There are many things that have gone awry here...
Speaking as a 27 year old, I feel I have a unique perspective to offer to this discussion-turned-age-bashing...
I have mixed feelings about the future of MY generation (Generation Y)..
I see the difficult issues that the Generation prior to that (Generation W, derogatorily known as the War Generation ) experienced and over-came... (WWII, the Great Depression, The struggle of industrialization's impact on society)... With these troubling issues they "manned up" and pushed forward, and upon their completion their only wish was that their family be provided for and flourish... and flourish it did... Credit was given to build houses causing the boom that lead to the construction of our country, Their were many increases made to the societies well-being and quality of life during their time...
I see the generation before us (The Baby-boomers, Generation X), dealing with the difficult issues of their days (Vietnam, Cold War, Civil Rights... ect) and I feel they "manned-up" in ways that were extraordinary and revolutionary to our society... Credit cards were first made available and lent to this Generation and with them they bought new technology, which boomed at a pace that created new jobs and industries overnight... And the Baby-Boomers made the most of it for themselves...
As they began to age and have Children they have come, Rightfully so, eager to pass the torch down to us in much the same fashion as they seized it from the powers of yester-year, they want to see our generation fight and push our society further... but the world has changed since their time...
An economy that is faltering, a political atmosphere divided almost evenly between 2 evenly despicable feet-dragging parties, a credit crisis that has made lenders weary... an industrial slow-down resulting in the loss of American jobs and an unstable market-place, a war that has siphoned off excess funds and put our government into debt... all new and difficult problems that face MY generation (Gen Y)...
The world has simply not opened up for us, yet.... Gen X had the progressive movements of the 60's and 70's to establish itself effectively tearing the world open to them, Gen W was just thankful to finally live in a world not consumed with war and rest peacefully, MY generation has not had the catalyst added yet to show our true power and this is made ever so more difficult by the fact that we are often looked upon as lazy, needy, dependent losers...
In comparison to the generation prior to mine, perhaps we are more dependent then they were... its hard to afford life without work... its hard to push your way into a world that considers you a dependent... its hard to set yourself up without anything on loan... and its hard to leave a mark on a world that has become so crusted with the traditions of the past... We did not wreck this economy, others did, we did not outsource American jobs to save a dime, others did, we did not destroy the credit system by borrowing to much, others did... and now they want us to take over? so as to hold us responsible for not having dealt with these problems? that is a pass of the buck my generation is not willing to accept... IMHO
I still, however, hold my head up high and have not given up on those around me for the simple fact that we shall have our time in the limelight as well... the Boomer's can't hold the reigns forever, just as Gen W couldn't hold the reigns against them... Our struggle with not be one of global influence or peace (Gen W), or a struggle of youth and progressiveness (Gen X), but a struggle of morality and prosperity against apathy and complacence...
Sure, as one looks around my Generation they will see bad apples, some already rotting and some on their way to rot, but instead I see apples that haven't quite ripened into the future of our nation....
I see those too scared to try to bud out as they see the mess of the current world
olitically/Economically/Socially), I see apples that are apathetic towards finding the answers, and I see those who ultimately will if given the opportunity...
So I can agree with the OP, yes there are many of my generation still reliant upon their predecessors, but to call us losers is a vast overstatement, we simply have been stifled in our efforts to become our own...
PS. This is written with the utmost respect to all Generations, we all have our trials that have defined us, and we all have made the best decisions given our possibilities...