We Shouldn't Bailout the Baby Boomers

The "Greatest Generation" answered the call of duty and fought around the globe to defeat fascism. When they came home, they created America's legendary post-war prosperity.

Their "baby boomer" offspring, born between 1946 and 1964, have had the privilege of enjoying decades of uninterrupted first-world peace and explosive economic growth. But what great sacrifices have the boomers made? Hitting the malls during times of war, as President George W. Bush, a boomer himself, infamously asked of his generation?

Isn't it a tad ironic that the "greatest generation" has spawned one of America's worst generations? Yes, boomers, as the recession wears on, it's becoming evident that you've earned the distinction of being one of the few American generations to leave this country in worse shape for your grandchildren.

We are now starting to pay dearly for yesterday's negligence. America has sadly entered a period of decline with two unwinnable foreign wars, a wrecked consumer economy built on artificially cheap gasoline and credit and a $12 trillion dollar debt controlled by oil sheiks and Chinese communists. Sorry, Obama fans, but we can't just hope that these problems will float away with another bailout.

Don't get me wrong: All post-WWII generations have grown accustomed to living beyond their means and kicking today's problems down the road. But boomers have really run up the tab. And they now hold the C-Suites and seats in Congress. In other words, boomers are both primarily responsible for our nation's problems and in the position to make some sacrifices in order to solve them.

But frankly, I see no indication that boomers have the desire to answer their generation's call.

Instead, I foresee boomer Americans cashing out and riding off into the sunset without ever fully repaying their debts. Starting next year, and continuing over the next decade or so, millions of boomers will hit the magic age of 65, allowing them to start tapping into social security.
I'd like to know how we are going to pay for all those entitlement benefits. And could someone please explain to me why younger workers should pay into a system that'll go bankrupt well before they hit retirement? I'll let Americans of every generation offer their solutions in the comments section below.