Boomers who spent their lives actively supporting drained pool politics surprised that the pool is dry when they jump off the diving board.

[u/CuriosityMuse]

https://www.barrons.com/articles/baby-boomer-retirement-crisis-51675271205

[u/AutoModerator]

Hello u/CuriosityMuse! Please reply to this comment with an explanation mentioning who is suffering from which consequences from what they voted for, supported or wanted to impose on other people.

Here's an easy format to get you started:

1. Someone voted for, supported or wanted to impose something on other people.
   ^{Who's that someone and what's that something?}
2. That something has some consequences.
   ^{What are the consequences?}
3. As a consequence, that something happened to that someone.
   ^{What happened? Did the something really happened to that someone? If not, you should probably delete your post.}

Include the minimum amount of information necessary so your post can be understood by everyone, even if they don't live in the US or speak English as their native language. If you don't respect this format and moderators can't match your explanation with the format, your post will be removed under rule #3 and we'll ignore you even if you complain in modmail.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/ReditorB4Reddit]

I was just at a Vermont town hall meeting where a rep from a ski town both complained about tax rates and the lack of government-funded daycare so they can compete financially for entry-level staff to run the lifts, wait tables, and change the bedding at the resort.

[u/TomCosella → u/ReditorB4Reddit]

My favorite interview I ever read was with the head of Yuengling brewery, a noted Trump supporting dickbag. He actively bragged about heading off a union push, but then complained about the lack of workers. Then he went on to rant about how his business should be protected from both large scale brewers and microbreweries.

[u/Mrgoodtrips64 → u/TomCosella]

Man I used to have a good opinion of Yuengling. I didn’t drink them, I mostly stick to local beer like the disgusting hipster I am, but i thought they were alright. I can’t get behind anti-union owners though. That’s a deal breaker.

[u/SquareWet → u/Mrgoodtrips64]

Yeungling used to be my go to beer. At least Trump made us aware of these assholes that support him.

[u/trevorpinzon → u/SquareWet]

Same, loved their black and tans. Oh well, plenty of better beer out there.

[u/vicaphit → u/SquareWet]

Same, though it always gave me beer shits.

[u/bishopyorgensen → u/Mrgoodtrips64]

Yuengling was my primary beer.

Haven't had any in years when I found out what a shit bag that guy is.

[u/megatron37 → u/bishopyorgensen]

Same homie. I used to order a “lager” with pride. Never again!

[u/CathedralEngine → u/Mrgoodtrips64]

Yeah, Yuengling was my go-to beer like 20 years ago, then I found out the owner was anti-union and decided to switch to local brewers. The better beer was an added bonus.

[u/MrPoopieMcCuckface → u/Mrgoodtrips64]

I know a douche bag that likes them and it turned me off of them. This just makes my reasoning sound better.

[u/mdonaberger → u/TomCosella]

Dick Yuengling is not a good person, and royally screwed David Yuengling. Succession has nothing on those goobers.

[u/cityfireguy → u/TomCosella]

Dammit! Now I'm out on Yuengling. Thanks for letting me know.

[u/TitsMickey → u/cityfireguy]

You may already don’t drink Coors.

But in case you or anyone seeing this comment still does. It’s good to learn about the family running the show.

[u/atomic_redneck → u/TitsMickey]

I have a nice deep well with good water, so I don't need to spend money on Coors.

[u/boxsterguy → u/TomCosella]

Sounds like he was sampling too much of the product.

[u/sagemydear → u/ReditorB4Reddit]

A number of very right-wing women from my grad school have been posting about how the government needs to fund preschool because they’re paying insane prices for it. These are the same women who have rallied against “socialism” and “entitlements” for years. It’s been wild to watch.

[u/AgoraiosBum → u/sagemydear]

They will immediately forget about this as soon as their last kid is out of pre-school

[u/Minxminty → u/AgoraiosBum]

And be like, "well i had to pay for it, so you shouldn't get it for free." When their kids grow out of preschool. This is the argument of the right about student loan forgiveness too. Smh.

[u/steelhips → u/AgoraiosBum]

Then they will switch to yelling at their kid's teacher about culture war BS.

[u/rmphilli → u/sagemydear]

Ah, so morons.

[u/reverendjesus → u/rmphilli]

Simple folk. Salt of the earth. The common clay of the New West.

[u/SillyPseudonym → u/reverendjesus]

Mongo like favorable tax bracket, but no like lack of social safety net. Mongo only pawn in game of life.

[u/WellFineThenDamn → u/[deleted]]

Arrested Development was a sharp, biting satire of Bush-era-on politics and economics. That it now seems quaint just highlights how much more normalized these things are.

[u/Powerfury → u/sagemydear]

Republicans are fucking assholes, that's why.

They'll claim they are against abortion until they need one.

Fuck them.

[u/subsailor1968]

“Retirement plans were oversold as the way you would be able to retire.”

Wow. I wonder what they were actually for?

[u/GregorSamsanite → u/subsailor1968]

Employers no longer expected to spend money funding expensive pension plans. Financial industry gets a captive audience to funnel into funds with excessive management fees. Existing shareholders and executives profit from a generation of new small investors entering the market and inflating share prices. Politicians are able to sell tax cuts for the extremely wealthy while resisting funding for things that benefit everyone else, justified by the false confidence of voters with self-funded retirement plans that they don't yet realize are inadequate.

[u/TwistedBrother → u/GregorSamsanite]

Sounds like the Ponzi scheme to end all Ponzi schemes once there’s no wealth to transfer up

[u/Boblar → u/TwistedBrother]

This is the real reason pants are being shit over the declining birth rate.

[u/Kaa_The_Snake → u/Boblar]

And of course they’re anti-immigration as well…

But seriously, I’m still putting some money (to get company match) into the market but I’m looking at alternate investments for retirement. When everyone is being pushed into the market, prices are artificially inflated. The retirees will be selling stocks instead of buying, so I’m not super hopeful that the market is going to be a money maker like it was in the past. I’m thinking overall stagflation.

Don’t get me wrong, those companies that can put others out of work (like with automation) and the like will probably do well for shareholders…well until there’s no one left with a job to buy their goods…but I don’t see the Dow getting the amazing gains that we’ve been able to get over the last hundred years or so.

In the near future (15-30 years)

Less workers, more retirees Less people to buy stuffs More folks selling stocks to fund retirement On-shoring (happening now), higher prices and lower margin for businesses Low birth rate and low immigration, as I said no one to buy what companies are selling

Seems to me like a perfect slow-moving storm for US companies and the US economy. Also most 1st world economies.

Anyone disagree? I’m happy to hear other perspectives…

[u/tgt305 → u/Kaa_The_Snake]

It’s almost like this whole system we’ve built, believed in, and rely upon cannot last more than 3-4 generations.

[u/bellj1210 → u/tgt305]

and we are on generation 4 or 5

[u/Branamp13 → u/tgt305]

I mean, our economy can barely go a decade without a "once-in-a-lifetime" crash happening at this point, so I would argue it's a stretch to say it can even last 3-4 generations.

[u/OppositeComplaint942 → u/tgt305]

What a coincidence, pyramid schemes only make money for the top 3-4 layers...

[u/GazLord → u/Kaa_The_Snake]

No competing theories here. This is however late stage capitalism works. And, they're just trying to stall out the fall now with authoritarian measures like restricting birth control.

[u/the_last_carfighter → u/GazLord]

Food chain/eco collapses in 15-20 years, perhaps that's all the time they need. They, the ultra wealthy will be fine. And for those that will think different, spare me the "nahah, they're gonna be in the same boat" emotional support commentary. There will always be a way to live a great life if you have cornered enough resources for yourself and say about 100 support staff who will be more than willing to go along in exchange for safety and food.

Edit: And to answer the people below me now: This isn't your uncle Bob with a buried ship container bunker out in PA, these are the people with large private islands (don't be naive they have already factored in sea rise for their locations, again not Uncle Bob here) or isolated areas in New Zealand and a small private security force, lots of farm land, etc. If you then think that a bunch of gravy seals are gonna come and take that from an elite blackwater type force... yeah, good luck and remember they also won't care about geneva conventions either.

[u/Barabasbanana → u/the_last_carfighter]

which is a fallacy in itself, if the law and world order collapse, why would the New Zealanders respect some billionaire enclave? it's all a fantasy at their end as well

[u/old_antedecent → u/Barabasbanana]

Better believe we won't.

[u/SamuraiJackBauer → u/the_last_carfighter]

Shit hits the fan like that they’ll be “fine” never leaving their compound and getting all Howard Hughes panicky that everyone wants them dead.

And they’ll be right.

They’ll be killed and their assets divided by the hungry and desperate.

[u/sponge62 → u/SamuraiJackBauer]

never leaving their compound

These are the same people that couldn't 'self isolate' for 2 weeks during covid. Should be interesting.

[u/Tyr808 → u/sponge62]

That’s an interesting point. They may have the resources to do all of this, but people were going batshit when they couldn’t freely travel, shop, and party. Obviously there will be some that could be content with libraries of books or other stored content, but I do wonder what someone with the resources but the inability to live a secluded or bunker lifestyle will ultimately end up doing.

[u/cat_prophecy → u/Kaa_The_Snake]

Well the biggest slap in the face is that the value of your retirement can shift by massive amounts and you have effectively 0 control over it. Sure you can choose which fund that money goes into, but at the end of the day whether that fund gains or loses is entirely out of your hands.

[u/Seroseros → u/cat_prophecy]

I just saw inflation eat about a third of my retirement, so I suppose I'll just suck dicks or starve!

[u/IAMA_Plumber-AMA → u/Seroseros]

Just wait until the GOP refuse to vote to raise the debt ceiling and the government defaults.

If you think inflation's bad now, you ain't seen nothing yet.

[u/owwwwwo → u/cat_prophecy]

I always wondered how many retail workers spend their nights combing over the finer nuances of their invested "retirement savings".

My guess is none.

[u/hiddenmuenster → u/owwwwwo]

Retirement savings? What retirement savings?? 🤣🤣😭😭😭😭 Who can save when you need to pay for a roof, food, transportation, medical, etc? If you're lucky enough to have one full time job, the company may not offer anything. And if they offer anything, it's usually bull plop.

[u/DrDepravo → u/Kaa_The_Snake]

I think it’s adorable that you think retiring is actually an option.

[u/Spram2 → u/DrDepravo]

Retirement by suicide.

[u/Redtwooo → u/Kaa_The_Snake]

In 30 years the climate crisis will be at a head, money won't matter because governments will collapse as civilization breaks down over lack of food and water, arable land and water rights will be at a premium but widely owned by large multinationals with private armies to protect them, welcome back to feudalism 2.0.

I mean, I'm putting into my 401k and my union job still has a pension for now, but the future looks bleak if we don't start solving problems. Best case I have a cushion to retire on, worst case money doesn't matter and I'm probably dead anyway, I can split those odds.

[u/genonepointfive → u/Redtwooo]

All that will happen in 30 years is the same people will fight over fewer scraps while the same people at the top are basically unaffected

[u/ashesofempires → u/TwistedBrother]

There is always wealth to transfer up. New workers enter the 401K pool every year. There isn't any alternative. Every other retirement plan funnels money into the same stock market or fund, or returns next to nothing in interest. It's the least bad of a grab bag of terrible options.

It fucking sucks.

[u/522LwzyTI57d → u/ashesofempires]

That's why some folks refer to the child tax credit in the US as the "future taxpayer credit" instead. Gotta keep pumping out that workforce.

[u/mheat → u/522LwzyTI57d]

Whoever is having kids for the tax “benefits” is both unfit to be a parent and severely uninformed about how much it costs to raise a kid (spoiler alert: it costs more than your tax savings).

[u/rich22201 → u/subsailor1968]

Or whose retirement they were really funding.

[u/TreeChangeMe → u/rich22201]

Shareholders. The most important market that ever existed according to finance

[u/RamenJunkie → u/TreeChangeMe]

Not JUST the shareholder's retirement.

But the retirement of their kids.

And those kids's kids.

And those kids's kids.

And those kids's kids.

And those kids's kids.

And those kids's kids.

And those kids's kids.

Most of these people have like 1000x more than even a "lavish first world lifestyle" person uses in a lifetime.

[u/AreWeCowabunga → u/subsailor1968]

Pump regular people's money into the stock market so it could be stolen by the 1%.

[u/JolietJake1976 → u/AreWeCowabunga]

Pump regular people's money into the stock market so it could be stolen by the 1%.

And now the GOP wants to do the same thing with Social Security.

[u/Sinder77 → u/JolietJake1976]

And the boomer's cheer.

[u/JolietJake1976 → u/Sinder77]

Hey, I'm a Boomer, and it pisses me off to no end.

Then again, I'm an "end-of-the-line" Boomer from the early 1960s, almost a Gen Xer -- sometimes described as Generation Jones, cuz our experiences growing up were so much different from the Boomers born in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

[u/egiltheengineer → u/JolietJake1976]

Me too boomer. I know so many that vote GOP but don't have two nickels to rub together. It's so baffling - because "those" people are getting a free ride somehow.

[u/Nymaz → u/egiltheengineer]

It's so baffling

"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you." - LBJ

That's why they vote GOP, because it gives them someone to look down on.

[u/golfkartinacoma → u/Nymaz]

A lot of Americans don't have a passport and have never left the country, and now when the TV tries to scare them about people leaving Mexico and Central America to pick our fruits and vegetables and work hard labor jobs they don't want, people get whipped into a frenzy about 'crime' and rally around their con-men and spokeswomen.

[u/10000Didgeridoos → u/golfkartinacoma]

Also even just more simply, they really just hate brown and black people. To the point they go on record in media pieces about poor whites saying they don't want government health care because then the "welfare Queens" (translation: n words) would also get it "from my taxes".

They'd rather die in bankruptcy with no healthcare than risk a single poor black person also having it. They hate them that much. It's fucking madness.

[u/KnottShore → u/golfkartinacoma]

I feel this exemplifies the GOP:

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.” ― H.L. Mencken, In Defense Of Women

[u/United_University_98 → u/egiltheengineer]

Don't take it too much on your generation. There are a perfectly disturbing number of young republicans too. The whole generation wars thing is not that helpful

[u/LadyDouchebag → u/JolietJake1976]

I was born in late 1963 so I'm on the tail end of the boomers and the leading edge of GenX. I have zero in common with the experiences of the boomers and most things in common with GenXers, so I generally refer to myself as "geriatric GenX.". 😄

[u/jonny3jack → u/JolietJake1976]

I'm a boomer a couple years older than you. I feel the same. Ticked off. The older boomers don't make things easy.

[u/unitool → u/JolietJake1976]

Born in the early 60’s. I don’t care what the “experts” say - I don’t consider myself a boomer in any way.

I think that your opinion of Jimmy Buffett should be the deciding factor. If you love Jimmy in spite of how awful and talentless he his, you’re almost definitely a boomer.

[u/sporkinum → u/unitool]

Nice analogy. I'm born in 61 and I listen to hardcore punk... and classical, and jazz, and oldies, and electronica.. etc.

[u/4grams → u/JolietJake1976]

I feel the same way on the other side of gen x. I’m right on the cusp, too old to be a millennial, don’t identify with my x “peers” either.

[u/Danziker → u/AreWeCowabunga]

Welcome to Chile, were is mandatory to put your retirement money in private hands, so they can invest it in the stock market and if they win, they got the money, but if they loose, we paid.

[u/kw43v3r → u/Danziker]

It’s a coin toss - heads they win, tails you lose.

[u/seriousbangs → u/subsailor1968]

The inventor of the 401k made it crystal clear what they were for: if you're wealthy it was a way to save a bit of extra money you didn't need but had anyway.

According to him It was not nor was it ever intended to form the basis for retirement. Social Security & pensions did that.

[u/subsailor1968 → u/seriousbangs]

And how many jobs offer pensions?

Most define “pension” as “we offer a 401(k) and match X%”.

[u/seriousbangs → u/subsailor1968]

Back when he was writing? Most of them. It took 40 years of Reaganomics to get us to this point.

[u/whoshereforthemoney → u/subsailor1968]

"Not enough of y'all died so we're not paying you back"

[u/Crom_Committee → u/subsailor1968]

A big pool of capitol for those banks to buy up single family homes with, speculate on the markets with, and borrow against.

[u/milksteakofcourse → u/subsailor1968]

Lol we told all those assholes touting 401ks

[u/LookOutItsLiuBei]

My Dad looked me right in the eye and voted for Trump and straight ticket GOP and now is scared that the GOP is trying to cut Medicare and Social security benefits

[u/dengh → u/LookOutItsLiuBei]

While that'd be some poetic justice lots of other folks'd be fucked if it happens.

[u/uberblack → u/dengh]

folks'd

You are a god among men

[u/[deleted] → u/uberblack]

Some folks'll never eat a skunk.

[u/AjaxInsane → u/[deleted]]

But then again some folk'll

[u/rodney4567 → u/AjaxInsane]

Like Cletus, the slack jawed yokel!!

[u/SellaraAB → u/dengh]

That’s really the fundamental difference between the left and the right. If the left’s ideology wins, everyone gets to live a more comfortable life, including right wing voters, and rich people are still disgustingly rich, just a little less so. If the right’s ideology wins, the rich are twice as grotesquely wealthy, and everyone except the rich suffer, with the intended goal being to make sure the left suffers too. People scoff at framing it as good VS evil, but it kind of just seems that way to me.

[u/Stormy8888 → u/SellaraAB]

That's pretty much it. For all the complaining about the left over spending, they're at least DOING SOMETHING to help the young, the poor and the needy. The rich just don't care.

Republican voters somehow think they're immune to getting older, job loss, health issues, bills and any accidents that may lead to them being poor or needy.

Once this happens all of a sudden they're like "Waaah! I can't possibly pull myself up by my bootstraps like I expected everyone else to, because < insert excuses > "

[u/SparxIzLyfe → u/dengh]

I'm an Xer living with and caring for my mom and stepdad. My son is a millennial that could use some help with debt. If my parents' income is compromised, we all go down. We aren't just our generations. We're families and communities of people spanning the generations. If something happens to social security benefits, the effects would be felt widely.

[u/Epicassion → u/LookOutItsLiuBei]

That’s more LAMF than the article.

[u/rationalomega → u/LookOutItsLiuBei]

My dad did the same then died of a massive heart attack a few months after turning 65. Good fucking riddance.

[u/DigNitty → u/rationalomega]

I have a good relationship with my dad.

But he also had a heart attack and I made it to the hospital just in time to wheel him into the OR. He saw me and said "Shouldn't you be at work?"

Most boomer shit ever

[u/Hal_Thorn → u/DigNitty]

My mom swore her friends to secrecy and didn't tell me about her heart attack for 3 days because she didn't want me to miss work. I was livid when I found out.

[u/DigNitty → u/Hal_Thorn]

It is quite literally insane.

The thought process they've been brainwashed into following. I don't doubt I have pressured beliefs, but Holy Hell! Work is NOT your life!

[u/SoundHole → u/rationalomega]

Oof, I'm sorry. I hope my kids never feel this way about me.

[u/rationalomega → u/SoundHole]

I parent every day with that in mind.

[u/shushslushie → u/rationalomega]

Shout-out to this generation of parents breaking generational bullshit!

[u/rationalomega → u/shushslushie]

Thanks! Parenting when you’ve got your own childhood trauma isn’t always easy, but I’m committed AF to not letting this impact another generation.

[u/shushslushie → u/rationalomega]

Processing, healing while parenting is so hard. I applaud and respect you so much, you are a damn good human. So that's what you'll be passing on. Deep breaths my friend! We got this.

[u/thechosenwonton → u/rationalomega]

Hey, same man, same :) my kid loves the shit out of me, and even weirder, they are 16 and still actually like me :) Must being doing something right!

[u/LookOutItsLiuBei → u/SoundHole]

Seems like an extremely low bar to clear, yet my dad chooses to be shitty. Like there's a point where you're just going out of your way to be an ass.

[u/PackageintheMaleBox → u/LookOutItsLiuBei]

Ha, this reminds me of a joke in Inside Job where a character is trying to convince a bunch of college students to vote Republican and he says something like: "If you want to get back at your parents don't vote against them, vote with them against their own interests."

[u/radenthefridge → u/LookOutItsLiuBei]

It took Jan 6th for my parents to finally regret voting for Trump twice.

[u/Neuchacho → u/LookOutItsLiuBei]

I've run into people complaining about this too, and it's like, have you not been paying any attention to actual GOP policy for the last 10 years? They toy with the idea constantly.

[u/ILoveRegenHealth → u/LookOutItsLiuBei]

My Dad looked me right in the eye and voted for Trump

When a Trump voter looks you in the eyes, avert your gaze like Indy did in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

[u/DaveinOakland]

SOCIALISM IS THE DEVIL

"Yo where is my social security check?"

[u/SeventhLevelSound → u/DaveinOakland]

Ayn, that you?

[u/magicmom17 → u/SeventhLevelSound]

I don't know if this is what you are referring to but for those who don't know, Ayn Rand, famous for demonizing any form of government assistance to the people, did indeed take social security when she was eligible. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ayn-rand-social-security/

[u/Merkyorz → u/magicmom17]

My favorite part of Atlas Shrugged is when the billionaires blew up the world because the peasants didn't lick their boots quite enthusiastically enough. Then they fuck off to a paradise where, for some reason, they don't need any servants to do everything for them.

[u/cbessette → u/Merkyorz]

I read it as a teenager and liked it- I saw it as alternative reality sci-fi. Then I re-read it as an adult and realized the "heros" of the book were all rich assholes that thought they were better than everyone else. I also wondered who was fixing their toilets and shining their silverware in Galt's Gulch.

[u/10000Didgeridoos → u/cbessette]

I was at a friend's place the other week and noticed there was a book sitting in the gas fireplace on top of the fake logs. "That's weird I wonder what book it is". So I picked it up and it was Atlas Shrugged. I laughed so much.

[u/Nillabeans → u/10000Didgeridoos]

I dated a guy who was a hardcore Randian. We met in an ethics class where I was quite obviously left of left. Not sure why we dated, honestly.

He wasn't amused when I pointed out that he could be an island if he wanted, but first he'd have to relinquish his fully furnished apartment, which was paid for by his mother. And also pay his own way through school. And also stop asking me for advice about his cat.

It didn't last long. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't willing to take any responsibility for his actions AND he dissed Paper Mario.

The debates were fun though.

[u/MisterMasterCylinder → u/Nillabeans]

AND he dissed Paper Mario.

I mean the Rand-humping is bad enough, but THIS?

[u/ave_empirator → u/cbessette]

"No menials in God's kingdom!" - Bioshock Infinite

[u/meep_meep_creep → u/cbessette]

I read 90% of The Fountainhead in my early 20s out of curiosity and because I heard it was quite polemic, so I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

That 90% threshold came when I realized that it was capitalist porn. I was ashamed having spent that much time reading it.

[u/SeventhLevelSound → u/Merkyorz]

My favourite part was when the bridge "literally" collapses under the weight of regulation. 🤣

Like, tell me you think your audience is a bunch of uneducated rubes with no grasp of subtlety without telling me.

[u/WizeAdz → u/SeventhLevelSound]

Like, tell me you think your audience is a bunch of uneducated rubes with no grasp of subtlety without telling me.

Republicans have been telling each other to read Atlas Shrugged this year.

The Internet is boring when we both say the same thing.

[u/QueenRotidder → u/Merkyorz]

Someone once talked me into watching the movie adaptation of this terrible book. 10+ years ago. I’m still mad I’ll never get those 2 hours of my life back.

[u/daemin → u/Merkyorz]

Except that that's not actually the plot.

The actual plot is that the corrupt government officials play politics, and use their political power to control what companies are successful or not, and corrupt businessmen bribe the government into passing legislation that props up their failing business at the expense of actual, profitable businesses, by literally passing laws requiring that other companies sell them products at defined prices, ultimately culminating in the government nationalizing all patents, making it illegal to quit your job, etc. The "heroes" of the story, such as they are, are the business people who were running successful businesses before the corrupt business people bribed the government to interfere with them, and they eventually choose to leave the society rather than tolerate the corruption, and the villains are the corrupt government officials and the business people who exploit the corrupt government to subsidize and prop up their business.

Which is why it amuses the hell out of me that so many executives and CEOs who's business only survive because of government bailouts, anti-competitive behavior, and regulatory capture say its their favorite book; they are the villains described in the book.

Now all that being said, the book is terrible garbage and its not worth reading.

[u/Zealousideal-Pace508 → u/Merkyorz]

I just read the synopsis and it reads like it was intentional heavy handed satire. Stupid libertarians.
Edit: I know it wasn't satire. I understand her background.

[u/Local_Working2037 → u/magicmom17]

Rules for thee

[u/Better-Director-5383 → u/magicmom17]

And claimed she wasn't a hypocrite because the funds were there it would be dumb not to take them.

Almost like the core founding principal of modern "libertarianism" is just shameless selfish hypocrisy

[u/travman6 → u/DaveinOakland]

Stupid senior citizens, why should we have to pay for their social security benefits?

I deserve free money!

[u/gearstars]

they cheer when gop fucksticks tell them they be cutting it, cause they always think they are the 'special' ones who will be on the winning side and happy that the gop fuckknuckles will be punishing the 'right' people

[u/extralyfe → u/[deleted]]

you can see this in real time: hundreds of thousands of Texans are without power after having this exact same issue the last couple years, but, hey, at least Texas' governor has set his sights on banning Tik-Tok.

yanno, just the squeaky wheel getting the grease.

[u/costabius]

She has a side job doing financial planning...

[u/cauldron_bubble → u/costabius]

That bit really got me. jfc

[u/GadreelsSword]

Don’t forget a lot of boomers lost their retirements in the 2008 market crash. There were people who had retired and lost their income and had to go back to work at 70 years old.

Which by the way is what republicans want to do with your social security. Hand it to a company to invest in the stock market while they figure out how to steal it from you.

[u/xredbaron62x → u/GadreelsSword]

I finally got a real job and I'm 30.5. My company offers a 401k match of 50% up to the first 6% of my contribution.

I'm so torn because I have no clue if by the time I retire I will have money or none.

I almost don't want to do it but I'd be screwed if I can eventually retire.

[u/aguynamedbry → u/xredbaron62x]

You should do it. Take the "free match" money at a minimum, this assumes you have no large interest debt.

[u/gringledoom → u/xredbaron62x]

The key is that if there’s a market crash, just ride it out. Anyone who ignores their 401k in 2008 is fine. It’s the people who panicked and sold who screwed themselves.

[u/IlIFreneticIlI → u/xredbaron62x]

Any kind of match is free money. Generally you will likely earn more in the stock-market over time, but a long time. Not this year, not next, unless you are micromanaging things.

Any kind of 'match' from your employer is free monies and usually worth the cut in your paycheck to take advantage of it.

[u/vagabond_]

Meanwhile the average millennial has already accepted they're going to die at work.

WTF is a retirement

That's like when you need new tires on your tiny car and some shithead working for a corporation charges you a thousand dollars for them right

[edit] in order to protect my mental health I'm disabling inbox replies to this comment. I want you doomer types saying things 30 times bleaker than my little dark joke to know you're a part of the problem. Get some fucking help.

[u/FuckTripleH → u/vagabond_]

My retirement plan is to find a briefcase full of money under a bridge somewhere

[u/Metahec → u/FuckTripleH]

You lazy millennials, also hoping that money and services are given to you or found for free. Back in my day, we built our retirement accounts by diligently saving week after week and by screwing over the next generation.

[u/Cosmicdusterian → u/vagabond_]

There's a lot of boomers born in the sixties and Gen-Xers that are figuring this is their future as well. Many are one hospital stay or layoff away from bankruptcy (which both parties made much more difficult over the years at the behest of their corporate sponsors).

In the old days, before I qualified for a credit card, you could deduct your credit card interest on your taxes. Not just business expenses, the entire interest. They shut that perk down in 86. Suddenly, all the credit card companies that told you to piss off couldn't wait to offer you a card at excessive interest rates. They even went to college campuses to peddle their cards and push students into credit card debt before they even got jobs.

[u/rmphilli → u/vagabond_]

My 401K is 100% going to Legos to build after I get off work at 6PM when I'm 75.

[u/[deleted] → u/vagabond_]

As a millennial my actual hope is that society collapses and I can see some crazy shit before I take myself out.

[u/ItsyaboiFatiDicus → u/[deleted]]

Ayyy fellow doomer

[u/Mrgoodtrips64 → u/vagabond_]

Meanwhile the average millennial has already accepted they're going to die at work.

That won’t be the end of work though. We’ll all be powering Sisyphean gravity batteries in Hell. Pushing boulders uphill and then harnessing the energy when they slip and crush us rolling back to the bottom.

[u/Donnicton → u/Mrgoodtrips64]

Nah, corpos will upload debtors' brains into chips and put those chips into robots so you can continue to work your debt off even after death. Also you will be charged for the price of the robot and any related maintenance.

Wake the fuck up samurai you've got debts to pay.

[u/Mrgoodtrips64 → u/Donnicton]

It’s a twofer. Brain runs the robot while the soul toils in Hell.
Ain’t no rest for the indebted.

[u/relaxguy2]

This will all be Biden’s fault somehow

[u/ProbsNotJoffrey → u/relaxguy2]

He’s leading by example by continuing to work.

[u/cauldron_bubble → u/relaxguy2]

Some will still find ways to blame Obama! It's unbelievable!

[u/Little_Noodles]

Have they tried buying less toast?

[u/Old_Distribution_235 → u/Little_Noodles]

Or brewing their own coffee at home?

[u/shponglespore → u/Old_Distribution_235]

If you skip buying a $5 latte every day for the next 24 million years, you too could afford to buy Twitter!

[u/davesy69 → u/Little_Noodles]

Growing their own avocados?

[u/ChicoBroadway → u/Little_Noodles]

Buying a chicken instead of just the eggs?

[u/Anarchist_Angel]

Well if they want to be not-poor they should just work harder, why only 12 hours when the day has 24? Lazy butts! /s

It's almost like a welfare-state is superior..

[u/WimpyLimpet → u/Anarchist_Angel]

Sounds like these old people are just lazy freeloaders, why don't they just get a job at McDonalds instead of sitting around all day doing nothing? Nobody wants to work anymore!

/s

[u/Original_Musician103 → u/WimpyLimpet]

You joke, but as a nearly Old, I fully expect that to be my future.

[u/Cowboy_Corruption → u/Original_Musician103]

Speak for yourself! I intend to start engaging in highway robbery.

/s

[u/MattGdr → u/Cowboy_Corruption]

I’m planning to get a horse and start robbing trains. Nobody expects that!!

[u/Warrlock608 → u/WimpyLimpet]

One of my dad's friends pulled the "no one wants to work anymore" line on me. I pointed out that unemployment is at historic lows and that I don't know a single person that doesn't have a job unless it is intentional (Shopping for a better position). Well naturally facts and figures didn't sway him so I went with "So there must be some really good jobs out there, why don't you go work?".

Just a bunch of grumpy old shits who spent their whole lives destroying the country and the timer is running out so they want to bitch about whatever they can.

[u/WimpyLimpet → u/Warrlock608]

They spend all their time blaming everyone else because as soon as they stop, they might start reflecting on their own flaws and that's just unacceptable.

[u/unclejoe1917 → u/WimpyLimpet]

While simultaneously, no grown adult should be working at McDonalds because it's a loser, entry level job that's only for high school kids.

[u/gandhikahn → u/unclejoe1917]

but it's also side money for poor retirees, but "not me" it's for "them"

[u/DeadmanDexter → u/WimpyLimpet]

BOOTSTRAPS

[u/IceColdWasabi]

If only there was some way a compassionate and wealthy (and some might say, Godly) society could spread the cost of healthcare across the entire society, the better to care for everyone in need without taking too much from anyone...

[u/TheAikiTessen → u/IceColdWasabi]

But then the “undesirables” of society would benefit and we can’t have that! /s in case it isn’t obvious (also, I gagged while typing this)

[u/Joelblaze → u/TheAikiTessen]

And of course, now we end up with a system where the majority of people do already get the nationwide cost of healthcare taken out of their paychecks.

​

Just by their employer who takes it (so they can't quit their jobs without putting their healthcare access in jeopardy) who then gives it to another middle man whose entire model is to take in as much money as possible while paying out as little as they can in return!

​

Freedom!

[u/SeveralPrinciple5 → u/IceColdWasabi]

We could call it "solar systemal healthcare."

[u/JoopahTroopah → u/IceColdWasabi]

Here in the UK, while we have nationalised healthcare, when people need full time care in their old age, they’re still expected to pay out of pocket until they have less than £23250 (though this is increasing to £100k in 2025).

I only mention that because yes, the state will care for you, but not before you have to liquidate your home (assuming you’re moving out of it to go into full time care) - so it’s not a panacea.

I can’t speak for other countries’ national healthcare systems though.

[u/rollydanes → u/IceColdWasabi]

But a small number of people might abuse the system, so we can’t have it!

/s

[u/Cowboy_Corruption → u/rollydanes]

And by a small number, you mean "minorities"!

​

/s

[u/Gunrock808]

Too many people are unaware of the high cost of elder care whether or be in-home or in a facility. I also found myself paying as much as $10k per month to have my mom cared for in the last year or her life. She couldn't get help from the state until she burned through all her savings, but I couldn't access her savings because she wasn't of sound mind or even physically able to sign a check let alone go into a bank, so I started the process of setting up a conservatorship but the process took so long she passed away first.

[u/gringledoom → u/Gunrock808]

Yeah, I read the bit about how they didn’t plan for $6k a month in care costs, and I’m thinking “that’s actually pretty low! They should have planned for $10k at least!”

[u/MrDywel → u/gringledoom]

If things keep going the way they’re going it will easily be 15-20k in a decade. My parents have done well for themselves and when I told them they need to start transferring assets soon because the state and private healthcare will take it all before they’re dead they kind of shrugged it off. Like that can’t happen to them and they’re healthy, for now. They’re not wealthy enough to have a team of financial advisors, lawyers on retainer, etc… but they have plenty to lose if they’re not careful. Then again this is the system they voted for so ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[u/WeCanDoThisCNJ]

GenX here. I talk to a lot of people who say their plan is to die—either being carried from their desks in a body bag or unaliving themselves—because they can never retire and the united states’ idea of how to handle the elderly is slightly more empathetic than what was depicted in the movie “Soylent Green.”

[u/ProbsNotJoffrey → u/WeCanDoThisCNJ]

After enough once in a generation calamities, this millennial has come to terms with (barring some kind of revolt against late stage capitalism) the knowledge the best he can do for retirement is find a job to work in old age that is low key and still brings in enough to pay some bills. Pretty bleak but that’s where we are in this American hellscape.

[u/Redwolfdc → u/ProbsNotJoffrey]

I remember seeing that the average person to retire at 65 now needs at least $1 million in savings. Then I remember seeing how half or more Americans are living paycheck to paycheck barely able to save. Honestly I’m concerned how sustainable any of this is.

There’s going to be a lot more of Americans in the next 20 years retiring to low cost of living countries, those who can.

[u/LeftoverIsland]

Pensions? Social security? Medicare? Those are eco-communist concepts still maintained by the Demoncrats!

[u/Showstonker5309]

I’m 31 without any plans to retire with the way things are headed. My best bet is to commit a crime in Norway and get life in one of their cushy prisons

[u/SmellTheFoxglove → u/Showstonker5309]

Shit that's genius, brb booking a cheap flight to Norway

[u/zeldanar]

If only someone made healthcare affordable and prevented you from losing your life savings from a single diagnosis. Maybe a president could propose it. Probably call it an Affordable Care Act. Hopefully the opposition wouldn’t name it after the president that proposed it as a mockery and get people to vote against their interests.

IF…ONLY…

[u/SqualorTrawler]

At some point, Americans decided, since the entrpreneurial spirit works to all of our benefit for some things (competition keeps prices down, for example), we ought to make it into a God, in which every single aspect of human relations must be vetted by the idols of profit and private property.

The real reason that this cannot be questioned; why you cannot use the term "socialism," is this is effectively invoking the name of the devil against the god of capital. It is a religious circuit in the psychologies of people who seek to perpetuate the current system, even if they themselves don't understand that.

The United States is endlessly gripped by religious fervor, but Christianity is merely a kind of cover story: our founders are saints (there is actually a ludicrous painting called The apotheosis (deification) of George Washington in the capital building).

The Constitution is a Bible.

And patriots are warriors for the pagan god they've made.

Except the pagan god has become real. The system itself punishes those who revolt against it or seek to subvert it. Where it can, it corrupts anti-establishment efforts into profitable commodities.

Everything has a price, and the only value of anything is its price.

There is no conventional means of resistance the system has not developed immunity to.

And no one has any new ideas of resistance, preferring all of the things that have been tried and failed.

[u/paultimate14 → u/SqualorTrawler]

The beauty of worshipping competition is that it eliminates the need to ever question anything further. Any tricky moral dilemmas, nuances, or judgement calls can be hand waived away. The individual has no responsibility for making any decisions: let the Free Market decide who lives and who dies.

It is surrendering to a higher power. Collectively distributing the responsibility for burning everything to the ground.

[u/Mr_Xolotls]

Well, well, well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions.

[u/SinkHoleDeMayo → u/Mr_Xolotls]

Bout damn time it comes back to haunt them like the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Looks like they'll need to start selling those houses that rapidly appreciated in value over the past couple decades. Unless, of course, they used reverse mortgages to go out and buy shiny new toys and go on vacations every year.

[u/PocketNicks]

"The median nest egg for a family headed by someone age 60 to 65, with household income of $71,000 to $126,000, was about $150,000" oh, that's not good.

[u/dengh → u/PocketNicks]

And that's counting home ownership. Really not good when someone retiring at 67 (my full SS age) in decent shape can expect to live another 15-20 years.

[u/ProbsNotJoffrey → u/dengh]

Right, seriously bad situation. The article also make a point to talk about people diligently saving for 30-40 years and that’s what they’re working with? I know we had some pretty god awful economic events in the past twenty years but that seems very low.

[u/Etrigone]

There's a fair amount going on of "we're all in this together, we should work together, and not point our fingers at that generation".

Which would be fine if the ones I find whining the loudest weren't playing incompetent minions to the ones who set this shit up, and rather than throw the economic grenade & run, they stuck around to taunt those it was going to hit. You know, like everyone but them or so they thought.

And now they're dealing with being in not even the center of the blast radius and whinging. My only real consolation is in the ones that didn't get away.

(And as I type this I got an email from a boomer neighbor, on her third vacation thus far this year, saying her proxy vote on some community area improvement projects is no because "why should I have to pay for that?")

[u/dengh → u/Etrigone]

As a boomer who'll be living with staycations for the foreseeable future I can say not all boomers are in her boat, and she's probably busy swatting hands of folks trying to get on board with her.

[u/OutInABlazeOfGlory]

The term drained pool politics refers to quite literally pools being drained. Public, city owned pools, along with other amenities. When segregation ended, white folks decided to cut funding for and shutter public spaces like that to avoid having to share them.

[u/joshhupp]

You retire on 1 job mon? Me have 14 job an me work until I die mon!

[u/Habitwriter]

Need to cut down on avocado

[u/OrangeSlimeSoda]

It's truly not a surprise that the "Me" Generation can't understand why greed and corporate profiteering is a bad thing until their retirement plans are swiped away from them.

[u/darcstar62]

As someone who is approaching what used to be considered "retirement age," I've come to the conclusion that I will likely work until the day I die and hope that I have enough set aside to carry any dependant family member to their ends as well, because I sure don't see any Golden Years in my future...

[u/LeoMarius]

Republicans keep talking about making major cuts to SS and Medicare, but the reality is that retirees are not prepared. Boomers and Gen X are counting on SS as their primary source of income, and Republicans want to pull it out from under them.

In truth, we need to increase contributions from the rich and increase benefits, not the other way around.

[u/Swimming-Airport6531]

Boomers put the generation that fought WW1/WW2 into hellish retirement homes to die. I volunteered at them as a kid and it was beyond tragic. I'll never feel bad for them. I've been waiting almost 40 years for them to experience the hell they created.

[u/radjinwolf → u/Swimming-Airport6531]

Boomers put their parents in retirement homes, then formed capital groups and investment trusts in order to buy those retirement homes, and then used their voice as investors to cut back on services, and raise prices which turned those homes into hell.

[u/Lil-Fishguy]

I'd feel bad for them... Except they actively keep voting to hurt people they don't care about and this time it happened to affect them too. I also don't care when conservative women can't get an abortion in the state they voted to make abortions illegal in.

[u/aZamaryk]

Well, at least like 5 of them don't have any complaints, cause they own everything. This is what happens when capitalism runs rampant and private banks control all the fiat and the economy. They had to add more printers to keep up with the printing needs, and then they're like: "the high wages are causing record high inflation." Man, get the fuck outta here with that nonsense.

[u/LabLife3846]

I’m a Boomer. I despise republicans. I have voted a straight blue ticket all my life.

Universal healthcare for all!

No student debt.

The rich need to pay their fair share of taxes.

Churches are businesses. Remove their tax exempt status.

Separation of church and state.

Worker’s rights.

Climate change is very real. We’re fucked.

[u/KittenKoder]

The apartment building I live in is only for permanently disabled, and elderly. Public housing, and it's quite literally the best public housing in the state of Washington, which isn't really as great as you'd expect.

To get in here you have to basically be without money and without a future, this is a line for death. There are vastly more boomers here, like nearing 90% of the residents are boomers.

Why be nice to your kids when they're young? Because this isn't the best place to end up, and you will end up here if you don't have wealthy kids to take care of you.