General Discussion

Brickbat

(19,339 posts)

1. Why does being better off than your parents mean that you're not part of the 99%?

Reply to Puzzledtraveller (Original post)

Tue Dec 13, 2011, 12:34 PM

Dec 2011

"Better off" means different things to different people. If a couple lives very frugally and keeps their debt down but doesn't have a lot of consumer goods and a child grows up in that house, the child might grow up to believe that even though he has a big mortgage, two car loans, and job insecurity, he's better off because he has the consumer goods he wants. It's such a subjective thing I don't think you can try to parse it with the math.

ETA: What life did your parents work to provide for you?

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CNN Poll: Are you better off than your parents? [View all] Puzzledtraveller Dec 2011 OP

Why does being better off than your parents mean that you're not part of the 99%? Brickbat Dec 2011 #1

Exactly tularetom Dec 2011 #8

I assume the poll includes EVERYONE CJCRANE Dec 2011 #2

Very true! intheflow Dec 2011 #14

I am nowhere near as well off as my parents Coyote_Bandit Dec 2011 #3

If you were self-employed today, you would have to compete with huge corporations. JDPriestly Dec 2011 #12

I'm a pre-boomer. When my father was my age marybourg Dec 2011 #4

In some way yes and in some ways no Cigar11 Dec 2011 #5

In what sense, Charlie? frazzled Dec 2011 #6

lots of wishful thinking SixthSense Dec 2011 #7

Plain lucky, then. Not exceptional. MissB Dec 2011 #16

As a baby boomer plcdude Dec 2011 #9

Yes I am better off. But that isn't saying much. rox63 Dec 2011 #10

I make more money than my mother ever did but it buys little improvement in quality of life TheKentuckian Dec 2011 #11

Not Even Close RobinA Dec 2011 #13

Yes, but only because I qualify for SSI and Section 8 because of my Asperger's. Odin2005 Dec 2011 #15

I guess the first question would be if they are still alive or not snooper2 Dec 2011 #17

CNN polls aren't scientific. nt Romulox Dec 2011 #18

This message was self-deleted by its author Obamanaut Dec 2011 #19

I'm much better off FreeJoe Dec 2011 #20

no, and i am a boomer shanti Dec 2011 #21

It's kind of a silly, irrelevant question. saras Dec 2011 #22

I think a lot of those Yes respondents have based their decision on access to technology. MilesColtrane Dec 2011 #23

Nope Autumn Colors Dec 2011 #24