Democrats Risk Losing a Generation to Cynical Libertarianism

[lbrtbell]

106. Jefferson lived to be 83

And today's young people aren't as stupid as people on this thread seem to think.

They're fully aware that they've been lied to by both parties, and smart enough to see what's wrong with our country.

The people who are stupid are the older people (politicians) who think this generation will mindlessly keep voting for people in both parties who are making things worse.

Like Generation X, this generation is smart enough to see that their future is being stolen, so they realize that their only alternative is self-reliance.

As a Gen X'er, I remember all my friends starting retirement accounts, because they feared Social Security wouldn't be around when they got old...or if it were, it wouldn't be sufficient to help them live comfortably. Well, guess which government program is being considered for chained CPI or whatever hidden cuts are being bandied about this week?

Gen X'ers weren't stupid, and neither are the millennials. They see what's happening, and truth breeds cynicism.

The only answer, as propsed upthread, is for the Democratic wing of the Democratic party to take the party back. The outpouring of votes for Obama in 2008 is proof that young people will gladly vote for true Democratic values. To hold those young people, our elected Democrats need to stick to those values.

But when Democrats allow things like excessive NSA spying, Obamacare (which is making employers hire part-time workers instead of full-time ones) instead of single-payer, the siren call of libertarianism starts to sound pretty good. Yes, we all know that libertarianism isn't all it's cracked up to be, but desperation and disappointment will drive people into some pretty dark corners. It's sort of like being caught in a storm, and the only shelter is a sewer; it may be a sewer, but at least you're out of the storm for a while.

We need real Democrats in office, not corporatist neoliberals. Real Democrats inspire loyalty, not disappointment.