Are we ready to face the silver tsunami? America's aging population is ushering in a crisis that demands our immediate attention, and it's time we take a hard look at the future that lies ahead. Join me, Annheete Oakley, on the Magnificent Ones Podcast, where we're not just sounding the alarm but also exploring the solutions necessary for a society bracing for the impact. As we dissect the economic implications of skyrocketing healthcare costs and inflation, we'll confront the transformation of the middle class and the growing vulnerability of our senior citizens. Prepare to engage in a vital conversation about the role of empathy and strategic planning in this new reality, and discover how we can collectively steer our nation towards a more secure horizon for all generations.
This dialogue isn't just about identifying problems; it's about taking responsibility and demanding action. We scrutinize the apparent disconnection between our government officials and the everyday struggles of Americans, questioning who will bear the financial burdens of an aging generation. It's a discussion that intertwines the practical with the emotional, as we reflect through music on our shared journey towards protecting the freedoms we cherish. By examining the size and effectiveness of our government and our role as active citizens, we aim to spark a fire under our leaders and fellow citizens alike. It's a call to arms, an episode filled with urgency and heart, beckoning you to join us as we search for solutions and solidarity in the face of a national concern that affects both the young and the old.
Are we ready to face the silver tsunami? America's aging population is ushering in a crisis that demands our immediate attention, and it's time we take a hard look at the future that lies ahead. Join me, Annheete Oakley, on the Magnificent Ones Podcast, where we're not just sounding the alarm but also exploring the solutions necessary for a society bracing for the impact. As we dissect the economic implications of skyrocketing healthcare costs and inflation, we'll confront the transformation of the middle class and the growing vulnerability of our senior citizens. Prepare to engage in a vital conversation about the role of empathy and strategic planning in this new reality, and discover how we can collectively steer our nation towards a more secure horizon for all generations.
This dialogue isn't just about identifying problems; it's about taking responsibility and demanding action. We scrutinize the apparent disconnection between our government officials and the everyday struggles of Americans, questioning who will bear the financial burdens of an aging generation. It's a discussion that intertwines the practical with the emotional, as we reflect through music on our shared journey towards protecting the freedoms we cherish. By examining the size and effectiveness of our government and our role as active citizens, we aim to spark a fire under our leaders and fellow citizens alike. It's a call to arms, an episode filled with urgency and heart, beckoning you to join us as we search for solutions and solidarity in the face of a national concern that affects both the young and the old.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Take a breath, let's dive in. Hello and welcome to the Magnificent Ones Podcast. I'm your host, anit Oakley. Thank you for tuning in.
Speaker 1:
Today's episode is about the aging American population, and what does the future hold for us? 10 years from now, 20 years from now, with healthcare costs on the rise, the cost of living never seems to be going down, but always going up. Be going down, but always going up. How will we meet these challenges later on down the road? Will the cost of bread be $50? Or will we have these issues solved by then? Regardless, no one's talking about these major issues that will plague us down the road. I think that politicians tend to be too nearsighted and they tend to shy away from issues that will plague us later on down the road. With that being said, I would like you to do as the introduction says to take a breath and dive in and, once again, thank you for joining the Magnificent Ones Podcast. If you had $33,000 40 years ago, that is the equivalent to making $164,000 as of 2023.
Speaker 1:
What is the middle class? All I can say is the middle class is truly dead. In the 1950s, the average household income was around $3,000 per year. The average home was around $5,000, which meant you could easily own a home. The average house at present costs around $450,000 in today's market the bare minimum of middle class today. No-transcript. Let's be real. Most of us just don't have that kind of money. We're not making that. The average household today pays between $6,000 to $8,000 per year for health insurance. That's a huge portion of their income going towards healthcare. Current inflation rate is around 3.75% and, of course, these matrices. You know metrics as they change.
Speaker 1:
I can't say that I have all the answers to everything. What middle class is, how much money it takes to be middle class all these numbers are ever-changing. However, I can say that the future is not bright. The cost of food is always surging. An apple was once 99 cents, is now three dollars in some places, is now $3 in some places. A bottle of water isn't cheap anymore. Your cheapest alternatives they are no longer the cheapest alternative. There was once a thing called the dollar store. Now they're the $1.50 store. Walmart was your cheapest option. Now that is not the case. Resources are in limited supplies.
Speaker 1:
Regardless, this episode is about the aging American population. In order to look at this topic, we have to also look at what's going around in the fields of economics and what the government is doing. What policies are in place to help those who cannot help themselves? One of the things that you've learned throughout history is that the most vulnerable in societies tend to be the elderly and children, those who cannot truly fend for themselves after a certain point, and that's why I think that the aging American population is a crisis, and it's something that no one seems to be talking about. These issues will reverberate for many more years to come.
Speaker 1:
What will we do when we have a large amount of people who are unable to work and they're just living? Who will pay for that cost? Will it be the very limited people who would be considered the middle class? Will it be the ultra-wealthy? Will it be the poor? Who will pay for those who cannot take care of themselves? Whose responsibility is that? Is it the government? Is it society? I cannot give you a definite answer, but I can say that at least we need to be talking about this, so we have various options to explore later on down the line.
Speaker 1:
They say that empathy is putting yourself in the place of others. Now I'd like you to ask yourself where will you be 30 years from now, those in government who would like to raise the retirement age to 70,. Meanwhile, they watch us barely get by. It's quite telling about our democracy. It's quite telling about our democracy. You see, democrats and Republicans. They fight about so many things in politics, yet they both seem to always agree on giving themselves a raise. They vote on when they get a raise. They vote on how much of a raise they get. Imagine you going to your boss one day and saying hey, this is what I want for a raise and this is when I want my raise. And your performance is inadequate. The American government is failing, and when they fail, we pay the price. And yet they get rewarded for their failure. They're not in touch with the American people and the daily issues that we all face and, as such, I find a great deal of issue with that, because, once again, education does not get adequate funding, yet you have politicians that take private jets to work every single day on the taxpayer's dime. Again, I'm not a politician, I'm just a concerned citizen that wants to know what are we going to do about the aging American population 30 years from now? Where will you be? Will you be retiring or will you be attempting to figure out what to do in order for you to get your life in order so you can retire. These are things that I don't have the answer for either, but I think we should get the ball rolling on possible options.
Speaker 1:
The government tends to be extremely short-sighted, and so are we, the people. The government merely is just a reflection of who we are as it stands. We are always finding reasons to be more and more divided, and the more divided we are, we tend to not look at the issues that are truly at hand. Now as it stands, there are around 350 million inhabitants in the United States. Life expectancy is around 80 years, and some people might say 80 years. That's a long time away, but if you really think about it, the issues are right now.
Speaker 1:
We are an aging population with fewer and fewer children. When we retire, who will occupy the jobs that we believe vacant, those job slots? I don't know. 17% of our population right now is around age 65 and older, and 22% of our population is 18 years and younger. 65% of our total population exists between 15 to 64 years of age and, with with medical advances, people are living longer. And if more and more people are living longer and fewer and fewer people are dying. Who will take care of that population that will not be working? I mean, think about this 30 years from now, more than half of the American population will be at retirement age or close to it, and that's a scary thought that no one is talking about. And if we don't talk about these issues, then how will we know possible solutions to remedy them issues and how will we know possible solutions to remedy them?
Speaker 1:
I don't have the answer to any of these things. I'm not an expert in an aging population or all of the possible things that will come about because of it. I do know that when there's a large amount of people that are not working, it creates a stagnant economy, it creates high rates of inflation, and what will we do in that situation where the cost of bread is $50, the cost of clothing is astronomical and the idea of owning a home is non-existent? A home is non-existent. Again, I am not an expert, I am just a person. But I am a person that is thinking, and I am thinking that this is a crisis.
Speaker 1:
Who will pay for the aging population? Will it be social security? Will that even exist? I surely don't think so. Not everyone has an IRA, a 401k, a pension, let alone what will be left for social security with so many people depending on it? Will the government raise taxes on everyone else? Will they tax the rich, middle class and poor in order to pay for those who cannot take care of themselves? What are the solutions? Healthcare costs will inevitably increase. The cost of living is already on the rise. Home ownership is next to impossible, and even if you manage to own a home paid off, the government can still tax you out of ownership due to high property taxes. Our population is aging and fewer and fewer people are having children. So who will take care of those who cannot take care of themselves 30 years from now, 20 years from now?
Speaker 1:
When recording this podcast episode, I didn't know what direction to take. Should I be a person that's a you know, sound like a conspiracy theorist, or a person that simply posed questions? And I chose that To pose questions for us to think about. We're getting older. How are we expected to enjoy life If we cannot even take care of those who can't take care of themselves? If we're taxed, to kingdom come, what will quality of life look like for everyone else? What are we supposed to do to meet this challenge head-on? I wish I had the answer to this question, but I can say that in the end, only the elderly will truly feel the cost in the end.
Speaker 1:
When there are hurricanes and natural disasters and there are more old people, when there are hurricanes and natural disasters and there are more old people than they are young, who will take care of those people? When there are not enough hospital beds, who will take care of the people? When there are not enough doctors per patient, who will take care of the people? When it's time to retire and the government says let's raise the retirement age, that means you have to spend most of your life working, and you work to the point in which you don't even get to relax the last few years of your life working, and you work to the point in which you don't even get to relax the last few years of your life because you're spending it working. That is no quality of life. That is literally working yourself to death Again. Only we, the people, will pay that.
Speaker 1:
So what can we do? Do we simply sit idly by while time keeps moving forward and we take no necessary steps to address this issue, which I do feel is a crisis. It's just a crisis that hasn't hit yet. I leave you is a crisis. It's just a crisis that hasn't hit yet. I leave you with this message in the form of a song. I may not know what to truly say to connect to every individual on this planet, but I know that music can sometimes draw us closer together, and so I had someone work on a song for this episode.
Speaker 1:
I may not be the best speaker there is or the most well-read, but I am one that cares about greater humanity. I care about the future, I care about the children, I care about the elderly. I want a world of endless possibilities for everyone, and so we have to hold those in power accountable for their actions. Maybe the solution is smaller government, or maybe it is the American people finally waking up one day and holding our politicians accountable and holding them to a higher level of conductive servitude. They're here to serve us. We're not simply here to be their piggy bank, for them to tax and to do as they please.
Speaker 1:
We make endless sacrifices, and so our government needs to do more. Our government needs to function and serve. It is up to us to ensure that our future is a great one. Democracy isn't free. Our freedom isn't free. Our freedom isn't free. We have, we can lose it all. If we simply take everything for granted, we will not stay young forever. We must live life knowing that we are mortal and we're either going to die old or we're going to die young, or somewhere in between. But regardless, it is up to each and every one of us to make this future a good one. So, once again, thank you for joining the Magnificent Ones podcast.
Speaker 2:
In the land of dreams, where stars used to shine, there's a tale of a nation aging with time. A melancholic melody whispers in the air as the years go by, with burdens hard to bear. Oh America, your golden days are gone, the Asian population forgotten and alone, alone, politicians in their castles with eyes that cannot see. So what are they doing for you and me? For you, and me.