America was once a place where people believed that they could work hard and improve their lot in life. Well, it appears that dream is mostly dead. Read this article and observe the lack of optimism for America's future: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110503/ts_yblog_thelookout/optimism-about-future-for-american-youth-at-all-time-low.
Besides the fact that most people are right, what else is deeply disturbing about this article?
This paragraph: "Older Americans were much more pessimistic about the future than younger ones. Among those between the ages of 50 and 64, just 36 percent said they expected younger Americans to have a better life than their parents, and among those 65 and over, just 37 percent did. By contrast, 57 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds said they expected their lives to be better than their parents'. Among Americans aged 30-44, 45 percent agreed with that view--a total just about in sync with the results as a whole".
Question: Why are the Boomers much more pessimistic about our futures than we young people are?
I have a theory: it's because they know they screwed things up for young people in terms of destroying our image in the world, creating massive liabilities that we will have to pay for (e.g. Social Security and the public debt), and screwing up our education system so badly (in terms of quality and price) that we young people will not be ready to compete in tomorrow's economy.
In short, I believe the Boomers may feel a little bit bad. But, I doubt they feel bad enough to do anything about the problems they created. I seriously doubt they are willing to cut their retirement benefits or raise taxes on themselves. I do not believe they will help us when we finally wake up and realize our education system sucks. Basically, I do not believe they will fix the messes they created.
And, I believe that will impact how the Boomers will be remembered. The generation that did a lot to push minority and womens' rights forward will not be remembered for those actions. They will be remembered for their partisan bickering, their refusal to serve in Vietnam, and their unfettered licentiousness. Mostly, though, the Boomers will be remembered as the generation that financially and morally bankrupted America because of their selfishness and unwillingness to make small sacrifices.
So, Boomers, do you want history to remember you as the most selfish generation the USA ever saw? If not, you should make things right. Fix America's debt problems, the education system you screwed up, our entitlements, and our image in the world. If you do not fix the mistakes you made, I can promise you this: history will not remember you kindly and we young people will make sure of that.
Showing posts with label Youth Movement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Youth Movement. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Stop Screwing Yourselves (Part IV): Get Engaged in Politics
The main point of my blog is to inform, and, hopefully, inspire young people in terms of caring about political events. All too often I hear my fellow youths talking about how political happenings are irrelevant to their lives, and that they can't do anything to change the political sphere anyway. The first claim is crap, and the second one is sort of legitimate, but mostly crap.
Political events going on today will impact everyone's future well-being (and present livelihood). For instance, let us just look at the enormous public debt our country is facing. Right now, some of our leaders are working on a deficit reduction plan. I am guessing that this plan will include budget cuts and maybe some tax increases. Clearly, people who are affected directly and indirectly by the soon-to-be cut government programs will be affected; additionally, the people who have to pay higher taxes will be affected as soon as the taxes are implemented. Now, all of this will add up to a lower amount of spending in this country, and that means there will be fewer jobs for the unskilled and uneducated (young people and college students) soon. Just check this out: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/02/teen-joblessness-may-hit-record-summer_n_856619.html. Contrary to your beliefs, young people, you are feeling economic pain now and you will be feeling the pain of the political (and economic) process in a few weeks.
Furthermore, because whatever deficit reduction plan our government creates probably will not do anything to dent the total public debt (accumulation of all the deficit years), we are going to be screwed in the future. We will be screwed over down the line because we will have to pay higher taxes, deal with massive government reductions, or default on debt (or some combination of the three). This curtailing of our economic futures will be the result of failures today, just like the fiscal issues of today are a result of the political failures of the past.
In short, current political events affect many lives now, and will affect everyone in the future; oftentimes political mistakes will add up over the years and punish citizens in the future economically because it costs more money (due to inflation and interest) to clean those errors up. That is why I want you all to pay attention and get involved now.
As for the claim that we young people have no influence on political events, do you people not remember the 2008 presidential election? About 24 million people under the age of the 30 voted, with 18 million of those going for Obama. Those 18 million votes put Obama in the White House.
In addition to voting, young people can get involved in politics in terms of corresponding with political organizations. We can get in contact with lobbying groups and other organizations (such as the College Democrats and Republicans).
Additionally, we can write to our representatives and voice our concerns. For instance, I know right now that a Facebook group ("Forgive Student Loan Debt to Simulate the Economy") is planning a massive e-mail campaign that will send all our Congresspersons messages discussing the state of higher education financing.
So, fellow young people, you can get involved in politics if you want to. And, in my opinion, you all need to. Our futures are on the line and I think we all should be adamant about getting a fair deal.
Political events going on today will impact everyone's future well-being (and present livelihood). For instance, let us just look at the enormous public debt our country is facing. Right now, some of our leaders are working on a deficit reduction plan. I am guessing that this plan will include budget cuts and maybe some tax increases. Clearly, people who are affected directly and indirectly by the soon-to-be cut government programs will be affected; additionally, the people who have to pay higher taxes will be affected as soon as the taxes are implemented. Now, all of this will add up to a lower amount of spending in this country, and that means there will be fewer jobs for the unskilled and uneducated (young people and college students) soon. Just check this out: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/02/teen-joblessness-may-hit-record-summer_n_856619.html. Contrary to your beliefs, young people, you are feeling economic pain now and you will be feeling the pain of the political (and economic) process in a few weeks.
Furthermore, because whatever deficit reduction plan our government creates probably will not do anything to dent the total public debt (accumulation of all the deficit years), we are going to be screwed in the future. We will be screwed over down the line because we will have to pay higher taxes, deal with massive government reductions, or default on debt (or some combination of the three). This curtailing of our economic futures will be the result of failures today, just like the fiscal issues of today are a result of the political failures of the past.
In short, current political events affect many lives now, and will affect everyone in the future; oftentimes political mistakes will add up over the years and punish citizens in the future economically because it costs more money (due to inflation and interest) to clean those errors up. That is why I want you all to pay attention and get involved now.
As for the claim that we young people have no influence on political events, do you people not remember the 2008 presidential election? About 24 million people under the age of the 30 voted, with 18 million of those going for Obama. Those 18 million votes put Obama in the White House.
In addition to voting, young people can get involved in politics in terms of corresponding with political organizations. We can get in contact with lobbying groups and other organizations (such as the College Democrats and Republicans).
Additionally, we can write to our representatives and voice our concerns. For instance, I know right now that a Facebook group ("Forgive Student Loan Debt to Simulate the Economy") is planning a massive e-mail campaign that will send all our Congresspersons messages discussing the state of higher education financing.
So, fellow young people, you can get involved in politics if you want to. And, in my opinion, you all need to. Our futures are on the line and I think we all should be adamant about getting a fair deal.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Stop Screwing Yourselves (Part I): Secondary Education Failures
I have decided that it is time for me to talk about problems we young people are creating for ourselves. Sometimes, people need a metaphorical boot to the loins from someone who knows their struggles, and I believe I am an appropriate person to kick some youths' butts due to the fact that I am young. The Millenials and Gen Z'ers need to get their acts together in terms of one of the largest problems facing us as a nation: our abysmally large high school dropout rate and the general apathy of high school students. If our young people fail to wake up academically, the long-term consequences for our futures could be catastrophic.
Approximately 25% of all high school students in the USA will drop out at some point before graduation (see: http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Grad-Nation/Building-a-Grad-Nation.aspx). The current graduation rate of 75% is about 10 points lower than the OECD average. Nations with promising futures (such as Korea) have graduation rates almost 20 percentage points above our fair nation's rate.
What really bothers me about that high drop out rate is that, in general, high school today is not hard as measured by national standardized tests (like the SAT). The SAT is designed to measure college readiness (or how much students learned in high school). Let's look at what should have been learned in high school as assessed by the SAT: http://www.universitylanguage.com/quiz/SAT/. Compare those questions to the questions a high school graduate and prospective student at Harvard in 1899 would have had to deal with: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/education/harvardexam.pdf. Quite a difference in difficulty and expectations, eh? If you are a high school student and you are planning on dropping out because "classes are hard", just remember what you would've dealt with in 1899. That should put any ideas of dropping out to rest.
Even more troubling than the low graduation rate is the fact that high school students do not seem to be learning anything. In terms of reading and scientific comprehension, American high schoolers are mediocre compared to other OECD countries. As for mathematical knowledge, the USA's students are far behind their counterparts in countries like China and Korea (see: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/12/46643496.pdf).
This trend of illiteracy in mathematics is discouraging. Mathematics is one of the languages in our reality (I have not figured out yet if math can completely describe reality) and it is unreasonably good at describing our universe. Our future ability to compete in the world economy will be directly related to today's youths being able to succeed in mathematics and math-based disciplines (such as engineering, physics, and computer science). So far, it looks like our competitors are winning the battle for mathematical and technological superiority.
However, I have some encouraging news for you high schoolers struggling with math: Archimedes, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Leonard Euler all spent hours every day studying math (Google those names if you do not recognize them). If it took those geniuses hours of diligent study to understand mathematical topics, it is no surprise that it takes you a lot of time as well. So, do not be discouraged if you can't figure out a problem; the giants of math I just mentioned struggled at times, too. Just keep trying.
In sum, high schoolers, it is time to stop screwing around. Get off your computers, turn off your iPhones, open up your trigonometry books, and get working on using that unit circle to derive the tangent function's graph. You will be at it for a while, just like the great mathematicians of the past were.
Approximately 25% of all high school students in the USA will drop out at some point before graduation (see: http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Grad-Nation/Building-a-Grad-Nation.aspx). The current graduation rate of 75% is about 10 points lower than the OECD average. Nations with promising futures (such as Korea) have graduation rates almost 20 percentage points above our fair nation's rate.
What really bothers me about that high drop out rate is that, in general, high school today is not hard as measured by national standardized tests (like the SAT). The SAT is designed to measure college readiness (or how much students learned in high school). Let's look at what should have been learned in high school as assessed by the SAT: http://www.universitylanguage.com/quiz/SAT/. Compare those questions to the questions a high school graduate and prospective student at Harvard in 1899 would have had to deal with: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/education/harvardexam.pdf. Quite a difference in difficulty and expectations, eh? If you are a high school student and you are planning on dropping out because "classes are hard", just remember what you would've dealt with in 1899. That should put any ideas of dropping out to rest.
Even more troubling than the low graduation rate is the fact that high school students do not seem to be learning anything. In terms of reading and scientific comprehension, American high schoolers are mediocre compared to other OECD countries. As for mathematical knowledge, the USA's students are far behind their counterparts in countries like China and Korea (see: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/12/46643496.pdf).
This trend of illiteracy in mathematics is discouraging. Mathematics is one of the languages in our reality (I have not figured out yet if math can completely describe reality) and it is unreasonably good at describing our universe. Our future ability to compete in the world economy will be directly related to today's youths being able to succeed in mathematics and math-based disciplines (such as engineering, physics, and computer science). So far, it looks like our competitors are winning the battle for mathematical and technological superiority.
However, I have some encouraging news for you high schoolers struggling with math: Archimedes, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Leonard Euler all spent hours every day studying math (Google those names if you do not recognize them). If it took those geniuses hours of diligent study to understand mathematical topics, it is no surprise that it takes you a lot of time as well. So, do not be discouraged if you can't figure out a problem; the giants of math I just mentioned struggled at times, too. Just keep trying.
In sum, high schoolers, it is time to stop screwing around. Get off your computers, turn off your iPhones, open up your trigonometry books, and get working on using that unit circle to derive the tangent function's graph. You will be at it for a while, just like the great mathematicians of the past were.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Democratic Hypocrisy
If you read my last post on Republican hypocrisy, you will get the feeling that I hate the Republican Party. And you are totally right.
But, I am no Democrat. I freaking hate those people, too.
Democrats like to portray themselves as big-business busters, enlightened leaders, and more-advanced individuals. Well, they're not really any of those things.
You see, Democrats are big fans of big business just like Republicans are. The only difference is that Democrats like different businesses. For instance, they get along very well with the "Big 3" car companies. Why do you think GM and Chrysler got those massive bailouts (that are analogous to Republicans' bailouts of Wall Street)? Well, because the Democrats controlled the Senate, the House, and the White House; the UAW campaigned heavily to give Democrats control of the government, and the Democrats owed the UAW a favor. Voila! Corporate welfare from and for the left.
Additionally, Democrats like to think they are more educated and advanced than Republicans. (It's crap). They especially become more arrogant with pseudo-studies like this one: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1968042,00.html.
The annoying thing about Democrats' arrogance is that the really smart people typically lean libertarian (not liberal). How do I know this? I looked it up on Mensa's website. (Go to "Freed-M" and you will see what I am saying: http://www.us.mensa.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=SIG_List&Template=/customsource/SIGs-p.cfm).
(Note: I know that link does not provide a scientific assessment of high-IQ persons' political leanings. I am not an idiot. I just assumed Mensa did some internal polling that yielded results that could be summarized in that particular assessment of members being libertarian. If you want an actual survey, check out the Triple Nine Society's results: http://www.triplenine.org/poll/index.html. The results there aren't as left-leaning as Democrats might have you think).
Finally, I would like to bring up Democrats' policies. You see, Democrats typically support "nice" policies such as free health care for all, generous unemployment benefits, and grand retirement outlays. Does anyone see a problem with an "educated and enlightened" bunch supporting these programs?
I do. The problem with those programs is that the goals of those programs are essentially anti-evolutionary. Isn't it amazing that "smart" people like Democrats largely accept the principles of evolution, yet their practices do not match those beliefs? According to natural selection, sick people should be left to die and the unemployed should be left to starve (and then die); life is all about the "survival of the fittest" after all. Yet the Dems clearly don't practice any of that. So, why is there such a discrepancy between beliefs and practices? You'd have to ask one of them because I am not sure (I have theories, but I will not waste your time with those).
In sum, Democrats aren't as smart or as evolved as they think they are. They suck, just like Republicans do.
But, I am no Democrat. I freaking hate those people, too.
Democrats like to portray themselves as big-business busters, enlightened leaders, and more-advanced individuals. Well, they're not really any of those things.
You see, Democrats are big fans of big business just like Republicans are. The only difference is that Democrats like different businesses. For instance, they get along very well with the "Big 3" car companies. Why do you think GM and Chrysler got those massive bailouts (that are analogous to Republicans' bailouts of Wall Street)? Well, because the Democrats controlled the Senate, the House, and the White House; the UAW campaigned heavily to give Democrats control of the government, and the Democrats owed the UAW a favor. Voila! Corporate welfare from and for the left.
Additionally, Democrats like to think they are more educated and advanced than Republicans. (It's crap). They especially become more arrogant with pseudo-studies like this one: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1968042,00.html.
The annoying thing about Democrats' arrogance is that the really smart people typically lean libertarian (not liberal). How do I know this? I looked it up on Mensa's website. (Go to "Freed-M" and you will see what I am saying: http://www.us.mensa.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=SIG_List&Template=/customsource/SIGs-p.cfm).
(Note: I know that link does not provide a scientific assessment of high-IQ persons' political leanings. I am not an idiot. I just assumed Mensa did some internal polling that yielded results that could be summarized in that particular assessment of members being libertarian. If you want an actual survey, check out the Triple Nine Society's results: http://www.triplenine.org/poll/index.html. The results there aren't as left-leaning as Democrats might have you think).
Finally, I would like to bring up Democrats' policies. You see, Democrats typically support "nice" policies such as free health care for all, generous unemployment benefits, and grand retirement outlays. Does anyone see a problem with an "educated and enlightened" bunch supporting these programs?
I do. The problem with those programs is that the goals of those programs are essentially anti-evolutionary. Isn't it amazing that "smart" people like Democrats largely accept the principles of evolution, yet their practices do not match those beliefs? According to natural selection, sick people should be left to die and the unemployed should be left to starve (and then die); life is all about the "survival of the fittest" after all. Yet the Dems clearly don't practice any of that. So, why is there such a discrepancy between beliefs and practices? You'd have to ask one of them because I am not sure (I have theories, but I will not waste your time with those).
In sum, Democrats aren't as smart or as evolved as they think they are. They suck, just like Republicans do.
Republican Hypocrisy
I have decided to write a few short pieces on Republican and Democratic hypocrisy. In this post, I will look at Republicans. I will turn my attention to Democrats in my next piece.
Republicans like to think of themselves as belonging to the party of smaller federal government. They see themselves as being budget masters, free-market acolytes, and great purveyors of moral guidance.
Well, I have news for you, Republican-backers: your party is full of crap.
Under Bush, Republicans started two wars, created an unfunded governmental liability in Medicare Part D (as I said in my last post), and substantially lowered taxes on super-rich people. These awful fiscal policies led to an increase in the public debt by $5 trillion in less than 8 years. And then Republicans have the gall to claim to be the party of a smaller and balanced-budget federal government? My butt.
In terms of free-market economics, the Republicans also suck. They bailed out banks in 2008, they gave pharmaceutical companies a gimme in terms of Medicare Part D, they granted big oil companies $4 billion annually in tax breaks and subsidies, and they managed to remove all bankruptcy protections from student loans as a service to investors in student-loan-backed securities (they exist and are called "SLABS". See: http://www.economywatch.com/finance/high-finance/slabs-student-loan-asset-backed-securities.html).
On the moral front, the Republicans failed to do anything they promised: they did not ban gay marriage, they did not overturn Roe v. Wade, and they have not won the War on Drugs. Additionally, they constantly impede any chances of expanding healthcare for everyone, increasing aid for the needy, and funding our education system. Not to mention the shortcomings in their own lives including adultery (Gingrich, Giuliani), pregnancies before marriage (Palin), and substance abuse (Bush, McCain). It is ridiculous for them to lecture anyone on morality when they cannot and do not follow their own advice.
It really is no wonder young people hate current Republicans. They're hypocritical, greedy, moronic jackasses who strive to make the world better for one group of people: themselves.
Republicans like to think of themselves as belonging to the party of smaller federal government. They see themselves as being budget masters, free-market acolytes, and great purveyors of moral guidance.
Well, I have news for you, Republican-backers: your party is full of crap.
Under Bush, Republicans started two wars, created an unfunded governmental liability in Medicare Part D (as I said in my last post), and substantially lowered taxes on super-rich people. These awful fiscal policies led to an increase in the public debt by $5 trillion in less than 8 years. And then Republicans have the gall to claim to be the party of a smaller and balanced-budget federal government? My butt.
In terms of free-market economics, the Republicans also suck. They bailed out banks in 2008, they gave pharmaceutical companies a gimme in terms of Medicare Part D, they granted big oil companies $4 billion annually in tax breaks and subsidies, and they managed to remove all bankruptcy protections from student loans as a service to investors in student-loan-backed securities (they exist and are called "SLABS". See: http://www.economywatch.com/finance/high-finance/slabs-student-loan-asset-backed-securities.html).
On the moral front, the Republicans failed to do anything they promised: they did not ban gay marriage, they did not overturn Roe v. Wade, and they have not won the War on Drugs. Additionally, they constantly impede any chances of expanding healthcare for everyone, increasing aid for the needy, and funding our education system. Not to mention the shortcomings in their own lives including adultery (Gingrich, Giuliani), pregnancies before marriage (Palin), and substance abuse (Bush, McCain). It is ridiculous for them to lecture anyone on morality when they cannot and do not follow their own advice.
It really is no wonder young people hate current Republicans. They're hypocritical, greedy, moronic jackasses who strive to make the world better for one group of people: themselves.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
The College Gamble
For much of the past century, completing a college education was an accomplishment most students would be proud of. Today, college training is mostly a joke. Higher education is, in economics parlance, no longer an investment good (something that will improve future production): it is mostly a consumption good (something that satisfies a current economic want).
To prove that college in the USA is not much of an investment for many students, please read these 21 statistics on college trends: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/student-loan-debt-hell-21-statistics-that-will-make-you-think-twice-about-going-to-college.
I hope that article bothered you as much as it did me. I just would like to note the points that really stood out to me.
First is the insane increase in tuition levels. The general price level has increased 250% (inflation) since the late 1970's (e.g., eggs today are 2.5 times more expensive than they were in 1979). College tuition has increased over three times faster than inflation (tuitions have increased 900% since the late 1970's). This drastic increase in college tuition has led to a total outstanding student debt of almost $1 trillion!
The second issue I had concerns the quality of education students are getting. Only 50% of students have ever taken a single course that made them write more than 20 pages. 32% of students have never taken a course that makes them read more than 40 pages in a week. Crazy, right?
The third problem that really bothered me is that one-third of all bachelor's degree holders end up getting jobs that don't require college degrees anyway. What is the point for millions of people to go to college if they will end up with jobs they could've gotten without going to college? Well, it's just four years of partying and drunken fornication for students (as I will explain), and billions of dollars of revenue for schools' administrators.
The final disturbing fact I found in this article was that 51% of a typical college student's time is spent socializing, while only 7% of his or her time is spent studying. Additionally, at least 35% of college students spent less than FIVE hours studying every week. (How does this not sound like a huge adulthood-postponing party? And, how does this not sound like schools being useless in terms of teaching students and making them work hard)?
It is obvious to me that financing and quality issues need to be addressed immediately in terms of higher education. I really think my GRP idea is a good place to start in terms of combating student debt (if you missed my post on the GRP, read it here: http://theyoungandthescrewed.blogspot.com/p/solution-to-young-americans-current-and.html). Or, we could just have the federal government totally subsidize university education like many countries do. (I prefer the latter option, but, either one works for me. Under both systems, though, students need to be held accountable in terms of yearly testing and exit exams. We need to be sure that they are actually learning something).
As for reforming the quality of college education in the USA, I believe it starts with lower education. If you need any more proof that the level of education in this country is decreasing, check out this Harvard entrance exam from back in the late 1800's: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/education/harvardexam.pdf. Honestly, I can only do the math stuff and some of the history stuff. I never learned Greek or Latin. But, that is a reflection on the lower education system. We have lost ground on college applicants from over 100 years ago!
How are we supposed to compete in the global economy when students from China and India study everything they can get their hands on while our students try to avoid studying anything? Additionally, how can we compete when the few responsible students this country has are getting destroyed by predatory financing while foreigners can come here and study at extreme discounts?
I believe these situations are of the highest national priority in terms of preparing the USA for the future. I guess media members and the political class aren't addressing our education system's failures because they will not be around to suffer the consequences of the current issues. Or maybe they're just getting paid off by the few people benefiting from this system (lenders, administrators, and some academics).
One thing is sure, though: our higher education system is not primarily about education anymore. It is about fun and money.
To prove that college in the USA is not much of an investment for many students, please read these 21 statistics on college trends: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/student-loan-debt-hell-21-statistics-that-will-make-you-think-twice-about-going-to-college.
I hope that article bothered you as much as it did me. I just would like to note the points that really stood out to me.
First is the insane increase in tuition levels. The general price level has increased 250% (inflation) since the late 1970's (e.g., eggs today are 2.5 times more expensive than they were in 1979). College tuition has increased over three times faster than inflation (tuitions have increased 900% since the late 1970's). This drastic increase in college tuition has led to a total outstanding student debt of almost $1 trillion!
The second issue I had concerns the quality of education students are getting. Only 50% of students have ever taken a single course that made them write more than 20 pages. 32% of students have never taken a course that makes them read more than 40 pages in a week. Crazy, right?
The third problem that really bothered me is that one-third of all bachelor's degree holders end up getting jobs that don't require college degrees anyway. What is the point for millions of people to go to college if they will end up with jobs they could've gotten without going to college? Well, it's just four years of partying and drunken fornication for students (as I will explain), and billions of dollars of revenue for schools' administrators.
The final disturbing fact I found in this article was that 51% of a typical college student's time is spent socializing, while only 7% of his or her time is spent studying. Additionally, at least 35% of college students spent less than FIVE hours studying every week. (How does this not sound like a huge adulthood-postponing party? And, how does this not sound like schools being useless in terms of teaching students and making them work hard)?
It is obvious to me that financing and quality issues need to be addressed immediately in terms of higher education. I really think my GRP idea is a good place to start in terms of combating student debt (if you missed my post on the GRP, read it here: http://theyoungandthescrewed.blogspot.com/p/solution-to-young-americans-current-and.html). Or, we could just have the federal government totally subsidize university education like many countries do. (I prefer the latter option, but, either one works for me. Under both systems, though, students need to be held accountable in terms of yearly testing and exit exams. We need to be sure that they are actually learning something).
As for reforming the quality of college education in the USA, I believe it starts with lower education. If you need any more proof that the level of education in this country is decreasing, check out this Harvard entrance exam from back in the late 1800's: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/education/harvardexam.pdf. Honestly, I can only do the math stuff and some of the history stuff. I never learned Greek or Latin. But, that is a reflection on the lower education system. We have lost ground on college applicants from over 100 years ago!
How are we supposed to compete in the global economy when students from China and India study everything they can get their hands on while our students try to avoid studying anything? Additionally, how can we compete when the few responsible students this country has are getting destroyed by predatory financing while foreigners can come here and study at extreme discounts?
I believe these situations are of the highest national priority in terms of preparing the USA for the future. I guess media members and the political class aren't addressing our education system's failures because they will not be around to suffer the consequences of the current issues. Or maybe they're just getting paid off by the few people benefiting from this system (lenders, administrators, and some academics).
One thing is sure, though: our higher education system is not primarily about education anymore. It is about fun and money.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Some Young People May Finally Be Getting It
Hi all,
Apologies for not posting an article yesterday. I was unable to write anything due to some brutal headaches I got (they seem to be sinus headaches that evolve into super-migraines/possible cluster headaches). Anyway, I am back to normal so let's get started.
First, I want all of you to watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcW83yf0Bhg&feature=player_embedded
I understand that many of my readers are not Republicans (I am not a Republican, either) but what the individuals stated in the video about the country's back-breaking public debt is true (as I have posited numerous times on this blog) and truth is all that matters to me (and, hopefully, to you).
Now, I want you all to read this article: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/imf-bombshell-age-of-america-about-to-end-2011-04-25?link=MW_home_latest_news.
I hope that IMF announcement wakes everyone up. Our fiscal and economic problems are sizable, urgent, and the results of other persons' failures. But, our leaders do not care to fix the country's financial issues (probably because they will not be alive to feel the pain of economic stagnation and fiscal devastation).
And, so, I believe our imminent economic usurpation by China and the nation's fiscal debt problems are why we need to stand united (Democrats, Republicans, leftists, rightists, and everyone else) as a generation. We need to show our leaders that we have no interest in dealing with their screw-ups and that they will be held accountable by us youths.
This current political landscape stinks of partisanship, but, in reality our struggles are much bigger than partisan battles now. Our struggles can be summarized in one basic issue: generational warfare. Our leaders in Washington (Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and others) like power and money, and they have sold our futures to pad their pockets and increase their political strength. Our parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors have for decades put these irresponsible rulers into powerful positions. And, now, they all want us to clean up their crap. Yeah, right.
In terms of uniting as a generation, it is fine for us all to have differences (as I have said before, differences are healthy), but we need to search for middle ground. And our middle ground, I believe, involves public debt, entitlement and education reform. Our parents and grandparents could afford the luxury of partisanship, but we do not have the same opportunity. Financially (look at our debt situation) and socially (just watch this video: http://video.foxnews.com/#/v/4661514/brutal-beating-caught-on-tape/?playlist_id=87287), this country is on the decline. And, the sooner we act, the sooner we can turn this decline into a great upswing.
So, my fellow young Americans, we have work to do; however, our situation is not hopeless. We need to toss aside our parents' partisanship, boot out the nation's failed leaders, and grab our futures. If we do these things, we will be fine. If not, our great country will fade into the dark depths of history.
Apologies for not posting an article yesterday. I was unable to write anything due to some brutal headaches I got (they seem to be sinus headaches that evolve into super-migraines/possible cluster headaches). Anyway, I am back to normal so let's get started.
First, I want all of you to watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcW83yf0Bhg&feature=player_embedded
I understand that many of my readers are not Republicans (I am not a Republican, either) but what the individuals stated in the video about the country's back-breaking public debt is true (as I have posited numerous times on this blog) and truth is all that matters to me (and, hopefully, to you).
Now, I want you all to read this article: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/imf-bombshell-age-of-america-about-to-end-2011-04-25?link=MW_home_latest_news.
I hope that IMF announcement wakes everyone up. Our fiscal and economic problems are sizable, urgent, and the results of other persons' failures. But, our leaders do not care to fix the country's financial issues (probably because they will not be alive to feel the pain of economic stagnation and fiscal devastation).
And, so, I believe our imminent economic usurpation by China and the nation's fiscal debt problems are why we need to stand united (Democrats, Republicans, leftists, rightists, and everyone else) as a generation. We need to show our leaders that we have no interest in dealing with their screw-ups and that they will be held accountable by us youths.
This current political landscape stinks of partisanship, but, in reality our struggles are much bigger than partisan battles now. Our struggles can be summarized in one basic issue: generational warfare. Our leaders in Washington (Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and others) like power and money, and they have sold our futures to pad their pockets and increase their political strength. Our parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors have for decades put these irresponsible rulers into powerful positions. And, now, they all want us to clean up their crap. Yeah, right.
In terms of uniting as a generation, it is fine for us all to have differences (as I have said before, differences are healthy), but we need to search for middle ground. And our middle ground, I believe, involves public debt, entitlement and education reform. Our parents and grandparents could afford the luxury of partisanship, but we do not have the same opportunity. Financially (look at our debt situation) and socially (just watch this video: http://video.foxnews.com/#/v/4661514/brutal-beating-caught-on-tape/?playlist_id=87287), this country is on the decline. And, the sooner we act, the sooner we can turn this decline into a great upswing.
So, my fellow young Americans, we have work to do; however, our situation is not hopeless. We need to toss aside our parents' partisanship, boot out the nation's failed leaders, and grab our futures. If we do these things, we will be fine. If not, our great country will fade into the dark depths of history.
Friday, April 22, 2011
A Solution to Young Americans' Current and Future Financial Problems
Okay, my fellow Americans. I was doing some thinking about my post from yesterday, and I really do not want the USA to become divided like I think it will (in terms of today's youths exacting revenge on tomorrow's retirees). So, I decided to stop whining and start thinking of solutions.
I think I have come up with a plan to pay off our student loan debts, save our retirements, and (mostly) preserve our government's obligations to our seniors. This idea is a student loan quasi-forgiveness plan that no one has thought of yet: I call it the "graduate retirement program" (GRP).
Before I explain how the GRP should work, let me quickly review the facts. Today's college graduate will leave school with over $24,000 in student loan debt; the total outstanding student loan debt today is over $900 billion (see: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/education/12college.html?_r=3&hp).
Compounding graduates' student loan troubles is their inability to find work (as noted here: http://eaynuf.blogspot.com/2011/04/brief-look-at-our-countrys-political.html).
Furthermore, we young Americans have the prospects of funding 76 million Baby Boomers through retirement, paying off the nation's $15 trillion debt, dealing with rising healthcare costs, raising families in a comparatively expensive world, and funding our own retirements (this all is discussed here: http://eaynuf.blogspot.com/p/young-and-screwed-americas-youths.html). That is a ton of responsibility.
The GRP will serve the purposes of getting money back into the economy, paying off our student loans, and starting our retirement programs early so we can take advantage of the miracle that is compounding interest.
Essentially, the GRP will work like this: for every $1 college graduates with student loan debt deposit in a GRP retirement account, the government will pay $1 towards the graduates' student loan monthly payments. For example, if someone has a $300 monthly payment for 10 years, the government will pay $300 every month for 10 years to the student loan company if (and only if) the student pays an equal amount of $300 into his or her GRP account. If that same student only deposits $200 into his GRP account, the government will only pay $200 to the student loan lender; the student will have to cover the remaining $100 on his monthly student loan payment. (Obviously, this policy gives graduates strong incentives to make the full monthly payment into their retirement accounts).
This plan has several upsides. First, it helps to reduce graduate anxiety over their loan debt. Second, it allows graduates to use their money to start saving for their retirements early (which allows them to take advantage of compounding interest); this is crucial because today's young people (as I have documented here: http://eaynuf.blogspot.com/p/young-and-screwed-americas-youths.html) will not have Social Security to rely upon during retirement. Third, the potential future political problems that we will face in terms of workers versus retirees will be mitigated: essentially, today's graduates will not have as much of a reason to be pissed off in the future because they will have their own retirement accounts, their student loan debt burdens will be alleviated, and they will have more secure futures.
Notice that all three parties (graduates, governments, and loan lenders) benefit here. Graduates benefit in two ways. First, their student loans are being paid down. Second, the money that would have gone to student loan repayments is going to retirement accounts (which they were going to need anyways). Under this plan, graduates just get to start their retirement accounts sooner, which is much, much better.
The student loan companies benefit because their receipts will become more certain. Basically, because graduates are greatly and directly benefiting (in terms of starting necessary retirement accounts) from this program, they are more likely to participate fully in it; full participation in this program is strongly in their self-interest, after all. That means, for the student loan companies, that they will be more likely to get their payments on time and in full (since the government will be paying on behalf of the graduates who have made their full monthly payments into their respective GRP accounts).
Finally, the government wins in a couple ways. Officials will not have to deal with as many tough questions in terms of Social Security, student loan, and Medicare reforms. Additionally, the government will gain financially in the long run because young people were allowed to start retirement accounts early (which means these accounts will grow fantastically due to compounding interest); this substantial increase in the size of young people's retirement accounts means that the government will have less need to worry about Social Security in the future (they will still need to reform it, but the changes should be far less brutal). Lastly, the government will gain by having a more-educated workforce (which usually translates in to economic growth); because there will be a great opportunity for people to get a good deal for college in terms of repayment programs, they are more likely to go to college and finish their degrees.
I know of a couple problems people will raise with this program. For example, students who get full rides (and therefore don't have student loans to pay back) will be pissed. However, to combat this argument, students with full-rides will get the same amount from the government that the average (mathematically) graduate from the same year will be expected to pay into his or her GRP account; this government payment will have to be deposited into the full-ride student's GRP. For instance, let's say the average graduate in 2012 will have to pay $350 a month for 10 years in student loan payments; that means the full-ride student who also graduates in 2012 will receive $350 a month for 10 years directly deposited into his GRP account. A similar treatment will be applied to students who graduate with no debt (because they worked through college or parents helped them pay for school).
As for students who leave school before graduating, they will not be eligible for this program. However, to help them out, student loan reforms will need to be made in terms of bankruptcy protections (for both federal and private loans).
In terms of graduates of technical schools, they will be eligible if they took out student loans. And, they will be eligible for the full-ride treatment I explained above (in terms of receiving payments in their GRP accounts for the same length and amount that the "average" technical school graduate will pay into his or her GRP account).
Graduates of graduate and professional programs will only be eligible for this program up to 50% of their loans.
The other crucial issue is funding this program. I should have more on this issue tomorrow.
Obviously, this program is not perfect (as I explained above). But, this program will work wonders for many of today's and tomorrow's graduates struggling with student loan debt. It will help alleviate many financial and socio-political problems this country will face.
Of course, instead of doing this program, the government could just greatly subsidize higher-education (like many Westernized countries do) so their students do not graduate with so much debt. But, that would be too socialist. (Never mind the fact that governments already subsidize education up to and including the 12th grade. I really do not see what is so special about those grades; I mean, exactly why the government has singled out kindergarten through 12th grade for funding is beyond me. Higher-education is where most Americans do most of their learning, so, higher-ed should be funded the best).
At the end of the day, something needs to be done, and I think this plan is a pretty good start. If you like this idea, or believe it needs some work, please feel free to comment and tell your friends about it. Or, you can just respond with your own completely new ideas. Just, please, spread the word about this issue.
BB
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Generational Pillaging and Warfare
Good evening folks!
Yesterday, I was reading the comments section of a Yahoo! article when I stumbled across a bitter argument going on between two readers. One reader, who seemed to be close to retiring (so I am guessing he is a Baby Boomer), was ranting about people calling for Social Security reform. His position was, essentially, that he worked his whole life and deserved every penny of every check Social Security was going to send to him. According to him, it was not his fault government officials spent Social Security's surpluses; he should not have to sacrifice some of his Social Security benefits to fix the government's mistakes.
His opponent, a younger fellow, did not take too kindly to the first person's comments. He believed that the Baby Boomers created a lot of the country's messes (such as the Iraq War, Social Security's problems, the mortgage crisis, and the inflating student loan bubble) and they should have to pay up. (I sided with this gentleman, but I do understand where the older man was coming from).
Anyway, the really interesting part of this argument came when the younger man argued that most of the USA's current troubles can be blamed on the Baby Boomers because the Baby Boomers have more seats in both houses than all other generations combined. After doing my own research, I found the younger man was right.
I found that 58 Senators (58% of the Senate) and 254 Representatives (58% of the House) are Boomers. Our President is a Boomer. So was the previous one. Clinton, too? Yep.
All this scares me. Why? Because the Boomers are, quite possibly, the most selfish generation in America's history. Don't believe me? Read what one prominent journalist (Robert Samuelson) has to say about his fellow Boomers: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/09/AR2007010901334.html.
For more information, feel free to read this article on Boomer selfishness and failures by the WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124458192890699487.html.
Given that there are 76 million or so Boomers getting ready to retire and the fact that our legislative and executive offices are controlled by the most selfish Americans ever, there is little hope that meaningful changes will be made any time soon. We young people will probably be stuck in a a truly crappy economic, political, and fiscal situation for decades because, as Mr. Samuelson pointed out in the aforementioned article, Boomers failed to make small (but important) changes to SS, Medicare, and education reform when they had the chance.
We young people, though, may be catching on to this sad fact (it's about time). And the results (at least according to this article: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-best-life/2011/04/18/how-the-budget-deficit-could-lead-to-generational-warfare) could very well be a brutal battle that tears the country apart.
The USA will be locked in a huge generational struggle. The young will be fighting against the old, and the old will probably lose. (The reason the elderly will lose, I fear, is because when my generation is old enough to take over the country, they will exact revenge on the remaining Boomers).
It's just a shame that we came to this point. America will be torn apart by internal strife caused by decades of poor fiscal management and bad public choices. These were issues that could have been solved by some modest compromises in the past. Instead of grasping those opportunities and making the best of them, the Boomers (and other previous generations) let those chances slip through their fingers. And they don't seem to care.
Yesterday, I was reading the comments section of a Yahoo! article when I stumbled across a bitter argument going on between two readers. One reader, who seemed to be close to retiring (so I am guessing he is a Baby Boomer), was ranting about people calling for Social Security reform. His position was, essentially, that he worked his whole life and deserved every penny of every check Social Security was going to send to him. According to him, it was not his fault government officials spent Social Security's surpluses; he should not have to sacrifice some of his Social Security benefits to fix the government's mistakes.
His opponent, a younger fellow, did not take too kindly to the first person's comments. He believed that the Baby Boomers created a lot of the country's messes (such as the Iraq War, Social Security's problems, the mortgage crisis, and the inflating student loan bubble) and they should have to pay up. (I sided with this gentleman, but I do understand where the older man was coming from).
Anyway, the really interesting part of this argument came when the younger man argued that most of the USA's current troubles can be blamed on the Baby Boomers because the Baby Boomers have more seats in both houses than all other generations combined. After doing my own research, I found the younger man was right.
I found that 58 Senators (58% of the Senate) and 254 Representatives (58% of the House) are Boomers. Our President is a Boomer. So was the previous one. Clinton, too? Yep.
All this scares me. Why? Because the Boomers are, quite possibly, the most selfish generation in America's history. Don't believe me? Read what one prominent journalist (Robert Samuelson) has to say about his fellow Boomers: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/09/AR2007010901334.html.
For more information, feel free to read this article on Boomer selfishness and failures by the WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124458192890699487.html.
Given that there are 76 million or so Boomers getting ready to retire and the fact that our legislative and executive offices are controlled by the most selfish Americans ever, there is little hope that meaningful changes will be made any time soon. We young people will probably be stuck in a a truly crappy economic, political, and fiscal situation for decades because, as Mr. Samuelson pointed out in the aforementioned article, Boomers failed to make small (but important) changes to SS, Medicare, and education reform when they had the chance.
We young people, though, may be catching on to this sad fact (it's about time). And the results (at least according to this article: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-best-life/2011/04/18/how-the-budget-deficit-could-lead-to-generational-warfare) could very well be a brutal battle that tears the country apart.
The USA will be locked in a huge generational struggle. The young will be fighting against the old, and the old will probably lose. (The reason the elderly will lose, I fear, is because when my generation is old enough to take over the country, they will exact revenge on the remaining Boomers).
It's just a shame that we came to this point. America will be torn apart by internal strife caused by decades of poor fiscal management and bad public choices. These were issues that could have been solved by some modest compromises in the past. Instead of grasping those opportunities and making the best of them, the Boomers (and other previous generations) let those chances slip through their fingers. And they don't seem to care.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
"While They're Stuck On Stupid In DC, Your Generation Is..."
It is not all bad news over on ThinkProgress, however (read my previous post so you understand what I am referring to).
Earlier this weekend, environmental activist Van Jones addressed 10,000 young activists in Washington, DC. While the purpose of his speech was to motivate his audience into leading the "clean power revolution", he also advocated a different kind of "power revolution". Mr. Jones, it seems, has similar goals to EAYNUF: he wants us youths to "shift the power" from the current political establishment to ourselves.
Mr. Jones acknowledged that our leaders in Washington are failing us (that is nice to hear, but it is also pretty much the understatement of the century).
Additionally, Mr. Jones seems to have comparatively high opinions of us, as evidenced with these enterprising remarks: "While they're stuck on stupid in DC, your generation is rising". (I would prefer if he said that my "generation is sinking due to the weight of student loan debt, massive unfunded federal programs, a recessionary economy, bank bailouts, multiple wars, and poor national leadership", but I suppose a little positivity is not a bad thing every now and then).
The most important and inspiring quote from Mr. Jones, however, was this tidbit of sage advice: "You have to be wise enough to hold both parties to high standards". This quote is really what I want to briefly discuss.
For as long as I can remember (which is about 23 years), this country has been at the mercy of Washington's partisan politics. Our leaders in Washington attack each other with vicious verbal barbs that do nothing besides bring colleagues and constituents to anger and disgust. Instead of trying to meet in the middle on issues like responsible adults, both parties turn to petty and petulant bickering that is not even acceptable in high school debate clubs.
It really is no wonder much of the world sees the USA as a joke. The power-brokers in DC continually act like jackasses, and average citizens keep re-electing them. Pretty stupid, right?
At the end of the day, though, Mr. Jones seemed to be imploring us youths to get away from that partisan divisiveness we see in DC now and work together towards a more just and free country.
"Shift the power!" Mr. Jones said as he ended his speech to standing ovations and cheers.
This power shift cannot come soon enough, and, we are going to be the ones to initiate it. Let's just hope we heed Mr. Jones's advice and avoid the crippling errors his generation has made.
Earlier this weekend, environmental activist Van Jones addressed 10,000 young activists in Washington, DC. While the purpose of his speech was to motivate his audience into leading the "clean power revolution", he also advocated a different kind of "power revolution". Mr. Jones, it seems, has similar goals to EAYNUF: he wants us youths to "shift the power" from the current political establishment to ourselves.
Mr. Jones acknowledged that our leaders in Washington are failing us (that is nice to hear, but it is also pretty much the understatement of the century).
Additionally, Mr. Jones seems to have comparatively high opinions of us, as evidenced with these enterprising remarks: "While they're stuck on stupid in DC, your generation is rising". (I would prefer if he said that my "generation is sinking due to the weight of student loan debt, massive unfunded federal programs, a recessionary economy, bank bailouts, multiple wars, and poor national leadership", but I suppose a little positivity is not a bad thing every now and then).
The most important and inspiring quote from Mr. Jones, however, was this tidbit of sage advice: "You have to be wise enough to hold both parties to high standards". This quote is really what I want to briefly discuss.
For as long as I can remember (which is about 23 years), this country has been at the mercy of Washington's partisan politics. Our leaders in Washington attack each other with vicious verbal barbs that do nothing besides bring colleagues and constituents to anger and disgust. Instead of trying to meet in the middle on issues like responsible adults, both parties turn to petty and petulant bickering that is not even acceptable in high school debate clubs.
It really is no wonder much of the world sees the USA as a joke. The power-brokers in DC continually act like jackasses, and average citizens keep re-electing them. Pretty stupid, right?
At the end of the day, though, Mr. Jones seemed to be imploring us youths to get away from that partisan divisiveness we see in DC now and work together towards a more just and free country.
"Shift the power!" Mr. Jones said as he ended his speech to standing ovations and cheers.
This power shift cannot come soon enough, and, we are going to be the ones to initiate it. Let's just hope we heed Mr. Jones's advice and avoid the crippling errors his generation has made.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Young and the Screwed: America's Youths Respond
Good evening!
Ok, this might sound like a bit of a militant post, but I am fed up with the epic failures of our elders and so-called "leaders". I really don't understand why more young people aren't calling their representatives and demanding changes. Have we as a nation become afraid of our rulers? I am pretty sure that's not how a democratic republic is supposed to work.
Anyways, I am in the process of starting a Facebook group in the hopes of uniting people. Here is the "Info" page, complete with accusations, rants, and nice graphs:
Ok, this might sound like a bit of a militant post, but I am fed up with the epic failures of our elders and so-called "leaders". I really don't understand why more young people aren't calling their representatives and demanding changes. Have we as a nation become afraid of our rulers? I am pretty sure that's not how a democratic republic is supposed to work.
Anyways, I am in the process of starting a Facebook group in the hopes of uniting people. Here is the "Info" page, complete with accusations, rants, and nice graphs:
This Facebook group is for young Americans who hate the fact that our futures are being sold by today’s politicians in exchange for campaign funding and votes from special interest groups (SIG’s). We believe these unscrupulous individuals have had enough fun, and it is time for them to pay for their fiscal and political orgies. If we sit back and do nothing, we will pay a hefty price because our leaders and their financial supporters intend to pass their bills down to us.
Let’s take a quick look at a couple problems that today’s (and yesterday’s) leaders have failed to address; as you will see, these issues will weigh heavily on our chances of living prosperous lives.
First up is the national debt. As of this post (April 14, 2011 ), our federal government has racked up an astronomical debt of $14.26 trillion (see: http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/). This accumulation of yearly deficits is the result of decades of fiscal child abuse. For well over 50 years, our federal government has spent more than it has received in taxes (I will acknowledge that there are a few years when the government ran a surplus), thus leading to today’s huge public debt. Please take a look at the following graphs (courtesy of www.usgovernmentspending.com):
(Sorry about the grainy images. I haven't figured out how to properly put them on my blog posts).
As I stated, year after year, our rulers have demonstrated their willingness to spend more than they gathered in taxes (see: the graph on the left). As a result, our public debt (the accumulation of all of the deficits from previous years) has ballooned to horrendously large levels (see: the graph on the right). Specifically, between 1960 and today, the national debt increased from $287 billion to approximately $15 trillion! It would have been nice if the voters and politicians who came before us would have stood up and done something, but, they did not; they have instead decided to be bad citizens and pass their debts down to us.
Anyways, like all debt situations, the borrowers (our federal government agencies and “leaders” in this case) will have to repay their lenders. But, where will the borrowers get the funds to make these payments? Answer: your paychecks (through higher income tax burdens).
Now, let us turn our attention to Social Security. This year (2011) the first of the Baby Boomer generation (generally defined as those born between 1946 and 1964) will be turning 65 and retiring from their full-time occupations. That means, of course, that these individuals will begin collecting Social Security checks this year, as well.
How is this a problem for young people? Well, there are about 76 million Baby Boomers in this country (source: www.prb.org) and Social Security is not in good financial shape. According to a recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report (see: http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=1498), the Social Security Administration will be totally bankrupt by 2039 (most of us will be getting ready to retire around 2050, so we will have just missed out on getting retirement benefits).
Notice what is being asked of us here: we are supposed to pay into Social Security our whole lives in order to support our elders (the same elders who have screwed us over with poor fiscal management leading to a massive public debt that we are expected to help pay back); additionally, due to the massive number of soon-to-be retirees, our payroll taxes are likely to increase. However, shortly before we retire, the Social Security trusts we paid into our entire careers will be bankrupt. If that is not a cruel scam of the highest order, I do not know what one is.
And we are supposed to accept this arrangement while we are saddled with an average of $24,000 of student loan debt, rising health care costs, and middling job prospects (see: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40772705/ns/business-cnbc_tv/). This deal sounds reasonable, right?
Wrong. Screw this. Our countrymen have sold us out, and it is time for us to fight back. These people (some of them are Boomers, legislators, special interest groups, Wall Street bankers, parents and grandparents) should be forced to face the facts: they have screwed up and we are not going to clean up their messes.
*****By the way, there are many Facebook groups whose sole purpose is to complain about the American government. This group is different: we want active participation. We want people who are ready to go toe-to-toe with the people who have tried to screw us over (previous generations of careless voters, special interest groups, and politicians). Are you too afraid to do anything about this problem? If so, then go away. If not, then join us and fight for your future today!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Welcome to EAYNUF
Greetings!
I started this blog because I needed a platform from which I can speak honestly, openly, and frequently with my fellow young Americans (the late Gen X'ers, the Gen Y'ers, and the Gen Z'ers). Additionally, I wanted this blog to be a place where young people can come for information and analyses on events that will directly and indirectly affect their lives. Lastly (but crucially), I wanted this blog to be a launch pad for something the USA has needed for a long time: a widespread unification of mature people who will cooperate for the benefit of the country.
Now that I have briefly introduced the purposes of this blog, I will speak about myself a little bit. I am from the great city of Cleveland, Ohio. (Don't laugh: Cleveland really is great). I recently dropped out of a Ph.D. program in economics (I did learn a lot about applied economics before I left) to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. dual degree. I love learning, thinking, arguing, watching sports, listening to music, and drinking good wine.
I believe that is enough for now. Please come back tomorrow for my opinions on the USA's political and economic troubles.
Welcome, once again, to EAYNUF!
BB
I started this blog because I needed a platform from which I can speak honestly, openly, and frequently with my fellow young Americans (the late Gen X'ers, the Gen Y'ers, and the Gen Z'ers). Additionally, I wanted this blog to be a place where young people can come for information and analyses on events that will directly and indirectly affect their lives. Lastly (but crucially), I wanted this blog to be a launch pad for something the USA has needed for a long time: a widespread unification of mature people who will cooperate for the benefit of the country.
Now that I have briefly introduced the purposes of this blog, I will speak about myself a little bit. I am from the great city of Cleveland, Ohio. (Don't laugh: Cleveland really is great). I recently dropped out of a Ph.D. program in economics (I did learn a lot about applied economics before I left) to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. dual degree. I love learning, thinking, arguing, watching sports, listening to music, and drinking good wine.
I believe that is enough for now. Please come back tomorrow for my opinions on the USA's political and economic troubles.
Welcome, once again, to EAYNUF!
BB
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