What can new adults (18-25) do if they are frustrated by their "parents' politics?"?

Question

I feel like we've been left with quite a mess, and instead of whining I hope that we can take some action. I don't identify with any political party - to me they are all ugly old people in ugly old suits, and I feel like if any shred of "truth" exists, it's hard to find. How can we take ownership for what's going on? Where should we start?

Answer 1

From the 38 year old son of a Republican Baptist deacon (just so you know I wasn't raised a long haired-hippy... I just chose to become one).

1) Believe stuff: Evaluate what you believe (and don't), and how committed you are to it.

2) Know stuff: Like you are doing now, research, read the books, take the history classes, ask ugly old people in ugly old suits what they think, and be ready to filter it through what you believe.

3) Do stuff: Act on what you believe and know. Vote- especially in local elections. Stuff envelopes, spend a day on a picket line, challenge yourself and others. Say things out loud, and be ready to defend them.

I still have no idea what "truth" is. I know my wife is amazing and my kids are incredible. I'll hope that some great "New Adult" helps me with the truth.

Answer 2

Start 1st with the knowledge of what the elected person really can do. Know that like a large ship it takes time to even make a small change in direction. Realize that and item has to make economic sense for the power brokers to advance it; unless the politician is just attempting to buy your vote with someone else's assets.

Also realize that the government doesn't create wealth. It regulates the environment where the market works. Their policies can either facilitate or hinder wealth creation.

Here are 3 examples of policies that created wealth. Eisenhower's interstate Highway system - Both the rich & the poor could use the infrastructure to create personal wealth. JFK's challenge to go to the moon created the technology that our society takes for granted today. Reagan ended the cold war by concentrating the spending on weapons to a tight time frame. This bankrupted the USSR.

Before Japan redefined quality from meeting specification to durability the economy was kept running by planned obsolescence. Today innovation is the new form of planned obsolescence.

To keep an economy running consumption has to be the driving force. The only other way to get consumption is to create new consumers. At present we are exporting our jobs to hopefully get new consumers of our products.

There are 2 flies in the ointment the dwindling fossil fuels & the baby boomers' retirement bill. These 2 items are headed for a massive train wreck that could derail the 1st world's economy. The fossil fuel dilemma will either have to be fixed by going to nuclear power or changing the economics of Renewable Energy. Simply mandating a certain percentage of energy be supplied by Renewable Energy as of a certain date does nothing to change the economics. A major cost of Renewable Energy is the energy to produce the infrastructure. The other main cost is the land the infrastructure sits on. Unless the design of the infrastructure creates sell able spin-off benefits the consumer most pay the cost of the infrastructure in the form of skyrocketing energy bills.

Answer 3

LMAO...sounds like the same thing that your parents said when they were your age. "The 'man' is always screwing things up"; "The establishment is ruining the world". Listen to the lyrics of the music of the 60s and you'll hear the same message; different time. "...I want to change the world, but I don't know what to do..."[by the group, Ten years after]

Get involved with the candidates that you do support. Get involved with the agendas and the politics you support. If global warming is your agenda, sign up for it and work the issue. You'll be surprised how much people can do.

Things don't change overnight, but even the Titantic would have missed the iceberg if the ship has turned one degree over a long time.

Answer 4

Well, when you are a little older you will see things more clearly. When I was your age I felt the same way, but as life goes on things really start to come into perspective for most people.
The 18-25 perspective is not the one that should be running our nation, believe me. If you think this country is a mess, compare us to the rest of the world. Some of the worst things about the US, ( and the world), are either due to lack of individual responsibility, or disrespect for anyone except ones self.

Answer 5

It saddens me to realize that there are young people who don't know how difficult certain things used to be. They were not around in the days when black folks were getting lynched and could not legally vote, when teenage boys--our friends--were being sent to the other side of the world to fight and die in unjust and unnecessary wars, when young women were dying in Tijuana trying to rectify careless sexual mistakes, when gay men and women could get fired from their jobs if anyone discovered they were gay, when women made only half of what men made for the same work. Those of us who marched, organized, voted, demonstrated, alienated our parents, rode on Freedom Rides to the south to register black voters, were attacked by dogs, were arrested and sometimes killed, carried candles, attended funerals of our friends and our leaders and, in one case, four little girls killed in a racist bombing--we thought we were doing these things for you, the generation to come, and all the generations after that so that our children and grandchildren could have the freedom, opportunity and equality we were fighting so hard for.

I don't know if it's our failure as parents to tell you our stories or the failure of the history books and teachers, but somehow these battles have faded into the background of our present-day society and many of these accomplishments are now taken for granted without recognition of how hard it was to achieve them. For a lot of us who are now getting elderly, this is heart-breaking. It's as if the sacrifices we made were for nothing when we hear young folks talking about their election choices without understanding some of the dangers of turning back the clock and without hearing the warnings we are trying to convey. We were there--it was awful--you truly don't want to go there again.

Please give this some thought as you move into your futures, carrying our hopes and dreams as well as those of our country on your shoulders and in your hearts. Start with an issue that you have passion about and dig in. It almost doesn't matter where you start--just that you do something.

Answer 6

Register to vote and support the party or candidate of your choice.
When you get a little older you will realize that those ugly old people in those ugly old suits were a heck of a lot smarter than you thought.

Answer 7

Since history repeats itself, watch the history channel and get some factual basis for the current day situations.

Right now it feels to me like America is emulating the fall of the Roman Empire with all the same trappings.

Answer 8

If they were truly adults they wouldn't be at home or worried about anyone Else's politics. Take ownership, what a joke grow up, live in the real world awhile, you'll see the light and follow your own path and not expect everyone else to believe as you do or want them to believe. First clue there is no such thing as a perfect world.
TO EACH THEIR OWN
Get over your self
Did you notice almost everyone said grow up???????
get some experience???
Notice that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 9

Start Now, you start now, fix the problems of today, so your children wont be in the same situation you are in. Please, educate yourself before denying your parents thoughts. Learn all sides of the story. Gather information from all candidates. And really look into it. Speak out to your friends about your opinion., tell them whats going on.

This year, I will be campaigning for Rudy Giuliani. If you wanna help who you believe in do the same. I would encourage this for WHOEVER you believe in because it is important that you stand up for what YOU believe in, and not what others tell you believe in, like friends, family, or celebrities. Go make your difference, I encourage you even if you end up going against my candidates/political party.

Answer 10

First you need a law degree , or did you not know all politicians have Law degree's , which means they can argue about nothing all day long ,and make it look good . they know how to bend the truth around to make their own side seem to be right , which is what an attorney does ....basically to be a politician you have to become a smooth talking con artist crook who is out only to line your pockets .....No Offense to all the non political professional Attorneys....