Income, education, and Generation Y

[All Along The Watchtower]

Having higher economic status (income, wealth, employment status) is correlated with political conservatism, while advanced educational attainment is correlated with more liberal attitudes.

One of the reasons why "Generation Y" is generally more liberal than older generations is that it is both a highly educated and a lower-economic status/security generation, in general. Underemployment and student loan debt are serious issues in this context. Additionally, Generation Y has both the lowest median income and the lowest median net-worth of any generation-which makes sense at some level, considering that there have been less years for members of this generation to accumulate income and wealth; however, there is an understanding that by and large, the younger generation will have a lower standard of living than their parents did over the long run.

Anyone else have any insights or comments to add?

[Blue3]

In addition to all that:

* aren't we 30%-40% Hispanic?

* we are the largest generation in American history

* more Millennials voted in 2012 than the entire 65+ demographic

* I think we voted 55%-65% for Obama too (CNN had a good voter results webpage with many interesting voter demographic charts on it right after the 2012 election)

* we have more progressive Christians than conservative Christians

* we are more secular, and less attached to organized religion

* we support gay marriage by a wide margin (and probably drug legalization too, though I haven't seen an aged-base poll on that in a while)

* we are more likely to support government programs, and higher taxes for the rich




(Yet the GOP doesn't feel like they have to change anything of substance...)

[eric82oslo]

^^^ This is why the next few presidential elections will be such a cake walk for Democrats, and for Hillary in particular. Especially so if she chooses a latino for VP (Ben Menendez, Bill Richardson, Julian & Joaquin Castro, Hilda Solis), so that the latino turnout will skyrocket in states like Arizona, Texas and Florida. Hillary herself is a magnet for Hispanics though, as we saw in the 2008 primaries, where she won all latino states overwhelmingly despite Obama's generally enormous appeal to young folks, which just surprisingly was not there for young latinos. Or it probably was there, but it was overshadowed by Hillary's even greater starpower.

[barfbag]

The problem is that we now live in a society where every single child is raised with the notion that they will never amount to anything unless they make it into college at age 18. College acceptance standards have dropped as well and more people are attending college than ever. This leads to nothing more than more people applying for the same jobs because more people are qualified. Doing well in the academic field and doing well in the private sector are two very different things. In today's world we end up with 20 people applying for the same position because the unnecessary amount of people going to college has resulted in more people being qualified. We can't all be doctors. If we were all doctors, then who would be the teachers? Forcing and pressuring everyone to attend college is not what this economy needs. The perfect economy is balanced. There are plenty of people who can make grades in college classrooms but have no chance in the private sector because of how different the worlds are. As long as the notion of people not being able to reach success unless making into college after high school is planted into the brains of our youth, we will continue to have a very educated society accompanied by a low income due to over qualification of trade and non-skilled jobs. The politics of education needs to stop and we need to establish a balanced economy once more.

[ElectionsGuy]

^^^ This is why the next few presidential elections will be such a cake walk for Democrats, and for Hillary in particular. Especially so if she chooses a latino for VP (Ben Menendez, Bill Richardson, Julian & Joaquin Castro, Hilda Solis), so that the latino turnout will skyrocket in states like Arizona, Texas and Florida. Hillary herself is a magnet for Hispanics though, as we saw in the 2008 primaries, where she won all latino states overwhelmingly despite Obama's generally enormous appeal to young folks, which just surprisingly was not there for young latinos. Or it probably was there, but it was overshadowed by Hillary's even greater starpower.

People get hyped up about every young generation, and then get depressed that it becomes much more conservative over time. And then on to the next generation. We are likely in the middle of a political realignment. Realignments happen all the time whether it be the south becomes solidly conservative (2008/2000) or the Northeast becomes solidly liberal (1992). Either way there will be some new attractiveness for both parties and the demographics of both parties are likely to shift a tiny bit too. To think that democrats are going to dominate almost all future presidential elections because of trends the party dominated with in 2008/2012 is a wishful pipe dream.

[eric82oslo]

^^^ This is why the next few presidential elections will be such a cake walk for Democrats, and for Hillary in particular. Especially so if she chooses a latino for VP (Ben Menendez, Bill Richardson, Julian & Joaquin Castro, Hilda Solis), so that the latino turnout will skyrocket in states like Arizona, Texas and Florida. Hillary herself is a magnet for Hispanics though, as we saw in the 2008 primaries, where she won all latino states overwhelmingly despite Obama's generally enormous appeal to young folks, which just surprisingly was not there for young latinos. Or it probably was there, but it was overshadowed by Hillary's even greater starpower.

People get hyped up about every young generation, and then get depressed that it becomes much more conservative over time. And then on to the next generation. We are likely in the middle of a political realignment. Realignments happen all the time whether it be the south becomes solidly conservative (2008/2000) or the Northeast becomes solidly liberal (1992). Either way there will be some new attractiveness for both parties and the demographics of both parties are likely to shift a tiny bit too. To think that democrats are going to dominate almost all future presidential elections because of trends the party dominated with in 2008/2012 is a wishful pipe dream.

Don't underestimate the future force of the Hispanic electorate though, as most Republicans still seem to do these days. At least some of those minds, like Karl Rove and Jeb Bush, have realized this lesson already. The rest, well they're not so smart. And that includes Sean Trende, who started this whole silly debate. Of course both parties will need Hispanic voters. One day in not a very distant future, about 65% of all Hispanic citizens will vote, and not just the 48% of them who voted in 2012. The thing about generational shifts is that they're two-way. It's not just a whole new diverse electorate coming in, it's also an almost entirely white electorate dying off. Together those two trends become very powerful. Rand Paul realized this in one of his most recent interviews when he said that Republican politicians should become more like Obama, in the way that they should take the lesson from him and themselves become community organizers. Cause only this way, only by engaging directly with Hispanic and other minority voters, can they actually change their minds and their political preferences. It's all about trust and communication, direct, personal communication and interaction. In this respect, it's good to have someone daring to think different thoughts every once in a while. We've seen it ocationally from other Republican politicians as well. Like when Christie slammed Republican Congressmen for voting against Sandy relief and when Bobby Jindal told his compatriots to stop being the stupid party. And when Jeb Bush again and again have urged his party to start reaching out to latinos.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

^^^ This is why the next few presidential elections will be such a cake walk for Democrats, and for Hillary in particular. Especially so if she chooses a latino for VP (Ben Menendez, Bill Richardson, Julian & Joaquin Castro, Hilda Solis), so that the latino turnout will skyrocket in states like Arizona, Texas and Florida. Hillary herself is a magnet for Hispanics though, as we saw in the 2008 primaries, where she won all latino states overwhelmingly despite Obama's generally enormous appeal to young folks, which just surprisingly was not there for young latinos. Or it probably was there, but it was overshadowed by Hillary's even greater starpower.

People get hyped up about every young generation, and then get depressed that it becomes much more conservative over time. And then on to the next generation. We are likely in the middle of a political realignment. Realignments happen all the time whether it be the south becomes solidly conservative (2008/2000) or the Northeast becomes solidly liberal (1992). Either way there will be some new attractiveness for both parties and the demographics of both parties are likely to shift a tiny bit too. To think that democrats are going to dominate almost all future presidential elections because of trends the party dominated with in 2008/2012 is a wishful pipe dream.

The notion that "people become more conservative as they grow older" is completely overblown. It is true that they become slightly more conservative after 45, but the overall trend is liberal.

This notion comes from the perception that all baby-boombers were pot-smoking liberated hippies that suddenly became brutally conservative in the 1970s, when in reality they were always 7 points more Republican than the nation(I know that conservative =/= Repub, but you get what I'm saying). The Boomers were always a part of the Silent Majority.

And conservative for my generation means something very different than conservative for Gen X and the Boomers. Our generation's "conservativism" is more Libertarian. Don't expect 1980s conservativism in the 2030s.

[ElectionsGuy]

^^^ This is why the next few presidential elections will be such a cake walk for Democrats, and for Hillary in particular. Especially so if she chooses a latino for VP (Ben Menendez, Bill Richardson, Julian & Joaquin Castro, Hilda Solis), so that the latino turnout will skyrocket in states like Arizona, Texas and Florida. Hillary herself is a magnet for Hispanics though, as we saw in the 2008 primaries, where she won all latino states overwhelmingly despite Obama's generally enormous appeal to young folks, which just surprisingly was not there for young latinos. Or it probably was there, but it was overshadowed by Hillary's even greater starpower.

People get hyped up about every young generation, and then get depressed that it becomes much more conservative over time. And then on to the next generation. We are likely in the middle of a political realignment. Realignments happen all the time whether it be the south becomes solidly conservative (2008/2000) or the Northeast becomes solidly liberal (1992). Either way there will be some new attractiveness for both parties and the demographics of both parties are likely to shift a tiny bit too. To think that democrats are going to dominate almost all future presidential elections because of trends the party dominated with in 2008/2012 is a wishful pipe dream.

Don't underestimate the future force of the Hispanic electorate though, as most Republicans still seem to do these days. At least some of those minds, like Karl Rove and Jeb Bush, have realized this lesson already. The rest, well they're not so smart. And that includes Sean Trende, who started this whole silly debate. Of course both parties will need Hispanic voters. One day in not a very distant future, about 65% of all Hispanic citizens will vote, and not just the 48% of them who voted in 2012. The thing about generational shifts is that they're two-way. It's not just a whole new diverse electorate coming in, it's also an almost entirely white electorate dying off. Together those two trends become very powerful. Rand Paul realized this in one of his most recent interviews when he said that Republican politicians should become more like Obama, in the way that they should take the lesson from him and themselves become community organizers. Cause only this way, only by engaging directly with Hispanic and other minority voters, can they actually change their minds and their political preferences. It's all about trust and communication, direct, personal communication and interaction. In this respect, it's good to have someone daring to think different thoughts every once in a while. We've seen it ocationally from other Republican politicians as well. Like when Christie slammed Republican Congressmen for voting against Sandy relief and when Bobby Jindal told his compatriots to stop being the stupid party. And when Jeb Bush again and again have urged his party to start reaching out to latinos.

I get that, and republicans have been really stupid lately with the comments they've made and think they should reach out to voters, now they don't need to become community organizers but they need to reach to them and not slam them on immigration and voting rights.  The trends of today are going to change like they always do. Sure whites might become a minority in the next 20 years but I'm suggesting that things will have deeply changed by then (voting trends/demographics) and your comment (and many other democrats comments) about democrats dominating the white house in most future elections is a bit silly Maybe you didn't mean it that way but I've seen those comments so many times and thought I would address it.

[Orser67]

http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/voter-conservative-aging-liberal-120119.htm

It's easy and intuitive to say that people become conservative as they age, but research shows that isn't necessarily true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_divisions_of_United_States_Congresses

It's also easy and intuitive to say that parties will adjust so that no one party will ever have sustained periods of dominance, but historically that isn't always true, either. There are multiple examples of one party dominating the presidency for decades, and even some examples of one party dominating both the presidency and Congress for a decade or more in a row. It's definitely too early to get overly enthusiastic about a Democratic "lock" on the presidency, but it's not implausible, either.

http://www.people-press.org/2011/11/03/the-generation-gap-and-the-2012-election-3/

If you look at "Generational Voting in Red and Blue" you can see that some generations kept their party loyalty over time, while others did not.

[Blue3]

I wouldn't say people become more politically conservative over time.

Usually, those progressive ideas get implemented, and it becomes conservative to defend them. So, if anything, it's the definition of what is liberal versus what is conservative that is changed.

Also, from personal experience, people seem to get just gain the  "live and let live, do what makes you happy as long as it isn't hurting anyone" attitude on cultural issues as they get older, as well as worrying more about the old and very young that need help (since they're now the old ones who depend on assistance, and worrying about their grandchildren getting a good education and a better life).

[barfbag]

Simply because we have so many people going to college and becoming over qualified to do smaller jobs that they won't take or even be able to get lower paying jobs. However, many people aren't cut out for jobs requiring college education because the academic classroom and the real world are often two very different things. This leads to tons of people applying for one position. The others have to look for a different job while not working because they're way over qualified to work at Walmart for example. I'm not trying to be cold, but going to college because you've been taught it's the only way to succeed is not a good reason to go to college. There are plenty of other ways.

[pbrower2a]

The problem is that we now live in a society where every single child is raised with the notion that they will never amount to anything unless they make it into college at age 18. College acceptance standards have dropped as well and more people are attending college than ever. This leads to nothing more than more people applying for the same jobs because more people are qualified. Doing well in the academic field and doing well in the private sector are two very different things. In today's world we end up with 20 people applying for the same position because the unnecessary amount of people going to college has resulted in more people being qualified. We can't all be doctors. If we were all doctors, then who would be the teachers? Forcing and pressuring everyone to attend college is not what this economy needs. The perfect economy is balanced. There are plenty of people who can make grades in college classrooms but have no chance in the private sector because of how different the worlds are. As long as the notion of people not being able to reach success unless making into college after high school is planted into the brains of our youth, we will continue to have a very educated society accompanied by a low income due to over qualification of trade and non-skilled jobs. The politics of education needs to stop and we need to establish a balanced economy once more.

I suspect that as college becomes more expensive and less a ticket to the Good Life, smart kids will seek alternatives. One will be the skilled trades. Another will be such public services as police work and fire-fighting.  Another is opening and operating businesses that operate in the interstices of the capitalist order in areas that Big Business does not do well or does not want to get involved in.   

Many people now attending college have no reason to be there except to mark time until they get jobs as clerks.     

[opebo]

Simply because we have so many people going to college and becoming over qualified to do smaller jobs that they won't take or even be able to get lower paying jobs. However, many people aren't cut out for jobs requiring college education because the academic classroom and the real world are often two very different things. This leads to tons of people applying for one position. The others have to look for a different job while not working because they're way over qualified to work at Walmart for example. I'm not trying to be cold, but going to college because you've been taught it's the only way to succeed is not a good reason to go to college. There are plenty of other ways.

This is because the servile duties assigned to the non-rich are far more limited and paid far less than before.  Essentially there is no action or 'choice' available to the non-rich to deal with this situation - the situation is imposed upon them, and that's that.  Poverty.

[Indy Texas]

The problem is that we now live in a society where every single child is raised with the notion that they will never amount to anything unless they make it into college at age 18. College acceptance standards have dropped as well and more people are attending college than ever. This leads to nothing more than more people applying for the same jobs because more people are qualified. Doing well in the academic field and doing well in the private sector are two very different things. In today's world we end up with 20 people applying for the same position because the unnecessary amount of people going to college has resulted in more people being qualified. We can't all be doctors. If we were all doctors, then who would be the teachers? Forcing and pressuring everyone to attend college is not what this economy needs. The perfect economy is balanced. There are plenty of people who can make grades in college classrooms but have no chance in the private sector because of how different the worlds are. As long as the notion of people not being able to reach success unless making into college after high school is planted into the brains of our youth, we will continue to have a very educated society accompanied by a low income due to over qualification of trade and non-skilled jobs. The politics of education needs to stop and we need to establish a balanced economy once more.

Have you seen the unemployment rates for people without college degrees? Have you seen the income figures for people without college degrees?

You have to go to college to be a teacher too. And if Krazen has his way, I don't know why anyone would want to be a teacher and be demonized and villified and have your salary and benefits be subject to the whims of political grandstanding.

By "balanced" do you mean one where when GDP and productivity increase, everyone or mostly everyone sees real income growth as opposed to merely the wealthiest 10% or so of the country?

[pbrower2a]

Simply because we have so many people going to college and becoming over qualified to do smaller jobs that they won't take or even be able to get lower paying jobs. However, many people aren't cut out for jobs requiring college education because the academic classroom and the real world are often two very different things. This leads to tons of people applying for one position. The others have to look for a different job while not working because they're way over qualified to work at Walmart for example. I'm not trying to be cold, but going to college because you've been taught it's the only way to succeed is not a good reason to go to college. There are plenty of other ways.

People used to be tracked for such low-status, low-pay jobs such as domestic service out of a traditional denial of opportunity. People overqualified for servile and mechanistic jobs because of intelligence and education who get such jobs usually are out of those jobs quickly because they can't stand them or quickly find better and leave. The idea that highly-educated and intelligent people can take checker jobs in retail settings and prove their work ethic and get into management is an illusion. Anyone who has completed a 4-year college degree has shown at the least an intellectual work ethic that well fits many workplaces.

Someone who takes a job for which he is vastly overqualified denies someone who is a better long-term fit effectively denies a job to someone who is a long-term solution for such a job. For good reason we have unemployment compensation so that out-of-work accountants don't get jobs as busboys.  The personal 'solution' of starting over at the very bottom in a job poorly suited for one's abilities implies that someone else is unemployed who might otherwise have work suited to his intellectual, educational station, and skill set. 

Fitting people into job openings is a good idea. Having people compete for such few jobs as exist -- with people already on the job -- is a race to the bottom in pay, working conditions, and safety on the job.   

[barfbag]

The problem is that we now live in a society where every single child is raised with the notion that they will never amount to anything unless they make it into college at age 18. College acceptance standards have dropped as well and more people are attending college than ever. This leads to nothing more than more people applying for the same jobs because more people are qualified. Doing well in the academic field and doing well in the private sector are two very different things. In today's world we end up with 20 people applying for the same position because the unnecessary amount of people going to college has resulted in more people being qualified. We can't all be doctors. If we were all doctors, then who would be the teachers? Forcing and pressuring everyone to attend college is not what this economy needs. The perfect economy is balanced. There are plenty of people who can make grades in college classrooms but have no chance in the private sector because of how different the worlds are. As long as the notion of people not being able to reach success unless making into college after high school is planted into the brains of our youth, we will continue to have a very educated society accompanied by a low income due to over qualification of trade and non-skilled jobs. The politics of education needs to stop and we need to establish a balanced economy once more.

I suspect that as college becomes more expensive and less a ticket to the Good Life, smart kids will seek alternatives. One will be the skilled trades. Another will be such public services as police work and fire-fighting.  Another is opening and operating businesses that operate in the interstices of the capitalist order in areas that Big Business does not do well or does not want to get involved in.   

Many people now attending college have no reason to be there except to mark time until they get jobs as clerks.     

You are 100% right on the money! That's the generation we're living in. It comes from upbringing. For too long we've been told there's no way to be successful other than to get into college at age 18. Other means of advancement are looked down upon by society other than those who have taken alternative roads and become successful. The perfect economy is balanced and needs a little bit of everything.

[sg0508]

Generation Y is highly "entitled", hates rules/regulations/authority and doesn't like taking responsibility for anything.  Their work-ethic as a whole is horrendous.  Plus, the democrats have successfully used the gay marriage issue and the eight years under George Bush against the GOP. 

The irony of the entitlement of the Millenials, is that they are well on their way to becoming a "Lost Generation" with globalization and technology killing their chances at building careers.  Most aren't smart enough to see the writing on the wall.

1) Technology has eliminated the need for more jobs
2) It's just cheaper to offshore to India and China
3) Gen Y tends to run for the hills when the going gets tough.  American companies do not like these kids; they tend to stay at jobs very short times
4) In terms of a college education, many of these kids do not take their education seriously.  They go and drink, saying "it's college", but they fail to realize that times have changed and that doesn't cut it anymore.  Times have changed.  The supply of global labor > demand.  Companies want people more dedicated who will work 12-14 hour days and for less pay, not for kids who will complain and demand higher salaries/wages
5) The success of the Millenials is largely going to be tied to mom/dad.  If they did okay, you'll have a chance as a Gen Yr.  If you grew up in a struggling or broken family, the odds are against you. As we clearly see, we're becoming as "have vs. have not society" and it's more likely to be a "have not".  More people are falling out of the middle class rather than getting into it or reaching elite status. 
6) This generation has no sense of personal responsibility and no sense of pride or financial planning. They get what they want, when they want it and are told "they're great" to appease them.  Mom/dad aren't parents anymore.  Now, the kids control the households as mom/dad have become figureheads in many households and the number of "stable" households decline.
7) The democratic party suits the personality of this generation far better and politicians only care about getting re-elected.  They don't throw the truth in anyone's face because that will get them thrown out. Plus, socially, the GOP is back in the 80s, which isn't going to attract the Millenials.

Oh yes, I'm 29, a Millenial and I see what a crapfest the generation as a whole is.  I'd say that 2 out of 3 in this generation have absolutely no chance to succeed financially.  Rather, most seem to be content on running themselves into the ground financially, then crying poverty and eventually starting a revolution when the unsustainability finally ends.

[barfbag]

Generation Y is highly "entitled", hates rules/regulations/authority and doesn't like taking responsibility for anything.  Their work-ethic as a whole is horrendous.  Plus, the democrats have successfully used the gay marriage issue and the eight years under George Bush against the GOP. 

The irony of the entitlement of the Millenials, is that they are well on their way to becoming a "Lost Generation" with globalization and technology killing their chances at building careers.  Most aren't smart enough to see the writing on the wall.

1) Technology has eliminated the need for more jobs
2) It's just cheaper to offshore to India and China
3) Gen Y tends to run for the hills when the going gets tough.  American companies do not like these kids; they tend to stay at jobs very short times
4) In terms of a college education, many of these kids do not take their education seriously.  They go and drink, saying "it's college", but they fail to realize that times have changed and that doesn't cut it anymore.  Times have changed.  The supply of global labor > demand.  Companies want people more dedicated who will work 12-14 hour days and for less pay, not for kids who will complain and demand higher salaries/wages
5) The success of the Millenials is largely going to be tied to mom/dad.  If they did okay, you'll have a chance as a Gen Yr.  If you grew up in a struggling or broken family, the odds are against you. As we clearly see, we're becoming as "have vs. have not society" and it's more likely to be a "have not".  More people are falling out of the middle class rather than getting into it or reaching elite status. 
6) This generation has no sense of personal responsibility and no sense of pride or financial planning. They get what they want, when they want it and are told "they're great" to appease them.  Mom/dad aren't parents anymore.  Now, the kids control the households as mom/dad have become figureheads in many households and the number of "stable" households decline.
7) The democratic party suits the personality of this generation far better and politicians only care about getting re-elected.  They don't throw the truth in anyone's face because that will get them thrown out. Plus, socially, the GOP is back in the 80s, which isn't going to attract the Millenials.

Oh yes, I'm 29, a Millenial and I see what a crapfest the generation as a whole is.  I'd say that 2 out of 3 in this generation have absolutely no chance to succeed financially.  Rather, most seem to be content on running themselves into the ground financially, then crying poverty and eventually starting a revolution when the unsustainability finally ends.

We are a very stupid generation; the young and the dumb. If only the rest of us were as informed as you and me.

[MalaspinaGold]

Generation Y is highly "entitled", hates rules/regulations/authority and doesn't like taking responsibility for anything.  Their work-ethic as a whole is horrendous.  Plus, the democrats have successfully used the gay marriage issue and the eight years under George Bush against the GOP. 

The irony of the entitlement of the Millenials, is that they are well on their way to becoming a "Lost Generation" with globalization and technology killing their chances at building careers.  Most aren't smart enough to see the writing on the wall.

1) Technology has eliminated the need for more jobs
2) It's just cheaper to offshore to India and China
3) Gen Y tends to run for the hills when the going gets tough.  American companies do not like these kids; they tend to stay at jobs very short times
4) In terms of a college education, many of these kids do not take their education seriously.  They go and drink, saying "it's college", but they fail to realize that times have changed and that doesn't cut it anymore.  Times have changed.  The supply of global labor > demand.  Companies want people more dedicated who will work 12-14 hour days and for less pay, not for kids who will complain and demand higher salaries/wages
5) The success of the Millenials is largely going to be tied to mom/dad.  If they did okay, you'll have a chance as a Gen Yr.  If you grew up in a struggling or broken family, the odds are against you. As we clearly see, we're becoming as "have vs. have not society" and it's more likely to be a "have not".  More people are falling out of the middle class rather than getting into it or reaching elite status. 
6) This generation has no sense of personal responsibility and no sense of pride or financial planning. They get what they want, when they want it and are told "they're great" to appease them.  Mom/dad aren't parents anymore.  Now, the kids control the households as mom/dad have become figureheads in many households and the number of "stable" households decline.
7) The democratic party suits the personality of this generation far better and politicians only care about getting re-elected.  They don't throw the truth in anyone's face because that will get them thrown out. Plus, socially, the GOP is back in the 80s, which isn't going to attract the Millenials.

Oh yes, I'm 29, a Millenial and I see what a crapfest the generation as a whole is.  I'd say that 2 out of 3 in this generation have absolutely no chance to succeed financially.  Rather, most seem to be content on running themselves into the ground financially, then crying poverty and eventually starting a revolution when the unsustainability finally ends.

We are a very stupid generation; the young and the dumb. If only the rest of us were as informed as you and me.

I should say that every generation previous to this one has said this about the next generation; they are "entitled". Every time, the next generation turns out okay.
Frankly, I think the global economy will sort itself out as more Gen. Yers enter the market. Manufacturing will continue to go overseas, while America becomes a hub for new technology and service sectors.

There is also, no reason to call us a dumb generation.

[barfbag]

Generation Y is highly "entitled", hates rules/regulations/authority and doesn't like taking responsibility for anything.  Their work-ethic as a whole is horrendous.  Plus, the democrats have successfully used the gay marriage issue and the eight years under George Bush against the GOP. 

The irony of the entitlement of the Millenials, is that they are well on their way to becoming a "Lost Generation" with globalization and technology killing their chances at building careers.  Most aren't smart enough to see the writing on the wall.

1) Technology has eliminated the need for more jobs
2) It's just cheaper to offshore to India and China
3) Gen Y tends to run for the hills when the going gets tough.  American companies do not like these kids; they tend to stay at jobs very short times
4) In terms of a college education, many of these kids do not take their education seriously.  They go and drink, saying "it's college", but they fail to realize that times have changed and that doesn't cut it anymore.  Times have changed.  The supply of global labor > demand.  Companies want people more dedicated who will work 12-14 hour days and for less pay, not for kids who will complain and demand higher salaries/wages
5) The success of the Millenials is largely going to be tied to mom/dad.  If they did okay, you'll have a chance as a Gen Yr.  If you grew up in a struggling or broken family, the odds are against you. As we clearly see, we're becoming as "have vs. have not society" and it's more likely to be a "have not".  More people are falling out of the middle class rather than getting into it or reaching elite status. 
6) This generation has no sense of personal responsibility and no sense of pride or financial planning. They get what they want, when they want it and are told "they're great" to appease them.  Mom/dad aren't parents anymore.  Now, the kids control the households as mom/dad have become figureheads in many households and the number of "stable" households decline.
7) The democratic party suits the personality of this generation far better and politicians only care about getting re-elected.  They don't throw the truth in anyone's face because that will get them thrown out. Plus, socially, the GOP is back in the 80s, which isn't going to attract the Millenials.

Oh yes, I'm 29, a Millenial and I see what a crapfest the generation as a whole is.  I'd say that 2 out of 3 in this generation have absolutely no chance to succeed financially.  Rather, most seem to be content on running themselves into the ground financially, then crying poverty and eventually starting a revolution when the unsustainability finally ends.

We are a very stupid generation; the young and the dumb. If only the rest of us were as informed as you and me.

I should say that every generation previous to this one has said this about the next generation; they are "entitled". Every time, the next generation turns out okay.
Frankly, I think the global economy will sort itself out as more Gen. Yers enter the market. Manufacturing will continue to go overseas, while America becomes a hub for new technology and service sectors.

There is also, no reason to call us a dumb generation.

In terms of survival each generation has gotten dumber than the last. Although, you can argue each generation gets better than the last at not having to take care of themselves which is a clever task. If you compare us to people a hundred years ago, we're very lazy. Times are just too different now. We're also less polite than any generation before us. "Turning out fine" is a point of view.

[MalaspinaGold]

In terms of survival... because in the last few hundred years a significant chunk of the world population has not had to spend 14 hours a day doing back-breaking labor, going home to an inadequate meal, and living in makeshift tenements.

In evolution, when the environment changes, the organisms living in it adapt. The same is happening now in human society. The world for the average person has grown from the manor in feudal Europe to country of nationalistic Europe/America/Japan to world of today.

Farmers of 100 years ago would have decried that so few city slickers could handle a plow in the fields. Here's the key: people living in cities did not need to. The average millenial indeed may not know how to do things that would have been household chores to boomers. However, the average boomer does not know how to deal with computers. There are juniors in my computer science class who can do things with a computer that the average boomer could not dream of 50 years ago. Guess what: the future market is going to be based in computers, not in machinery, or in farming. Those traits will be secondary in tomorrow's job market, and thus, may be largely set aside. That does not mean the current generation is dumber.

Unless you can show a biological/health/economic reason for complaining about young people getting "dumber" as you call it, you don't really have a point.

A movie that addresses this really well is Midnight in Paris.

About your "polite" remark: remember that your average family 100 years ago was a poor commoner, and did not care much for politeness.

[LastVoter]

Generation Y is highly "entitled", hates rules/regulations/authority and doesn't like taking responsibility for anything.  Their work-ethic as a whole is horrendous.  Plus, the democrats have successfully used the gay marriage issue and the eight years under George Bush against the GOP. 

The irony of the entitlement of the Millenials, is that they are well on their way to becoming a "Lost Generation" with globalization and technology killing their chances at building careers.  Most aren't smart enough to see the writing on the wall.

1) Technology has eliminated the need for more jobs
2) It's just cheaper to offshore to India and China
3) Gen Y tends to run for the hills when the going gets tough.  American companies do not like these kids; they tend to stay at jobs very short times
4) In terms of a college education, many of these kids do not take their education seriously.  They go and drink, saying "it's college", but they fail to realize that times have changed and that doesn't cut it anymore.  Times have changed.  The supply of global labor > demand.  Companies want people more dedicated who will work 12-14 hour days and for less pay, not for kids who will complain and demand higher salaries/wages
5) The success of the Millenials is largely going to be tied to mom/dad.  If they did okay, you'll have a chance as a Gen Yr.  If you grew up in a struggling or broken family, the odds are against you. As we clearly see, we're becoming as "have vs. have not society" and it's more likely to be a "have not".  More people are falling out of the middle class rather than getting into it or reaching elite status. 
6) This generation has no sense of personal responsibility and no sense of pride or financial planning. They get what they want, when they want it and are told "they're great" to appease them.  Mom/dad aren't parents anymore.  Now, the kids control the households as mom/dad have become figureheads in many households and the number of "stable" households decline.
7) The democratic party suits the personality of this generation far better and politicians only care about getting re-elected.  They don't throw the truth in anyone's face because that will get them thrown out. Plus, socially, the GOP is back in the 80s, which isn't going to attract the Millenials.

Oh yes, I'm 29, a Millenial and I see what a crapfest the generation as a whole is.  I'd say that 2 out of 3 in this generation have absolutely no chance to succeed financially.  Rather, most seem to be content on running themselves into the ground financially, then crying poverty and eventually starting a revolution when the unsustainability finally ends.

All of these are good things, especially the poor work ethic. The only thing that is missing is proper state policy to address the needs of this generation.

[TNF]

Generation Y is highly "entitled", hates rules/regulations/authority and doesn't like taking responsibility for anything.  Their work-ethic as a whole is horrendous.  Plus, the democrats have successfully used the gay marriage issue and the eight years under George Bush against the GOP. 

The irony of the entitlement of the Millenials, is that they are well on their way to becoming a "Lost Generation" with globalization and technology killing their chances at building careers.  Most aren't smart enough to see the writing on the wall.

1) Technology has eliminated the need for more jobs
2) It's just cheaper to offshore to India and China
3) Gen Y tends to run for the hills when the going gets tough.  American companies do not like these kids; they tend to stay at jobs very short times
4) In terms of a college education, many of these kids do not take their education seriously.  They go and drink, saying "it's college", but they fail to realize that times have changed and that doesn't cut it anymore.  Times have changed.  The supply of global labor > demand.  Companies want people more dedicated who will work 12-14 hour days and for less pay, not for kids who will complain and demand higher salaries/wages
5) The success of the Millenials is largely going to be tied to mom/dad.  If they did okay, you'll have a chance as a Gen Yr.  If you grew up in a struggling or broken family, the odds are against you. As we clearly see, we're becoming as "have vs. have not society" and it's more likely to be a "have not".  More people are falling out of the middle class rather than getting into it or reaching elite status. 
6) This generation has no sense of personal responsibility and no sense of pride or financial planning. They get what they want, when they want it and are told "they're great" to appease them.  Mom/dad aren't parents anymore.  Now, the kids control the households as mom/dad have become figureheads in many households and the number of "stable" households decline.
7) The democratic party suits the personality of this generation far better and politicians only care about getting re-elected.  They don't throw the truth in anyone's face because that will get them thrown out. Plus, socially, the GOP is back in the 80s, which isn't going to attract the Millenials.

Oh yes, I'm 29, a Millenial and I see what a crapfest the generation as a whole is.  I'd say that 2 out of 3 in this generation have absolutely no chance to succeed financially.  Rather, most seem to be content on running themselves into the ground financially, then crying poverty and eventually starting a revolution when the unsustainability finally ends.

Well if that's the case, then f**k those companies and the people who run them, because they're awful pieces of garbage who want to literally enslave the human race so that they can turn a profit. I'm glad my generation isn't likely to put up with this business as usual bullsh**t that says we need to work longer hours for less pay. If every person in this country said to hell with that, we aren't going to work more than say six hours a day, and we won't be paid less than $15 an hour, the whole country would be better for it. Companies who can't pay those kind of wages don't need to be in business anyway. They're leeches and predators who need to go out of business, 'mom and pop' or not.

[barfbag]

Generation Y is highly "entitled", hates rules/regulations/authority and doesn't like taking responsibility for anything.  Their work-ethic as a whole is horrendous.  Plus, the democrats have successfully used the gay marriage issue and the eight years under George Bush against the GOP. 

The irony of the entitlement of the Millenials, is that they are well on their way to becoming a "Lost Generation" with globalization and technology killing their chances at building careers.  Most aren't smart enough to see the writing on the wall.

1) Technology has eliminated the need for more jobs
2) It's just cheaper to offshore to India and China
3) Gen Y tends to run for the hills when the going gets tough.  American companies do not like these kids; they tend to stay at jobs very short times
4) In terms of a college education, many of these kids do not take their education seriously.  They go and drink, saying "it's college", but they fail to realize that times have changed and that doesn't cut it anymore.  Times have changed.  The supply of global labor > demand.  Companies want people more dedicated who will work 12-14 hour days and for less pay, not for kids who will complain and demand higher salaries/wages
5) The success of the Millenials is largely going to be tied to mom/dad.  If they did okay, you'll have a chance as a Gen Yr.  If you grew up in a struggling or broken family, the odds are against you. As we clearly see, we're becoming as "have vs. have not society" and it's more likely to be a "have not".  More people are falling out of the middle class rather than getting into it or reaching elite status. 
6) This generation has no sense of personal responsibility and no sense of pride or financial planning. They get what they want, when they want it and are told "they're great" to appease them.  Mom/dad aren't parents anymore.  Now, the kids control the households as mom/dad have become figureheads in many households and the number of "stable" households decline.
7) The democratic party suits the personality of this generation far better and politicians only care about getting re-elected.  They don't throw the truth in anyone's face because that will get them thrown out. Plus, socially, the GOP is back in the 80s, which isn't going to attract the Millenials.

Oh yes, I'm 29, a Millenial and I see what a crapfest the generation as a whole is.  I'd say that 2 out of 3 in this generation have absolutely no chance to succeed financially.  Rather, most seem to be content on running themselves into the ground financially, then crying poverty and eventually starting a revolution when the unsustainability finally ends.

Well if that's the case, then f**k those companies and the people who run them, because they're awful pieces of garbage who want to literally enslave the human race so that they can turn a profit. I'm glad my generation isn't likely to put up with this business as usual bullsh**t that says we need to work longer hours for less pay. If every person in this country said to hell with that, we aren't going to work more than say six hours a day, and we won't be paid less than $15 an hour, the whole country would be better for it. Companies who can't pay those kind of wages don't need to be in business anyway. They're leeches and predators who need to go out of business, 'mom and pop' or not.

Your attitude speaks volumes about young people today.

[opebo]

Generation Y is highly "entitled", hates rules/regulations/authority and doesn't like taking responsibility for anything.  Their work-ethic as a whole is horrendous.  Plus, the democrats have successfully used the gay marriage issue and the eight years under George Bush against the GOP. 

The irony of the entitlement of the Millenials, is that they are well on their way to becoming a "Lost Generation" with globalization and technology killing their chances at building careers.  Most aren't smart enough to see the writing on the wall.

1) Technology has eliminated the need for more jobs
2) It's just cheaper to offshore to India and China
3) Gen Y tends to run for the hills when the going gets tough.  American companies do not like these kids; they tend to stay at jobs very short times
4) In terms of a college education, many of these kids do not take their education seriously.  They go and drink, saying "it's college", but they fail to realize that times have changed and that doesn't cut it anymore.  Times have changed.  The supply of global labor > demand.  Companies want people more dedicated who will work 12-14 hour days and for less pay, not for kids who will complain and demand higher salaries/wages
5) The success of the Millenials is largely going to be tied to mom/dad.  If they did okay, you'll have a chance as a Gen Yr.  If you grew up in a struggling or broken family, the odds are against you. As we clearly see, we're becoming as "have vs. have not society" and it's more likely to be a "have not".  More people are falling out of the middle class rather than getting into it or reaching elite status. 
6) This generation has no sense of personal responsibility and no sense of pride or financial planning. They get what they want, when they want it and are told "they're great" to appease them.  Mom/dad aren't parents anymore.  Now, the kids control the households as mom/dad have become figureheads in many households and the number of "stable" households decline.
7) The democratic party suits the personality of this generation far better and politicians only care about getting re-elected.  They don't throw the truth in anyone's face because that will get them thrown out. Plus, socially, the GOP is back in the 80s, which isn't going to attract the Millenials.

Oh yes, I'm 29, a Millenial and I see what a crapfest the generation as a whole is.  I'd say that 2 out of 3 in this generation have absolutely no chance to succeed financially.  Rather, most seem to be content on running themselves into the ground financially, then crying poverty and eventually starting a revolution when the unsustainability finally ends.

We are a very stupid generation; the young and the dumb. If only the rest of us were as informed as you and me.

You fellows are the stupid ones - you're missing the entire point - that the outrage imposed by the owning class is what is unacceptable, not the character of the victims.

Mr. sg whatever does a reasonably good job at describing what is wrong with our plutocracy, but instead of blaming those in control, he criticizes some children who have been cannibalized by it.  Why don't you try using your reason, sg?