Wow, what rubbish. I wonder if this switched-on, war-stopping, environmental saviour knows that the government decided to diminish and then end Australia's involvement in the Vietnam war long before the fabled boomers got their act together. The moratoriums took place when troops were already leaving. Any decisions on this front had everything to do with what the US was up to and almost nothing to do with the boomers.

Wake up Ms Kanck. The X-ers were out protesting Iraq before the shooting started not nine years after. Took you a while to cotton on to Vietnam Huh? Funny, I hear it was in the news a fair bit. Or maybe you did, maybe were out there with Save Our Sons but based on this article I'm not sure you could have mustered the dignity.

I recall some pretty decent demonstrations against nukes too. My friends and I went to many of them. All of us were born in '65 or after. Were you there too? Perhaps you boomers didn't bother to notice us - can't be looking about when you're preening yourself I guess.

Now, who are running the companies that destroy the environment which you once saved? Oh yeah, they'd be your peers madam, not mine.

I have a job, a few friends, take in a fair bit of news and you know, I haven't heard anyone suggest they don't want to pay taxes to support aging parents. Who are you hanging about with? Would that be with your fellow grey hairs doing such wonders on our boards and committees? Isn't all that middle class welfare enough, parliamentary pension in your case. Not enough? Lucky you're so selfless.

Oh and the Gen X bysanders, These would be the both adults working, a couple of kids, heavy child-care costs, educations to pay for one day (we hope), oh, and likely working to build your retirement pad, to process the govt. payments you get, to manage the funds you invest - all ethical, I'm sure.

I'm not sure where Ms Kanck is coming from, but a true boomer she surely is.

Well, it looks like we've finally found something that everyone on OLO can agree on! EVERYONE hates the Baby Boomers! lol

What a hoot!

Where do I start?
Five years of free university study.
Plenty of unspoilt beaches for surfing, partying and sleeping.
A family home, a block of units and a beach house – all paid for before I was 40.
A shipping container full of super money.
A car for everyone in the family.
Kids’ uni paid for.
A sea change and asset sell off in 2007.
Life just keeps on getting better.
As that famous Boomer Bill Gates said
“Life is not fair -- get used to it!”

The baby boomers were the children of people who had been through a depression, and a world war. They had missed out on many things and wanted better for their children, untold millions had died in the war ans there was encouragement to breed. Prosperity as it came in the 50s and 60s was accompanied by many children, they were adored by their parents who finally had hope for a better future.

So rather than hate the baby boomers, you should be directing your hate at their parents Clownfish, they set this in motion and created the world the baby boomers came into, happily and enthusiastically.

Of course it's always easier to whine that you had a tough time and everyone else did not .. human nature.

Me, I know my parents had a tough time (have you had parenst who lived through the depression, their stories are no fun), they wanted better for us, who were we to disappoint people who had suffered and sacrificed so much?

Should we all wear hairshirts now, because downstream generations feel they didn't get as good a time of it. You do the best you can with what you have, if you live your life complaining and miserable, you end up a complaining miserable person.

As the conservative who is now clearly a "progressive" once famously said "life wasn't mean to be easy" Mal Fraser, who used to be a hard man.

If it makes you feel better to hate this or that generation, fine. At least you've been able to live in a country where you have a right to do that voluntarily. That's probably the only voluntary thing some folks do here these days, whining as an art form.

Then again, we can't blame mum and dad for everything,

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/9435/

http://www.moneyweek.com/news-and-charts/economics/economics-blaming-the-baby-boomers-50318.aspx

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/business/economy/20older.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper

Strange article.
In some ways the tone reminds me of my mother who, in between renovating houses and taking off for exotic holidays, loves to tell me I'm wasting my money by investing in my struggling business and working like a dog.
Unfortunately Sandra, our generation married late. The free love and birth control 'revolution' had wreaked its way through my social circle, and I didn't find true love until I was 32. Now I have three kids. When we finally do marry, we immediately get down to pumping out the bubs - that's 'family planning' for ya.
So I'm too busy to help on your crappy, government-sponsored little 'volunteering' gigs. Sorry,.
I do contribute though. As a small business person, I pay a he** of a lot of tax, and I do an awful lot of work for free, to pay those tax bills.
In fact, I work EVERY SINGLE DAY and have done for SEVEN years!
I'm mad as he** Sandra, and your 'me-me-me' attitude says a lot about the culture surrounding your much-cherished generation.
Thanks for a downer of an article. I feel even more depressed about having to pay for my mother's - and your - future health needs now.