| Abstract: | One core contention of the generational equity argument is that elderly people are financially well-off. To support this argument, generational equity proponents compare poverty rates of elderly people to those of children in the United States demonstrating that elderly people enjoy a privileged position in terms of financial well-being as compared to other age groups. I argue that the measurement of poverty upon which this argument is based is grounded in faulty logic and incorrect assumptions. Therefore, the basis of this generational equity argument is invalid. I conclude that using poverty rates creates the impression of a conflict between children and elderly people drawing attention away from the continuing problem of discrimination against women and minorities. |
