Much like a lot of Gen X, some of the older Millennials in my life (particularly the white working professionals) are parroting the age old mantra of “I don’t care about passing my skills on to the younger generations or helping those in need, no one ever helped me in my life.”. My response is always “That’s not a good thing!” because I never know what to say. Debate is not my strength.
My working class grandparents were never like this. They lived through the great depression and two wars and never wanted anyone to suffer as much as they did. I miss them and their kindness dearly. It’s only from boomers and younger that I’ve seen this attitude. Capitalism is crushing our instincts as a social species. If we can’t stand on the shoulders of giants… well then we will stop advancing as a species. We will stagnate and go extinct because the challenges we face now need all of us. It goes against everything that is human to be this alienated and antagonistic to one another. Particularly frightening is the hatred and contempt modern society has towards children.
This is not going to end well.
I appreciate all the people here, whether you’re 20 or 60, for not becoming the thing that hurt you. We need people with a soul more than ever.
It’s really sad. It’s like the material conditions making us unable to take care of children has alienated us from children in general.
Like the people who can care for children now either have them unplanned or are wealthy enough to do so and have some of the worst political views.
Then you throw in the way children are already treated like possessions and it gets that much harder to connect with younger generations.
It doesn’t make it right, and I want to support the people around me regardless of age, but times are desperate right now and capitalism incentivizes short- sighted selfishness and self preservation.
It makes me really sad because I can see the material conditions for younger generations are so much worse than mine.
I didn’t have mass shooter drills or a high school graduation on zoom. I had reliable resources I could access online without as much fear of predation. I didn’t witness depressingly clear public executions and climate disasters on my phone and then get told I needed to study more for a job that won’t be there.
They don’t need the false hope peddled by liberal politicians. They need solidarity from those of us who were where they are right now. Like yeah, shit sucks, but I want them to get through this and hopefully continue to fight for the better world that we know is possible.