Millenials are the New Statists

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op...-50645727.html

"Next month, as the class of 2013 moves into the dorms, Wisconsin's Beloit College will release its annual "Mindset List." The list is that much-forwarded email that always makes you feel old--the one that includes horrifying factoids like, "for today's college freshmen, GPS navigation systems have always been available," and, "there has always been Pearl Jam."

More horrifying still, soon they'll all be able to vote.

The generation born from the late 1970s to the early '90s has been called "Gen Y," "GenNext," and "the Millennials." Its name is Legion. But whatever name they go by, and despite their image as web-savvy individualists, when it comes to politics, young voters are as collectivist as they come.

In May, the Center for American Progress released a lengthy survey of polling data on Millennials, concluding that they're a "Progressive Generation," eager to increase federal power."

In 2008, the nonpartisan National Election Study asked Americans whether "the free market" or "a strong government" would better handle "today's complex economic problems." By a margin of 78 to 22 percent, Millennials opted for "strong government."

Kids today are a credulous bunch. The 2007 Pew Political Values survey revealed "a generation gap in cynicism." Where 62 percent of Americans overall view the federal government as wasteful and inefficient, just 42 percent of young people agree. No wonder, then, that GenNext responds to President Obama's call for "public service," roughly translated as "a federal paycheck."

[click link for more]

My take: it's amazing that a generation of kids that have seen the Katrina response disaster, the Iraq and Afghan war quagmires, the bankrupty of social security, medicare, and other entitlement programs, a government-engineering financial crisis and trillions in bailouts to wall street, and a 2 trillion dollar deficit can characterize government as efficient.

A Reddit thread that demonstrates this is here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/com...plan_dropping/

People are actually congratulating each other over choosing a government service that would be subsidized by taxpayers over the private service where taxpayers are not leeched.

Ours is simply the dumbest generation ever.

I think something that's contributed to this ignorance is whereas in the past, older people were more valued and their experience was something that was taken into account, this ignorant generation has grown accustomed to getting their views spoonfed by mass media, and getting to pretend they know better than their parents in the process.

I've never identified with my own generation while growing up.

Young Americans that believe government can solve problems should have a look at Europe as well, and ask why such a large portion of highly educated Europeans emigrate to the US after they're done with their education. Answer: They're running from big government.

Even though our generation has the most information at our fingertips ever, we are no doubt the most ignorant.

let's face it - the media are part of the problem here, with lies of omission and commission. how does one get the full story if it's not being told by the channels that are being seen?

you have to search for the truth, and first you have to learn that you need to do
that and how important it is that you do that before you will do that consistently.

this generation is just applying what they have been taught by the education system and the media.


lynn

I thought a generation (demographically speeking) was considered 16-17 years. As in baby boomers (famously defined as 1946-1963, or WW2 thru JFK), Gen Xers (1964-1980, Beatles invasion to election of Reagan), Gen Y (1981-1998, MTV to Clinton-Lewinsky scandal), and Millenials (1999 to mid-next decade). The article is sliding the years around and shortening the cycle in putting millenials at '70s-to mid '90s.

I don't see this. Who's been driving this whole movement? Probably 80% of any generation doesn't know about shit one way or the other. Maybe that's who they're talking about. But it's the people who are actually engaged who will end up controlling the discourse. What's the percentage of politically engaged "Millennials" who believe in "strong government"?

The same generation whose support and interest has consistently amazed Ron Paul? I guess it could just be pandering.....

The majority (but not all) of the baby boomers are to blame IMO - they generally see their only mission is to get their kids into college - no need for kids to become free thinking and independent and business minded - the college safety net negates any such need. And if non-parenting boomers weren't bad enough, the road to college is paved w/ indoctrinating government schools. If they haven't been indoctrinated by liberal collectivism by the time they get to college, they will by the time they get out. The anti-science, anti-reason, pro-bigotry, pro-big spending, pro-war, pro-torture, pro-Patriot Act "conservative" Republican party doesn't exactly seem like a better choice than the statist Democrats. The kids won't know of the existence of the Libertarian Party b/c there is no media coverage, and the Millenials, like most people, mostly only care about being entertained and can't be bothered to go looking on their own for alternatives to the 2-party monopoly. Personally, I didn't have an interest in politics and thought both parties were full of shit when I was in school, and only found out about the Libertarian Party somewhat by chance during my first election where I was old enough to vote (2000).

Folks are folks and every generation has its cross section. Younger ones may not have crystalized their feelings into a cogent philosophy, but every generation has its cross section. Some may be too young to have seen through the brainwas--er, I mean the 'officially approved body of information', but every generation contains a similarly wide variety.

This is another attempt to divide us. Oh, I'm sorry coincidence theorists. This is just another attempt for 'them' to understand 'us' by making up labels and trying to stick individuals in boxes, completely ignorant of the fact that in so doing they're potentially dividing us against ourselves and therefore not doing it for that reason.

I really don't know what to say to this, kinda skeptical, but emazur's explanation makes sense.

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This is another attempt to divide us. Oh, I'm sorry coincidence theorists. This is just another attempt for 'them' to understand 'us' by making up labels and trying to stick individuals in boxes, completely ignorant of the fact that in so doing they're potentially dividing us against ourselves and therefore not doing it for that reason.

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Why don't you elaborate on who "they" are. The public school system, the college industrial complex, our elders, or a bunch of old white guys sitting in a dark mansion puffing on cigars?

I don't have a problem with conspiracy theorists, I'm just annoyed by the people who turn it in to a religion, who automatically believe the "NWO" is behind every little thing that happens. Whatever answer they get from asking "who benefits", is the only evidence they need, so it is no wonder they think the NWO has god like powers.

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Originally Posted by Andrew-Austin

Why don't you elaborate on who "they" are.

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At the immediate moment, the author of the article that claims we shouldn't trust anyone under thirty.

Is there a grander plan behind it? Hmmm...

http://www.fordfound.org/

http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ...Foundation.htm

http://orfaleafoundations.org/

Takes a little reading between the lines, but it's there, and not all that subtle. And there are more where they came from.

Oh, and don't forget these charming people. I'm amused to see them actually mention the Tenth Amendment...

http://www.ed.gov/policy/landing.jhtml?src=rt

The kids of the Depression Era generation wanted their kids to have the stuff they couldnt afford....They begat and raised a spoiled , self indulgent generation known as the Baby Boomers.

The Boomers became even more affluent than their parents, and begat the current crop of spoiled brats.

But, unlike the boomers, the Milenialls wont be able to achieve the prosperity that their parents did....but they still demand it. They think the state can provide it.

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Originally Posted by max

The kids of the Depression Era generation wanted their kids to have the stuff they couldnt afford....They begat and raised a spoiled , self indulgent generation known as the Baby Boomers.

The Boomers became even more affluent than their parents, and begat the current crop of spoiled brats.

But, unlike the boomers, the Milenialls wont be able to achieve the prosperity that their parents did....but they still demand it. They think the state can provide it.

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You paint with a mighty broad brush. I can easily find you a host of boomers and their children within two hundred miles of me that do not fit in your simplistic little mold.

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Originally Posted by acptulsa

You paint with a mighty broad brush. I can easily find you a host of boomers and their children within two hundred miles of me that do not fit in your simplistic little mold.

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im speaking in general

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Originally Posted by emazur

The majority (but not all) of the baby boomers are to blame.

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Your mom is calling you. Better turn off your PC, go upstairs and see what she wants.

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Originally Posted by GreenCardSeeker

Ours is simply the dumbest generation ever.

I think something that's contributed to this ignorance is whereas in the past, older people were more valued and their experience was something that was taken into account, this ignorant generation has grown accustomed to getting their views spoonfed by mass media, and getting to pretend they know better than their parents in the process.

I've never identified with my own generation while growing up.

Young Americans that believe government can solve problems should have a look at Europe as well, and ask why such a large portion of highly educated Europeans emigrate to the US after they're done with their education. Answer: They're running from big government.

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I agree with this entire post. I have never been able to identify with my generation either. The good news is that policies being implemented by the large central governments now will only serve to bankrupt them. The entitlement generation is going to be in for a rude awakening. Government only takes, it doesn't make.

I have a feeling that once some of the sociliast states collapse (both in the US and Europe), people will start rethininking the welfare state as a viable government model.

The vast majority of other college-age people I've met are essentially fascists without realizing it. They believe the government is always right if they're even aware at all of anything its doing and support total government control of anything and everything. Obedience and socialism have been drilled into them by everything around them from the day they were born. Everything in school and on the almighty tube.

Then they go to college to smoke weed and learn more complex rationalizations for their own slavery that they barely understand and if they don't drop out they're still unemployed with a worthless degree, a head full of statism and a mortgage but no house. I'm terrified of what these people are going to do when the economic situation gets worse.

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Originally Posted by Endgame

The vast majority of other college-age I've met are essentially fascists without realizing it. They believe the government is always right if they're even aware at all of anything its doing and support total government control of anything and everything. Obedience and socialism have been drilled into them by everything around them from the day they were born. Everything in school and on the almighty tube.

Then they go to college to smoke weed learn more complex rationalizations for their own slavery that they barely understand and if they don't drop out they're still unemployed with a worthless degree, a head full of statism and a mortgage but no house. I'm terrified of what these people are going to do when the economic situation gets worse.

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Same here. Nearly, everyone I know who is my age that is politically active is a socialist/fascist. Look no further than what comments on most political sites are.

I too am not sure what is going to happen when the economy worsens. Many of the new socilaists have gone through their entire lives having everything being given to them, and being told they are entitled to stuff and that luxuries are rights. What will happen when government can no longer provide?

We sure are living in some interesting times.

Y'all can thank government schools for this outcome.

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Originally Posted by Fozz

Y'all can thank government schools for this outcome.

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Then college which trains the teachers to be more statist which trains the next generation of youth and so on... this won't end well, though this movement gives me a little hope.

This is why Young Americans for Liberty is so important

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...US-millennials

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Originally Posted by timosman

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...US-millennials

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Yeah but Millennials aren't 'young' anymore, says people who know. They've been displaced by Gen Z for a few years now.

Making fun is one thing, judging people based on when their parents fucked is pretty collectivist, and just as retarded as horoscopes. (Where is probably way more important than when.)

Besides, Millennials and Gen Z's children will be transgenerative. They'll claim whatever generation they feel like, and we'll have VR to take them there.

I hate when people bump old threads. It just shows me how many of the older posters are no longer posting.