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It's this bad. The problem is Boomers. Boomers mostly worked one job between two people, and had the silent generation to take care of their kids so they had a

It's this bad. The problem is Boomers. Boomers mostly worked one job between two people, and had the silent generation to take care of their kids so they had a lot of time for masterbatory lawn care/putting trashcans away the second the trash truck pulls away/nonsense. Now they are retired and have even more time, but also authority over people far busier than they ever have been.

jack_riminton 2y ago
This is one of my favourite HN comments, it’s so true. Here in the UK the boomers were able to work one job, get a house on an easy mortgage and now they’re old and have nothing to do they campaign against any development that might slightly inconvenience them or reduce their house price (spoiler, most developments wouldn’t)
- timthorn 2y ago
  They'll have had mortgages at 10% or higher, and tied to endowment policies that were often missold. Mortgages weren't easy for boomers, even if house prices were lower.
  - jack_riminton 2y ago
    That is laughably incorrect. Mortgages were far easier to afford for boomers (typically 4 times income, whereas now they're more likely to be 9 or even 10 times income) https://www.financialreporter.co.uk/income-to-house-price-ratio-more-than-doubles-since-the-70s.html https://www.financialreporter.co.uk/income-to-house-price-ra...
    - gnfargbl 2y ago
      OK, but you've missed the point about relative interest rates on those mortgages. You can't reasonably comment on affordability without taking that into account. As a child in the 1980s with two working "boomer" parents and a modest house in a low COL area, we had no money at all due mostly to mortgage interest rates. The very real problems with affordability of housing in the UK have a number of causes but the key issue is supply. Successive governments have simply failed to build sufficient housing to meet demand. NIMBYism alone can't explain this lack of investment.
      - jack_riminton 2y ago
        And how do you think NIMBY’s have influenced government policy? Perhaps by not voting for anyone who might allow houses to be built near them
        gnfargbl 2y ago
        I think the younger generations (me and you both included) have failed to effectively direct British political discourse towards the issues that actually matter to us. Instead, we allow lazy cliches ("blame boomers", "blame Europe", "blame immigrants") to dominate the conversation. We need to stop doing that.
        chownie 2y ago
        "blame Europe" and "blame immigrants" have had their claws in the UK electorate for longer than the younger generations have existed. "Blame boomers" has existed for perhaps a decade if we're being generous.
      - Jochim 2y ago
        Interest rates get brought up every time this topic is discussed and the math remains the same. Even accounting for the difference in interest rates, people are much worse off today than they were in the 80s.
        timthorn 2y ago
        Far more repossessions took place in the 80s and 90s. Times were/are different, but it wasn't easy back then either.
        gnfargbl 2y ago
        I didn't believe your statement, so I looked up some numbers. 1989: - Interest rate: 14.5%. - Average house price: £58k. - Monthly repayment: £650 (90% LTV, 25 year term). - Average pre-tax income: £10k. 2024: - Interest rate: 5.25%. - Average house price: £282k. - Monthly repayment: £1500 (90% LTV, 25 year term). - Average pre-tax income: £35k. So in 1989, an average mortgage was about 80% of an average gross income. In 2024, an average mortgage is about 50% of an average gross income. I specifically chose 1989 because it was a year of high interest rates, but you can repeat the calculation for other years if you wish. I don't think the results will support your assertion.
Lio 2y ago
Please stop with the cheap ageism. Whatever generation[1] you're in will be doing something out of your control that the next generation will look down on too. 1. ...and no, I'm not a Baby Boomer either.
piyushpr134 2y ago
you would be surprised to note as to how universally true this comment of yours is. Reporting from India. Here, these folks fight these elections as if there is a billion dollars at the end and then do moral policing ALL day long. Level of turf fights, and self importance behaviour on display at these RWAs (we call them resident welfare association and believe me there is anything there apart from welfare!) is just mind boggling. It is always boomers who win these elections and are president, secretary and treasurer of these RWAs
UweSchmidt 2y ago
Either address the fundamental economic issues and how to solve them in a pragmatic fashion ... or pour oil in the fire of the great culture war, here in the secondary frontline of young vs. old, and accomplish nothing.

jack_riminton 2y ago

This is one of my favourite HN comments, it’s so true. Here in the UK the boomers were able to work one job, get a house on an easy mortgage and now they’re old and have nothing to do they campaign against any development that might slightly inconvenience them or reduce their house price (spoiler, most developments wouldn’t)

timthorn 2y ago
They'll have had mortgages at 10% or higher, and tied to endowment policies that were often missold. Mortgages weren't easy for boomers, even if house prices were lower.
- jack_riminton 2y ago
  That is laughably incorrect. Mortgages were far easier to afford for boomers (typically 4 times income, whereas now they're more likely to be 9 or even 10 times income) https://www.financialreporter.co.uk/income-to-house-price-ratio-more-than-doubles-since-the-70s.html https://www.financialreporter.co.uk/income-to-house-price-ra...
  - gnfargbl 2y ago
    OK, but you've missed the point about relative interest rates on those mortgages. You can't reasonably comment on affordability without taking that into account. As a child in the 1980s with two working "boomer" parents and a modest house in a low COL area, we had no money at all due mostly to mortgage interest rates. The very real problems with affordability of housing in the UK have a number of causes but the key issue is supply. Successive governments have simply failed to build sufficient housing to meet demand. NIMBYism alone can't explain this lack of investment.
    - jack_riminton 2y ago
      And how do you think NIMBY’s have influenced government policy? Perhaps by not voting for anyone who might allow houses to be built near them
      - gnfargbl 2y ago
        I think the younger generations (me and you both included) have failed to effectively direct British political discourse towards the issues that actually matter to us. Instead, we allow lazy cliches ("blame boomers", "blame Europe", "blame immigrants") to dominate the conversation. We need to stop doing that.
        chownie 2y ago
        "blame Europe" and "blame immigrants" have had their claws in the UK electorate for longer than the younger generations have existed. "Blame boomers" has existed for perhaps a decade if we're being generous.
    - Jochim 2y ago
      Interest rates get brought up every time this topic is discussed and the math remains the same. Even accounting for the difference in interest rates, people are much worse off today than they were in the 80s.
      - timthorn 2y ago
        Far more repossessions took place in the 80s and 90s. Times were/are different, but it wasn't easy back then either.
      - gnfargbl 2y ago
        I didn't believe your statement, so I looked up some numbers. 1989: - Interest rate: 14.5%. - Average house price: £58k. - Monthly repayment: £650 (90% LTV, 25 year term). - Average pre-tax income: £10k. 2024: - Interest rate: 5.25%. - Average house price: £282k. - Monthly repayment: £1500 (90% LTV, 25 year term). - Average pre-tax income: £35k. So in 1989, an average mortgage was about 80% of an average gross income. In 2024, an average mortgage is about 50% of an average gross income. I specifically chose 1989 because it was a year of high interest rates, but you can repeat the calculation for other years if you wish. I don't think the results will support your assertion.

Lio 2y ago

Please stop with the cheap ageism. Whatever generation[1] you're in will be doing something out of your control that the next generation will look down on too. 1. ...and no, I'm not a Baby Boomer either.

piyushpr134 2y ago

you would be surprised to note as to how universally true this comment of yours is. Reporting from India. Here, these folks fight these elections as if there is a billion dollars at the end and then do moral policing ALL day long. Level of turf fights, and self importance behaviour on display at these RWAs (we call them resident welfare association and believe me there is anything there apart from welfare!) is just mind boggling. It is always boomers who win these elections and are president, secretary and treasurer of these RWAs

UweSchmidt 2y ago

Either address the fundamental economic issues and how to solve them in a pragmatic fashion ... or pour oil in the fire of the great culture war, here in the secondary frontline of young vs. old, and accomplish nothing.