The previous generation, the Greatest Generation, saved the world by sending Orwell’s rough men into the crucible of war in the interest of peace. My generation, the Baby Boomers, was to live the life purchased for us by the boys of Normandy, the Ardennes, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and other killing fields. White marble crosses and Stars of David in these places testify to the enormous price of that purchase. And live we did. What a party we threw ourselves. So, as I reflect on the goodness of the job my generation has done, I apologize. I apologize for it all.
I apologize that we Boomers bankrupted this great nation. We made all manner of promises to ourselves while leaving you the bill. Herbert Hoover once quipped that “blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt.” He was only partially right; it’s far worse than that. I’m not talking about $22 trillion in treasury debt or even the exponential rate at which it’s growing. I’m talking unfunded liabilities....
In accounting terms, we have a negative net worth. In everyday terms, we’ve already spent or committed everything we have, everything, to support our generation’s lifestyle, now and in retirement. And it’s no accident. Just because we don’t care doesn’t mean we don’t understand. By the time the bill comes due, we’ll have the distinct advantage of being dead. So, if you think paying off your college loans is going to be tough, I have a shovel-ready infrastructure project to sell you.
He's not entirely wrong, but he's a snotty example of the kind of asshole who managed to ruin the country while thinking he was better than you.
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