5 ms·

And despite all that, the boomers go vote and their children do not.

cookiecaper 10y ago
Parents want nothing more than a bright and stable future for their posterity. They vote in accordance with policy that they believe will achieve those ends.
- mark_edward 10y ago
  Parents would like to think that they do so, this article defies that.
- badsock 10y ago
  Boomers in the US have largely adopted ideologies that promise prosperity for all but, by shear coincidence, /also/ benefit them directly. Trouble is, the prosperity stuff is all theoretical (cutting social programs to lower taxes = eventually a better economy, trust me), but all the benefits to the boomers were concrete (shifting tax breaks and program funding towards things that help older people and away from those that help younger people). Shockingly, after 40 years of these policies, the prosperity for everyone never showed up, but the boomers somehow managed to enrich themselves above all others, despite not (by objective measures) working harder or being more skilled than the generations that came after. I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm sure a better future was one of the things that they genuinely wanted. I'm saying that boomers (in aggregate) are self-delusional about their greed. Judge people by their actions, not their intentions.
- Jtsummers 10y ago
  In a strictly rational world, yes. But many people vote without thinking about what improves things for the future, but what makes things better for them now. Or they vote on emotional or moral grounds without considering the actual economic and societal costs.
  - cookiecaper 10y ago
    Parents have dedicated their lives to providing a good future for their children. They absolutely are thinking about the impact this will have on the younger generations, because tarnishing those generations, at least those expected within 100 years of the voter's death, tarnishes themselves and everything they've worked for -- namely, providing a good future for their posterity. Parent-and-child identity are not separated. The success of the child is the success of the parent, within basic parameters. It's very naive to assume that an overriding self-interest prevents a parent from tending to their child's needs. You may disagree with your elders on a subject, which is fine, but it's unfair to characterize them as selfish or unthinking just because you disagree with their perspective on what will benefit their children. (Children frequently do disagree with their parents, and are usually proven wrong.)
    - Jtsummers 10y ago
      > It's very naive to assume that an overriding self-interest prevents a parent from tending to their child's needs. Where is this sentiment in my post? I'm saying, people aren't rational. They don't think in a deliberate, utopian fashion like your first paragraph suggests in all their thinking. We, as a species, tend to be shortsighted. And parents aren't that much better just by being parents. They still vote based on emotional and moral perspectives that end up hurting their children and future generations, though that's not their intent. Consider NC and their "bathroom bill" crap that has hurt the state's economy. Or preventing municipal broadband. Or cutting teacher pay and benefits and forcing teachers to quit or leave the state to make a decent living. Maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time, but they've fucked over every K-12 student and many others.

Parents want nothing more than a bright and stable future for their posterity. They vote in accordance with policy that they believe will achieve those ends.

mark_edward 10y ago
Parents would like to think that they do so, this article defies that.
badsock 10y ago
Boomers in the US have largely adopted ideologies that promise prosperity for all but, by shear coincidence, /also/ benefit them directly. Trouble is, the prosperity stuff is all theoretical (cutting social programs to lower taxes = eventually a better economy, trust me), but all the benefits to the boomers were concrete (shifting tax breaks and program funding towards things that help older people and away from those that help younger people). Shockingly, after 40 years of these policies, the prosperity for everyone never showed up, but the boomers somehow managed to enrich themselves above all others, despite not (by objective measures) working harder or being more skilled than the generations that came after. I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm sure a better future was one of the things that they genuinely wanted. I'm saying that boomers (in aggregate) are self-delusional about their greed. Judge people by their actions, not their intentions.
Jtsummers 10y ago
In a strictly rational world, yes. But many people vote without thinking about what improves things for the future, but what makes things better for them now. Or they vote on emotional or moral grounds without considering the actual economic and societal costs.
- cookiecaper 10y ago
  Parents have dedicated their lives to providing a good future for their children. They absolutely are thinking about the impact this will have on the younger generations, because tarnishing those generations, at least those expected within 100 years of the voter's death, tarnishes themselves and everything they've worked for -- namely, providing a good future for their posterity. Parent-and-child identity are not separated. The success of the child is the success of the parent, within basic parameters. It's very naive to assume that an overriding self-interest prevents a parent from tending to their child's needs. You may disagree with your elders on a subject, which is fine, but it's unfair to characterize them as selfish or unthinking just because you disagree with their perspective on what will benefit their children. (Children frequently do disagree with their parents, and are usually proven wrong.)
  - Jtsummers 10y ago
    > It's very naive to assume that an overriding self-interest prevents a parent from tending to their child's needs. Where is this sentiment in my post? I'm saying, people aren't rational. They don't think in a deliberate, utopian fashion like your first paragraph suggests in all their thinking. We, as a species, tend to be shortsighted. And parents aren't that much better just by being parents. They still vote based on emotional and moral perspectives that end up hurting their children and future generations, though that's not their intent. Consider NC and their "bathroom bill" crap that has hurt the state's economy. Or preventing municipal broadband. Or cutting teacher pay and benefits and forcing teachers to quit or leave the state to make a decent living. Maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time, but they've fucked over every K-12 student and many others.