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mkhall:

tiffanyb:

Every generation thinks they have it worse than their parents.

In one important sense, they are right. There is always some new permutation of socioeconomic realities being challenged and the resulting “ways in which the old rules do not apply.” Kids grow up and realize that the way their parents…

In truth, hope and optimism don’t win elections and/or sell products*, so they’ve been largely marginalized, eliminated from the mass culture which informs the lives of the young. It’s the antithesis of the youth culture of the ’60s, when (naive, impractical) idealism ruled the day. Today we don’t help each other; each time a peer fails our own odds of survival go up slightly.

Cynical? Yes, much more than I was three years ago, and I absolutely hate it. I want my (naive, impractical) idealism back, damn it.

*If elections and products can be called different items.

I would argue that optimism is at the heart of all of Ronald Reagan’s political success, and that failing to recognize that is exactly where his party (and the opposition, for that matter) are getting themselves into trouble today. And let’s not forget about “Yes We Can.” Because apparently Obama has, and that’s disappointing too.

FWIW, I don’t disagree that we DO have a 1% problem. I think there are real, legitimate points the 99%-ers and the OccupyWallStreet-ers COULD be making with their actions, but are utterly failing to make. (It would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad that media interviews with the organizers basically say exactly that- they deliberately aren’t trying to make a particular point.)

Wouldn’t it be great if so much protest energy were devoted to saying anything like:

- The execs whose companies mismanaged basically the entire economy and then accepted bailouts from the mess they created for all of us should be held accountable in some way.

- The cost of a bachelor’s degree is wildly out of proportion with its economic value, and thus we need to rethink how we charge for, pay for, and distribute higher education.

That would probably be a lot more effective than “I have debt and no job and it sucks!” Yeah, it does suck. So what should we be doing about it?