Goodbye Boomers

America's many social and economic ills have finally started the downward spiral of the nation. The Mesabi Range does not have the iron of decades past, The water is polluted, our food supply is dependent on chemicals and fertilizers made by fossil fuels which are drying up, and the American nationals have been dumbed down by an education system to the extent that when the twin towers fell down, most of the lumps believed the State's explanation, which was designed for a knucklehead with an IQ lower than his shoe size. But the ploy worked, so the State went on another adventure – making money. Not for You or me of course, but for themselves; and they are succeeding admirably. Congress backed down and failed to work on the behalf of their constituents, but Bernanke sure worked on the behalf of his. The FED could have fomented riots at the snap of a finger if they had so opted, which brings us to the men and women, the taxpayers, the citizens, the voters of the United States. How could we have let this happen, especially if we are in the 50 or over age group? The bromide of my youth was, "respect your elders", now I have to ask, "why"? Did they show self respect or was I supposed to give something for nothing, something they would not give themselves? Did they show constraint in their guiding the country with their votes? Did they assure their government was paying the bills as they came due? Did they make a society from which a person could be given power under the Constitution to represent them and their families, and exercise that power responsibly? Maybe we ought to look at this bulge of population as it goosesteps toward the Elysian Fields, enfolded with technology which the world has never seen.

With the Boomer Generation’s expectations as high as their predecessor’s, The Grate Generation, many of our socialist programs will fail or will be funded by the next generation through their ’voluntary’ tax contributions. Leaving something of value for the kids is a timeless institution, though not a laudatory one, but it does beat leaving the poor kids with a huge debt to pay off. That’s not natural. That’s not Natural Law. That is not American; it shows no self respect and no respect for the next generation. After all, we let bureaucrats teach them through State paid teachers, bureaucrats medicate them through State controlled programs supported by Big Pharma, bureaucrats feed and nourish them through their many State laws controlling all foods via the beloved FDA, in fine, like the cowbird who puts her egg in another bird’s nest for others to raise as their own. Now the irresponsible parents of today are demanding their cowbirds take care of them in their ‘Golden Years’.

C’mon young’uns, where is the Christian compassion you were supposedly taught in the home? Will you give through compassion or through guilt or through government force? Or will you give as you received in your formative years? Although each generation has tended to look out for their elderly as well as raise their own young, they have never been put into paying for past parental and national profligacy on this scale. If individual families could work this out on the family level, very few would fall through the cracks - however, after a long tradition of State meddling and socialism, it’s a sure thing that all Americans will end up broke and falling through the cracks, in the same pluralistic hole as it were. Fortunately, the oldsters will have less time to enjoy this mess, they spent their entire lives ’worried’ about their international neighbors, demanding ‘security’ from their State, passing legislation to force the greater society to pay for the irresponsibility of the few, bullying and destroying the world to spread democracy (since WWII, both the Boomers and the Graters are guilty of this one), all while quietly acquiescing to the transfer of power and responsibility from the citizen to the State.

Other notable achievements of the Boomers, they petitioned against the Vietnam War, burned their bras during the women’s rebellion of the 70’s, and rebelled against waste, fraud, and corruption of all sorts. Then they went off to University, many at taxpayer expense (student grants and student loans you understand), went to work for a government agency or a related corporation for 25 years at taxpayer expense and then retired in the South where it is warm, to build their dream castle, a modest little place of 6200 square feet costing slightly more than $400,000 (they always add with Pride and a condescending smile of Imperialism). Kinda like the return of the carpetbaggers.

Oh, the Power of Pride! Almost as strong as the Power of Debt! See, they are counting on the famous government bloated retirement fund (funded by you know who) as well as their bloated Social Security to pay the house off - well, actually you are paying it off with your tax ‘contributions’. Happily, their whole working life (they like to call it a career, it has more panache) they were paid from your pocket…er…the federal coffers, and when they retired, their empty chair produced no more. But fear not. The bureaucracy, ever mindful of the loss of power and suffering from the empty nest syndrome, will find a warm body to fill the chair with yet another parasite to ‘eat out the citizen’s sustenance’ as the Declaration of Independence so clearly states. Thankfully, the filled chair does help keep unemployment low so investors feel friskier. And of the retirees now living happily in a gated retirement community where they don’t have to see the ‘unwashed masses’ who have made their life possible; they can join AARP and petition their congressperson to pass more laws giving them security against people who march against wars, burn their underwear, rebel against waste, fraud, and corruption, and generally proclaim everyone else to be terrorists. Consequently, the country will become a land full of filled ’containment areas’ and retirement communities.

And the remaining subservient few paying for them all. Can you say Moo?

So for the generations that follow, be happy. Daddy and Mommy Dearest know that idle hands are the devils workshop. To make sure you don’t get bored as they while away their time and your money at ‘Born Again Acres’ they have left you a few ‘honey do’ projects, if you will.

Even though they left you at the mercy of foreign governments for all production and energy sources, at least learn to rub two sticks together to keep warm.

Be sure they have a late model SUV to drive - it’ll remind them of the good ‘ole days. Oh, throw in a cell phone that takes pictures, so they can continue to babble as they drive down the road, I mean, this IS America after all. And buy them one of those cute sweatshirts that proclaims proudly, “We’re spending our kids’ Inheritance”.

Show them you care by seeing them even if the 12 hour drive is over moldering and broken interstates, yes, even if gas is $6 per gallon. And no pouting, or they will turn you over to the Thought Police - remember, they are used to others caring for you so be on your best behavior.

Sure there is something you can do to make your life more tenable in the meantime, while you are waiting to die. You can play games like your parents did while you were growing up. Pretend to be Alan Greenspan and raise inflation rates for example. Then raise your salary. Soon you will be making a million dollars per year, a week’s worth of food will cost $900. You will be able to pay off your share of the national debt with one year’s pay. Of course those on a fixed income will lose weight, but hey…