Today's youth concerns me a lot

Yeah, I'm often in forums where there are lots of young people, and now and then they bring up things that make me want to throw up. Someone once posted a thread about global warming, most people said they think it's just some natural phenomenon. Someone posted a thread on illegal immigration, and many agreed that it's wrong simply because it's breaking the law. And recently someone posted something about how even if a starving person where to steal some food to survive, it's wrong regardless because that person is breaking the law and stealing, even a dollar from someone who has 20 billion dollars to save a life is wrong no matter what; and even stealing a bottle aspirin to help someone with a heart attack is wrong. And many others also agreed with that person and a couple even touted how great Social Darwinism is and how the rich should never be forced to give money to anything.

EDIT: Someone just said that if a person was dying in the desert of dehydration, and someone was selling water nearby, the water seller has no moral obligation to give the guy water because it's his money. And basically that it's morally alright to let someone die just to save some money.

And many of the people who agreed are atheists and support gay rights. I'm not saying that you're more likely to be a sheep if you are in a religion, but I find it ironic.

The "Third Wave" experiment was right, our youth really hasn't learned anything that would prevent another Nazi regime.

James Simon Kunen's feeling that he wanted to jump from high places has mellowed with age.

All that gyrating and hip twisting. Shameful! And things have gone steadily down hill since then.

...good luck in Tucson...it is spelled exactly wrongly...like Phoenix...oh well! There is a town in VA named Phenix...now THAT is American (or US American anyway)!

do much of anything useful. The number of people who can't cook, sew, fix a car, sew a button on a shirt, measure a room for carpet, etc., etc., is simply horrifying. What do they do all day? Don't tell me -- I know. They're either "friending" ppl on the computer, playing video games, or they're watching that wonderful educational invention, the teevee.

and the "fix a car" is for a certain value of fix. And it's "whittle" a stick. :wave:

My 11yo niece is often showing older relatives how to use the computer, how to use the Internet, etc.

They're not all like that. My daughter for one, who is 24 and has very liberal beliefs and ideas.

As the poster above pointed out, youth have been going to hell in a handbasket since ancient times.

sorts of ppl, of many different ages, who simply can't do anything. I don't expect them to crack corn or churn butter, but it sure would be nice if they could cook (would save them plenty of $$$), garden, or do other things that would be useful in their lives right now.

experienced. it is a grand experiment with our youth.

that is just a reality that the youth face today

yet still, too many people today would like to suggest nothing is different today than it was yesterday. nothing to worry, concern yourself with. nothing to discuss or address.

i dont know how, children facing so many different environmental factors today, we as adults can just pretend it is the same ole, same ole.

it isn't.

The authoritarian brainwashing starts early these days. I can still remember when I was sent to the principal's office in 8th grade (1981) because I turned around to see who called my name while I continued walking down the hall. That momentary act of walking backwards was observed as open rebellion by an authority figure (teacher). I can only imagine schools these days.

And kids should pull up their fucking pants...and get off of my lawn! Time for my pills.

Where in the world are you reading?

I strongly disagree with all of those statements. I'm fervently FOR illegal immigrants and reform of the immigration process. (My husband is an immigrant.) I think global warming has something to it. I would absolutely steal if it was benefiting someone in the end.

I'm only 21. I think you're right for fearing for my generation if those people are all you're talking to. I'm an atheist and I totally support gay rights.

It's funny, on almost every other website I go to, the crazy conservative religious folks are the older ones. Every now and then you'll find a young person who's a conspiracy theorist, but for the most part, we're not that bad.

I am here as an ambassador for the people born in the 80's and later. I promise, we're not all stupid sheeple idiots =)

on the mark about some young people. Well, maybe many. Well,I sure as hope not about all :P

I think its always been like that. When I was very young I thought every teenager in the world was a hippy from the way the relatives went on about them. It took a long time for me to realize that hippies were a relatively small number of people, that only a few people really bucked the system back then. People who don't conform and question things have always in the minority. It seems the majority of kids from every generation conform and adopt very conservative and close-minded attitudes.


Interesting to read your observations. Welcome. :hi:

After all it's just a handful of people, and it's not like it was a huge thread, and there are some people who did agree with me after all.

lives and may never have related with people who actually think and question things so kudos for getting into the thick and attempting a conversation.

Oh, and what annoys me is that even though there are many people on that site that agree with me (FYI the age range is 13-25, with some older folks including a 40 year old conservative Christian mother who eats conservative media garbage such as fearing that Obama really is connected to Muslim terrorists somehow)the people who are likely to become members of the Young Republicans club or rather Young Right-Wing Libertarians club are very vocal and make sure their opinions stand in the forefront. Which is typical behavior for that kind of ideology. Nevertheless I would have quit that place if it weren't for the people that supported me there.

On another website I'm on, I SWEAR to you...all of the conservative older folks are the ones screaming that the liberal youth are the brainwashed ones. I could talk all day about how many people have laughed in my face because I call myself a liberal. Someone even had the audacity to say "I bet you'll make a good conservative one day."

OMFG.

really felt stealing was wrong. lol.

but i put it to my kids when they were young. 5ish about stealing, is it always wrong. they say ya. (good for them). then i asked, and the man that steals bread to feed his kids cause they have no food?

was an excellent exercise to watch that boys brain work with that one.

but ya... to your post. youth is generally liberal and adult condescendly comment on when you get older.... but then there is a reason for that. people generally become more conservative as they age. i dont believe that it is as great as the conservatives make it. obviously. the number of older dems.

I've only been here a few days and I feel right at home here. It's made me feel a lot better about the generations before me lol! I was scared I'd turn into a crusty old curmudgeon when I turned 40.

:eyes:

So yeah I'm sorta in that group. But as a child of the 80's I kinda feel disconnected to the children of the 90's.

The older two especially catch shit in their RW public school for being progressives but they have learned to take it in stride and instigate some good conversation along the way. My greatest hope for them is that they are KIND and stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

She's only 1, but I have very high hopes for the future with my Libspawn in the mix ;D

I don't see that as a bad thing.

of life. but ya... i was impressed.

To them stealing something is breaking the law which is wrong, even if you used said object to save a person's life nearby with everyone watching. And yet these people also believe that being good because God wants you to be good rather than your own goodness is dumb.

And this is only because society is always progressing forward. It's not a smooth steady progression. We have our fits and starts, and little hiccups where we go backwards for a bit. But the overall trend is always forward. A generation makes its discoveries and contributions and the following generation benefits from that, and humanity is improved. Human nature being what it is, our perception always seems to be that the next generation is just so horrible. Past generations felt that way, too.

Throughout history the older generation has felt unfounded concern about handing over the reins to the youth of their society. I personally have no qualms about the next generation. They will make mistakes just as we did. They will also have their share of successes as we have.

The young people of this country are doing just fine and they do not worry me one bit.

And I agree with the ones that are saying that stealing is wrong. Go read Kant.

compared to other age groups, I think your post is complete BS. Far more old people believe all those things you said. Today's old people concern me a lot, because they're doing everything they can to fuck the remaining generations over before they kick the bucket. Selfish buggers.

Yeah I know I know, I made hasty generalization, but we shouldn't believe right off the bat that every 20 year old has automatically more liberal ideas, because they may be liberal in some things but not in others.

Kids and wingnuts. They both do it.

I'm 39, so I guess Gen X and not exactly young, but I don't agree with you about younger people. I think their generation is very open-minded, and much more tolerant. Maybe these were particularly angry people on forums?

That's quite the broad brush, Picasso.

But dammit there are things that keep me there...like Gaia-like avatars.

perhaps for the best.

what exactly have they done?

precisely. nothing...

What great changes did you generation inflict on the world by that time? Please, tell me how you wrested power, Zeus-like, from your elders and reshaped the world in your image. I'm dying to hear exactly how your generation's youth were relevant, and why it's for the best that you did anything.

induce nausea.

Plenty of young jackasses go through a Randist/Libertarian phase. Most of them grow out of it by the second or 3rd year of college.