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I was born in 1938, and I think, as ER does, that being close to the cusp was the best. My various cousins born at the beginning of the Silent Generation are nothing like me or my age peers in their attitudes or their life trajectories. Life was far more difficult for them.
1945-1975 was the best time to be working age, and up until 2008 it wasn't bad. If the "silent generation" was born from 1925-1945, then I think it's pretty spot on. I know lots of people from that generation. It may have been tough when they were kids, but poverty isn't bad for kids unless it comes with the other things that often accompany it, like bad parents, crime, drugs, etc. And by the time they were working age the economy, opportunities, and living standards for normal people were ramping up like never before. Real median incomes doubled in that 30 year period. Most workers had great job security and benefits. SS payments were tiny, *far* less than their eventual benefit. It's easy to be happy when things are getting better for virtually everyone at an alarming rate, and the future looks bright.
Real median incomes doubled in that 30 year period.
and it may do the same for us too. How do you claim we have it so bad today when most of the complaints are mostly from 2008 which was just 7 years ago? Those 30 years you qouted had a lot of rough spots too.
Someone like me who got out of college in 2010 and been working since missed out on the bad jobs economy and have been steadily increasing their networth. And with no student debt either.
Maybe for you, but it's way too late for me. I don't believe it will get better for you either, unless there is a drastic change quite soon.
The rise was an average of 1.6% per year from 1864 to 1928, 3% from 1932 to 1972.
Compare this to per capita GDP which has gone up at a pretty steady 1.9% per year over this period. The main reason why the rate of increase in worker incomes is either higher or lower than the GDP trend is caused by changes in the share going to capital vs labor. In the robotics thread I describe why I don't believe that the share going to labor will ever trend up again. https://www.city-data.com/forum/econo...verything.html
Maybe for you, but it's way too late for me. I don't believe it will get better for you either, unless there is a drastic change quite soon.
The rise was an average of 1.6% per year from 1864 to 1928, 3% from 1932 to 1972.
Compare this to per capita GDP which has gone up at a pretty steady 1.9% per year over this period. The main reason why the rate of increase in worker incomes is either higher or lower than the GDP trend is caused by changes in the share going to capital vs labor. In the robotics thread I describe why I don't believe that the share going to labor will ever trend up again. https://www.city-data.com/forum/econo...verything.html
What's drastic change are you talking about? The only change is going to be that Hillary Clinton will be America's next president. And her administration is going to take TPP through, building a pound what Bush and Obama had negotiated for. The Democratic Party will continue to win, while the real left will continue to lose
my kids have exciting future
A future where there is NO retirement
A future where you spend the rest of your life paying off excessive student loans acquired earning degrees that are useless for jobs that aren't there
A future where oil and water are hoarded and gouged by the .005%
A future where government reliance is at an all time high
my kids have exciting future
A future where there is NO retirement
A future where you spend the rest of your life paying off excessive student loans acquired earning degrees that are useless for jobs that aren't there
A future where oil and water are hoarded and gouged by the .005%
A future where government reliance is at an all time high
yay
You can thank the folks that love entitlements and hate the free market for that. Plus since kids these days feel entitled it will probably hit them even harder.
This seems to be the golden era of being an average American in many aspects. Like my grandparents, born in a depression and childhood was hard, but after WW2 ended that ended quickly as well. The biggest boom in mankind followed, coupling with a generation growing up in the sweet 50's. Cars, freedom, soda fountains, etc. Move on to employment where retirement is at 55 and with a pension, that many are still collecting today. They get to spend their golden years coming off the Internet boom of the 90's, use tech to stay in touch with Grandkids, and yes there were some hard times and stress but not like today's under 40 somethings.
Full disclosure - By all means every generation had something good. Many say today's kids have it too easy, and in some ways they do, but in others they dont. $100k of student loan debt is not nice. Many people today are propped up by social services, while others partake in activities considered quite debaucherous. I'm not saying the silent generation was perfect by any means, but as far as opportunity, rapid increase in standard of living due to us winning WW2, etc, they would probably have to be considered the golden generation for the average American. For the exceptionally rich American, I would say there is no better time than now post-globalization if you have the money to travel the modern world.
In some ways I'll agree with you. I have been very lucky all of my life, I married the right lady over 50 years so far. I lived thru WWII and yes I still remember the city with only chimneys pointing to the sky like fingers and climbing over rubble on my mothers hand. I remember waiting for my father to come home from Russia, but he never did. I remember coming to this great country and sailing by the statue of liberty. I remember sitting in class not understanding one word that was said but learned to speak the language. As a young teen I worked as a janitor in an apartment building. Not being a citizen I received my drafted notice first. Enlisted in the USAF served nine years all over the world Libya, Congo, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand. Lucky that I could speak a foreign language and worked in the intelligence field for a government agency. Lucky that I could get my education almost free. Again, lucky I switched major to Computer Science and had job offer from a great company in the late sixty’s.
Yep. But millions of excuses. Can't move there. Too far from family. Blah blah. What do you think our ancestors did? They moved across the ocean to unknown parts. Hard to feel sorry for some folks. Some I can, but some I can't.
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