Revealed: the 30-year economic betrayal dragging down Generation Y’s income

[bearkat42]

Even though as a foreign born citizen to two American parents I HAD TO register for selective service as the official act that cemented my citizenship status, I did not and would not qualify for service. I even volunteered and they refused to accept me. In a time of peace even, and not only when the barbarians were crashing at the gates.

So no, I don't feel one single solitary bit badly that some went to war and I did not. I DID volunteer. Frankly, it would've given that stupid fucking punk I was some badly needed discipline.

I have nothing but sympathy for those drafted to fight, as they had no choice. If you voluntarily signed up, on the other hand, That's on you. Nearly impossible for me to believe that someone didn't know that this was a very real possibility.

 

[bearkat42]

The fuck we do

Yes you do. I will ALWAYs choose "other shit" as opposed to war.

 

[ttystikk]

I have nothing but sympathy for those drafted to fight, as they had no choice. If you voluntarily signed up, on the other hand, That's on you. Nearly impossible for me to believe that someone didn't know that this was a very real possibility.

That's why I did it. I signed up, but they wouldn't take me, bad eyesight.

 

[Fogdog]

Yea, me either.

I find this somewhat worrisome:

China no longer "Opens up to the World" as they did in previous 5 year plans.

Thirteenth Plan (2016–2020)[edit]
See also: infographic by Xinhua

Focus areas[edit]

• Innovation: Move up in the value chain by abandoning old heavy industry and building up bases of modern information-intensive infrastructure
• Balancing: Bridge the welfare gaps between countryside and cities by distributing and managing resources more efficiently
• Greening: Develop environmental technology industry, as well as ecological living and ecological culture
• Opening up: Deeper participation in supranational power structures, more international co-operation
• Sharing: Encourage people of China to share the fruits of economic growth, so to bridge the existing welfare gaps

I sure am glad we don't have to worry about those power structures. lol

China is no longer a communist nation. It is an oligarchy controlled mercantile nation. The oligarchy of the 1% in this country salivate over the kind of control that China's oligarch scions from earlier days of Communist leadership have. The 1% in the US are taking us in that direction.

I don't think we are there just yet. Another decade of the kind of income disparity shown in your graph will pretty firmly put them in the driver's seat. Maybe I'm naive in thinking the die isn't yet cast.

And who in hell is Trump? Is he a 1%er? Is he mole from the oligarchy sent to take control or a true dictator type that the oligarchs fear putting into office just as much as I do?

 

[Padawanbater2]

Yes you do.

A person born in 1950 had every opportunity America could offer them; a high standard of living, a decent minimum wage, a full time job, overtime pay, benefits, low healthcare costs, virtually free college that could be paid for with a part-time summer job

Now, after the Boomers had their party, it's Millennials' job to pick up all the trash; a low standard of living - many of us will never own homes in our lifetimes, multiple part time jobs (if we can find em), no overtime pay, no benefits, high healthcare costs, absurd college costs that ensure a lifetime of student debt..

Please explain to me how millennials have more options

 

[Fogdog]

I have nothing but sympathy for those drafted to fight, as they had no choice. If you voluntarily signed up, on the other hand, That's on you. Nearly impossible for me to believe that someone didn't know that this was a very real possibility.

Those were pretty complicated times. An 18 year old kid with certainty of being drafted might have signed up in order to avoid the front line or maybe to join the Marines and go to the front lines. By signing up before getting drafted he would have had a small say in where he ended up. Otherwise, it was go to Canada or go to jail. Parents from the WWII generation did not understand and did not support their kids if they resisted. An 18 year old man from a middle class or working class background didn't have a lot of options at the time.

The war was fought by young men but it was prosecuted by old ones. His service in Vietnam doesn't give him the right to dishonor somebody that did not. Or dishonor somebody that didn't serve in a different war. Still, his service and that of others who served ought to be recognized and honored. It is the old men who prosecute wars that I would dishonor.

 

[ttystikk]

Those were pretty complicated times. An 18 year old kid with certainty of being drafted might have signed up in order to avoid the front line or maybe to join the Marines and go to the front lines. By signing up before getting drafted he would have had a small say in where he ended up. Otherwise, it was go to Canada or go to jail. Parents from the WWII generation did not understand and did not support their kids if they resisted. An 18 year old man from a middle class or working class background didn't have a lot of options at the time.

The war was fought by young men but it was prosecuted by old ones. His service in Vietnam doesn't give him the right to dishonor somebody that did not. Or dishonor somebody that didn't serve in a different war. Still, his service and that of others who served ought to be recognized and honored. It is the old men who prosecute wars that I would dishonor.

These are the dishonorable old men President Eisenhower warned us about in his farewell speech.

 

[Fogdog]

A person born in 1950 had every opportunity America could offer them; a high standard of living, a decent minimum wage, a full time job, overtime pay, benefits, low healthcare costs, virtually free college that could be paid for with a part-time summer job

Now, after the Boomers had their party, it's Millennials' job to pick up all the trash; a low standard of living - many of us will never own homes in our lifetimes, multiple part time jobs (if we can find em), no overtime pay, no benefits, high healthcare costs, absurd college costs that ensure a lifetime of student debt..

Please explain to me how millennials have more options

It seems like a party to you with 20:20 hindsight.

A person born in 1950 came of age, dealt with Vietnam either by deferral, dodging or going to 'nam and came back into the workforce just before the recession of late 1970's-early 1980's. Official unemployment was about the same then as in 2010, peaking at 9%-10% but inflation was ridiculous -- 12% inflation at one point. As was true then, unemployment was 20%-25% for the younger workers. The number of unemployed young boomers was staggering compared to 2010. Competition for jobs, any job was fierce. So, no, it wasn't a party for young workers then any more than now.

Also, you over estimate wages. Recall your graph on wages and productivity. Wages have stagnated since the '80's. Real wages aren't any worse now than then -- they are about the same. The ones who benefited from the Boomer economy were born before the boomers. After the Boomer Economy burst, the 1% have had it all go their way.

No disagreement from me that the future looks bleak unless this country reverses the income disparity that the voters of this country allowed to grow during the record breaking good run after 1985 or so. That Boomers voted in Reagan and Bush 1 and allowed unions and worker rights to be taken away -- this is fair to fault of the boomers.

To fault boomers for having worked through all that and for many to have accumulated wealth is kind of backward. You have said that you have an optimistic view of the future, in part because boomers will be moving on and open opportunity for you. By the time you get close to retirement, I will bet that younger workers will look at you and think you had it easy. The wheel keeps turning.

 

[ThickStemz]

Do you think that makes you better than me?

I think it makes him better than you (us) in a lot of ways.

 

[Fogdog]

Like I told the other guy, why don't you cite some credible sources that corroborate your side of the story. If you think the gold standard has something to do with it, show me how

Oh gawd. A gold bug showed up. What an irrelevant comment. It sounds like you've had some dealings with this boogers for brains. Good on you that you haven't put him on ignore. I might have.

 

[Fogdog]

I think it makes him better than you (us) in a lot of ways.

An 18 year old is a confused dumbshit and can be talked into doing almost anything. The military knows this and exploits their naive desire to accomplish great things. A man who serves should be honored. But ... no, experiencing war doesn't make a person better for it. Many come back with wounds, physical and mental. Everybody that I know who came back from the experience of warfare on a battlefield would not recommend it.

 

[bu$hleaguer]

http://www.ets.org/s/research/30079/overview.html

 

[ThickStemz]

An 18 year old is a confused dumbshit and can be talked into doing almost anything. The military knows this and exploits their naive desire to accomplish great things. A man who serves should be honored. But ... no, experiencing war doesn't make a person better for it. Many come back with wounds, physical and mental. Everybody that I know who came back from the experience of warfare on a battlefield would not recommend it.

The average age of combat soldiers in ww2 was 26. Idk the exact same age of Vietnam (I think it's 22, I know the popular myth of 19 is not true) and Idk the avg age of the more modern war on terror, but the average age of fighting men is well above 18.

 

[Padawanbater2]

http://www.ets.org/s/research/30079/overview.html

"The results of this report help shed light on the growing inequality of opportunity in the U.S. and the impact this has on both skills acquisition and outcomes for both current and future generations."

 

[Fogdog]

http://www.ets.org/s/research/30079/overview.html

That report blames the kids and not the ones that raised them. Nothing useful was said in that report. It only states what is obvious. That the boomer and genx generations did not prepare the next generation properly in the basics. Again you look for fault in others and excuse yourself. This is somewhat self serving of you and typical of your generation.

That said, I stick by my observation that the young people I know are smart and hard working. I don't know what standards these testers worked under but I will say that China would love to have the same creativity expressed by the youth of this nation. I've heard and seen reports by the Chinese that bemoan the fact that their kids are good a math and testing but haven't shown aptitude to create something like Microsoft, Apple, Facebook or the myriad spin offs from them. China is doing what it does best, reverse engineering and taking cost out of what was pioneered here.

 

[doublejj]

"The results of this report help shed light on the growing inequality of opportunity in the U.S. and the impact this has on both skills acquisition and outcomes for both current and future generations."

http://www.army.mil/join/

 

[Fogdog]

The average age of combat soldiers in ww2 was 26. Idk the exact same age of Vietnam (I think it's 22, I know the popular myth of 19 is not true) and Idk the avg age of the more modern war on terror, but the average age of fighting men is well above 18.

Kids were drafted beginning at age 18 during that time. You know that each year a kid gets a year older, assuming they survive, don't you? Whoever said the average age of the military was 18? Dammit you are dumb.

 

[ThickStemz]

Kids were drafted beginning at age 18 during that time. You know that each year a kid gets a year older, assuming they survive, don't you? Whoever said the average age of the military was 18? Dammit you are dumb.

Yes 18 year olds got drafted. But so did 24 year olds. Some volunteered.

Plenty decided to burn their draft cards and weren't dealt with harshly. There has always been the conscious objection for an out.

And you can test in and work toward non combat rolls.

Not many are sent to the front line against their will.

The really shitty thing is that ww2 soldier saw about 30 days of combat per year. While the Vietnam soldier saw over 200.

 

[Fogdog]

Yes 18 year olds got drafted. But so did 24 year olds. Some volunteered.

Plenty decided to burn their draft cards and weren't dealt with harshly. There has always been the conscious objection for an out.

And you can test in and work toward non combat rolls.

Not many are sent to the front line against their will.

The really shitty thing is that ww2 soldier saw about 30 days of combat per year. While the Vietnam soldier saw over 200.

OK. I agree. Kids between the ages of 18-22 are idiots and easily talked into just about anything. So what?

 

[bearkat42]

A person born in 1950 had every opportunity America could offer them; a high standard of living, a decent minimum wage, a full time job, overtime pay, benefits, low healthcare costs, virtually free college that could be paid for with a part-time summer job

Now, after the Boomers had their party, it's Millennials' job to pick up all the trash; a low standard of living - many of us will never own homes in our lifetimes, multiple part time jobs (if we can find em), no overtime pay, no benefits, high healthcare costs, absurd college costs that ensure a lifetime of student debt..

Please explain to me how millennials have more options

I actually agree with everything that you're saying here. Maybe my response was poorly worded. By choice, I simply mean "other", not necessarily "better". I struggle to think of the situation that would have me choosing war over any other option, even unemployment.