Boomsday Paperback – May 16, 2008

If you're reading this, you probably already have a glimmer of the plot of Chris Buckley's amusing political satire. The action is set in the political world of the not-so-distant future, many of its cultural trappings recognizable now. As the cost of Baby Boomer Social Security benefits threatens to break the backs and banks of younger workers, a young blogger named Cassandra Devine leads a generational rebellion. She proposes "voluntary transitioning" - that is, tax breaks for elderly Boomers who agree to commit suicide by a given age, thereby relieving rising Social Security costs. Even within this satirical context such a ghastly idea is too far out there to be treated earnestly, so she maintains that she is simply trying to provoke discussion. The concept, however, catches fire, and soon has a Senatorial sponsor and much media attention.Much in Buckley's satire has the ring of hilarious truth, wittily retold: for example, the pompous trumpets and kettle drums that usher in each broadcast of Greet the Press. Similarly resonant to political junkies is the corrupting role of an elderly advocacy organization, here a Boomer offshoot acronymed "ABBA," but clearly recognizable as the AARP. By the time ABBA has its way with Devine's proposal, it's even more budget-busting than current law. The Boomers are to be showered with more drug benefits and tax breaks, while their "voluntary transition" would be at too advanced an age to save much money. It's a familiar scenario in Washington, where AARP is forever wading into the Medicare and Social Security debates out of ostensible professed concern for fiscal prudence, only to emerge each time with more expensive programs than before.Similarly pitch-perfect is a conversation that Cass has with a Boomer friend about the Boomers' limitless capacity for navel-gazing. She sarcastically asks him where he was when JFK was shot, prompting yet another self-absorbed recitation of his and his schoolmates' stunned reaction to the event (which Cass, impatiently, cuts off.) The book has consistent fun with the irresistible target of Boomer narcissism. If truth be told, however, the problem with Boomers and Social Security isn't that they're more selfish than other generations, it's just that there are too many of them. Generations earlier than the Boomers took far more out of the program than they put in, even relative to the Boomers.Other elements of the novel ring less true: The under-30s respond far too readily and unanimously to Cassandra's calls to action, when their real-life counterparts have been a diverse generation that doesn't assert themselves as a unified political force. Under-30s simply aren't manipulated en masse by the simplistic tactics of Cass and her allied Senator.The novel, though fresh and hilarious in many places, doesn't lack for clichés. Pompous, blowhard, secretly-libidinous Southern Baptist pro-lifer? Check. Dirty-tricks-spinning President? Check. Unlikely romance between cultural opposites? Check. The material is fresher near the beginning of the novel, and drifts further into banality in the later pages.The novel nevertheless provides interesting food for thought for those interested in Social Security policy. Tongue-in-cheek though Cassandra's proposal is, Buckley's novel understates, if anything, the difficulties that await younger generations. The tortured methodology of Social Security Trust Fund accounting makes it unlikely that the situation will be transparent enough for under-30s to effectively rebel against. In Buckley's novel, by contrast, resistance is spurred when the Senate votes to raise the payroll tax to fund Boomer retirements. In real life, the situation would be far less transparent, and more pernicious: the federal government wouldn't need to overtly raise the payroll tax, but starting in 2017, would have to find other additional revenues to pay off the massive debt claimed by the Social Security Trust Fund. As a result, young workers would likely see their income taxes raised to pay for the massive cost of boomer entitlements, without the government needing to be forthright as to why. Same economics as in Buckley's novel, but less transparency. Young workers may have little idea what is hitting them, and politicians are unlikely to own up.Particularly daunting is the fact that the overall fiscal situation is worse than even Buckley's exaggerated novel indicates. Cass says in one passage that she's run the numbers, and if only 20% of Boomers "voluntarily transition," Social Security will be solvent. In reality, about 30% of future benefits are unfunded, meaning that not only would 30% of the Boomers need to decline benefits, but so too would every succeeding generation. Buckley's novel, amazingly enough, understates the problem.Buckley's novel is light, funny, and shines a bright light on a serious issue. It's only a matter of time before the movie comes out. Because of its subject matter, it has the chance to be a more important political satire than its lightness would otherwise justify.

So much of this insane novel seems relevant today (2023), that I had to check the copyright date more than once!

If you follow politics, if you are intrigued by the foibles and follies of what passes for our federal government, then you have probably found Christopher Buckley before now. I certainly hope you have and if for some reason he is a new author to you, then you have much entertaining reading ahead.It doesn't really matter what you politcal bent is, Buckly is hard on all aspects of the political spectrum with his satire.Buckly has taken on varying scenarios of the Washington scene in past books. Their titles fairly highlight the topic. Boomsday however, took a little while to understand where he was going. The title refers to the generational warfare that is waiting slightly down the road as the Baby Boomers start retiring on Social Security in droves and those in their wake have to basically work the rest of their lives to fund the retirement of those ahead of them. (President Bush has pointed out the problem. The Democrats, before Bush was elected, agreed it was one also. Since that happy moment, the Democrats have gone tone deaf and the problems with Social security continue to fester)That's where Buckley comes in...several years down the road...another President in office...almost no one paying attention to the impending disaster involving Social Security.Cass Devine, however, is paying attention. A mover and shaker at a Washington PR firm, she also runs a BLOG under the name of Cassandra. On it she devises a most unique way to solve the problem. It involves "voluntary termination" with government incentives. All of that and much, much more gets wrapped up in one of the strangest presidential elections in history.I'm not going beyond that with my description of the story. It is flat out funny, biting satire with moments of truth slipping in. The Boston Globe calls Buckley an "authentically comic writer." Tom Wolfe says he is "One of the funniest writers in the English language." They are masters of understatement.Buy it. Read it. Enjoy it.

Good tale

I enjoyed reading this topical book because it combines the financial crisis currently evolving around the world resulting from the imminent retirement of the baby boomer generation and the resultant impact on future generations with a real incite into the nature of politicians and there 'real' motives.The characters were both likeable and beleivable.

Eine sehr lebensnahe Satire wie sie sich jeder Zeit abspielen könnte. Auf die Spitze getrieben, aber konsequent durchgezogen. Ich habe sehr viel gelacht, sehr menschlich, sehr nachvollziehbar, ein wirklich gelungenes Werk. Und wieder ein grosser Seitenhieb auf die Politik. Sehr lesenswert.

I have had this book for years. I'm sure others found it engaging, but, I am having trouble just getting through it. The idea is sound, but, I'm not sure. I just can't finish it...

Im Buch wird unterhaltsam beschrieben, wie man das soziale Gefüge wieder ins Lot bringen kann. Nicht immer ernst gemeint aber regt zum Nachdenken an.