Virtual Isolation
01-11-2012, 05:43 AM
In honor of last nights monumental occasion, I decided to take some time to take some ideas I put down on paper weeks ago and assemble them into a piece. It ended up becoming much longer than I intended. Happy reading, if you have the patience to look through all of it!
This is my answer to the common question "why does the youth support Ron Paul", which I do not feel is fully answered by issues such as finance or the war. In short, this has been brewing for a long time and is not all that surprising if you look at political generalities.
For readers outside of the US, you may not be familiar with the generation terms I use in the piece. You are free to research seperately if you choose, but for basic knowledge, the generations go in this order (by when they "came of age", or became active voters/citizens): Greatest Generation (1930s/40s - my grandparents), the Silent Generation (late 40s/50s - Ron Paul), the Baby Boomers (60s/70s - my parents), Generation X (80s/early 90s), the Millenials (late 90s/2000s - me).
It has begun.
The moment that the elites of the boomer generation have feared for three decades: their children have started a rebellion.
Why do the young support Ron Paul? This is heard frequently and no one seems to have a consistent answer. Individual issues are part of it, for sure, but there is much more at work. This moment was inevitable when framed against the past. Ron Paul likes to refer to “blowback” when speaking on the unintended consequences of hastily-made foreign policy decisions.
Many may call the movement a revolution or a restoration of the Republican Party. In reality it is neither; this revolution is a form of generational blowback.
The parents of the baby boomers, the “greatest generation”, came of age during the worst economic times in the 20th century and then served as the foot soldiers of the largest war in human history. Afterwards, they suddenly found themselves with the keys to a lone superpower. It has been said that “with great power comes great responsibility”, but the warriors of World War II did not ask for the responsibility they were given. The greatest generation set out to ensure that the world would remain free from the horrors of war, and that their children would not suffer as they had during their youth.
The policies of the greatest generation had good intentions, and allowed the United States to become extremely prosperous and wealthy. It also turned it into a land of conformity and fear: of the foreign specter of communism and nuclear war. The military policy of containment was established during this time, attempting to prevent the spread of socialism and communism around the world. The United States would get involved in a large proxy war against the Soviet Union, resulting in foreign conflicts in Korea and Vietnam.
Their children, dubbed the baby boomers, had good intentions too, at first. They were provided the world, but forced into a restrictive and uniform society; their parents had become too strict, too restrictive, and over reactionary. Their generation was forced into an unpopular foreign conflict against their will and felt their personal freedoms were being suppressed. In an ultimate act of rebellion, they adopted parts of communist and socialist philosophy as their own and began a massive cultural and political revolution. The errors of their parents, in the end, would be corrected through the good power of government.
The modern Democratic left was borne out of these radicals of the late 60’s. The modern neoconservative Republican right was later formed from “reformed” individuals from the same group. When the latter transitioned, however, they did not drop their main characteristic: the use of government power to force their own will on the entirety of America. They became drunk with power and drove the vast expansion of the size and scope of federal and state governments, and began to do whatever possible to hold onto control and ensure their own future.
When they began to have children, the millennial generation, in the 1980s, the desire for control intensified. Education and media became highly regulated and controlled. Schools began to force social values on their students, and made issues of happiness and self-esteem more important than basic education. Not only would the boomers protect their children from the problems in the world, but they would also protect them from themselves. The millenials would become the first generation of American children to be mass medicated for “behavioral problems”… by their own parents. It could be said that the boomers even intended to protect themselves from their own children.
The boomers even abdicated their own responsibility towards their children and willingly began to pass that power onto local, state, and federal governments. In an ironic sense, this opened the window for change to take root. If they had been paying more attention, the rebellion might have never begun.
The millenials would have grown up to be very different if it was not for their predecessors, the so-called “generation X”. Gen Xers never were subjected to the controlling policies of the boomers during their youth and never had a universal cause to rally around, so they became largely independent and scattered. As a result, they never became a powerful political force in the United States apart from aiding the 1992 presidential election of Bill Clinton. Their independence of thought, however, gave birth to many forms of modern technology, the most important being the internet.
The Gen Xers were the primary architects of the internet, but the millenials were the first adopters. It eventually became the source for everything that the boomers wished to insulate their children from; a vessel for the forbidden, the risqué, the unknown. Infinite information was available on demand, ranging from mankind’s greatest virtues to its worse elements. It was an exhilarating escape from the controlled content that they received on a daily basis, and they relished in its freedom.
The children of the boomers were promised a world with infinite potential and equality for all regardless of background, and indoctrinated to expect it. The real world has not been so kind. They have been called to serve as the soldiers for foreign wars with no victory condition and will be taxed into oblivion to support insolvent social programs. Public schools have plummeted in quality of education and failed them. Easily available student loans for college, promised to allow them to achieve their dreams, have saddled them with debt before taking a single step into the workforce. After completing school, they have been faced with another bleak reality: unemployment for people aged 18-29 is an unfathomable 45 percent. The future promised by their parents was an illusion.
The election in 2007/2008 marked the point where the millenials were in large enough voting numbers to become a powerful force. They knew things were rotten, and the clearest target was the Bush administration. They pinned their hopes for change on a young, articulate candidate that caught their eye. Three years later, the situation has worsened, and many of these voters have begun to realize that they have been deceived by both sides, at their own expense.
At the same time, a philosophical shift began to form at the other end of the political spectrum. Modern conservatism and institutionalized liberal indoctrination gave rise to individuals that craved both the economic freedom promised by Republicans and the personal freedom promised by Democrats. Unlike their parents, these individuals were never members of the Democratic Party and held a natural distrust for government that only grew stronger. Ultimately, both political factions of the boomer generation contributed to the genesis of the rebellion.
In the 2007 primaries there was a candidate that began to catch the eye of the youth through the freedom of the internet, but in small numbers. He spoke unconventional thoughts and theories to the common man: the poor financial situation was due to the manipulation of the currency, America’s military adventurism was bankrupting the country, and personal rights were being eroded at an alarming rate. His solution to all of the problems? Liberty and freedom. The youth were familiar with the taste of freedom, and listened closely to his grandfatherly stature. Over time, his followers grew in number and began to unleash their passion and creativity.
Disenchanted members of the millennial generation have continued to convert as the message has spread. Many members of generation X, fearful for the future of their own children, have begun to join in large numbers. Even members of the boomer generation have discovered the error of their ways and joined the march for liberty. Four years after it’s inception, this small movement has quadrupled in size and is now a national political force capable of singlehandedly controlling the outcome of the 2012 presidential election. The “fringe” has now become the present and future of the Republican party.
Why does the youth vote support Ron Paul? Their parents have used the power of government in an attempt to control and regulate their lives from birth. These actions have driven the country bankrupt and eroded personal liberties in the name of safety. For those familiar with the concept of blowback, the conclusion is simple: they want the ability to determine their own destiny. In shorter words, they want out.
Freedom is powerful and limitless. The powerful and elite across the world will see it firsthand, for the United States is only the beginning. The message of liberty will continue to spread internationally at a moment’s notice and will lead the world into a new age of peace and prosperity for all who desire it.
In the end, it is odd that the man the millennial generation has placed their devotion upon is a member of the “silent generation”, the smallest and least powerful generation in the second half of the 20th century. The greatest generation dominated the country before they came of age, and the boomers have dominated long after. It is possible that the most iconic figure and only sitting president from this generation may be a humble doctor from Texas who has been a lone wolf in the political wilderness for 30 years. For a group dubbed the “silent generation”, this seems strangely fitting. Perhaps their voice will be heard after all.
This is my answer to the common question "why does the youth support Ron Paul", which I do not feel is fully answered by issues such as finance or the war. In short, this has been brewing for a long time and is not all that surprising if you look at political generalities.
For readers outside of the US, you may not be familiar with the generation terms I use in the piece. You are free to research seperately if you choose, but for basic knowledge, the generations go in this order (by when they "came of age", or became active voters/citizens): Greatest Generation (1930s/40s - my grandparents), the Silent Generation (late 40s/50s - Ron Paul), the Baby Boomers (60s/70s - my parents), Generation X (80s/early 90s), the Millenials (late 90s/2000s - me).
It has begun.
The moment that the elites of the boomer generation have feared for three decades: their children have started a rebellion.
Why do the young support Ron Paul? This is heard frequently and no one seems to have a consistent answer. Individual issues are part of it, for sure, but there is much more at work. This moment was inevitable when framed against the past. Ron Paul likes to refer to “blowback” when speaking on the unintended consequences of hastily-made foreign policy decisions.
Many may call the movement a revolution or a restoration of the Republican Party. In reality it is neither; this revolution is a form of generational blowback.
The parents of the baby boomers, the “greatest generation”, came of age during the worst economic times in the 20th century and then served as the foot soldiers of the largest war in human history. Afterwards, they suddenly found themselves with the keys to a lone superpower. It has been said that “with great power comes great responsibility”, but the warriors of World War II did not ask for the responsibility they were given. The greatest generation set out to ensure that the world would remain free from the horrors of war, and that their children would not suffer as they had during their youth.
The policies of the greatest generation had good intentions, and allowed the United States to become extremely prosperous and wealthy. It also turned it into a land of conformity and fear: of the foreign specter of communism and nuclear war. The military policy of containment was established during this time, attempting to prevent the spread of socialism and communism around the world. The United States would get involved in a large proxy war against the Soviet Union, resulting in foreign conflicts in Korea and Vietnam.
Their children, dubbed the baby boomers, had good intentions too, at first. They were provided the world, but forced into a restrictive and uniform society; their parents had become too strict, too restrictive, and over reactionary. Their generation was forced into an unpopular foreign conflict against their will and felt their personal freedoms were being suppressed. In an ultimate act of rebellion, they adopted parts of communist and socialist philosophy as their own and began a massive cultural and political revolution. The errors of their parents, in the end, would be corrected through the good power of government.
The modern Democratic left was borne out of these radicals of the late 60’s. The modern neoconservative Republican right was later formed from “reformed” individuals from the same group. When the latter transitioned, however, they did not drop their main characteristic: the use of government power to force their own will on the entirety of America. They became drunk with power and drove the vast expansion of the size and scope of federal and state governments, and began to do whatever possible to hold onto control and ensure their own future.
When they began to have children, the millennial generation, in the 1980s, the desire for control intensified. Education and media became highly regulated and controlled. Schools began to force social values on their students, and made issues of happiness and self-esteem more important than basic education. Not only would the boomers protect their children from the problems in the world, but they would also protect them from themselves. The millenials would become the first generation of American children to be mass medicated for “behavioral problems”… by their own parents. It could be said that the boomers even intended to protect themselves from their own children.
The boomers even abdicated their own responsibility towards their children and willingly began to pass that power onto local, state, and federal governments. In an ironic sense, this opened the window for change to take root. If they had been paying more attention, the rebellion might have never begun.
The millenials would have grown up to be very different if it was not for their predecessors, the so-called “generation X”. Gen Xers never were subjected to the controlling policies of the boomers during their youth and never had a universal cause to rally around, so they became largely independent and scattered. As a result, they never became a powerful political force in the United States apart from aiding the 1992 presidential election of Bill Clinton. Their independence of thought, however, gave birth to many forms of modern technology, the most important being the internet.
The Gen Xers were the primary architects of the internet, but the millenials were the first adopters. It eventually became the source for everything that the boomers wished to insulate their children from; a vessel for the forbidden, the risqué, the unknown. Infinite information was available on demand, ranging from mankind’s greatest virtues to its worse elements. It was an exhilarating escape from the controlled content that they received on a daily basis, and they relished in its freedom.
The children of the boomers were promised a world with infinite potential and equality for all regardless of background, and indoctrinated to expect it. The real world has not been so kind. They have been called to serve as the soldiers for foreign wars with no victory condition and will be taxed into oblivion to support insolvent social programs. Public schools have plummeted in quality of education and failed them. Easily available student loans for college, promised to allow them to achieve their dreams, have saddled them with debt before taking a single step into the workforce. After completing school, they have been faced with another bleak reality: unemployment for people aged 18-29 is an unfathomable 45 percent. The future promised by their parents was an illusion.
The election in 2007/2008 marked the point where the millenials were in large enough voting numbers to become a powerful force. They knew things were rotten, and the clearest target was the Bush administration. They pinned their hopes for change on a young, articulate candidate that caught their eye. Three years later, the situation has worsened, and many of these voters have begun to realize that they have been deceived by both sides, at their own expense.
At the same time, a philosophical shift began to form at the other end of the political spectrum. Modern conservatism and institutionalized liberal indoctrination gave rise to individuals that craved both the economic freedom promised by Republicans and the personal freedom promised by Democrats. Unlike their parents, these individuals were never members of the Democratic Party and held a natural distrust for government that only grew stronger. Ultimately, both political factions of the boomer generation contributed to the genesis of the rebellion.
In the 2007 primaries there was a candidate that began to catch the eye of the youth through the freedom of the internet, but in small numbers. He spoke unconventional thoughts and theories to the common man: the poor financial situation was due to the manipulation of the currency, America’s military adventurism was bankrupting the country, and personal rights were being eroded at an alarming rate. His solution to all of the problems? Liberty and freedom. The youth were familiar with the taste of freedom, and listened closely to his grandfatherly stature. Over time, his followers grew in number and began to unleash their passion and creativity.
Disenchanted members of the millennial generation have continued to convert as the message has spread. Many members of generation X, fearful for the future of their own children, have begun to join in large numbers. Even members of the boomer generation have discovered the error of their ways and joined the march for liberty. Four years after it’s inception, this small movement has quadrupled in size and is now a national political force capable of singlehandedly controlling the outcome of the 2012 presidential election. The “fringe” has now become the present and future of the Republican party.
Why does the youth vote support Ron Paul? Their parents have used the power of government in an attempt to control and regulate their lives from birth. These actions have driven the country bankrupt and eroded personal liberties in the name of safety. For those familiar with the concept of blowback, the conclusion is simple: they want the ability to determine their own destiny. In shorter words, they want out.
Freedom is powerful and limitless. The powerful and elite across the world will see it firsthand, for the United States is only the beginning. The message of liberty will continue to spread internationally at a moment’s notice and will lead the world into a new age of peace and prosperity for all who desire it.
In the end, it is odd that the man the millennial generation has placed their devotion upon is a member of the “silent generation”, the smallest and least powerful generation in the second half of the 20th century. The greatest generation dominated the country before they came of age, and the boomers have dominated long after. It is possible that the most iconic figure and only sitting president from this generation may be a humble doctor from Texas who has been a lone wolf in the political wilderness for 30 years. For a group dubbed the “silent generation”, this seems strangely fitting. Perhaps their voice will be heard after all.