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> The older, voting generation has voted, every time, to maximise their personal wellbeing at the expense of the younger generations

Did previous generations not do this as well, or is this unique to the boomers?

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I don't think so, but democracy is actually pretty new. It wasn't until the 60s in America where one could confidently argue that every man and woman could vote without major impediment. In 1920 women are guaranteed the right to vote by the Nineteenth Amendment. There was also a lot of war happening.

So could previous generations have done the same? Their generation just wasn't large enough. Then along came this crazy baby boom and suddenly there was this all-powerful voting bloc which has shaped the world.

No, previous generations tended to preserve the social contract of not fucking over their grandkids so they could go out to eat more and take more vacations in retirement.

Before they were called boomers they were called "generation me". It should hardly be a surprise that this is what generation me would do in old age.

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