This cohort of people, generally defined as those born between 1945 and 1965, are globally pathologised as the source of most forms of economic and environmental distress. Constantly accused of living way beyond their means, the baby boomers are blamed for depriving the young of opportunities for a good life. They are condemned for thoughtlessly destroying the environment through their mindless pursuit of material possessions and wealth, as well as resisting change, hanging on to their power and preventing the younger generations from progressing.
In the late 1990s, Australian academic Mark Davis raised the banner of the anti-boomer crusade. His book Gangland: Cultural Elites and the New Generationalism (1997) accused the boomers of exercising a stranglehold over Australian cultural and economic life. From the perspective of this genre of j’accuse, the betrayal of the younger generations by the old is presented as the source of most of the problems afflicting society.
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