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I Don't Understand the Younger Generation
by James Glaser December 2, 2011 
I know, I sound like an old geek. I'm sure my dad and his dad thought the same thing, but I think I'm talking about something different. Of course I would think that. My dad couldn't understand how at a young age I was worried about what was going on in Washington, and why I would work hard to end a war that I had fought in. He was still of the mind-set that America could win any war we started, after all, he helped beat the Germans and the Japs, so how hard could it be to defeat a backward third world country like Vietnam? Well, today I am wondering almost the opposite of what my dad was thinking. I can't for the life of me understand how the youth of today can hang around and watch as Washington not only takes on backward countries who we cannot possibly defeat in war, but also stand there and watch as Washington keeps borrowing trillions of dollars, that my generation won't have to pay back, but this young generation will. One thing I can say for my dad's generation, they didn't leave a huge debt that people my age had to pay off. Now I heard this today. At the rate our national debt is going up, by the middle of the century, it will take every penny of our taxes to pay the interest on our debt. That means our rate of debt is not sustainable, and some time in the future many of the programs that make our country so wonderful to live in will have to be cut. Education, like it or not, will take a big hit as will every other program that the federal government provides right now. You think there are a lot of people living on the streets now? Just wait until Washington and the states have no money for any sort of affordable housing or welfare. If you look at how much Washington is spending, you can't help but know that what I am saying is true. The same thing is happening in Greece, Italy, and Spain right now. They are being forced to cut back. We know we will be there soon, but Washington refuses to do anything about it. Every year they wait, means more and more debt that the youth of today will have to pay off. Now either the young people of America are dumb, or they are stoned, or they don't understand what is going on. Sure, there are a few thousand who have taken to the streets with the Occupy Wall Street movement, but if you think back, it took tens of thousands of people hitting the streets in protest in every city in America just to end the Vietnam war. What is needed today is much bigger than ending a war. What is needed is a change in the way our government thinks, and the way it spends. Right now we are $15 trillion in debt. That is over four times our yearly budget. In 2010 we paid out $395 billion in interest. Yes, that is doable right now, but we keep spending more than we have, and that means every year that interest payment will be going up. Here is another thing to think about. Right now, we don't pay a high interest rate, but as our debt goes up, those loaning us the money are going to demand a higher interest rate as their risk goes up. So here is the thing. People of my generation (Baby Boomers) have nothing to worry about. Washington will be able to keep on spending at almost any rate it wants, and it won't hurt us, because most of us will be dead when it is time to pay the piper. For some strange reason that I can't figure out, the youth of today have failed to catch on to the fact that we are running up their credit card, and they are not saying boo. I would have thought by now with the vast increase of college educated young compared to my generation they would be jumping up and down yelling at Washington saying, "STOP IT!" It doesn't make me feel good that we get to spend all this money with no intention of paying it back. In fact it makes me sad that the young seem to have no idea of what is going on, and therefore are not trying to stop what we are doing to their future. I just hope they wake up soon, so that they can voice their objection, and stop Washington from stealing from them, because that is what our politicians are actually doing. They are spending money we don't have with no intention of ever paying it back. That is stealing. |
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