I thought I was writing an interesting column about demographic changes and structural forces in the economy, but “the pig and the python” struck a nerve. America’s Boomers told me so.
The piece argued that the U.S. economy is like a python that swallowed a pig when boomers entered the housing and labor markets in the 1970s, and that bulge is still moving through. Boomers, boosted by falling interest rates, rising asset prices, and better health, are staying longer in big houses and senior jobs, leaving less space for younger families to buy homes or move up at work. They also dominate the presidency and the Senate, with little sign of relinquishing control. As a group, they hold a disproportionate share of the houses, high‑status jobs, and institutional power—and they’re hanging on to all three. That’s great for them, suffocating for the generations behind them, and it provokes strong reactions all around.
