RealClearPolitics - Articles - Boomer Generation Is in a State of Denial

WASHINGTON -- Born in late 1945, I say this to the 76 million or so subsequent baby boomers and particularly to Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, our generation's leading politicians: Shame on us. We are trying to pillage our children and grandchildren, putting the country's future at risk in the process. On one of the great issues of our time, the costs of our retirement, we have adopted a policy of selfish silence.

As Congress reconvenes, pledges of "fiscal responsibility'' abound. Let me boldly predict: On retirement spending, this Congress will do nothing just as previous Congresses have done nothing. Nancy Pelosi promises to "build a better future for all of America's children.'' If she were serious, she would back cuts in Social Security and Medicare. President Bush calls "entitlement spending'' the central budget problem. If he were serious, he too would propose cuts in Social Security and Medicare.

They are not serious, because few Americans -- particularly prospective baby-boom retirees -- want them to be. It's no secret that the 65-and-over population will double by 2030 (to almost 72 million, or 20 percent of total), but hardly anyone wants to face the realistic implications: