THE country is in a mess. It’s got nothing to do with me. So who is to blame?

Aah! I know, it’s the elderly. The old age pensioners have got all the cash. While we’ve been facing austerity for the last 10 years, they’ve been living the high life.

The triple lock has sheltered them from the worst effects of the recession. They own their own homes and have savings.

But wait a minute, some are asset rich and cash poor, meaning their homes are worth a lot but they have little day-to-day cash. Some have no private pension and are living on a fixed income. For them it is a choice of eating or heating.

They also face growing social isolation, a technological world that has left some behind, a more vicious world where they can be victims of conmen and attacks. They are also likely to be living with a condition or ailment and face difficulties getting out and about.

For those who are physically able, they are often helping out their children and grandchildren financially and with such things as babysitting. An increasing number are working into their seventies, some to make ends meet, others just to see people in a fast-paced world where visiting folk is becoming more of a rarity.

Many over-75s will also have to fork out for a TV licence. Does anybody think this will be the last attack on ‘perks’ and benefits, bearing in mind they have paid into a system all their working lives which should help them in their old age?

So, if it’s not the elderly, it must be the young. That’s right, millennials, the so-called ‘snowflake’ generation. They spend all their time moaning and worrying about things, when they have all the advantages of a digital world before them.

Although if I think about it, it’s a lot harder growing up in today’s world than when I was young. Schooling was less stressful and we didn’t have student loans to repay. We could also buy property and a certain level of financial security meant there was less pressure on relationships. We’ve gone from one breadwinner in the 60s, to one person working full-time, one possibly part-time in the 80s, to now both partners in a relationship having to work full-time just to stand still.

And in today’s stressful world where there’s little time for yourself let alone others, they have the task of bringing up the next generation.

It’s easy to criticise the young, but they face a world where they will have to work harder for longer and for the first time since such studies began, they are likely to be poorer and not live as long as the generation before them. But despite this, they are trying to make a better world for future generations.

They are tackling issues such as climate change, diversity and social inequality.

Okay, okay, so by default it must be the middle-aged. It has to be them. They are the last generation to be in a job for life, have perks and look forward to a decent pension.

But hang on a minute, aren’t they the most stressed out of all groups? A number are looking after their frail parents and some are looking after their grown-up children, who can’t afford to fly the nest. Some are looking after both generations in the same house.

There simply aren’t enough hours in the day for this group, who feel they are being squeezed by all sides, socially and financially. Many find saving for their retirement difficult as they need the money now for so many things. The bank of mum and dad has never been so popular.

You could divide it down further into the battle of the sexes, minority groups, people from different backgrounds, etc, etc. But in the world’s fifth biggest economy, we shouldn’t really be having this conversation.

The only way we can move forward is if we stop playing the blame game, which gets us nowhere, and put pressure on the powers that be to make sure society is more equal for everyone, rather than the current practice of trying to take from one group to help another.