[mgh2]

Blame boomers, for you will become like them: grow or die. This is the harsh reality.

Should a doctor or nurse be paid as a restaurant or retail worker? Who is the "essential" worker? Look at the market, tech is becoming more essential, not services.

If you don't upgrade your skills and stay stagnant, you will be decimated. If you are young, you can still learn and adapt, change careers and industries.

You cannot afford to think like a boomer anymore: adapt or die. This is the harsh reality.

[Apocryphon]

And many have indeed adapted, by becoming rent-seekers or engaging in hustles to try to optimize over the rat race- hence the types of behaviors you denounce.

The market is far too irrational and complex to assign essentiality based on salaries or valuations.

You seem to be bringing up the hoary "learn to code" lesson, but plenty of people trying to make money in crypto or achieve FIRE are former coders themselves. In their view, they upgraded their skills.