So Leah Caldwell, this wonderfully awake columnist at my university (which by the way now has 52,273 students) wrote this awesome column about the state of apathy of the "youth" of the nation.
Fact is that America as a whole is so fat and happy that it doesn't really care. You know how we all feel after a big old family dinner when you've eaten more than you should have and you're sitting in front of the TV with your mind a happy and woozy blur. Thats exactly how the majority of America feels right now, especially the 13-23 age group. In general this age group's biggest concerns are the next episode of Friends (yes this is a guilty pleasure of mine as well), what options to pimp out the ride with, and if that skirt really matches that top. Honestly though is it wrong for a society thats achieved its riches to fully enjoy them? I don't think its wrong at all, America has more or less rightfully achieved its riches and deserves to enjoy them. However there are a few key problems with this idea. In achieving these riches America has become a mercantile society where profits are the only thing that matters. Morals, rights and civility be damned.
Some of the other facts that have to be faced are that America's younger generation has not faced any real challenge. The terrorist acts of 9/11 as horrfic as they were, were not a real test of anything. Compare 9/11 to say for example of WWII or the Vietnam quagmire. Prior to WWII America was facing the Great Depression, and during Vietnam the country was as close to a political revolution as its ever been save for the Revolution. Also during those times it was hard to avoid these topics because they composed a majority of all social discourse. Nowadays its totally possible and easy to hide under the proverbial rock and detach oneself from the day to day happenings and reality. Its odd to see that the children of those who lived during the times I mentioned have lived the type of lives they have, so coddled, protected and self-serving. These citizens of my generation in America are so happy and satisfied with the state of things that they don't really have any compelling reason to expand their political and cultural boundaries.
Also this same generation seems to have grown up with the idea that learning is a cause and effect concept. Meaning you have to learn about 'x' because 'x' is effecting you. (Remember all the stories of books on Islam and Afghanistan selling out after 9/11 because American's wanted to learn about these topics?) As human beings the boundaries of our existence must always be growing in order to truly fulfill our existence and these boundaries can only expand if we attempt to understand the world beyond the world that exists within our immediate sphere of influence. It really doesn't hurt to learn about things that potentially may never effect you at all. Thankfully unlike our computer hard drives, our brain is never going to be full no matter what.
Furthermore American society is based on a very strong central core of individualism. This type of societal mentality reduces the accountability one feels for the larger community. The way I was raised in India was to put others before me. Honestly I think this sytem works, because if everyone takes care of everyone else than society as a large should be able to function rather well. Clearly this Utopian vision doesn't work, just look to India's corruption and class issues. Its like arguing about Marxist philisophies. However this purely individualistic society doesn't work either.
None the less I don't think America will be waking from its fat, happy, well funded stupor unless something akin to a huge economic downfall or a (Mo/God)zilla type monster eats a small northern California town. This is the problem with all successful societies. From what history of the world that I know I've never seen a society so hung up on profits and filling its coffers that every possible tenet of individual freedom is being attacked and that too by faceless nearly untraceable entities. More on that next time.
Some random danger time, same danger URL. Stay tuned!
Posted by Mr. Keyur at September 24, 2002 01:58 AM