and each time with less building space in between collapses.
A lot of boomers have lived the same crap for longer and they must be spent and disgusted at the wear on their minds, souls, and bodies and how little there is to show for it as well as how little room there is for playing catch up in a horrible environment of declining wages in real dollars and hemorrhaging opportunity.

[Vinca]

78. Funk is putting it mildly.

It gets better after you accept the fact you've been screwed over and plan how to make enough money to exist in something better than a cardboard box. If . . . IF . . . you remain healthy. There's always the chance we'll find ourselves on a park bench reading "Final Exit."

[Elmore Furth]

80. Reality is a Bitch!

I'm older, fatter and slower.

I am bummed out about how society has changed, considering my ideals in the 1960s.

[DFW]

81. I guess I'll find the time to worry about this

But it won't be any time soon. Give me 20 years, maybe. I MAY slow down by then, but I'll only be 78, so maybe not.

The only funk I know is when I slap my bass guitar, and I haven't played bass seriously in five years.