H
HillbillyNnevada
Guest
I was talking with a co-worker about all the current problems are country is struggling with and it made me wonder which American generation has benefited the most based upon timing of the American economic swings, world events, quality of life and technological advances.
I think my grandfather's age group hit the mark just right. Born about 1938, too young to know about the Great Depression, too young to go to WWII, old enough to get a good start in the Post-War economic boom through the 50's, missed the Korean War, low housing prices, large middle class, high paying manufacturing jobs with pensions, cheap college education (didn't need it but if they wanted it), no NAFTA and illegal aliens, old enough to miss the draft to Nam in the 60's, no VD and HIV and the advent of birth control, the Middle East thought of us as an oil market--not infidels, they did have the cold war (beats a hot war), financially established enough to coast through the tough economy of the 70's, rode blue chips stocks to the top into the 80's and reaped the benefits, plenty enough time to recoup any losses after the stock market crash in the 80's before retirement, financially established and most senior employee to coast through the recession in the 80's, rode the booming economy of the late 90's ( also plenty of money to make on stock on the tech bubble) into the new millenium, sold the homestead at the peak of the housing market in 2003 or 2004 before the bubble burst, bought a condo in Phoenix or Orlando and pocketed the rest, retired, collecting their pension and Social Security (currently solvent), watching the Middle East play out on the evening news from the comfort of their living rooms, enjoying the best medical care in human history with the longest life expectancy of human history, and will die long before the rest of us pay off this economic stimulus plan.
I understand that I am speaking in general terms. I'm sure some of you guys that lived through these times remember them being much tougher than my description.
What generation do you think has had benefited the most based upon timing of birth?
I think my grandfather's age group hit the mark just right. Born about 1938, too young to know about the Great Depression, too young to go to WWII, old enough to get a good start in the Post-War economic boom through the 50's, missed the Korean War, low housing prices, large middle class, high paying manufacturing jobs with pensions, cheap college education (didn't need it but if they wanted it), no NAFTA and illegal aliens, old enough to miss the draft to Nam in the 60's, no VD and HIV and the advent of birth control, the Middle East thought of us as an oil market--not infidels, they did have the cold war (beats a hot war), financially established enough to coast through the tough economy of the 70's, rode blue chips stocks to the top into the 80's and reaped the benefits, plenty enough time to recoup any losses after the stock market crash in the 80's before retirement, financially established and most senior employee to coast through the recession in the 80's, rode the booming economy of the late 90's ( also plenty of money to make on stock on the tech bubble) into the new millenium, sold the homestead at the peak of the housing market in 2003 or 2004 before the bubble burst, bought a condo in Phoenix or Orlando and pocketed the rest, retired, collecting their pension and Social Security (currently solvent), watching the Middle East play out on the evening news from the comfort of their living rooms, enjoying the best medical care in human history with the longest life expectancy of human history, and will die long before the rest of us pay off this economic stimulus plan.
I understand that I am speaking in general terms. I'm sure some of you guys that lived through these times remember them being much tougher than my description.
What generation do you think has had benefited the most based upon timing of birth?
