New office crisis: Boomers won't leave!
Many baby boomers who were planning to retire soon will have to hold off, due to the plummeting values of their retirement funds. Commentator Dan Drezner says this may make things worse for Generation X in the office.
Dan Drezner (Dan Drezner)
More on Commentaries, America's Financial Crisis
TEXT OF STORY
Kai Ryssdal: How you feel about the economy right now might well depend on where you are in the pecking order, generationally speaking. To use a personal finance term here for a second, financial horizons -- that is, the time any given person has left to work and save -- can vary widely. And in light of the great stock market crash of 2008, everybody's reassessing their economic future, including commentator Dan Drezner.
DAN DREZNER: The financial downturn has left all sorts of casualties in its wake: more unemployment, depressed wages, and greater economic uncertainty. But I'd like to direct my angst at a different target -- the baby boomers.
A hidden effect of this crisis is that, in the workplace, as in popular discourse, they simply refuse to get out of the way.
To understand my lament, you have to realize that the oldest of the baby boomers are on the cusp of retirement. For younger generations, this should be a cause for relief. For decades, Gen X-ers like myself have had to hear the standard declarations about the uniqueness of the baby boomers. Maybe they were not the Greatest Generation, but they were the ones who glorified the whole idea of generational identity. For decades, Gen X-ers have had to hear complaints about our political apathy, our popular culture, and our musical tastes.
We have suffered many of these critiques without complaint. Why? Because so many of us worked for so many of them. They were the bosses of the business world. And they were supposed to be retiring very soon, but the recession has changed all that.
In 2008, U.S. workers aged 55 to 64 who had 401(k)'s for at least 20 years saw their retirement balances drop an average of 20 percent. A recent YouGov poll showed two-thirds of this generation have not made the necessary adjustments in their financial planning. This is not a recipe for leaving the workforce anytime soon.
What does this mean for the rest of us? Younger workers who expected promotions when the boomers cleared out are going to have to stew in their own juices. With this job market, looking for a better opportunity elsewhere is not in the cards. Which means that Gen X-ers are going to have to listen to baby boomers doing what they do best -- talk about themselves.
Office politics across the country are going to get a lot nastier. Of course, it could be worse. Generation Y not only has to deal with the boomers, they have to cope with people like me complaining about them.
Ryssdal: Dan Drezner is a professor of international politics at Tufts University.
Comments
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From Tampa, FL, 09/10/2009
That is a GREAT comment! Thank you for putting it so succinctly (sp?).
08/12/2009
Any boomer, who placed his faith in the "system" for a retirement, deserves to be screwed, just for stupidity.
Our parents were screwed over by Reagan in the '80's, just before their retirements. It was a fool not to read the signs of the future.
Daddy Capitalist wants his profit at the end when you have something to steal.
Everyone is now official ally F***ked (401ked).
From Prescott, AZ, 04/04/2009
Every generation is a vast sea of potential, both good and bad and everything in between. And each generation learns, once it has the controls, how unutterably difficult it actually is to run the world. None of the solutions brought forward ever really seem to work the way the idealism that spawned them promised. And none of the big problems that plague the world is to be blamed only on one generation, any more than one generation possesses all the solutions and as well as the will to implement them.
The ultimate generational egoism is to believe that any particular generation will save the world. The world isn't remotely that simple, as it soon shows every generation that comes along thinking it's ready to put it right.
From Prescott, AZ, 04/04/2009
Every generation is a vast sea of potential, both good and bad and everything in between. And each generation learns, once it has the controls, how unutterably difficult it actually is to run the world. None of the solutions brought forward ever really seem to work the way the idealism that spawned them promised. And none of the big problems that plague the world is to be blamed only on one generation, any more than one generation possesses all the solutions and as well as the will to implement them.
The ultimate generational egoism is to believe that any particular generation will save the world. The world isn't remotely that simple, as it soon shows every generation that comes along thinking it's ready to put it right.
From MN, MN, 04/02/2009
I also had to stop in my tracks when I heard this story on NPR. I have to agree with the author of the piece. I also think it's completely unfair that the Baby Boomers ended up being the guinea pig for the loss of pensions and the failed experiment of the 401K. Sure, investing may work over the long term, but what about the generation who has the bad luck of retiring during an economy like we have currently? I also have to concur with a previous poster that indicated that there are only a few Baby Boomers who are willing to share their career insights with us Gen X'ers. I am first to admit that just because I have a graduate degree it doesn't mean that I know everything! I know I have a lot to learn, but if they don't start letting us learn from them, we are likely to make the same mistakes that they did.
From Dallas, TX, 04/01/2009
This story is best summed up in the words of Albert Einstein when he said the thinking that got us here, will not get us out of the current situation.
Millenials and X'ers have a right to want their voices heard regarding their future especially on issues such as the environment and economy, and to infuse their vision into the future of this country. (Especially since they too pay taxes that will support Bailouts for companies run by "Boomer strategists" and Medicare for "Boomers" as they age.
Boomers should be careful not to bite the hand that will eventually have to wipe their . . . . .
From Columbia, MD, 03/30/2009
Don't take their criticisms too harshly, Mr. Drezner. One thing Boomers can't stand is that anyone else other than them has the audacity to consider themselves an actual generation, equal to their generation in its right to have a life path, values and needs.
Mercy. Those Boomers. When they were young. How quickly they forget! How easy they are to be hypocritical. Ah, such is their way. And we allow them that because, well, because that's just the way they are. Weren't they the gen that cried out for the destruction of the older establishment when they were in their rising young adult years? Weren't they the gen that called wrong, outdated, and, even, soulless, their elder generations. Weren't they the ones who said, "Never trust anyone over 30?"
Funny, isn't it, Mr. Drezner? We can still love them for who they are. Equally, we can stand in our own right, at this moment in time and say, calmly (at least for now), clearly and with equanimity, "MOVE OUT OF OUR WAY." See, dear Boomers, your style of problem-solving is becoming/has become part of the problem. A huge part. It's time for the values of a younger generation (yes, the GenXers, not the Millennials) to have full court.
You can either calmly move to the side (not leave ... just stop being in our way by your stubborn belief system that you are entitled to all the turf upon which you can squat). Cuz, see, if you don't move out of the way, you will be marginalized and then we won't have the benefit of your perspective. We want it. We just want you behind us, as elders, not at the helm anymore, acting as though you know best what to do in These Times.
Please, calmly, move to the side. You're welcome to stay around and be part of what's going on. Just move out of the way. I know you can't see it. But your generation's narcissistic attitude that you know best -- always -- is really in the way of a new era of leadership.
Choose while you can. If you don't, it may be too late for your generation to leave the legacy you so want to leave.
PS -- History shows your gen archetype shines as wise elders in crisis times, not as Can-Do Generals. That's our job.
From Tucson, AZ, 03/30/2009
Mr. Drezner has publicly humiliated himself. He's showcased to the world his moronic sense of entitlement, his prejudice against older workers, as well as his inability to move ahead in his chosen profession. Drezner also did a fine job, too, of displaying the talent too often seen in Gen-Xers---an Olympic-class ability to whine about what isn't being handed to them on a silver platter. Did the Tufts U. system produce this sad excuse for an educational leader, or did Tufts merely make the collosal error of hiring him?
03/28/2009
There are genuine crises in the world and you seem to find humor in stepping like a stray dog into the middle of other people's mud. Mindless pap clogging the...oh, right. It was 'public radio'...explains the shallow thought process. 'Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.' You look of what you speak. Suck air, putz.
From HI, 03/28/2009
Dan Drezner,
.
How did you manage? You have gotten more roaches out of the woodwork than I have seen since I was in Waikiki. For this phenomenal response by other bloggers that you have just elicited we should now all stand up and give you the clap.
Grazia
A
From CA, 03/26/2009
Actually, Matt, there are two sides to that proposition. In addition to the strength of the jerk doing the pushing, there is a person that doesn't want--nor deserve--to be pushed into starvation.
That is, if you're strong enough to push someone out of the way, then shut up and do it. If not, then maybe you you should think about--I don't know--negotiating like an adult with people? And, here's an idea: with logic?
We've heard the people here saying "why don't you go away and die." We've said "no." Are you people hard of hearing or something?
This argument was ridiculous to begin with. Now that it's been pretty soundly refuted by about a dozen of the arguments below, people are just showing their poor reading skills. I see how it is: all it took were some desperate economic times; mix in someone yelling "it's all (name of group)'s fault!" And bingo: a bunch of people not in that group will follow like lemmings. Here it's age. Elsewhere it'll be race. Somewhere else again it'll be undocumented immigrants.
Don't be Sheep. And yet again: blaming one age group for this makes about as much sense as blaming Americans who have never touched drugs for the fact that "American demand supports Mexican drug cartels." Use some logic, for crying out loud.
From New York, NY, 03/26/2009
If I were a Boomer, I'd keep this in mind: you can move out of the way, or you can be pushed aside. Isn't it better to do things on your own terms, while the choice is still yours?
From Austin, TX, 03/26/2009
I have to agree with Bill Gaits comment above, namely:
"Most of you never worked a job that required you to do physical things, like clean the scum from a carwash, or build a stone wall, etc..you want to start at the top, when we are at the top."
I started working for a living in the 70's washing dishes, working on fishing boats, carpentry, etc. I worked through a series of labor type jobs until computers were widespread and moved into that field in my 30's. I have EARNED my way to my present position of intellectual skill and financial comfort. I don't plan on moving out simply because you are younger than me. If you take it outright because of your talents so be it. But don't think I have spent decades getting to this point to simply move aside. I would however like to stick around long enough to see the Gen X'ers go through the same thing we are. Ooops sorry, I just has a "I told ya so" fantasy for a second there.
From Oakland, CA, 03/26/2009
I am a boomer, and you are quite right we should all be signing up for euthanasia. The correct term is voluntary transitioning. It will solve the social security crisis and all sorts of other ills. I think it was Marketplace that had Christopher Buckley on talking about his book Boomsday. It's all in there. Go read it.
From CA, 03/26/2009
I retired just last July 1 and thought I would have a lot of fun times. However, with the tanking of the stock market and my 401(k), I went back to work after only 6 months off. I am working only part time. I have been bridging the knowledge gap between what I know from a 36 year career and what the people behind me know. Half of what I do is to fill in for vacancies caused by the younger generatino moving on all too often and trying to train those that want to stick with it. My status is day-to-day, so I try to make sure I contribute more than enough to keep working. I have a lot of ground to make up financially due to the recession.
From Austin, TX, 03/26/2009
He is obviously not a math major.
His best hope economically is for us to keep working for as long as possible. My generation contributed nowhere near enough babies to provide the workers needed to pay our Social Security and Medicare costs. Where there were three boomers supporting every one WW II retiree, there will come a point where there will be one gen-Xer supporting three boomers.
How do you like me retiring early now?
From Springfield, MA, 03/26/2009
Oh Gen X, I've been where you are.
When I got out of college, I was the junior copywriter in my small advertising office, assigned all the grunt stuff, with no prospects of moving up to the plum job unless my superior retired or moved on.
Guess what, I lost that job in the bank bust of the 1990s, when I was in my 30s.
I had to start over in another industry, which also went under.
I'm now on my third career, underpaid, still not in management, and I've never lived the high life.
Not all boomers have gotten the chance to take advantage of all that great high living.
Some of us- make that most, if I judge by my friends and colleagues - were and are just working folk who have had to do the best we can, and now will have to keep doing it in order to help our families survive.
My bosses now are younger than me, but I'm still here, learning to adapt to a changing workplace.
I was too young for Woodstock or the sexual revolution, but I'm still considered a boomer.
Hate the label. Didn't pick it.
I'm just a middle-aged white chick trying to get by.
And yeah I feel your pain. I've lived it, and still am.
From MA, 03/26/2009
I have worked with computers since 8th grade, and am now 53. No, I will not move over for you. Prove you are worthy and can do my job and add value!
Some ge'ns of the younger gens--
1)You have little or no business knowledge even after mommy and daddy spent tons of money on your education.
2) Most of you never worked a job that required you to do physical things, like clean the scum from a carwash, or build a stone wall, etc..you want to start at the top, when we are at the top.
3) I have seen pretty web pages displaying data from the modern "developer", but in my vast experience, the core of the data you work with contains little business logic. THE CORE OF THE BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE IS IN THE LEGACY AND ERP APPLICATIONS. It is cool to be able to display data on a screen..but do you understand how it was derived?
Could you build new logic to add accuracy to your companies data?
Go ahead and bash my generalizations, but read again what I am saying..and get over it all..sorry there is a recession when you just graduated after 30 years of education..i have a 4 yr degree from a fine school and have done just fine with it.
I love my profession and will not move over when I continue to be respected in my job and add value to the company.
From Columbia, MD, 03/25/2009
What a fantastic conversation in the comments here. And so telling of the diff generations. Haha. I commented first (way down at the bottom). I am a first-wave GenXer and one quite familiar with Gen Theory.
Well, just a tidbit, folks. GenXers are THE largest gen. Add that to your thoughts about how Boomers aren't moving over in their jobs. The false story told again and again -- without fact-checking -- is that Boomers are the largest generation. But it just ain't true. Boomers were bigger than the gen prior to *them.* Yet, in the 2005 US Census, Boomers, 64.6 million; GenX, 81 million; and Millennials, 79 million. Just a tidbit. Li'l bit of fact to blow your minds.
We have been so patient, dear Boomers. If you're a Boomer, you just have no idea of how patient we have been. Nor, do you have *ANY* sense of the pressure we feel with Millennials behind us.
Your role now as a gen is "wise elder." You need to get out of our way. Not en masse. Not overnight. Not all of you at once. But you need to start as a generation to MOVE OVER. Not leave. Just MOVE OUT OF OUR WAY. We do things differently because we see the world differently than you do. And your generation is so in the way. I know you can't see it, but it's true.
Here's another li'l tidbit: The Boomer archetype (Prophet, in gen theory) actually shines brightest in elderhood. But it's in the role, as I said earlier, of wise elder, supporting the GenX (Nomad archetype) leaders in a time of Crisis.
Boomer leadership style and Boomer problem-solving is a hindrance in a Crisis Era. And if you ain't convinced we're in that era now, just wait another year or so.
Really, Prez Obama is the most explicit statement of this shift. He's a first-wave GenXer, true and true.
Pragmatic. Real. Raw. Stylin'. Functional. What works. Dirty work. Hard decisions. It's what our ratty, cynical gen of Xers is so well-prepared to do and be.
From slingerlands, NY, 03/25/2009
Regarding Dan Drezner's comments. He seems to be implying a generational conflict between him and the old fogies..like me. Well this 60 year old did not appreciate his deprecation. I'll tell you my story. I have been working in health care since I was 17. I am a pharmacist. I worked about 25 hours per week to pay my tuition during college. My salary during first year of marriage repaid both my husband's and my student loans. We lived on one salary. During my 37 years of marriage, my salary has contributed toward my husband's M.S. and my two children's private college tuition which cost over $30,000 per year. I also have been saving the maximum allowed for retirement. Since I come from a lower class family, I have no knowledge about investments. I have tried to educate myself and seek knowledge from a fee only financial planner. Well, the $150,00 which my husband saved is now worth $70,000. My husband and I would both like to retire. Does Mr. Drezner have any suggestions for us? I frankly feel that investing in the stock market is a gigantic scam to make a few rich people richer and schmucks like us feed off the crumbs.
From Gary, IN, 03/25/2009
Blame-throwing is about as useful as the Bush Policies were. The very idea of 'retirement' and suddenly becoming useless in our society creates even more burden as we age - and age we all will - even the 'as labeled' GenXers. Why not take some lessons from history and understand that we all have something to contribute that has nothing to do with some fictitious age after which someone is no longer viable. What shall we do? Set the Boomers out on the ice flows to be eaten by starving polar bears?? Let's work together and not create more divisiveness.
From Oakton, VA, 03/25/2009
Not only are the Baby Boomers not moving on, but I have also found few willing to share their knowledge with younger generations. I can only assume that this comes from always competing with such a large field they have learned never to share what keeps their jobs secure. I know of some government agencies that require persons nearing retirement age to share their knowledge before moving on. These agencies are using a Wikipedia type system to catalog all this information. If only more companies had this policy. I am slightly conflicted, as my father has recently had to start a new job. I know he somehow raised 5 boys on a salary less then the one I received after collage graduation. I know he plans to work until physical unable then move in with one of us, so I understand why some will need to stay in their jobs longer. Maybe I should just find a field with less Baby Boomers, possibly something in the video game or heavy metal industry?
From Portland, OR, 03/25/2009
I've often worried about the very issues that Professor Drezner has raised, but I think that he actually understated the problem. When one generation fails to make room for the next it doesn't just leave the younger generation to stew in their own juices, it can also make them jump ship.
One place where this can be seen is in biomedical research, where talented young scientists are leaving science altogether because of a lack of job opportunities. Not only does this hurt the young scientists, but it hurts tax payers who helped subsidize their education only to have that education go to waste. Even worse, it hurts everyone when the person who had the talent to cure a disease leaves science because a more-senior but less-talented researcher won't give up a seat.
For more information on this problem I recommend a publication that I am not affiliated with called "Broken Pipeline: Flat Funding of the NIH Puts a Generation of Science at Risk." To find this, just do an internet search for "broken pipeline."
From Tempe, AZ, 03/25/2009
I completely agree with this story. My boss is well-above retirement age and unfortunately I work in a very small office, where movement will not occur unless someone above you leaves. And if my boss retiring? No! Economy aside, she was probably thinking she would die in her office chair, a very sad thing for me to hear. I am so frustrated, I am looking for other oppertunities. The future for us Gen-Xers, is filled with dispair...we will we will be unhappy and stuck in our sad little jobs forever because even after a babyboomer retires in the long run, we'll be too far past our prime to be considered to move up. Way to go.
From S.WEllfleet, MA, 03/25/2009
"Babyboomers"? "Genxers"? What kind of stupid talk is this?Do terms like these really define antbody? yet this trite rhetoric is what he builds his thesis on? Has it ever occured to Mr. drezner that this might be class issue rather than a "generation" issue? Or does this fit "Marketplace's compromised format? At any rate, it scares me that Mr. Drezner is actually teaching international relations at a university level. Heaven help us!
From Fremont, CA, 03/25/2009
Perhaps Mr. Drezner's next commentary should be titled: "The Boomer Problem, A Final Solution". From his commentary and the many Gen-Xers supporting him in this forum, one can add another item to the list of negative descriptors attributed to Gex-Xers, bigots.
Maybe all the Boomers out there should step back and let the generosity of the Xer's support Market Place.
From Las Vegas, NV, 03/25/2009
When I graduated from high school in 1971, I looked at my peers and was certain there would be big trouble when we started running the world. But Drezner missed the real problem. Baby Boomers are driven by greed and short-term self interest. If you push us aside because we're in your way, you're no better. Edge us out because you have a better way to achieve the common good.
From CA, 03/25/2009
j m, agreed--but I would point out that I and several other "boomers" here have already pointed out that it is completely idiotic to refer to "boomers" and "generation xers" as "you" and "we." As if a twenty-something account manager, or a fifty-something director, at a financial concern, were in any way the same as people of the same age working at a non-profit, or jobless, or working-class, or in any number of other situations. It is equally ridiculous to assert that one or the other generation is "defensive" or "whiny." As mentioned, although I've seen much more whining from generation-xers in the media than from boomers, the only time I've seen any such whining has been in media like this. I've never seen it in person. Today I went to work among 20-somethings, 30-, 40-, 50- and 60-somethings. Today, as they have for all the months I've worked here, no-one referred to their generation as a monolithic group, or referred to it at all.
The idea that I was responsible for this mess is absurd. All I've done is work honestly, without cutting corners, for decades. All you've done, I bet, is do the same, albeit for a shorter amount of time.
This is nonsense.
And I still want to know: after I retire, am I supposed to starve to death? Or are the complainers going to support me?
03/25/2009
These claims of Gen'Xers being entitled seems overly defensive to me. Isn't the experience of a 20-year field veteran worth something? Some of the Gen'Xers are 40 and still waiting for upper management positions. The condition is worse in the nonprofit sector, where some of the boomer generation run organizations with no middle management and plenty of support staff - many of whom have no retirement benefits, are less likely to have health care, and are often contracted workers.
This model is not only shortshighted for the nonprofit field, it endangers a younger generation by prohibiting them from saving for their own futures. Is it entitlement to want to provide for your family, or be taken seriously in the workplace - for your ideas, not just your grunt work? Some boomers may have lost their retirement savings, but a lot of younger individuals don't even have the opportunity to save for retirement, much less lead in the workplace. The Boomers' contribution to this conversation needs to move beyond a knee-jerk "those damned kids" response to a more multi-generational vision of the workplace.
03/25/2009
I'm in my early 50's and thought this piece was LOL funny. I was not looking forward much to retirement anyway, so a big drop in the 401k simply confirmed the need to stick around a bit longer. Hooray!
I work in an office with people all ages from 19 on up. There's room for all of us, and each is judged on their ability and enthusiasm, not by the date we appeared on earth.
And the only thing better for us baby boomers than talking about ourselves is to hear someone else do it! Thanks, Dan!
03/25/2009
To quote Dan Drezner, "What does this mean for the rest of us? Younger workers who expected promotions when the boomers cleared out are going to have to stew in their own juices."
Boomers may "talk about themselves" but Gen-Xers have a problem with entitlement. Gen-Xers are not entitled to a Boomer's job.
From Indianapolis, IN, 03/25/2009
This current economic crisis is only the most recent disservice my parents generation has brought to our country. In Bill Bernstein's 2004 "The Four Pillars of Investing" he discusses the 2001 tech bubble implosion and says historical evidence points to the next bubble in 20 or so years. But then puts in a caveat: that he wouldn't put anything past the baby boomers. 8 years later and we are in a waaaaay bigger mess.
So what has this generation brought us?
1960’s
-Cultural upheaval in the 1960's. Both good (desegregation, civil rights) and bad (the beginning of moral ambiguity)
1970's
-STDs take off as monogamy becomes an arcane.
-Roe vs. Wade. Regardless of which side you are on, no one thinks abortion is positive thing.
-Divorce rates climb as the me-first generation decides that, "It's not you, it's me."
1980's
-"Greed is good",
-lotteries initiated around the country as a unspoken tax on the poor and desperate
1990's
-Escalating national debt
-American corporations begin outsourcing as much as they can in order for a few at the top to get a little richer.
-Those companies that can't outsource, merge. How else would one grow their company by 50% without doing any work?
2000's
-Tech bubble
-We stand by as Rwanda and Darfur turn into nightmares, yet oust a dictator in an oil-rich country.
-Real estate bubble
-Capitalism
-Reality TV
And looking forward…
-Enormous national debt
-Nationalized financial system
-Higher tax rates
-A retiring generation with no retirement savings
-An 80 year-old Madonna still on tour.
03/25/2009
C'mon Boomers! Step up and grab responsibility for the economic mess you've created. It's been your watch, from President to the heads of the companies.
Wow! From altruistic dreamers to Yuppies to broke; grab life by the horns!
From Sacramento, CA, 03/25/2009
+1 to Jessie X, the first comment (at the bottom) on this post. Boomers have a role in this crisis, but it is not the one they are taking at the moment. As Jessie X describes, they need to step into the role of wise elders. But at this point even the aging Silents (born 1924-1942) are having trouble stepping into this role. Boomers: we need your help cleaning up this mess!
03/25/2009
I'm waiting for the Boomers to claim responsibility for the current economic mess. The one thing that happened on their watch and they ARE resonsible for and...silence.
What a shock!
From Dayton, OH, 03/25/2009
Right on! I have been marginalized, oppressed and exploited by Baby Boomers for so long and when I optimistically thought that they would soon retire, this debacle of an economy of their own creation is keeping them here. I work for local government in a rather smallish city. From playing JFK speeches at staff meetings to motivate to Classic Rock blaring from the speakers at my gym, I am oppressed constantly by their collective need to stretch out their usefulness, relevancy and youth. I know my generation of Xers have their own problems, being raised by these Baby Boomers, but move on, get out the way and maybe we can fix this mess we are in.
From IN, 03/25/2009
Boomers don't realize the space they take up. They command attention in the media, are ubiquitous in the public sphere and - here's what they forget - they ARE IN POWER. Anyone born and raised by them knows this in a way their parents, the largest demographic in US history, can easily forget.
As for charges of whining and selfishness, I find this bizarre. Yes, Drezner implies serious generational character flaws, which should be taken with a rhetorical grain of salt. However, in reply, some Boomers charge that the product of their own political and personal aspirations, the next generation, is pathetic. What an unreflective self-indictment!
From Baltimore, MD, 03/25/2009
I listened to that smug rant, went to work, and immediately fired a couple of whiny, privileged, psychologically needy Gen-X employees. Thanks for reminding me to do that. The atmosphere in the office improved immediately.
From Atlanta, GA, 03/25/2009
After hearing Mr Drezners commentary I did a quick Google search because I was not sure what made one an Gen X-er. I was relieved (but not surprised) to see that my children do not fall into that "category". They are not at all like Mr Drezner. They do not judge people based on their age or for that matter the color of their skin, their religion, their sex, their physical disabilities, their sexual orientation, or their national origin. They are hard working and caring human beings that want to make a difference in the world.
From Bloomington, IN, 03/25/2009
Thank you for summing up exactly how all of us Gen-Xers feel! I am so glad that someone actually had the guts to say this and I could not agree more with you!
From Dallas, TX, 03/25/2009
I love to read the responses here - the 'Boomers whose narcissism bleeds with any insult and the X'ers who mock their empty protests.
From Oneonta, AL, 03/25/2009
As a member of the first wave of Baby Boomers and a mother of a Gen-Xer, I feel stirred to respond to Mr. Drezner's remarks. First of all, Professor D., your parents' generation may not have been the greatest, but at least we were not the greediest generation. That spot was reserved for your generation, the one that got us into this economic mess. And we did provide you with ideas like peace might be better than war, women have rights too, skin color should not hold people back, maybe we shouldn't destroy the environment we live in, education should be relevant to life and society, and other novel concepts, plus actions to match. My experience with members of Gen X (and, granted, we spoiled them) is they know how to do little but play on the computer. Gen Y (I also have one of those) seems to have a better work ethic. I have worked, raised children, and been a caregiver for dying family members for 42 years. I am only too happy to retire this year and "get a life." I have a suggestion for the professor and his ilk: why don't you volunteer to double or triple your Social Security withholding so your parents' generation will get out of the way and let you move up the ladder. We would be only too glad to let you see if YOU can cut the mustard.
From west chester, PA, 03/25/2009
What a waste of airtime, and now of pixels. I suspect Drezner does not have children - he seems too selfish and bitter. As for me, I am 51, but do not think of myself as part of a "generation". Rather, I am simply taking care of myself and my 3 children as best as I can. Drezner has no right to judge me, or my motivation, or my future plans. If I work til I'm 80, then so be it.
From Marlborough, MA, 03/25/2009
As one of those Baby Boomers who isn’t going away any time soon, I take issue with Dan Drezner’s whiny lament. Every generation feels it has a monopoly on righteous indignation. For decades, we Boomers have had to hear complaints about OUR political activism, OUR popular culture, and OUR musical tastes. If the good professor wants us activists to “get out of the way” of his apathetic generation, all I can say is that I’m glad we’re still in charge so stuff actually gets done!
From Bel Air, MD, 03/25/2009
As a 55-year old mother of four Gen Y/Millenials, daughter of products of the Twenties baby boom and the Thirties baby bust, I have at times reflected on this boom/bust cycle. First, it alternated during the 20th century, starting with a boom after World War I. Those children got to fight in World War II. Depression babies got to fight in Korea. The GI Bill raised the returning soldiers' economic level by creating a large middle class, by offering education and mortgage benefits. Those folks raised Baby Boomers before reliable birth control was available. The Pill became legal for married people in the mid-Sixties and in that context GenXers were born from then through the Seventies. GenXers can be thankful to have missed much of the tumult of the Sixties, to have grown up when nuclear disarmament was a growing possibility (you never had to have fallout drills in grade school, to duck-and-cover just in case of a nuclear attack), not to have had to fight in the long years of Viet Nam. (As a reference point, the Viet Nam war began when I was in first grade and ended when I was 21--I remember hearing casualty figures over the radio, while I ate my breakfast, much larger figures than we experience today) Fewer GenXers may have experienced middle child syndrome, coming from smaller families to begin with. GenXers impressed us all by being more collected and directed when it was time to go to college and begin careers. We Boomers struggled with the draft and the uncertainty that caused, and later with the 74 recession. Women and minorities who were Boomers often faced prejudice in the workplace, which was far less diverse than it is today. Our two generations, Boomers and GenXers, essentially were dealt different hands to play, and it has been up to each of us to do the best we can with the cards we have been dealt. Maybe it is tough to come up behind a large generation, but for a GenXer, there is a larger slice of pie at any comparable stage of life than for a Boomer. Economically, GenXers have and will continue to do well. Boomers have always known that they need to work as long as they can, and not count on retiring early. It is economic reality. It sounds like Mr. Drezner is articulating the feelings for his generation that one would normally associate with a mid-life crisis. I am happy to say, having just been through my own moment of truth a few years ago, that life can become more meaningful after 50 if one can give thanks to have made it to that point, and pause to reflect on the lives of those who didn't. So cheer up GenXers, and count your blessings! A world out there needs your talents--try volunteering in your spare time to help youth or any other cause that inspires. Office politics will seem less important when you put aside jealousy and give from the heart. You are not the first smallish generation and won't be the last. Time to stop whining and instead give a thought to how you would like your life on earth to be remembered--what can you do to make things better than you found them?
From CA, 03/25/2009
What the? In the first place: this guy claims that Generation Xers have listened to "standard declarations about the uniqueness of Baby Boomers", and have listened to critiques from Baby Boomers "without complaint"??
Where has Dan Drezner been? I can assure you, I have heard and read far, far more whining from Generation Xers in the media about Baby Boomers than vice-versa, for a dozen years and counting. (In fact, among people I know, I have actually never heard a fellow Baby Boomer complain about Generation X, or even identify themselves as a Baby Boomer, or a younger person as a Generation Xer. Yep--that's right, never once have I known anyone to identify themselves or others that way, unless they were a part of the media. Not one person I have known personally has ever done so. To be fair, neither do the younger people I've known refer to themselves as Generation Xers.)
Second of all: he wants older people to "get out of the way"? As in, "everybody quit your jobs and give them to 'us'"? And then what should we do, exactly? Starve to death?
Of course, if young people want to support all us retirees once they take our jobs, then sure, I'll retire. I'll do it today! Of course, I have no children. But surely Mr. Drezner thought out his position well enough to realize that he'll be supporting me if I retire?
From NC, 03/25/2009
i only experienced intergenerational conflict when i encountered US companies trying to make profits on empty under 35 year olds. i was astounded at the lack of respect for experience and knowledge in this group. What they do understand is power and political correctness. That is what has been passed down to all current generations. Blaming one generation serves little purpose. We need to restore the value of honesty, merit and integrity instead.
From NY, 03/24/2009
Sheesh. What is this, Wild Kingdom? Or perhaps, for the younger ones, NatGeo? I almost expect to see 40ish men in business suits locking horns with 50ish men in business suits.
Where does all this "get out of the way" aggression come from? There's room for everyone in a balanced workplace and society. Some people can and should continue to work as long as they want. Isn't that one of the changes that we have actively sought? Wasn't forcing people out at a certain age once considered ageism? Stereotyping people by when they were born is passe, didn't you know? Expecting people to do certain things at a certain age--or to stop doing certain things at a certain age--limits their potential as human beings. (I'll bet when you were in your 20s you thought your parents weren't having sex anymore.)
Baby Boomers, Gen X, Y, Z, P, S--all the generational tags--they're all media creations. And most media creations are anomalies. The creations may be based on some realities, but they are not reality. They are handy short-cuts, shorthand for the truth. There's a term for it: synechdoche. Believing that all people between 55 and 65 are selfish, or that all people between 35 and 55 are whiners (or whatever the characterization is, I forget) is like believing all people between 65 and 85 are heroes. Some are. Some aren't.
We're all in this together, like it or not. You can't have one generation without another. Not yet, anyhow.
From Los Angeles, CA, 03/24/2009
As I listened to Dan Drezner's commentary regarding how Generation X, my generation, has been held down by the Baby Boomers because of their positioning in the workforce, a big grin grew on my face. How delighted I was to hear a contemporary, comment on the stranglehold that that generation has had over our ability to move up in the workforce. For years I have felt that "THEY" have thought of themselves as "THE GENERATION"; and anyone who questioned that did not know what they were talking about and thus their opinions irrelevant (or even nonsensical). Dan Drezner finally speaking out, shows that although we may not have the numbers like they do nor the sense of entitlement through power and positioning like they do, we are not voiceless, our thoughts do matter, we exist, and we are....Generation X. Kudos
03/24/2009
While I sympathize with your view of baby boomers, your commentary unfortunately identifies with their collective sense of entitlement, detracting from what I imagine may (or may not) have been your underlying message: The old need to innovate and maintain their edge, or get the heck out of our way. Instead, you've just bought into their same tired old lines, by introducing your own. The pleasantly cold reality is that while this depression (DOH!) has inflicted and will continue to inflict much pain, it also serves as a wonderful opportunity for the truly innovative to outwork, outthink, and outmaneuver the stagnant, the fragile, and the dense, regardless of age or generation.
From Atlanta, GA, 03/24/2009
I think every person that writes, no matter what medium, no matter what age group hates baby boomers. At 53 I'm a boomer myself (and, by the way, Wendy, you were born in 59? you're a boomer also), and I'd rather hear criticisms any day from Gen X's or Y's than those baby boomer writers who are in love with themselves because they aren't nostalgic.
From MN, 03/24/2009
This isn't just affecting the typical white-collar offices. My wife is a first year teacher, and she was fortunate to find a part-time job this year. Next year, we would be lucky to do so well. Most of the teachers in our town are boomers, and many could have retired, but haven't in the last few years. Now it is even less likely that they will, because they and their families can't afford to financially, especially if their spouse has been laid off. The effect, though, is huge. Long-term teachers not only are keeping new teachers, and, unfortunately, also new ideas and methods out of the classroom, they are also costing districts more money because their salaries are higher. And these are districts which are facing budget cuts in the next year. But, because they are tenured, the district can't hire younger (and cheaper teachers). The result will be fewer teachers overall and thus larger class sizes. I feel for these boomers who have lost so much (they are, after all, my parents), but let's not forget that others are also suffering from their portfolios' declines.
From Winston-Salem, NC, 03/24/2009
"...two-thirds of this generation have not made the necessary adjustments in their financial planning."
Apparently, the professor needs a dose of common sense. Of course, we boomers have adjusted our planning: we have to work longer!
03/24/2009
Why do we think the generations after the baby boomers will be any better?
Aren't we all a product of our enviroment?
From MN, 03/24/2009
Representative:
I appreciate you feedback on my concerns regarding layoffs of state employees. I had initially suggested that early retirements might be an option, but now realize that maybe a rewording of the term used might be appropriate to take into consideration the information you provided. Instead of promoting "early retirements," how about just promoting employee's working for state government just "retire" on the schedule that was originally planned for them, instead of waiting years after their normal retirement age due to increased health benefit concerns that are holding them back. Obviously, with the down economy at the worst time for "baby boomers" like my parents, their plans for retirement may have been pushed back due to loss of retirement funds or concern over how to pay for health benefits between the time they retire and are able to receive Medicare to cover their health costs.
This is having a direct impact on employees that have been in the work force for a few years now replacing them when they eventually retire. Without the normal retirement age that was once expected, these "baby boomer's" children like myself who are raising their own families now, which are the grandchildren of these "baby boomers" are at a high risk of losing their jobs due to layoffs because the "baby boomers" are not retiring on "schedule." So, I would encourage you to see what can be done to encourage those that have fullfilled their obligations to their pension funds by serving their full working career, thus not undermining the funding of these pension funds, be encouraged to retire on time, instead of delaying these retirements and likely causing the next generation of workers to loose their jobs in the time being. Lets not let these employees become late retirees, because the consequences in these times are too dire for those dependent on them retiring on schedule and really not "early retirees."
Sincerely,
Roy
From:
Subject: Re: Thank You Representative
To: Roy
Date: Monday, March 23, 2009, 7:11 PM
March 23, 2009
Roy
MN
Dear Roy:
Thank you for contacting me with your idea for tackling Minnesota’s budget deficit without resorting to state employee lay-offs. As the Legislature works to confront the present budget shortfall, I believe public employees like you have important insights to offer and I appreciate having an opportunity to respond to your concerns.
I think your suggestion is worth considering, but I have noted a significant down side. As you may know, the State of Minnesota implemented an early retirement program in 1993 for teachers and state employees. The Legislative Auditor later issued a report giving mixed reviews to the cost savings associated with this initiative. Overall, he concluded early retirement programs only save money when an agency reduces its overall workforce for the long-term and typically increases costs if a significant number of early retirees are replaced by new employees. Therefore, the effectiveness of such a program for the department you work for depends somewhat on long-term projections for agency staffing needs.
An additional concern is that early retirees can pose a real threat to pension fund solvency. Currently, state employee pension funds receive money from three sources: employee contributions, employer contributions, and investment earnings. The employee and employer contribution rates are figured based on numerous variables such as the anticipated lifespan of a retiree and the expected performance of the pension fund’s investments. If the Legislature encourages state employees to retire early, state pension funds will have less time to accumulate enough money to pay those benefits. This is especially true given recent investment losses suffered by pension funds across the country.
Thank you again for contacting me about Minnesota’s $4.6 billion budget shortfall for the coming biennium. This is an historic deficit in real and absolute terms, and closing the gap is going to require bipartisan cooperation and creativity. To address it, Minnesota will likely need to make some significant spending cuts. However, I am going to work tirelessly to see that these are made prudently and will do my best to avoid lay-offs wherever possible.
I depend upon the feedback of my constituents, so I hope you will continue to share your thoughts and ideas with me about issues important to you. If I can be of any other assistance, please let me know.
Sincerely,
State Representative
From Portland, 03/24/2009
I couldn't agree more with Dan Drezner! But he can take comfort in this little tidbit: among my circle of Gen Xer friends, most own their cars outright, don't use credit cards, and didn't fall for the "real estate prices will go up forever" fairy tale. Sure, GenX lacks the self-aggrandizement gene of the boomers, but maybe by the time this current crisis plays itself out, society will be celebrating US for our dogged, pay-as-you-go approach to our finances.
...eh, who am I kidding?
From Dahlonega, GA, 03/24/2009
Boomers are the generation that brought our nation to a new low with morality. They were blessed to live at what was most likely the heigth of our country, and yet they didn't appreciate it.
I am the daughter of the generation of the children born during WWII...but my parents were influenced too much by that generation, and I was one of the first generations of latchkey kids. I attended public school in the years of the largest decline of competence. We've learned to live as the red headed step child.
Gen X an Y might have been doing some of the grunt work in the financial sectors that brought our Rome down, but who are their bosses? Middle management? CEO's? I'll place bets 90%are boomers. I always knew they would ruin our country when they got to the highest levels of power.
From Burlingame, CA, 03/24/2009
Dan, these folks would like nothing better than to retire and let the GenXers take their places, but they can't. Half of their lifetime's savings is gone. Pray that you are luckier when you are on the threshold of retirement.
From Loveland, CO, 03/24/2009
This drivel makes about as much sense as adults, or should I say oversized children, blaming their parents for their own dysfunctional tendencies. We all would like to have somebody else be responsible for us- but so far, each one of us eventually stands up and takes care of ourselves. Boomers, X'ers, Y'ers - get over it. Does a pilot get angry with the storm and quit? Or does the pilot navigate around around the disturbance and proceed on to the destination? Bunch of whiners......
From Phoenix, AZ, 03/24/2009
Listening to Dan Drezner's commentary reminded me of the state of the American workforce when I was growing up--and yeah, I'm a boomer, Class of 48.
Back then, many of the manufacturing and basic materials industries were structured so that a worker could get in while young, work hard for good wages and buying power for a few decades, then get out with a decent retirement, making way for younger folks working their way up. That's what my dad did, and describes his career as a mechanic for Douglas Aircraft.
Sound like what you want Mr. Drezner? Don't want me to hang around forever keeping you down? OK, then let's re-energize the unions that were responsible for that earlier golden age and put the country back on track.
From Seattle, WA, 03/24/2009
Oh baby! Let the games begin! Spoiled Boomers been riding on the back of the greatest generation their whole lives. Made endless series of bad choices as well articulated by Dan C. The day WILL come when they look to Gen X'ers to care for them. Yeah, and good luck with that! Oh wait, what am I talking about?! They'll be fine, because they are mortgaging their children's future to assure their own. What else would you expect from the most self-centered and selfish generation in human history.
From valley forge, PA, 03/24/2009
I'm a boomer and I say so why are you entitled? Work and when you are ready to leave, leave. Until that person leaves you work. Too bad it is someone older than you. Keep working Mr. Entitlement.
03/24/2009
I nearly dropped dead in my corporate punk, Generation X tracks, when I heard this story.
Finally, someone had the balls to say what we think, out loud, in public, and on NPR no less.
Oh the lament of the American Baby Boomer... the greediest, most self-centered, most self-destructive, generation of no-gooders that has ever walked Douglas Adams computer generated Earth.
You are sold out hippies, turned drug addicts, turned yuppies, who brought the world the worst artifacts of popular culture, TPS reports, Birkenstocks, The International Style, Suburbia, and the idea of thinking one quarter ahead.
The world revolves around the Baby Boomer. And they never grew out of their infantile state of existence. You are personified by Rush Limbaugh.
We blame you for everything. Please shutup and get on the spaceship that we are putting you on.
The Church of the SuperGenius names Dan the Man of the Year.
From Dallas, TX, 03/24/2009
I'm sorry that the decimation of an entire generation's retirement savings has inconvenienced Generation X, but when it comes to being self-absorbed, the baby boom generation has nothing on Mr. Drezner. I wonder how he feels about those of his own generation who dreamed up the financial derivatives that sunk the economy in the first place.
From ME, 03/24/2009
You cannot generalize about an entire generation, just like you can't generalize about all White people or all Black people or all men or all women. This is basic civility 101. Learn it and we will all be happier together - which is how we much live, generation by generation, together. Lets help each other instead of aggressively suggesting one group or another should 'get out of my way.' Sounds like ethnic cleansing to me. What you do to one, will happen some day to you. Is this the world you want to make? A world of self righteousness and hate?
From Nashville, TN, 03/24/2009
I can't believe all the whining!Complaining is rarely productive and complaining about people as a group is exactly what is at the root of prejudice, whether it is against a gender, a race,or an age group. Having been born after most baby boomer and before any of the other "generations." Being born in 1959,I am not really a member of any of those groups, but I don't complain about any of them either. How about spending that energy you are wasting on whining on trying to help people with real problems! The only good thing about this economic crisis is that it has helped some of us to appreciate what is good in our lives.
From Reston, VA, 03/24/2009
If you're not happy working for a "baby boomer", quit, get yourself a different job working for another GenXer, or start your own business and work for yourself! STOP WHINING! Nobody owes you a promotion or a place "at the helm", as Jesse X suggests!
03/24/2009
As a Generation Xer, I agree with Dan Drezner completely that Baby Boomers should get out of our way. Baby Boomers talked a great game but all they did was run out the clock.
They said they would stick it to the man, but they stood idly by as real wages have fallen steadily for the past 30 years and organized labor has all but disappeared.
They said they would stand up for the little guy, but we have 47 million Americans without health insurance, many of them children.
They wanted to save the planet, but they scoffed at solar panels, wind turbines, and conservation and bought gas-guzzzling SUVs instead.
They argued for civil rights, but as a generation they didn't vote for Barack Obama.
They championed feminsim, but women still make 70 cents on the male dollar and we have nothing even close to real maternity leave for women.
They swore fealty to family values, but they brought us a record-high divorce rate.
They advocated for higher education, but saved so little for their kids' college tuition that an entire generation is starting out their adult lives in deep debt to student loans.
They worry about how close their second home is to the lake, while their kids worry about whether they'll ever be able to afford a first home.
They whine about their pensions, but their kids don't even know what a pension is.
Dan Drezner is right. The Baby Boomers do need to get out of the way, and let Generation X finally get a chance to run with the ball. We have better ideas, fresher legs, and a lot of their work to finish.
03/24/2009
I hate it when people generalize about an entire generation. I am a proud baby boomer and I have never declared the uniqueness of my generation in the workplace, nor have I complained about my Gen-X colleagues' musical tastes, political apathy or pop culture. In my current workplace, I am participating in an extreme fitness challenge. Our team is called XYBoom...two people from each generation and we are getting along very well, thank you, on and off the job.
03/24/2009
Dr. Drezner took the words right out of my mouth. Gen Xers have always lived in the shadow of some other generation. We're like the middle child--on the one hand Gen Xers have to deal with the boomer generation who are not unlike bossy older siblings who push the younger ones around, tell them what to do, criticize them and take all the good resources (whether it be the first crack at the popsicles or the best jobs on the market). On the other hand, we have to deal with the Millenials (who are much like the youngest siblings) who are too young to care about the state of the economy and too busy texting to notice anyway, yet who grew up in the decade of the child and have such an inflated sense of entitlement that they are making unrealistic and unreasonable demands on employers--and unbelievably, they are getting exactly what they want from them, so much so that employers are seeking consultation on how to properly welcome millenials to their workforce and getting an education on their preferences and tastes (such as flexible schedules so they can sleep in). The Xers are like the middle kid who is stuck between two selfish, dramatic children. Yes, boomers need to move over and get out when they reach retirement age. While we're at it--Millenials need to wait their turn in line before taking all the interesting jobs that Xers have been waiting for. Excellent work, Dr. Drezner!
From IL, 03/24/2009
After our retirement savings and pensions were blown away by hotshots who were by no means all boomers, in fact the group was dominated by Gen-Xers with Ivy League MBAs, the professor wants us to just disappear. Sorry, no can do.
We are going to have to rebuild our savings. That means work, and not at menial jobs. We have to keep our hard earned positions so we have the resources to face a long future. And it is made more urgent because we fear people like the professor will happily default on the Social Security and Medicare contracts we have previously calculated into our plans.
The professor suggests we just downsize our plans to what is left of our savings. That's a non-starter. We've worked for 35 years, built the comfortable society that the professor wants to take over and we've sacrificed a lot to do it. Now we are not going to move into a poorhouse and disappear so that the professor can take over our earnings on his schedule.
The professor says if we don't run, he and his cohorts will make our lives miserable. Remember who is the boss in that battle. Not all Gen-Xers have tenure, professor. And yes, we will play that card.
Boomers had the luxury of having one of the most productive generations in American history as our parents. And we had to wait before we could build on their success. When we are ready, and when we feel things will be in good hands, we will move on. And not before.
From Portland, ME, 03/24/2009
Thank you, Ms. Song/Welland. You said this well.
These people, these people who call themselves generation y or x, have come to my attention for all this whining and contempt that they feel for "Baby Boomers," which they like harping on in their "blogs."
They are looking forward to our dying and going away. It's incredibly silly.
This guy, however, looks like he himself could be a baby boomer--could easily pass for 50. Perhaps this explains his petty bitterness.
These academics don't have to grow up, I guess.
From Northampton, MA, 03/24/2009
Mr. Drezner, I am older than you -- a so-called "baby-boomer," and I have been working for YOUR generation all my life, because women, especially older ones, don't get promotions at the rate of you men, especially you younger ones. Women don't make as much money as you men, women are often last hired and first fired, along with people of color. So we have to change jobs a lot, if we can. So we don't get raises, or move up, like you expect to. And inevitably, we are working under one of YOU.
Women artists and writers don't get support or gigs or work at the rate of you men. So men of all ages, like YOU, whining and aggressive (talking about "get out of my way"), have been OVER me always. If I believed in that sort of nastiness, I might tell YOU to get out of the way. Since I have learned the lessons of history, and know you don't EVER suggest that an entire group of people you happen not to like should "get out of the way," I won't join with you and tell you to get out of mine.
I'll just say: Look around at all the people on the street, all the hungry children in America, all the homeless men of many ages who won't be getting a promotion ever, and go help somebody. You'll feel better.
From Boston, MA, 03/24/2009
Yheaaaa Baby! Go Dan! Just what I needed to hear!
Jessie X - Well said. Good for us and the economy.
From Amityville, NY, 03/24/2009
One of the options I have to stimulate the economy is to allow for "early retirement" for us baby boomers who are within 5 years of retirement. I'm happy to give up my place in the job market.
As an aside, personally, I define baby boomers as those born between 1943 and 1953. Those born after 1953 belong to another generation and had a very different early childhood.
From hong kong, 03/24/2009
To the whiny Tufts professor: blow me. International Poly Sci.....how vital and needed today his wisdom is.
From Columbia, MD, 03/24/2009
It may be true that many a Baby Boomer isn't ready to -- or doesn't want to -- retire. Yet, I do not believe Mr. Drezner's claim that they'll continue to be in charge, an accurate one. Many Boomers will fight to maintain their positions, as they have done throughout their lives: a turf-oriented, squatting generation they are.
But, in generational theory and natural dynamics of societal cycles, when a gen reaches elderhood, it's time to shift its role in society. The role now for Boomers -- in politics, corporations and civic life -- is to do just this: to release their tight grip on power and to move *behind* GenX leadership in the role of wise counsel and experienced elder.
It is time for the well-honed GenXers' pragmatic, no-nonsense, nimble Get-it-Done-ness to be the primary value in businesses and organizations.
So, dear Boomers, we love you and need you in these times. But you need to move out of our way ... If you don't, you risk being marginalized. Your era to be in charge of HOW things get done is over, but we still need you to hold us on course to values and morals, a skill in which you excel.
You're still welcome to be in the clan. Just not at the helm. So, kindly, really, move over. It's for the good of us all.
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