Deficit, Debt, and Entitlements Well it's the group of people born between 1961 and 1981. It seems we have come to be called Xers simply because we represent something negative to our elders. We may be the one thing that all of the generations who currently precede us have in common. That is -- the ability to speak assuredly about our shortcomings. Of course, they overlook the fact that we are their responsibility, or actually their fault, our generation will be called upon to look after our parents knowing that they failed to look after us. Intergenerational justice failed somewhere along the way and it will be our task to either rectify it or make it worse. We are a group of individuals who grew up with no one at home after school. It appears we have little hope for the future. Almost no jobs, no homes, and basically no money are expected of us. These bleak prospects, along with the fact that we will be forced to support the largest amount of senior citizens ever, do not provide much hope. Some believe that these blockades will be too much for us to handle and we will for the most part fail at life, but many see our individualism and resourcefulness that have been built up through our childhoods as our saviors. We will soon discover who is right and who is wrong. In 1948, a family of four earning the median income would have paid no income tax and a mere one percent to social security. By 1955, income tax and Social Security would require nine percent, and by 1990 the combined tax burden was 25 to 28 percent. —Boiling Point The question whether one generation has the right to bind another by a deficit it imposes is a question of such consequence as to place it among the fundamental principles of our government. We should consider ourselves unauthorized to saddle posterity with our debts and morally bound to pay for them ourselves. —Thomas Jefferson It is extremely vital for everyone in our country to have a general understanding of the deficit, debt, and entitlement problems in the United States. Whether you are a member of Generation X, the Baby Boomers, the Silent Generation, or the Millennium Generation, the economical problems facing this country are going to play a role in your life. The kind of role it is going to play depends on which generation you belong to. Attention Generation X—We are getting screwed! The generations preceding us, your parents, are about to pass down to us the biggest debt in the history of America. This means we may be the first generation to experience a poorer living standard than our parents. This means we are taking on a serious burden that we had nothing to do with. This means, as a serving generation, we need to learn about our economical problems and demand action. When the author talks about generations in the first paragraph, he seems to