I just spent the past week visiting several colleges ”” Auburn, the University of Mississippi, Lake Forest and Williams ”” and I can report that the more I am around this generation of college students, the more I am both baffled and impressed.
I am impressed because they are so much more optimistic and idealistic than they should be. I am baffled because they are so much less radical and politically engaged than they need to be.
Is it possible that what these students care about(building homes for the poor, helping in AIDS clinics, joining R.O.T.C.) IS important and what Mr. Friedman thinks is most important really isn’t?
Perhaps they are finally shaking off the cultural sickness which has afflicted Friedman’s, and my, generation? Considering how central validation is to most of them, this is no doubt troubling.
Why do they need to be radical? Has radicalism not caused enough damage for him? Does our society need to be further torn and weakened? Is there insufficient misery?
Andrew717, does Jesus strike you as an establishment figure?
Jesus’ sort of radicalism is the very sort Friedman thinks doesn’t count. He’s looking for political, leftist radicalism. Read the article.
Perhaps us “Generation Q”ers (as he refers to us) are biding our time until these leftover hippies die off and we can get back to some semblance of political reality. “Generation Q” has largely become cynical of politics because blustery politicos are just that: all talk and no action or substance.
History books will record that the Sixties Generation did huge damage to this country throughout the rest of their lives, whether in politics, the churches (viz, the demise of the Episcopal and other Mainline denominations as a result of institutionalized Sixties radicalism which replaced Christianity), honest intellectual study or discussion which was replaced by political correctness, and the loss of an ethical independent media which has now been replaced by political propaganda machines dedicated to “truthiness” from their philosophical point of view.
Hopefully, the younger generations are wiser and more practical than their spoiled, self-centered and rather foolish parents.
Well….He’s no Milton Freidman.
First–the deficit is shrinking rapidly: http://tinyurl.com/3dnczc
Second–There is no “Global Warming Problem” –it’s made up just
the hole in the ozone layer a few years back.
Third–The Social Security problem that he blames President Bush
for is a problem because people like him would not allow Mr.
Bush to fix the problem by privatizing SS. Noooo that would
Loosen governmental control.
Fourth–maybe the youngsters of today are not as politically active as he once was—because they have better to do. Like study.
Wake Up America
bl