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>the recession that stretched between ww2 and Korea I really don't buy that baby boomers had a tough time. I believe that white men in that time in America had

by x220 8y ago

>the recession that stretched between ww2 and Korea I really don't buy that baby boomers had a tough time. I believe that white men in that time in America had perhaps the most prosperous economy and job opportunities in world history.

jriot 8y ago
You are looking at history through rose colored glasses.
- x220 8y ago
  Statistics show that in real terms Baby Boomers had it better than any other generation I know of. It's not just an impression. They made huge money in real terms, which is especially amazing given that most of them were not highly educated.
cbm-vic-20 8y ago
* except for the ones that were drafted, shipped out to SE Asia and sent home in a box. Or with lifelong physical or mental injuries.
- dcole2929 8y ago
  I don't see your point here. 1,789,000 is the total number of US troops serving in the Theatre during the Korean War. There were 74 million males living in the US ~50 million of which were over the age of 18. Even if every single soldier died, which didn't happen, I think we can safely say the booming economy in which these people lived worked out pretty well for the majority. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2010/001.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2010/001.pdf https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/fs_americas_wars.pdf https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/fs_americas_w...
  - encoderer 8y ago
    Yes, a globalized leviathan murder machine is good for business. But: - horrible recession between ww2 and Korean War. - young men faced the draft. A bit of a drag really. - everybody felt the horrors of war and knowing personal loss. - the jobs that you speak so fondly of had awful workplace safety, horrible pollution problems, and generally poor working conditions compared to today. Also there are a lot of things that are a lot cheaper today as a percentage of income, like food, clothing and durable goods.
    - x220 8y ago
      >everybody felt the horrors of war and knowing personal loss This is common to nearly every generation in world history. Yes, many Americans died. Yes, it was terrible. Yes, many people genuinely suffered grief. But if we look at the data honestly, you weren't that likely to die or be in combat if you were an American. They had it comparatively good. >the jobs that you speak so fondly of had awful workplace safety, horrible pollution problems, and generally poor working conditions compared to today Today the pollution is worse, and people have worse living conditions instead of working conditions. I know many people who would like to have a high paying, more dangerous job than their current dead-end job that can not support a family, much less one person who wants to live without government assistance. Many people today would gratefully make that trade.
      - encoderer 8y ago
        You lost me at “pollution is worse”. So far off the mark.

by x220 8y ago

jriot 8y ago

You are looking at history through rose colored glasses.

x220 8y ago
Statistics show that in real terms Baby Boomers had it better than any other generation I know of. It's not just an impression. They made huge money in real terms, which is especially amazing given that most of them were not highly educated.

cbm-vic-20 8y ago

* except for the ones that were drafted, shipped out to SE Asia and sent home in a box. Or with lifelong physical or mental injuries.

dcole2929 8y ago
I don't see your point here. 1,789,000 is the total number of US troops serving in the Theatre during the Korean War. There were 74 million males living in the US ~50 million of which were over the age of 18. Even if every single soldier died, which didn't happen, I think we can safely say the booming economy in which these people lived worked out pretty well for the majority. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2010/001.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2010/001.pdf https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/fs_americas_wars.pdf https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/fs_americas_w...
- encoderer 8y ago
  Yes, a globalized leviathan murder machine is good for business. But: - horrible recession between ww2 and Korean War. - young men faced the draft. A bit of a drag really. - everybody felt the horrors of war and knowing personal loss. - the jobs that you speak so fondly of had awful workplace safety, horrible pollution problems, and generally poor working conditions compared to today. Also there are a lot of things that are a lot cheaper today as a percentage of income, like food, clothing and durable goods.
  - x220 8y ago
    >everybody felt the horrors of war and knowing personal loss This is common to nearly every generation in world history. Yes, many Americans died. Yes, it was terrible. Yes, many people genuinely suffered grief. But if we look at the data honestly, you weren't that likely to die or be in combat if you were an American. They had it comparatively good. >the jobs that you speak so fondly of had awful workplace safety, horrible pollution problems, and generally poor working conditions compared to today Today the pollution is worse, and people have worse living conditions instead of working conditions. I know many people who would like to have a high paying, more dangerous job than their current dead-end job that can not support a family, much less one person who wants to live without government assistance. Many people today would gratefully make that trade.
    - encoderer 8y ago
      You lost me at “pollution is worse”. So far off the mark.