Next week the Boomers go bust...

[MichaelW]

Hi Guys,

This article really resonated with me:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/...boomers-go-bust/2008/10/29/1224956133877.html

I particularly liked this section:

There's another aspect of Obama's personality that adds to the sense older people have that he is ill-defined and aloof. He is a "transit lounger" - a phrase coined in 1997 by the writer Pico Iyer to describe a globalised generation. "We pass through countries as through revolving doors, resident aliens of the world, impermanent residents of nowhere. Nothing is strange to us, and nowhere is foreign. We are visitors even in our own homes …

"We become professional observers, able to see the merits and deficiencies of anywhere, to balance our parents' viewpoints with their enemies' position … Fervor comes to seem to us the most foreign place of all." It reinforces Obama's generational identity. If it is not place that defines you, it is time.

Hubris has always been the best descriptive for Boomers. It manifests itself in their denial of aging, in concepts like SKIs (Spending the Kids Inheritance), and in their rampant consumption of fossil fuels and the damage it has done to the environment. They coined the phrase "Greed is Good" in the 80's and have lived that way their entire lives with the culmination being the recent global destruction of our financial system.

I actually believe this time that we might be about to see the handing over of the baton to the GenXers, and about time. We are citizens of the world, with multilateralism being at the front of our international political agenda. We support initiatives such as Kyoto and understand the concept of intergenerational responsibility. We are the antithesis of the Dubya's of the world. The Boomers that think might is right, and that US-centric rampant capitalism is the only doctrine.

At least Clinton, despite being a Boomer himself, got it right recently when he said: "The world has always been more impressed by the power of our example than the example of our power". Unfortunately, that hasn't been the US doctrine of late. Bush has preferred hard diplomacy over soft and has erred to the side of nationalism over multilateralism and international engagement.

A lot more hangs on the current US election than most realise. And I, personally, am keenly hoping that Obama wins and wins resoundingly, and that this heralds a new era in internationalism and global community. The risk is that the current economic turmoil is fertile ground for a return to nationalism and flag waving globally. In history, this is what spawned Nazism and resulted in some of the most violent conflicts in history. Time will tell whether optimism beats pessimism, whether hope replaces fear, and whether community prevails over fundamentalism.

Time will tell, but personally I still have hope in my heart...

Cheers,
Michael

 

[sash]

For our financial sakes lets hope that Obama wins!

It will be very dire if the McCain/Pallin wins! The Republicans are backed by some very right wing Christian fundamentalists...their views are similar to some Islamists!

The world is ready for a change....GO Obama!

Cheers
Sash

Hi Guys,

At A lot more hangs on the current US election than most realise. And I, personally, am keenly hoping that Obama wins and wins resoundingly, and that this heralds a new era in internationalism and global community. The risk is that the current economic turmoil is fertile ground for a return to nationalism and flag waving globally. In history, this is what spawned Nazism and resulted in some of the most violent conflicts in history. Time will tell whether optimism beats pessimism, whether hope replaces fear, and whether community prevails over fundamentalism.

Michael

 

[Ausprop]

For our financial sakes lets hope that Obama wins!

It will be very dire if the McCain/Pallin wins! The Republicans are backed by some very right wing Christian fundamentalists...their views are similar to some Islamists!

The world is ready for a change....GO Obama!

Cheers
Sash

I read a review that looked at how Australia would fare with each president and it concluded that it would be more favourable for McCain to get in. Can't recall the specifics, it was looking at the lobby groups, trade agreements etc

 

[boomtown]

You gotta figure not invading random countries would be helpful for Australia.

 

[BayView]

I read a review that looked at how Australia would fare with each president and it concluded that it would be more favourable for McCain to get in. Can't recall the specifics, it was looking at the lobby groups, trade agreements etc

While it might be more advantageous for us, this is a selfish view (no offense to you Aus; I know you didn't write it).

What is needed is what's best for their country and the rest of the world as a whole.

I still have lots of faith in Obama to bring a new mindset to the table, a better culture of negotiation and understanding, of longer term policies for the betterment of all; not just a few shorter term moves to favour a select few, which will filter down to all levels of the workings of their country - such as out trade agreements etc.

Obama is more a win-win type of guy.

The Reps are more your "We want to win it all just for us, and if you don't play it our way there's the highway" type of Club.

 

[plusnq]

You gotta figure not invading random countries would be helpful for Australia.

Hey. We're just doing it alphabetically

Afganistan, Bougainville, East Timor, Iraq..........

If I was Jordan or Jamaica I'd be a bit nervous

 

[BV]

You gotta figure not invading random countries would be helpful for Australia.

Is it too late to invade Iran???

 

[mystery]

I read a review that looked at how Australia would fare with each president and it concluded that it would be more favourable for McCain to get in. Can't recall the specifics, it was looking at the lobby groups, trade agreements etc

Ausprop, .... I think I read in the Weekend Australian that McCain was for free trade, but Obama wasn't, ..... something like that, so as you say, .... McCain would be better for Australia. I've thrown the paper out, so I can't give more accurate info.

Martin

 

[grossreal]

hi all
I hope they don't get a mr rudd of this world.
some one that smiles well speaks a language well for another power
spends like a punch drunk and does very little.
the americans need a very firm hand
like to me a spoilt brat.
a good clip around the ear and back to reality.
for me they have not got that leader.
its not for us
it for them
we have our smiling, chinese peaking, spend as much as possible and promise the world guy would like to export him but we can't
I just hope for their sake they get the same.
and it looks to me that osama or sorry obama is in the same mold.
and that would be a worry
mr rudd is comming of a positive side of the ledger and he will send us down the tube if he carrys along the trouble for the us is they are already along way ahead of us down that tube
so they don't much help to hit the bottom.
he could change and show some back bone but for me I see alot of bubble and froth and happy smiles that look good.
but we see that each time I see mr rudd and I know that nothing will come out of it.
the great meet the peoples debate was a prime example and the american if they got the same they will sink.
they are one a huge problem at the moment they are at a cross roads in history where they have converging markets with huge growth in china, india and asia and they are no longer the big guys in the play ground.
and they need to have a guy that can stand up to the plate as they say.
or they will drop the ball and not be in the game.
is he the guy
for me no
but there is not alot of other choices due to their system of election
you got a choice bad or badder( if thats a word)I focus on asia and europe so america has not been a major issue to me
it is to them.
so I hope them well

 

[Pushka]

Hi Guys,

Hubris has always been the best descriptive for Boomers. It manifests itself in their denial of aging, in concepts like SKIs (Spending the Kids Inheritance), and in their rampant consumption of fossil fuels and the damage it has done to the environment. They coined the phrase "Greed is Good" in the 80's and have lived that way their entire lives with the culmination being the recent global destruction of our financial system.

I actually believe this time that we might be about to see the handing over of the baton to the GenXers, and about time.

Do you really think it was the boomers who caused the sub prime? As far as skiing goes, I find it really hard to believe that boomers money should even be considered as belonging to their children. Sheesh, my parents gave me no inheritance at all; I never expected anything. Anything I have achieved has been through my own efforts, and my parents gave me a good education, fed and clothed me.

Actually, I think it is a Typical Gen X demand that boomers should not only have educated them, fed them and clothed them, and now we are supposed to leave them with all our money! Sheesh, now THAT is selfish. And giving a brand new definition to the word greedy!

And yes, Obama might not have all the skills needed to be President; but the US is sadly in need of a new Vision, so as long he surrounds himself with talented people I am looking forward to his inauguration.

A friend of ours, who lives in the US has a 12 year old daughter, who won a literary award and the prize was a seat at the inauguration! The daughter is blithely unaware of this huge honour, but we adults are gobsmacked of what she will experience!

 

[sue78]

Pushka, that's awesome!

Bill Clinton shook my hands and we got photos with him at Union Station Christmas Eve 2000. He was doing last min shopping with Chelsea. It was the only place open. I was walking into a store and I think (FBI? security guard?) stopped me and said you can't go in there and I asked why? coz the president is in there.

I was gutted that I also lost my camera that day. I don't remember what happened...maybe the FBI took it.

With K Rudd, I find it hard to hate him. He may not be doing a great job as our prime minister but as a person he's pretty cool. He's game for a laugh, appearing on Rove and that question time in front of an audience of ordinary aussies where I thought he spoke really well and he was funny on Hamish & Andy show. Did anyone hear that? when Rudd asked Ham & An to serve tea & coffee at the RSL and they were late an dgot pulled over by the cops...it was just hilarious.

The global credit crunch affects all countries, it's hard to put all the blame on Rudd.

 

[NedKelly]

The global credit crunch affects all countries, it's hard to put all the blame on Rudd.

Sure the global credit crunch affects all countries but if the situation was handled correctly there is no reason why it should have been so damaging to our institutions. Rudd and Swann are floundering around with knee jerk solutions like giving a blanket bank guarantee which they are now going to renege on, telling pensioners to go and see Centrelink if they can't get their money out of mortgage funds. At the same time as this is going on they are planning to introduce a Carbon trading scheme which will slug the economy even harder. Wayne and Rudd couldn't run a school tuck shop.

 

[Pushka]

Not a Rudd voter but I think he is doing pretty well actually. He must be exhausted. The carbon trading scheme, yeah, I agree on that point, I suspect it might eventually be delayed. Their handling of the Murray River issue though is appalling.

 

[Nathan]

Dont blame me, i vote liberal.

 

[Pushka]

Dont blame me, i vote liberal.

Does that mean we can blame you for invading Iraq then?