Politics

Honestly as an older git.

The whole idea that the younger generation is not interested. Is hardly a new one unique to gen Z.

Pretty much every generation since the 1900 has been accused of this.

The only difference is how much change in culture each generation has had to face.

Honeatly pre 1900s. One generation did not face much change from that of their grandparents world. Since then each generation has seen more change then the last. As technical groth has sped up notable even in my 50 plus yeae lifetime. The changes have been notable.

But each generation. As they age a % develop interest in things to a higher level. Little indicates gen z are any different in this.

“As young people, we’re poised to inherit a world that needs thoughtful, informed leadership more than ever. But if we’re not even willing to watch a debate

I think it's fair to say that Gen Z has seen enough of both major parties to know definitively that neither of the two leaders up for the job are going to do anything meaningful to change their lives in a positive way. Their entire lives they've watched presidents of both parties promise to raise wages, improve health care and education, and spend less on war. Instead, they've watched both of their parents working full-time jobs while still finding themselves unable to provide for the family's needs and education.

And it isn't lost on them that when money for a war or corporate bailout needs to happen, it happens overnight, every single time. During COVID the government even made a few trillion we didn't have appear out of thin air overnight.

It's unreasonable at this point to expect Gen Z to care. Why waste a badly-needed day's work to vote when you have observed for your entire life that things stay consistent regardless of who's elected?

So much of our modern political system is poised around vibes, because that's all the older voters (seem to) really care about. If I had a dollar for every time I heard some variation of having a beer with George W, I'd have more dollars than I do now.

I think in contrast younger voters care about a vast array of issues very deeply, making engaging in politics a much more complex task that they probably don't have time for. Given that so much of the coverage consists of no-meaning political lines with no coherent policy right now, engaging in traditional ways is pointless until they stop having vapid "debates" and "interviews" with no content, and start forcing real policy discussion.

I think Bernie was popular with younger voters because he brought so few vibes and so much policy. I went to a Hillary rally and a Bernie rally during the primary in 2015 and the difference was night and day. Hillary talked about the positive feeling of continuing the Democratic legacy, while Bernie talked about sustainable agriculture and straw polled the attendees about wind power.

To be clear I bet this held true 50 years ago when our old voters were young too, no hate on the olds here, priorities change, though I hope mine don't. Also I wonder if this is all still true for the new young voters, most of my interactions are with millennials and gen z. My few interactions with the folks graduating now have been tainted by my old and out of touch self and by their (in my opinion) under-practiced interpersonal skills from covid years at home. Again, no hate intended.