The coming age of ageism

Another Progressive Blogger has put up a post that I feel I must respond to. It's a rare occurrence, but since I believe that I accurately fit the description of the people he's describing I can't help but respond and maybe try to clear up a few things.

Let Freedom Reign II: My two predictions for not-so-distant future

1. As climate change slowly becomes a reality to the deniers, expect those deniers outside Canada to be the first to invade our borders to escape the desolation of their lands. The battle will be titanic. Global warming could very well be the 'apocalypse,' but not in the way religious people think. Americans don't care if you're in their way. Plus, they have guns.

2. Ageism will become the new acceptable form of discrimination against a huge segment of the population over 60. I've already read too many insulting, disgusting articles from 'Millenials' and other ages talking about elders the same way Americans once talked about blacks.

Anybody over 60 will be held personally responsible for the degradation of the environment, the ruination of Iraq, the deterioration of women's rights and any other issue we on the left have been fighting so long. Like Obama, the aged will be held personally responsible for every catastrophe, every bad political decision, every war - all the things conservatives created and love. But it will be ALL our faults and we will ALL be attacked for the right's selfish, violent, sexist, racist, petulant, petty, sexually-repressed ideology for decades to come.

Ukraine?
Meh.

I definitely fall under point 2. I've written many articles where I call baby boomer's out on their shit. I don't disagree that ageism is going to become an accepted form of discrimination, but what I don't see is any exploration into why. I, too, have been forecasting the same thing, though I wouldn't myself call it ageism. For instance:

Canadian Trends: The real generational time-bomb isn't in pensions

You're damn skippy there is going to be some animosity about many of those issues, but what I don't see is any responsibility. All I see is blame laid on the "conservatives" but how many baby boomers do I see on the streets protecting their childrens' old age security at 65? Hmm? How many baby boomers do you see jumping up to sacrifice the standard of living they are in effect borrowing from their children? Baby boomers are going to be blamed because it is baby boomers who have benefited from it and continue to be perfectly happy putting all the responsibility on their children. Tailings ponds? Oh those will be clean in 15-20 years right! Climate change? Well, sure, but we need growth too.

This is not age discrimination. This will be anger at a generational theft the world has never seen before. I'm telling you baby boomers, if you don't want to see riots in your streets you'll have to really show that you're pushing hard for long term policy in your children's favour. If you think multiple generations are going to live in ever declining squalor while your generations' "investments" in homes has driven them through the roof with the help of historic low interest loans which though they may help you acquire more and more they ensure that any currency "saved" in the bank doesn't even keep up with an incredibly lopsided inflation I think you'll find you're sadly mistaken. Savings is what built you.

Job insecurity is prevalent amongst the lower generations as the baby boomers stood by and cheered as free trade shipped it all over seas. These events have unfolded over much time, with both Liberal, and Conservative governments in power and the new Liberal hero Justin Trudeau is no different, continuing to push free trade and "growth" for the banks at the populations - primarily the younger populations - expense. The ninja generation.

Oh yea, there is going to be anger. Just as there's been anger in Spain, Greece, etc where the problem that Canada is on the exact same path to repeat is much further along.

If ageism is happening then it's happening already. Right now. By the baby boomers, towards the younger generation, who criticize them while stealing from them simply by benefiting and allowing what's going on to go on. A generation that stood idly by while their children were beaten in the streets of Toronto because "economy". Because "world stage".

There will be anger and discrimination towards you, baby boomers, not because you created the problems, but rather because you left it up to the younger generations to fix them and no inheritance to do it with. There will be anger because attempts to fix the problems have been and will continue to be met by force and you will do nothing but prey your investments are ok. Oh yes, there will be anger.

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.