Review of Intergenerational Theft
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Anita Hamid
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Review of Intergenerational Theft
[Following is a volunteer review of "Intergenerational Theft" by Daniel Harrison.]
Intergenerational Theft examines how the political decisions of successive governments and societal attitudes have contributed to the growing divide between generations. The book argues that successive governments have pandered to the baby boomer demographic through the use of policies that favor older voters to the detriment of the young. It discusses active ways in which the media have fostered the myth that younger generations have "never had it so good" and in that way obscured the economic reality that faces them.
It also explores the political power imbalance that has enabled such policies to prevail and attaches much importance to increasing political activism among younger generations to fight for their own interests. To politicians and economists alike, Daniel Harrison's book serves as a broad critique of economic and political decisions that have benefited the older at the expense of the younger. I love this book; it underlines the political manipulation and the short-termism that created the systemic inequality between generations.
What really impressed me was how the book shows how, in fact, this silent compact or unwritten working-age population supporting both the young and the elderly has been breached. This book argues that successive governments have pandered to the baby boomer generation for votes, introducing policies that have enriched the older generation at the financial cost of the young.
One of the poignant examples is the introduction of student fees and reduction of housing benefits, which rather disproportionally fall on younger people. This plot serves as a strong call to action for policy reform, which is one of the deep-seated political choices that have led to today's inequality. It was a well-edited book without mistakes.
The book could have drawn upon potential solutions in greater depth. Though the book does a very good job of diagnosing the problem, more often than not, it fails to go further in providing real policy recommendations. The book would be more than a critique but a roadmap for change if it included more developed, substantial proposals to deal with intergenerational inequality, such as concrete tax reforms or housing policies—through which one could feel empowered to advocate for specific changes in policy. Even so, for all those reasons, it is still not enough to make me decrease my rating to less than 5 out of 5 stars because it effectively exposes how the intergenerational social contract is broken and the pandering to the baby boomer generation.
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Intergenerational Theft
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Intergenerational Theft examines how the political decisions of successive governments and societal attitudes have contributed to the growing divide between generations. The book argues that successive governments have pandered to the baby boomer demographic through the use of policies that favor older voters to the detriment of the young. It discusses active ways in which the media have fostered the myth that younger generations have "never had it so good" and in that way obscured the economic reality that faces them.
It also explores the political power imbalance that has enabled such policies to prevail and attaches much importance to increasing political activism among younger generations to fight for their own interests. To politicians and economists alike, Daniel Harrison's book serves as a broad critique of economic and political decisions that have benefited the older at the expense of the younger. I love this book; it underlines the political manipulation and the short-termism that created the systemic inequality between generations.
What really impressed me was how the book shows how, in fact, this silent compact or unwritten working-age population supporting both the young and the elderly has been breached. This book argues that successive governments have pandered to the baby boomer generation for votes, introducing policies that have enriched the older generation at the financial cost of the young.
One of the poignant examples is the introduction of student fees and reduction of housing benefits, which rather disproportionally fall on younger people. This plot serves as a strong call to action for policy reform, which is one of the deep-seated political choices that have led to today's inequality. It was a well-edited book without mistakes.
The book could have drawn upon potential solutions in greater depth. Though the book does a very good job of diagnosing the problem, more often than not, it fails to go further in providing real policy recommendations. The book would be more than a critique but a roadmap for change if it included more developed, substantial proposals to deal with intergenerational inequality, such as concrete tax reforms or housing policies—through which one could feel empowered to advocate for specific changes in policy. Even so, for all those reasons, it is still not enough to make me decrease my rating to less than 5 out of 5 stars because it effectively exposes how the intergenerational social contract is broken and the pandering to the baby boomer generation.
******
Intergenerational Theft
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Rise of the Savior by Antoine Bonner
