General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Over all - was life better 50 years go today - or was it worse? [View all]hunter
(38,317 posts)My first few years in college were free and I often got grants and scholarships to pay for books and stuff.
My dad was a union member with an excellent health plan and he and my mom are now enjoying their retirement with comfortable pensions, Social Security, and good health care.
Meanwhile my wife and I live continuously on the edge of financial ruin, our credit rating has been destroyed by medical bills we often can't pay, and our kid's college expenses are something that would have been inconceivable when my wife and I went to school. Despite the fact that in "inflation adjusted" dollars my wife earns more than my dad ever did.
That's the "worse" now.
But there's a reason I fly my rainbow flag... as a weird kid and young adult I was an outcast and many of my friends and friendly acquaintances were outcasts too. The LGBT among them suffered more than I ever did. Too many died.