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Scathing editorial brands Boomers ‘greediest generation’ in history

Nov 17, 2018

An editorial published in the Sydney Morning Herald has defended Millennials, while blaming Baby Boomers for many of their problems. Source: Getty

It seems like there’s a constant debate raging over whether Baby Boomers or younger generations have it hardest, but a new editorial published in the Sydney Morning Herald by Demographer Kim Johnstone has defended Millennials and delivered a brutal blow to those born been 1946 and 1964.

In the piece titled “Boomers, your privileged, tax-deducted time is up: Millennials have arrived”, Johnstone claimed Baby Boomers have had a good run but their time is nearly up.

Describing the older generation as “the luckiest generation in history”, the piece said Boomers didn’t know global catastrophes and instead, enjoyed the perks of sewered homes, free medical care and education. It said the Boomer generation had called the shot for decades but things are changing because Millennials are growing by 30,000 a year.

Johnstone said it was the younger generation cared about the environment, the rising cost of housing, employment, as well as disagreeing with current refugee policies, while adding it’s Millennials who are the ones struggling to pay rent. She also said Millennials are better educated than previous generations but find it difficult to gain employment.

“As we approach our next round of elections, Australian politicians had best take note. Millennials are now numerically dominant,” Johnstone wrote. “They are about to take charge and many are not happy. They see a deck stacked against them by the greediest generation in Australian history: self-satisfied with its wealth, loath to pay its taxes, happy to saddle the youngsters with eye-watering public debt and indifferent to its legacy of environmental degradation.”

It’s not the first time Baby Boomers have been attacked in recent times. Earlier this month, British TV presenter Jeremy Vine caused debate when he shared a video online, claiming Boomers “had it easy” compared to the youth of today.

“Baby Boomers born after world war two but before Bob Dylan released ‘It Ain’t Me Babe’ in 1964 so they’re the ones who avoided all the wars, they’re the ones who broke the economy they’re the ones who broke the planet on the way up,” he vented.

⚡️ “Are baby boomers the real snowflakes?”https://t.co/wO5QLRdJWm

— Jeremy Vine On 5 (@JeremyVineOn5) October 31, 2018

“They took the houses the holidays the free education and now they blame the youngsters because all they’re left with doing is taking photos of each other and swiping left and right.

“So, the Baby Boomers are the snowflakes, get off these youngsters 20-somethings’ backs and stop blaming them.”

Meanwhile, another UK Boomer was forced to defend his generation after UK publication the Eastern Daily Press ran a piece that branded older members of society as selfish” and “entitled”.

That cruel takedown, written by journalist Rachel Moore, said Boomers were rude on the roads and in supermarkets and said they’ve had everything handed to them on a plate. She said she didn’t understand why Boomers were always in a rush at the supermarket when they didn’t have jobs to go to and took offence to them using their free seniors bus pass before declaring they were spoiling things for everyone.

Boomer Harriet Cockell dismissed the claims, noting the older people she knows are extremely caring, and spend their time looking after small children, driving hospital car services or filling in the gaps left empty by the rest of the society.