The program was part of the thought
provoking New World series, with this edition looking at the demographic
challenges facing the world.
Looking at the British situation, Willetts
made out his old argument that young people are being denied due to the
largesse of past generations – specifically the baby boomers, who had it all.
What is more, they continue to thrive with generous pension provision and
universal benefits, like winter fuel allowances, travel concessions and free TV
licenses.
Willetts believes that the elderly must
give these things up to help the younger generation. He baldly stated that the
triple lock on the state pension which sees increases of the greater of the
rate of increase in earnings, prices or 2.5% cannot be afforded anymore. The
cost argument was also applied to universal benefits.
Willetts and supporters of this
intergenerational argument go on to say that with people living longer, they
should be forced to work longer and retire later.
The whole argument is wrongheaded at many
levels.
First, there are poor pensioners, as well
as poor students. Reducing the argument down to younger people don’t have
houses, decent jobs and free education because the older people have it all is
simply wrong.
The reality is that with 1% of the world’s
population holding much of the wealth, the remaining 99% are forced to struggle
by on what is left. This division cuts across demographic boundaries, effecting
both old and young.
It is interesting that it is usually people
like Willetts, Ian Duncan Smith, former Work and Pensions Secretary, Ros
Altmann, former pensions minister and members of the Parliamentary Work and
Pensions Committee, who tend to be part of the 1%, that argue things like the
triple lock and universal benefits cannot be afforded.
Frankly, in the fifth largest economy in
the world to argue that decent pensions and welfare cannot be afforded is
risible. The underlying agenda of this group seems to be that people are mainly
here to serve their class. This means working longer for less and ideally dying
in work without drawing a pension at all. Then the 1% class can continue to
live comfortably supported by ordinary working people. Notably, the age for
retirement is edging up toward 70 – the place where it started when the state
pension was introduced in 1911.
The argument about people living longer is
also questionable. Yes the baby boomer generation may be living longer than
previous generations but what of those who come after. They are the fast food generations
that already boast record levels of obesity. There is also the growing focus on
sedentary work, based around computers for increasing numbers of people. Add in
the wide geographical differences in life expectancy, with someone living in
Middlesbrough living a lot shorter life than a resident of Kensington and the
idea that everyone is living longer is to put it mildly questionable.
The problem with Willetts and others who
constantly seem to try to ferment this intergenerational conflict is that they
bring the debate down to a race to the bottom. One group of society is set
against another – this time young versus old. The present government are past
masters of the approach - setting worker against benefit claimant, indigenous
against migrant and deserving against undeserving poor.
Intergenerational solidarity is what is required
in the face of those who seek to divide young and old. Remember in most cases
the pensioners that Willetts and co seek to penalise are the grandparents of
the youngsters struggling for education and housing.
Pensions
and universal benefits can be afforded for the elderly and everyone else.
Students should have free education, young people should have houses. All these
things are achievable with a little realigning of society. Ofcourse, in order
to pay for such a society those from the 1% might just have to part up with a
bit of their huge largesse but that is the price to be paid for a more stable,
happy and secure world
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