Admittedly Grumpy Old Man may have been playing to the interviewer (though not playing much sport obvs). And I guess it is normal for boomers to be a little disappointed in a whole generation, especially when they are preparing to rent those kids their negatively geared investment properties for an obscene rate, screwing them out of the housing market, and setting them up for an employment future of subcontracting, job insecurity and casual labour. Kids of today, hey?
It's nothing new. Plato also had a great big whinge about the 'kids of today'.
To the people who complain that kids are lazy and don't play enough sport, I would suggest they head down to the aquatic centre at about 6.30 in the morning and watch these swim squad kids churn a hundred or so laps before putting on their uniforms and going to school. Or go to the Saturday footy matches. Mindless condemnation of a whole generation just shits me and, in this case it is quite untrue, and mean.
I think we have an amazing generation of children and young adults. They shake their heads at all our 'adult' public hand wringing about such no-brainers as marriage equality, climate change, environmentalism, feminism and social justice. I'll bet a lot of them want us to get out of their way! No wonder the boomers are scared.
I am usually surprised and delighted with how the last 2 generations since mine have turned out. I was afraid they would all be like us boomers - especially since we turned into the ones with money, having sold-off their inheritance before they were born.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you're not scared Tom x
DeleteI was talking to someone about this the other day. From my superficial reading of history, it looks like Thatcher & Reagan (chiefly) pulled the ladders up in the UK & US, and Blaire & Clinton decided that left-leaning parties had no business lowering them again.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't as clear where the finger should be pointed in Australia. I suggested it started with Keating as treasurer, but that didn't go over well. Any thoughts?
Mum and Dad investors seems to be the budget buzz word. Not Mum and Dads who cannot afford a house. Sometimes it feels like a stitch-up ... but I think you're right. It all started around that era.
ReplyDeleteI guess, as well as complaining about others doing it, I've also just slagged off a whole other generation. But at least it's punching up, not down.