"Where Is Our Radical Youth?" Washington Post Op Ed

[Absolutely Virtue]

washingtonpost.com

I read this today and thought it was very interesting. The author (Ron Charles) examines the bestselling books on college campuses, and wonders what happened to the idea of college as a breeding ground for radicalism. It's not a discussion of the merits of radicalism, mind you, but you can tell he's nostalgic for the Sixties.

The bigger point is that numbers show the kids are reading Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" books, or books by or about Barrack Obama. Vampires, mainstream politics, and Harry Potter (not on the list now, but obviously was) are not exactly likely to start a revolution.

The author blames typical things:

"Here we have a generation of young adults away from home for the first time, free to enjoy the most experimental period of their lives, yet they're choosing books like 13-year-old girls -- or their parents. The only specter haunting the groves of American academe seems to be suburban contentment."

And this gem:

"Perhaps this shouldn't surprise us. A new survey of the attitudes of American college students published by the University of California at Los Angeles found that two-thirds of the freshmen identify themselves as "middle of the road" or "conservative." Such people aren't likely to stay up late at night arguing about Mary Daly's "Gyn/Ecology" or even Robert Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.""

On the surface I thought it might just be apathy. After all, I haven't been on a college campus in years. But are kids just turning into junior-adults? You'd think that, given the current state of the country/economy/globe, kids would actually be MORE pissed. It's weird.

Anyway, Friday, bored, thought I'd share, etc. Curious what current/recent college students might think.

[Kuya]

Apathetic is, i think, the only word to describe it.

[GeneJackit]

Kind of a weighty topic beyond the surface...I think...maybe the younger kids dont have much to rebel against? Until recently (ie...these kids entire lives) the times have been pretty good to them...good economy, high standard of living, etc...so there wasnt much to be "radical" about...

I dont think you can rule out apathy either, b/c when has some group of people really changed the world?

Also, I think most kids grow up w/o thinking about issues like philosophy / politics...regardless of left or right...just really a minority of people really find those kind of topics interesting anymore

of course, ive been out of college for like 5 years now...but back then there wasnt like some vibrant radical community...most of my friends just thought those kinda people were lame

[Dimmauk]

http://www.angelfire.com/hi3/ideology/images/carlin.jpg

"Today's kids are way too soft. For one thing, there is too much emphasis on safety. Child proof medicine bottles, fire proof pajamas, child restrained car seats... and helmets! Baseball, bicycles, skateboard helmets. Kids have to wear helmets now for everything except jerking off! Grown-ups have taken all the fun from being a kid just to save a few thousand lives. It's pathetic. What's happening is that these soft fruity baby boomers are raising an entire generation of soft fruity kids who aren't allowed to have hazardous toys. Whatever happened to natural selection; survival of the fittest? The kid who swallowed too many marbles doesn't grow up to have kids of his own. Simple as that. Nature knows best. We're saving entirely too many lives in this country of all ages. Nature should be allowed to do its job of killing off the weak and sickly and ignorant people without interference from airbags and bating helmets. Just think of it as passive eugenics."

[0ni0n]

Kind of a weighty topic beyond the surface...I think...maybe the younger kids dont have much to rebel against? Until recently (ie...these kids entire lives) the times have been pretty good to them...good economy, high standard of living, etc...so there wasnt much to be "radical" about...

I dont think you can rule out apathy either, b/c when has some group of people really changed the world?

Also, I think most kids grow up w/o thinking about issues like philosophy / politics...regardless of left or right...just really a minority of people really find those kind of topics interesting anymore

of course, ive been out of college for like 5 years now...but back then there wasnt like some vibrant radical community...most of my friends just thought those kinda people were lame

I pretty much agree. In a developed country where safety and comfort are the norm, where is the urgency to grow up? Plus with the evolution of the internet, people can just blog or start a facebook group instead of forming a student body that champions a shared cause. It comes as no surprise that it's more subdued than it was in the 60s and 70s.

[guartz]

It's because the government dumps chemicals into the water to make them retarded and placid.

[tyven]

i was far too busy partying for 5 years. no chance i would open a text book let alone a book to inspire radical beliefs. pretty sure the nine thousand other kids at my university were the same way.

[GeneJackit]

Oh, and we are a pretty liberalized society...so, what are radicals (by radicals this article surely means liberals) supposed to ralley against?

Raising the minimum wage a quarter?

We should look at places like Iran and Saudi Arabia and wonder why the streets arent EXPLODING in violence and turmoil...thats where they need a revolution


EDIT: Not trying to suggest America doesnt have worthwhile causes to fight for, but really...its just all puny compared to other problems internationally

[Komm Suesser Tod]

Last 5 books I've bought: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett, Fahrenheit 451, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Small Favor by Jim Butcher, Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda.

Yeah, the whole "Twilight" series makes me want to rage, and the unadulterated popularity f it makes it all the worse. I mean, seriously? It's not even any good, it's poorly written, so overwrought and the story is both ludicrous and full of teenage drama. Auuggggghhhhhhhh...

I never see anyone reading anything good at school, always crap like the Twilight books or that kind of thing. Meanwhile, I'm reading things like Lolita and the like, and people have the gall to tell me that I should read something else, because all my books are boring.

Fucking fuck fuck fuck our future is doomed...

[guartz]

Could also be linked to complete commercialization of music.

[Kuya]

It isn't a coincidence that in the last 30 years the US has grown more conservative, the presidency has grown more powerful, depression has grown rampant, the working class has grown poorer, and lots of psychologists worry about a growing disconnection with reality as more and more people seem to be becoming less socially enabled. Not to mention as the political structure grows more complex, it has been argued that people feel less able to control the world around them, even their own government to the point of apathy.

edit: I also recall the PM of Ireland commenting on how people seem to also have grown nonchalant at human rights abuses worldwide.

[oldoldman]

Can we make this a last 5 books you read thread?

Mine in no particular order (I read a lot of books at once):

The Bible
The Qur'an
The God Delusion
Catch-22
The Grand Unified Theory of Classical Physics

[guartz]

I still say they are drugging us all.

[Elvis]

There are plenty of causes. From saving dolphins to stopping imperialism. I've heard people who were involved with the Vietnam anti-war movement/blah blah say that the turnout against the Iraq war was much greater.

One thing is for sure though, is that the protests for Iraq begun before we even went to war. With Vietnam it began much later.

People are really divided in this country. And that's a testament to how marginalized the public is in the mainstream.

I can't even watch news on television anymore. Blogging/independent media is much more informative and if you want to know something, you go research on your own and with ease.

[Absolutely Virtue]

I saw parallels to the state of popular music when I read the article, too, but I don't have the data to back it up. Just glancing at the charts might be enough, though. I don't pay any attention to that sort of thing anymore, but is there a modern equivalent to Public Enemy, NWA, Rage Against the Machine, or Minor Threat anymore? I don't think kids buy those kinds of records anymore, either.

[oldoldman]

Aren't we about due for another revolution?

[Elvis]

It isn't a coincidence that in the last 30 years the US has grown more conservative, the presidency has grown more powerful, depression has grown rampant, the working class has grown poorer, and lots of psychologists worry about a growing disconnection with reality as more and more people seem to be becoming less socially enabled. Not to mention as the political structure grows more complex, it has been argued that people feel less able to control the world around them, even their own government to the point of apathy.

edit: I also recall the PM of Ireland commenting on how people seem to also have grown nonchalant at human rights abuses worldwide.

The Overton Window, Illustrated | Corrente

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[guartz]

oh you guys are so smart for reading such hard books. How do you guys do it? Do you go sentence by sentence or word by word? Amazing.

[Kuya]

I commented this to Guartz once, and it was that as a society declines, the populace begins to turn to more introverted and personal methods of satisfaction. They care less for bettering the world around them, and more for bettering themselves, they care less about standards, morals, principles, and become more hedonistic. I say that what was once an idealistic but pragmatic attempt to take control of not just oneself, but one's government, state, and world has given way to materialism, commercialism, and excess. What better examples do we have than the seeming drop in quality in media that used to represent dissenting voice? Music, literature, and the seemingly impending death of the newspaper? Who do we concern ourselves with? Philosophers and politicians, or Hollywood stars? How do we fix our problems? With moral support and self determination, or pills? What does sex mean to us now? A method of bonding with others, or a method of selling merchandise? What kind of economy represents us? An economy of people who honestly believe in the good nature of capitalism, or financial vultures seeking to make money out of other people's money with no regard for whom they destroy?

I think we know what's wrong.

[Absolutely Virtue]

I encourage everyone to read The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I couldn't possibly give a stronger recommendation for a book. (it has nothing to do with radicalism, lol)

"Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best of the Month, September 2007: It's been 11 years since Junot Díaz's critically acclaimed story collection, Drown, landed on bookshelves and from page one of his debut novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, any worries of a sophomore jinx disappear. The titular Oscar is a 300-pound-plus "lovesick ghetto nerd" with zero game (except for Dungeons & Dragons) who cranks out pages of fantasy fiction with the hopes of becoming a Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien. The book is also the story of a multi-generational family curse that courses through the book, leaving troubles and tragedy in its wake. This was the most dynamic, entertaining, and achingly heartfelt novel I've read in a long time. My head is still buzzing with the memory of dozens of killer passages that I dog-eared throughout the book. The rope-a-dope narrative is funny, hip, tragic, soulful, and bursting with desire. Make some room for Oscar Wao on your bookshelf--you won't be disappointed."

It's like Mos Def narrating A Confederacy of Dunces. It is a heart-breakingly fantastic book.