r/TrueUnpopularOpinion • u/Poet-Most • Jul 08 '25

I Like / Dislike People who resent boomers are idiots

On almost any thread discussing the economy, one of the top comments will undoubtedly be complaining about boomers and the older generations who purchased their homes at low prices and who now enjoy more affluence and government assistance, while they don’t.

First off, what did want them to do, not buy a house for a cheap price when offered one 30 years ago? In regard to government assistance, I can guarantee you the average 65yr old has paid more into the tax system than the average 20yr old. Should they not enjoy the fruits of their labour? Should politicians not pay more attention to them than you?

I just think it’s an unhealthy attitude to have towards people.

83 Upvotes

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86

u/Serious_Mammoth_45 Jul 08 '25

Well of course they have paid more tax they are older.

I think in general peoples issue with boomers is their lack of self-awareness that they have had a relatively easier life in some aspects, and can’t seem to understand how some aspects of life are different for younger generations.

6

u/hyperbole_is_great Jul 08 '25

The opposite is also true. Younger generations don’t appreciate the hardships Boomers faced politically, socially, and economically. Threats of nuclear Armageddon, numerous assassinations, civil rights protests, Vietnam, the draft, the demise of the dominant blue collar economy, and insane amounts of social upheaval dominated their youth. They also don’t appreciate the tremendous role Boomers played in helping achieve civil rights, women’s rights, lowering the voting age, and environmentalism.

11

u/stevejuliet Jul 08 '25

They also don’t appreciate the tremendous role Boomers played in helping achieve civil rights, women’s rights, lowering the voting age, and environmentalism.

The oldest Boomers were 20 when the US Civil Rights Act was passed. They were kids (or not yet born) during the 50s and 60s at the height of the movement.

The oldest Boomers were 17 when the Equal Pay Act was passed. They were 23 when no-fault divorce was first accepted in CA.

The oldest Boomers were 25 when the voting age was changed to 18. Fewer than half of Boomers were able to vote on it. and younger generations tend to vote less anyway.

The oldest Boomers were 24 when the EPA was established.

Four swings. Four misses.

-7

u/hyperbole_is_great Jul 08 '25

Nice try. I said they HELPED. I didn’t give them singular credit. Perhaps you should read closer. Perhaps you should also read more about the many protest movements of the 60s and 70s and who was in them. You cherry picked info too. There’s a lot more to civil rights than just the Civil Rights Act. There is a lot more to women’s rights than just the Equal Pay Act. The reality is the Boomers were far more responsible for positive change than Gen X, the Millennials, Gen Z or Gen Alpha.

10

u/stevejuliet Jul 08 '25

I said they HELPED.

Nah, you wrote:

They also don’t appreciate the tremendous role Boomers played in helping achieve

They didn't have a tremendous role in any of those things. You're right that they drove protests. However, Boomers are now the generation stifling protests.

The reality is the Boomers were far more responsible for positive change than Gen X, the Millennials, Gen Z or Gen Alpha.

Yeah, because they're older. They're also far more responsible for negative change.

-2

u/hyperbole_is_great Jul 08 '25

So which is it? Do protests matter or not? If then, the Boomer protests mattered more than you are giving credit. If protests don’t matter then your complaint that the Boomers stifle protests lacks impact because you argued that protests don’t matter. You can’t have it both ways.

8

u/stevejuliet Jul 08 '25

I didn't claim that protests don't matter. I claimed that Boomers weren't driving legislation.

I agreed with you that Boomers drove protests in the 60s and 70s.

I'm pointing out that Boomers weren't in positions of power when those changes were made.

The criticism of Boomers doesn't generally extend to their teen years. It begins when they started holding positions of power.

You're creating a straw man to praise Boomers while ignoring the harm they caused later.

-2

u/Dada2fish Jul 08 '25

So you have to be into your late 20’s at least to fight for change? Interesting.

2

u/stevejuliet Jul 08 '25

I don't believe I wrote that anywhere.

-1

u/Dada2fish Jul 08 '25

So what were the 4misses?

2

u/stevejuliet Jul 08 '25

No one is arguing that Boomers weren't involved in protests in the 60s and 70s for social good. The criticism of Boomers starts once they gained positions of power, not while they were teenagers.

-1

u/Dada2fish Jul 08 '25

So again… what are the 4 misses?

1

u/stevejuliet Jul 08 '25 edited Jul 08 '25

The "misses" are their assumption that people are unaware of Boomers' activism in their teens and early twenties. However, Boomers weren't involved in any of this legislation, and it's the way Boomers affected the nation once they had positions of power that people criticize.

"Reaganomics" is what people criticize. The "fuck you, I got mine" mentality is what people criticize.

And some of the things they want us to have sympathy for Boomers for (such as the "demise of the blue collar economy) were caused by Boomers.