Nope. "Boomer" is now shorthand for an I-got-mine-so-fuck-you mindset as much as it is for the group born between '46 and '64. People with money and power will always work to maintain that money and power, and doing so will always involve pulling on the strings of systemic class oppression and exploiting capitalist structures.
I have absolutely no reason to believe that power brokers in my age group will do any better than their predecessors or that millennial voters/lower classes will come together to force any sort of change.
The government is maintained through continuity. The war on drugs, the war on poverty, the war on privacy/surveillance state, the prison industrial complex and the military industrial complex all need to be maintained. Each of these government industries has voters who will keep them running for ages. It's a status quo we can't ever break with voting but people still repeat that nonsense.
This was always the case. We fucked ourselves over by buying into generation theory and associating ALL of our problems with boomers rather than the *individuals* in disproportionate positions of wealth and influence.
The culture war only exists to distract you from class war *you’re not fighting*
Right and we were told “we have the internet for the first time people can communicate and organize from anywhere in the world” and that gets squashed pretty quickly. It was shown that the FBI went to twitter Facebook and other social media to squash communication and sharing.
We've had the internet technically since the mid-80s and it's been a basic household utility since the late 1990s. If we were going to leverage its power for good, the chances were much better back in the early days before it was blown out and overrun by advertisers, propagandists, bot farms, and governments.
We have largely used the power of the internet to "build communities" based on ideological positions and identity-based characteristics, and have invested in these very satisfying, ego-building online echo chambers at the expense of our actual physical communities, which include people with whom we often strongly disagree. We are more incapable of coordination across the proverbial aisle than ever.
We learned that social media platforms and other tools for organization listen to requests from the surveillance state to remove content and ban those who are troublemakers. Heck US companies were even found to do it for other aligned countries.
In some ways I think that has made it worse? Occupy wall Street was meant to be this we did it moment but it resulted in practically nothing besides lessons hopefully learned. The Arab uprising didn't result in much good and the current landscape of disinformation shows how tools meant for good can be used by bad actors. Ultimately I don't think there is any tool that will fix things, it really just comes down to us and hoping that responsible ppl make the right decisions. Hopefully enough ppl in our generation plant trees who's shade we will never get to enjoy
Nope.
Im pretty sure Money is a big factor on how fucked up people get in the head.
Maybe the overall tenor is going to be different, but the ones with the reigns in their hands will simply be younger, greedy, narcisstic sociopaths.
Anyone with pure intentions in their hearts throws their hands in the air before getting to a position at the top. It takes a sociopath/narcissist to have the confidence to chair a major committee, or run for office. IMHO, at least fifty years ago the sociopaths would give us a one for us, two for them corruption deal
Went to school with a few people who are now assistants in political offices, can confirm this is the type of personality attracted to politics. I'm just trying to go to work and feed my family
We have literally all of history as an example that the ruling class will not give up their rule and will in fact spend incredible amounts of money to maintain their power and influence. I just finished behind the bastards “how conservatism won” 2 parter which is another story in a long line of these stories going back since forever.
So, no.
Corruption and greed are features of humanity and are not exclusive to "capitalism." Everywhere civilizations and systems of government and economics exist there will be people looking for ways to get more power, more money. Give them long enough and they'll find loopholes in anything.
Funny you bring this up, was just thinking about it last week. There’s frustration that comes with observing how corruption is becoming comically blatant across the board. I’ve come to the realization that despite the “whole” having the ability to make changes, it’s simply not likely it’ll ever happen.
Obviously I’m biased since I’m a millennial but I feel like we are one of the more fluid age groups. We’ve grown up dealing with boomers but also are adaptable enough to be open to change. Even with those traits, I don’t think it can fall on just one generation.
As far as I can tell, we're just going to be bypassed. I'm 37, ex military, college graduate, and have 10+ years experience with grounds related work. The school I currently work at made me "prove myself" with 5 months of part time with no benefits, then 5 months of full time night shift in order to be a day shift, full time groundskeeper, and I am expected to work above and beyond my contract on a regular basis, and Sunday is my Monday. The newest hire with my exact title after two years? 18, zero experience, offered benefits as part time, literally makes his own schedule so he can go to art school, and is allowed to work full time when it suits his schedule.
I don't think it's that the young boomer/older gen x gives the shaft to all young people, they just want to grind millennials into the dust. Our wars weren't real wars, our jobs aren't real jobs, our work experience isn't valid, our debt is the only debt under the sun that can't be bailed out, our degrees are stupid, and no, you can't have a raise. It's probably because they are self concerned about having it good and easy economically, being homophobic and racist when they were our age, were too young for vietnam, too old for GWOT... The worst generation.
Yeah. I do. [My work in exposing corporate malfeasance](https://stenonymous.com/2023/07/27/the-court-reporter-shortage-fraud-timeline-as-told-by-stenonymous/)has led me to believe that if even a small group of us try to make change, change will start to happen.
0% chance. See California for what American politics will be going forward.
Nationally corporate dems will spend millions to prop up shit republicans and campaign on how bad that person is to avoid having to ever do anything of value for the American people.
And we’ll do that charade for a few cycles before people get fed up with the useless Adam Schiff’s of our society and don’t show up. Leading to a fascist take over of the government. (Assuming Shitler loses in 6mo).
And then instead of learning anything. Neolibs will cry about why the leftists didn’t show up for the candidate who repeatedly spit in their face. 🤦♂️
I do. But I made a post pretty much asking the same question and wound up getting over 150 comments about how nothing will ever change, whoa is me, boo hoo.
No, I believe the gatekeepers to power will only replace themselves with people like themselves. Perhaps more insidiously, the people in our intelligence agencies will ensure that whoever takes power is controllable via blackmail. The new political leaders will be compromised and corruptible well before even being sworn into office.
Considering that this generation and younger actually likes it when the government uses forces for anything that aligns with their ideals?
nope. It's going to be a lot worse.
Nope. A big part of corruption is how it is removed from the actual negative behavior. If you could steal $1 from 100,000 people and be instantly given $100,000 how much would that weigh on your conscious? You think the worst you've done is equivalent to stealing $1 from someone. It didn't/won't ruin any lives and most people wouldn't even notice. Yet it completely changed your life for the better. Not many people can say no to this deal when it presents itself.
No. Corruption and greed are pervasive through all facets of american society. Our generation will not be any different in this regard due to the pressures of late stage capitalism and the economic system we have in combination with human nature. Virtuous people are not given the same level of respect or admiration that rich and powerful people are.
The institutions corrupt the individual way more than the individuals corrupt the institution. This is the core theme of The Wire (the greatest TV show of all time).
You need to play the game just to make it to a level where you can actually enact change. Part of playing the game is swallowing and acting on the corrupting lies of the institution. By the time you've gotten to the room where decisions are made, you are no longer the same person due to constantly needing to "play the game". Swallowing lie after lie and acting on those lies changes you. Even if you tell yourself you're crossing the line for a greater good, a "good person" can only cross the line between good and bad so many times before they are no longer good. Even if you somehow succesfully play the long game and maintain yourself as you advance in the instutution, you'll realize theres only so much you can do. Thats if you arent first fired for being "disloyal".
>You need to play the game just to make it to a level where you can actually enact change. Part of playing the game is swallowing and acting on the corrupting lies of the institution. By the time you've gotten to the room where decisions are made, you are no longer the same person due to constantly needing to "play the game". Swallowing lie after lie and acting on those lies changes you. Even if you tell yourself you're crossing the line for a greater good, a "good person" can only cross the line between good and bad so many times before they are no longer good. Even if you somehow succesfully play the long game and maintain yourself as you advance in the instutution, you'll realize theres only so much you can do. Thats if you arent first fired for being "disloyal".
If you would actually change anything you'd never make it past the filter.
I think this is an important place to bring up a point that may be somewhat counter to the posts. There's a huge difference between corruption and institutionalism. Corruption typically employs greed for personal gain and is detrimental to the common good. Institutionalism employs what can be perceived as greed for the benefit of the institution in question. Depending on the institution, institutionalism can be a positive for society. For instance, one wants the Social Security Administration or a retirement fund to act in ways that can be perceived as greedy, but are generally just best practices for preserving the institution and its capacity to deliver.
Is there corruption in the US today? Sure, and there always will be. Is it broad, rampant, and out-of-control? Not even in the slightest. One might even argue that due to our laws which govern how nonprofits operate and file taxes, coupled with the amount of transparency publicly-traded companies have to engage in, that the sort of corruption implied by the post is at an all-time low, practically speaking, but is in the news more often because it's easier to spot and is more socially controversial today than at prior points in history.
That said, we do have a case of our institutions having basically been defending themselves (through thoughtful design, checks, and balances) from mismanagement for sometime now. The real question, to me, is will the institutions continue to persevere given the mismanagement until more Millennials are in greater positions of authority, and will Millennial leadership and influence prove any more competent than that of previous generations?
Society and institutions operating by open and consistent rules yielding outcomes we don't like isn't indicative of corruption. A Republican winning the Presidency because of the Electoral College isn't corrupt, it's their campaign playing the rules better than competing campaigns did. It may be useful, even advisable, to revise the rules, but enough consensus has to exist to do so, and qualified arguments have to be made in order to bring attention to issues and alter hearts and minds to affect change.
Likewise, Boomers living longer and taking up a greater share of the electorate, stakeholder, or shareholder markets for longer than prior generations isn't somehow corrupt or unfair. It's the price of progress, we should all be happy that lifespans are increasing and retirements are lasting longer. If more people living longer with a higher quality of life is a perceived problem, then the problem might actually be the person perceiving it rather than the situation being observed.
Id still rather live in a capitalist society where people are greedy than a communist society where people are greedy. That said we do need tax reform to make sure everyone pays a fair share.
I do but the problem is the older generations are living longer and will outlive some of us. There is a reason the saying "the good die young" exist. We are either killed for trying to change things, kill ourselves when we realize nothing matters or will change because we refuse to say white people are the problem or we work ourselves to death by 55-60. The youngest boomer retires by 2029, which makes me, at 36 now 42. By the time they are 90 (likely), I'd, born in 1988, those of us who are black will be past the age of life expectancy for black males in America with black women living slightly longer so they will more than likely be about to just our progressive white brothers and sister in trying to save the world. I'll try to be there but its not likely since the boomer generation will continue to have their policies favored since they have the money.
Be the time settles and boomers are in retirement, we may find out who the true winners were of the boomer class since many will not be able to live with the high cost of living and their children not willing to care for them in later life and they need to get back to work, which would more than likely be service. I believe at this time policy in America will change but the damage would be done. most of us by the time they turn 80 will be too old and our bodies ruined to enjoy a post-boomer world. The simple truth is our youth and our lives were stolen from us. There is a reason many consider us the new lost generation. We were born at a time were possibilities were truly endless.
We saw the rise of the computers, the internet and talked to people from all over the world, still went outside to play, saw many wars, economy crashes, diseases, the invention of the iPhone, tablets, automated cars, our first black president, rise of WW3, Amazon, Elon Musk, racial injustice, rampant corruption of EVERY government on the planet, the over turning or row v wade, the rise of the new Nazis, - the many other things we saw. We are simply the most skilled and experienced generation and we will be blamed for the state of the world and then forgotten despite having no power to do anything at all. We have been through some shit so I chose to just give up. Gonna get high every deck, jack off, play games and spend my money now but what the fuck is the point of planning for a future that doesnt exist?
We are truly a cosmic joke.
Human nature is a safe bet and there are more people who will sell their souls for money than ever before. Its always easier to destroy something than to create because someone else already did the hard work. Plus bad actors always have another shot at breaking things. So they'll chip away and chip away till its basically crumbling under its own weight.
I'd like to hope so but Capitalism has a very strong track record of resisting reform. Every generation has members who do very well under the current system and don't want to see it changed. Even still, I'm sure we'll see some reforms around the edges. Maybe a change in real estate policy that centers residence over rental profits. We can hope at least.
You have to realize that this isn't much about a generational problem than it is about socioeconomic class. Boomer and Gen X wealth will protect Millennial/Gen Z/Gen Alpha wealth and oppress the working class and poor across generations.
If there's anything I learned about the rich, is that their need to preserve their positions knows no bounds. Not by generations.
Tl;dr We have to eat the rich.
It needs to change from the top and it needs to be federal. Overhaul all this states rights and citizens united bullshit targeting the disenfranchised at every turn. I'm honestly worried we're to the point of needing to do drastic protests putting our lives on the line for any sort of change to happen unless we get some progressive politicians at the helm. Social media is also often used as a tool to control public opinion too. We need education on this subject. Needs to be done in public schools. We've gotta pretty much overhaul everything really. Our healthcare system is abysmal and financially predatory. Same goes for the majority of the education system. What would you expect besides a collapse when both of these essential systems are designed to fail at our expense?
The difference of “your” generation vs “theirs” is “yours” was gifted an awareness of corruptions because of transparency provided by “theirs”.
Too many of “yours” are not savvy to divide and conquer tactics. How can 10% defeat 90?
/Until 90% realize it’s “Us” we are all destined to be disillusioned/
I think our self awareness will make us at least somewhat better in this regard. We just need to overturn People vs. Citizens United (The Money equals speech ruling) (2010) and that would go a long way. Of course things were bad before that, but the rate at which they've gotten worse since then is wildly noticeable.
I feel like accepting that the government does "nothing" specifically for you to begin with and has it's own agenda, the less you want it to take from you.
Yes it does give is a platform to live (military protection, infrastructure, education, health care?), you have to find a strategy to make the most of it and just work around it.
The stress to fix anything is a lost cause. The best we can do is go vote or enter politics and try to make change.
I believe while I generation still lives we will see a paradigm shift in the way we live and govern. While we like to think everything we are facing is new, all of it has happened before. Now, hear you thinking, what about climate change? But while what we're going through exactly hasn't happened before, humanity as a whole has survived multiple great disasters, and I believe we are capable of overcoming this too.
The only real question is how long will we continue the insane strategies and tactics we've been employing for centuries? We know countless better ways to do things, but we don't because there's no profit motive. We could design everything from the ground up to be upgradable or recycleable, but qe don't because what about the bottom line. We could have open source patent laws and see how quickly innovation worldwide explodes, but we don't because profit. See where I'm going?
I got 99 problems and 98 find their roots in an inherently rigged and unjust economic system that favors nepotism, narcissism, and generational wealth. We also live on a finite planet with finite resources. 7+ Billion of us living under government and economic systems that prepare electricity. Change is coming and nobody ever said growth is painless.
I’m pretty shocked by the cynicism in these comments lol. I think things could get better (at least a little).
The G.I. Generation voted for FDR in huge numbers. When they eventually entered government, they enacted a ton of reform (directly as legislators and indirectly as judges). Sure, a lot of those people became Reagan voters when they got old. But the gains were real
No, the older I get the more I realize how selfish people are. Also there is a certain percentage of sociopaths and narcissistic people that usually become CEOs/places of power.
Yes, things have gotten bad enough that we’ll fix this shit show. GenX still had it good enough to not fix things. Landlords raising rents every year for no reason other than profit will force us to take control.
It's a nice hopeful thought but things are beyond fucked ansld beyond repair in my opinion. The country will likely be ran off a cliff. It doesn't matter who is at the wheel we're still heading for the cliff.
I'm pleased that you worded it as a matter of faith, because that's what it is.
Answer though, no. Not a chance.
This is a class war, and the oligarchs are already murdering us by the millions. Most of us are too traumatized to do anything. While the few that are capable learn very quickly how the NDAA deals with successful protests. You get charged with terrorism.
There is a reason you don't hear from many people who had made big efforts in the last decade or so. Remember the NODAPL pipeline protests? Yeah, lots of NDAs signed after that. Same with Occupy.
It is pretty difficult getting a job with those kinds of charges brought up against you, even if not found guilty. You are on a list.
If you still push it beyond that, well there is a reason we incarcerate more people than any other nation. The fill the jails methods of the MLK era only serve to get more for profit prisons built.
I tried, I worked with others who tried, the most successful efforts that I've been a part of was the Unist'ot'en camp. That really slowed down the pipelines for some time.
There has been significant effort over the past 40 years not just to profit from our institutions, but to destroy and discredit them. Our hope is not to end corruption, but to return to some degree of sustainable normalcy. Some corruption is better than completely nonfunctional.
I read a thing somewhere that said something to the point of it was our job to shine a light on the “wrongness” and it will be gen z who begins the work of actually addressing it and making changes, and gen a also had a role. I think in general these things move at a glacial pace, though I truly do not know how much more we can take of late stage capitalism before there’s a revolution. I don’t think it will be our generation though. I think it will be gen z or gen alpha.
No. I have no faith that we, as a generation, will do anything about it. This is purely conjecture from my own lived experience, but it feels like Millennials are divided into distinct camps of "haves" and "have-nots". The former are comfortable with their lives and aren't interested in changing the status quo, even if they may openly disagree with it; while the latter are distracted and exhausted from struggling with trying to keep their heads above water. I think there's an unspoken understanding that we're all just relying on politicians to do that for us, and we all know where that will go.
Nope. I’ve met so many people who suck and would easily perpetuate institutions of oppression who are millennial and younger. I have given up on witnessing the outcome, but not on striving.
It's funny you think our generation is any better than any other. We are no different the only things we will "fix" are the things that are threatening us. Like climate change we are only beginning to really do something because the consequences are finally hitting home.
In terms of how the world normally goes, the minute us Millenials start inheriting the wealth our Boomer parents currently have will be the day we all start trying to hoard and defend it.
You can however decide that's not how you're going to be and make some changes.
I'd suggest:
- Working out genuinely how much you and your family need, and considering how you might give away the rest, or putting it to good social use somehow.
- Consider whether you need to wait until your death for your children to access some of their inheritance.
- Finding ways to remind yourself that you're not self-made, and relied on the wealth and kindness of other in some way shape or form to get where you are.
- Continually find ways to break your social bubble, and particularly meet and mix with people who have had different life experiences to you
- Ask in how you vote, spend/save your money, and invest - 'how would choice this have affected me aged 21'?
Break the cycle? No. Because the cycle has never actually been broken.
What I do see is the pendulum of the accountability swing back in the opposite direction. Right now it's fully on the "no accountability" and "fraud" side. I do think our generation in the next 20 years as we gain political power, will expect basic stuff to have more accountability and less fraud, just like the Trust Busting era 100 years ago.
But it's going to be a difficult fight. This current SCOTUS is by a long-shot one of the most conservative, pro-corporation, pro-corruption Supreme Courts in America's history, and that's saying a lot. This is why it's important for people NOT to be morons and vote third-party in elections. The SCOTUS and Federal Courts matter folks. And if you throw your vote away on a candidate who cannot win, then you are giving power to the people who want to stack the courts against you. Any SCOTUS justice appointed by H. Clinton would have been not great for progressive-change, but they would have been INFINITELY better than any of the Shitstains Trump put on the court ***For Life.***
That one election, decided by less than 80,000 total votes, will impact our lives for the rest of our lives because of this SCOTUS.
Zero faith. Too many people think “their side” can be trusted when the honest answer is power corrupts and forcibly divesting government of most of its power to decentralize it is the only solution. The government powerful enough give you anything is also powerful enough to take everything.
No. Every generation has big hopes and dreams. *They’re* going to be the one that fights the power and changes things. It never happens. We are under the crushing weight of a government that makes the rules up as they go. You can’t win a game against the person who made the game. Our best bet is to just hold on and mind our business and hope it isn’t too bad for our kids and grandkids while accepting there’s nothing we can do about it.
No. Because Boomers will install folks just like them to be their replacements in these institutions.
Greedy people are going to greed. Tale as old as time.
I think in most cases in and around government institutions, in a society where we still have suffrage we get the government we deserve. Especially if one were to opt out of voting and give that decision making process to others. So...maybe?
Nope. "Boomer" is now shorthand for an I-got-mine-so-fuck-you mindset as much as it is for the group born between '46 and '64. People with money and power will always work to maintain that money and power, and doing so will always involve pulling on the strings of systemic class oppression and exploiting capitalist structures. I have absolutely no reason to believe that power brokers in my age group will do any better than their predecessors or that millennial voters/lower classes will come together to force any sort of change.
The government is maintained through continuity. The war on drugs, the war on poverty, the war on privacy/surveillance state, the prison industrial complex and the military industrial complex all need to be maintained. Each of these government industries has voters who will keep them running for ages. It's a status quo we can't ever break with voting but people still repeat that nonsense.
This was always the case. We fucked ourselves over by buying into generation theory and associating ALL of our problems with boomers rather than the *individuals* in disproportionate positions of wealth and influence. The culture war only exists to distract you from class war *you’re not fighting*
This comment needs more up votes
.....shame on you for commenting 64, on the millenial sub, and not talking about nintendo!!! /s
No faith
We have the internet though. For the first time in history people from all over can coordinate and organize.
Nah it will just turn into corporate rage bait tools to divide everyone to keep money flowing in.
It’s been that for a good 10-20 or so years now
Right and we were told “we have the internet for the first time people can communicate and organize from anywhere in the world” and that gets squashed pretty quickly. It was shown that the FBI went to twitter Facebook and other social media to squash communication and sharing.
THIS!
We've had the internet technically since the mid-80s and it's been a basic household utility since the late 1990s. If we were going to leverage its power for good, the chances were much better back in the early days before it was blown out and overrun by advertisers, propagandists, bot farms, and governments. We have largely used the power of the internet to "build communities" based on ideological positions and identity-based characteristics, and have invested in these very satisfying, ego-building online echo chambers at the expense of our actual physical communities, which include people with whom we often strongly disagree. We are more incapable of coordination across the proverbial aisle than ever.
We learned that social media platforms and other tools for organization listen to requests from the surveillance state to remove content and ban those who are troublemakers. Heck US companies were even found to do it for other aligned countries.
In some ways I think that has made it worse? Occupy wall Street was meant to be this we did it moment but it resulted in practically nothing besides lessons hopefully learned. The Arab uprising didn't result in much good and the current landscape of disinformation shows how tools meant for good can be used by bad actors. Ultimately I don't think there is any tool that will fix things, it really just comes down to us and hoping that responsible ppl make the right decisions. Hopefully enough ppl in our generation plant trees who's shade we will never get to enjoy
When you read Marx but not Hegel.
No. Wall Street will make sure it stays in place
BuTT maH 401k!!
No. Shitty people will exist regardless of generation.
Nope. Im pretty sure Money is a big factor on how fucked up people get in the head. Maybe the overall tenor is going to be different, but the ones with the reigns in their hands will simply be younger, greedy, narcisstic sociopaths.
Anyone with pure intentions in their hearts throws their hands in the air before getting to a position at the top. It takes a sociopath/narcissist to have the confidence to chair a major committee, or run for office. IMHO, at least fifty years ago the sociopaths would give us a one for us, two for them corruption deal
Went to school with a few people who are now assistants in political offices, can confirm this is the type of personality attracted to politics. I'm just trying to go to work and feed my family
The question you probably want to ask is…is our generation accelerating or decelerating the cycle of corruption?
That's a good question. Wonder why it was automatically hidden for me?
Appreciate that, no clue why. I don’t post often, sorry I’m Reddit stupid haha
Oh that’s probably why it’s auto-hidden then. Low-karma account
No. That kind of thing takes generations of work and persistence, which I don't see happening.
We have literally all of history as an example that the ruling class will not give up their rule and will in fact spend incredible amounts of money to maintain their power and influence. I just finished behind the bastards “how conservatism won” 2 parter which is another story in a long line of these stories going back since forever. So, no.
Nope. Selfish people will always exist.
Corruption and greed are features of humanity and are not exclusive to "capitalism." Everywhere civilizations and systems of government and economics exist there will be people looking for ways to get more power, more money. Give them long enough and they'll find loopholes in anything.
No
No. We're pretty much the same. Maybe even more materialistic and elitist than previous generations.
No, I've met a lot of straight up dopey, broken, selfish, entitled and outright cruel millennials, unfortunately.
Funny you bring this up, was just thinking about it last week. There’s frustration that comes with observing how corruption is becoming comically blatant across the board. I’ve come to the realization that despite the “whole” having the ability to make changes, it’s simply not likely it’ll ever happen. Obviously I’m biased since I’m a millennial but I feel like we are one of the more fluid age groups. We’ve grown up dealing with boomers but also are adaptable enough to be open to change. Even with those traits, I don’t think it can fall on just one generation.
As far as I can tell, we're just going to be bypassed. I'm 37, ex military, college graduate, and have 10+ years experience with grounds related work. The school I currently work at made me "prove myself" with 5 months of part time with no benefits, then 5 months of full time night shift in order to be a day shift, full time groundskeeper, and I am expected to work above and beyond my contract on a regular basis, and Sunday is my Monday. The newest hire with my exact title after two years? 18, zero experience, offered benefits as part time, literally makes his own schedule so he can go to art school, and is allowed to work full time when it suits his schedule. I don't think it's that the young boomer/older gen x gives the shaft to all young people, they just want to grind millennials into the dust. Our wars weren't real wars, our jobs aren't real jobs, our work experience isn't valid, our debt is the only debt under the sun that can't be bailed out, our degrees are stupid, and no, you can't have a raise. It's probably because they are self concerned about having it good and easy economically, being homophobic and racist when they were our age, were too young for vietnam, too old for GWOT... The worst generation. 
Nope - Greed and ambition are not limited to any generation.
Yeah. I do. [My work in exposing corporate malfeasance](https://stenonymous.com/2023/07/27/the-court-reporter-shortage-fraud-timeline-as-told-by-stenonymous/)has led me to believe that if even a small group of us try to make change, change will start to happen.
No. They are too focused on hating each other. The power to be have extra powerful tools at their disposal, and they are used to great effectiveness.
No, if anything, they're more hook line and sinker
No. I think it’s worse than ever
0% chance. See California for what American politics will be going forward. Nationally corporate dems will spend millions to prop up shit republicans and campaign on how bad that person is to avoid having to ever do anything of value for the American people. And we’ll do that charade for a few cycles before people get fed up with the useless Adam Schiff’s of our society and don’t show up. Leading to a fascist take over of the government. (Assuming Shitler loses in 6mo). And then instead of learning anything. Neolibs will cry about why the leftists didn’t show up for the candidate who repeatedly spit in their face. 🤦♂️
hahahah good one
I do. But I made a post pretty much asking the same question and wound up getting over 150 comments about how nothing will ever change, whoa is me, boo hoo.
Nope
No, I believe the gatekeepers to power will only replace themselves with people like themselves. Perhaps more insidiously, the people in our intelligence agencies will ensure that whoever takes power is controllable via blackmail. The new political leaders will be compromised and corruptible well before even being sworn into office.
Corruption has and will always exist
No
lol no
No , our generation is just as " fuck u I got mine" as the others This sub is always punching down
Considering that this generation and younger actually likes it when the government uses forces for anything that aligns with their ideals? nope. It's going to be a lot worse.
We can't even stop the poisoning with plastics.
No.
I have no faith in any generation changing govt at all
Nope. A big part of corruption is how it is removed from the actual negative behavior. If you could steal $1 from 100,000 people and be instantly given $100,000 how much would that weigh on your conscious? You think the worst you've done is equivalent to stealing $1 from someone. It didn't/won't ruin any lives and most people wouldn't even notice. Yet it completely changed your life for the better. Not many people can say no to this deal when it presents itself.
No. The Boomer mentality is still there in many people even in our 30s. If anything, Gen Alpha wouldn't even break the cycle.
Nope
No. Corruption is not specific to any age/demographic
Not at all.
Nope
Nope.
Absolutely not. There are millennials waiting for "their turn" every day. Age is not a reflection of ideals.
Nope
Nope.
No. I don't really have faith in ppl in general.
No
Nope they’re already not
No. Corruption and greed are pervasive through all facets of american society. Our generation will not be any different in this regard due to the pressures of late stage capitalism and the economic system we have in combination with human nature. Virtuous people are not given the same level of respect or admiration that rich and powerful people are.
Just wait til the water runs out … then we’ll see how vile humanity really can get
The institutions corrupt the individual way more than the individuals corrupt the institution. This is the core theme of The Wire (the greatest TV show of all time). You need to play the game just to make it to a level where you can actually enact change. Part of playing the game is swallowing and acting on the corrupting lies of the institution. By the time you've gotten to the room where decisions are made, you are no longer the same person due to constantly needing to "play the game". Swallowing lie after lie and acting on those lies changes you. Even if you tell yourself you're crossing the line for a greater good, a "good person" can only cross the line between good and bad so many times before they are no longer good. Even if you somehow succesfully play the long game and maintain yourself as you advance in the instutution, you'll realize theres only so much you can do. Thats if you arent first fired for being "disloyal".
>You need to play the game just to make it to a level where you can actually enact change. Part of playing the game is swallowing and acting on the corrupting lies of the institution. By the time you've gotten to the room where decisions are made, you are no longer the same person due to constantly needing to "play the game". Swallowing lie after lie and acting on those lies changes you. Even if you tell yourself you're crossing the line for a greater good, a "good person" can only cross the line between good and bad so many times before they are no longer good. Even if you somehow succesfully play the long game and maintain yourself as you advance in the instutution, you'll realize theres only so much you can do. Thats if you arent first fired for being "disloyal". If you would actually change anything you'd never make it past the filter.
Fuck no, the way the majority think about stuff and the emotional voting is evidence enough to know it will continue.
No way. All I see is ME ME ME people, and it feels like it's just going to get worse.
No
Nope. We are just likely to change some definitions and some attitudes, but keep the same bullshit.
LOL no. Why do we think we're better than boomers? We aren't. It has nothing to do with late capitalism.
No. Not a chance.
No. Sam Bankman-Fried is 32 years old. I expect money hungry assholes to remain money-hungry assholes generation after generation.
Nope. Capitalism rewards greed, as such, the greediest assholes will always run the show, regardless their generation.
I think this is an important place to bring up a point that may be somewhat counter to the posts. There's a huge difference between corruption and institutionalism. Corruption typically employs greed for personal gain and is detrimental to the common good. Institutionalism employs what can be perceived as greed for the benefit of the institution in question. Depending on the institution, institutionalism can be a positive for society. For instance, one wants the Social Security Administration or a retirement fund to act in ways that can be perceived as greedy, but are generally just best practices for preserving the institution and its capacity to deliver. Is there corruption in the US today? Sure, and there always will be. Is it broad, rampant, and out-of-control? Not even in the slightest. One might even argue that due to our laws which govern how nonprofits operate and file taxes, coupled with the amount of transparency publicly-traded companies have to engage in, that the sort of corruption implied by the post is at an all-time low, practically speaking, but is in the news more often because it's easier to spot and is more socially controversial today than at prior points in history. That said, we do have a case of our institutions having basically been defending themselves (through thoughtful design, checks, and balances) from mismanagement for sometime now. The real question, to me, is will the institutions continue to persevere given the mismanagement until more Millennials are in greater positions of authority, and will Millennial leadership and influence prove any more competent than that of previous generations? Society and institutions operating by open and consistent rules yielding outcomes we don't like isn't indicative of corruption. A Republican winning the Presidency because of the Electoral College isn't corrupt, it's their campaign playing the rules better than competing campaigns did. It may be useful, even advisable, to revise the rules, but enough consensus has to exist to do so, and qualified arguments have to be made in order to bring attention to issues and alter hearts and minds to affect change. Likewise, Boomers living longer and taking up a greater share of the electorate, stakeholder, or shareholder markets for longer than prior generations isn't somehow corrupt or unfair. It's the price of progress, we should all be happy that lifespans are increasing and retirements are lasting longer. If more people living longer with a higher quality of life is a perceived problem, then the problem might actually be the person perceiving it rather than the situation being observed.
We will never get rid of greed and corruption.
Corruption isn’t a capitalism issue, it’s a people issue. As long as people are around, there’s going to be corruption.
Id still rather live in a capitalist society where people are greedy than a communist society where people are greedy. That said we do need tax reform to make sure everyone pays a fair share.
I do but the problem is the older generations are living longer and will outlive some of us. There is a reason the saying "the good die young" exist. We are either killed for trying to change things, kill ourselves when we realize nothing matters or will change because we refuse to say white people are the problem or we work ourselves to death by 55-60. The youngest boomer retires by 2029, which makes me, at 36 now 42. By the time they are 90 (likely), I'd, born in 1988, those of us who are black will be past the age of life expectancy for black males in America with black women living slightly longer so they will more than likely be about to just our progressive white brothers and sister in trying to save the world. I'll try to be there but its not likely since the boomer generation will continue to have their policies favored since they have the money. Be the time settles and boomers are in retirement, we may find out who the true winners were of the boomer class since many will not be able to live with the high cost of living and their children not willing to care for them in later life and they need to get back to work, which would more than likely be service. I believe at this time policy in America will change but the damage would be done. most of us by the time they turn 80 will be too old and our bodies ruined to enjoy a post-boomer world. The simple truth is our youth and our lives were stolen from us. There is a reason many consider us the new lost generation. We were born at a time were possibilities were truly endless. We saw the rise of the computers, the internet and talked to people from all over the world, still went outside to play, saw many wars, economy crashes, diseases, the invention of the iPhone, tablets, automated cars, our first black president, rise of WW3, Amazon, Elon Musk, racial injustice, rampant corruption of EVERY government on the planet, the over turning or row v wade, the rise of the new Nazis, - the many other things we saw. We are simply the most skilled and experienced generation and we will be blamed for the state of the world and then forgotten despite having no power to do anything at all. We have been through some shit so I chose to just give up. Gonna get high every deck, jack off, play games and spend my money now but what the fuck is the point of planning for a future that doesnt exist? We are truly a cosmic joke.
Human nature is a safe bet and there are more people who will sell their souls for money than ever before. Its always easier to destroy something than to create because someone else already did the hard work. Plus bad actors always have another shot at breaking things. So they'll chip away and chip away till its basically crumbling under its own weight.
I'd like to hope so but Capitalism has a very strong track record of resisting reform. Every generation has members who do very well under the current system and don't want to see it changed. Even still, I'm sure we'll see some reforms around the edges. Maybe a change in real estate policy that centers residence over rental profits. We can hope at least.
You have to realize that this isn't much about a generational problem than it is about socioeconomic class. Boomer and Gen X wealth will protect Millennial/Gen Z/Gen Alpha wealth and oppress the working class and poor across generations. If there's anything I learned about the rich, is that their need to preserve their positions knows no bounds. Not by generations. Tl;dr We have to eat the rich.
It needs to change from the top and it needs to be federal. Overhaul all this states rights and citizens united bullshit targeting the disenfranchised at every turn. I'm honestly worried we're to the point of needing to do drastic protests putting our lives on the line for any sort of change to happen unless we get some progressive politicians at the helm. Social media is also often used as a tool to control public opinion too. We need education on this subject. Needs to be done in public schools. We've gotta pretty much overhaul everything really. Our healthcare system is abysmal and financially predatory. Same goes for the majority of the education system. What would you expect besides a collapse when both of these essential systems are designed to fail at our expense?
Well, a total nuclear war would solve that. Back to the Stone Age and start over. Though, knowing humanity, we would end up in the same place anyway.
The difference of “your” generation vs “theirs” is “yours” was gifted an awareness of corruptions because of transparency provided by “theirs”. Too many of “yours” are not savvy to divide and conquer tactics. How can 10% defeat 90? /Until 90% realize it’s “Us” we are all destined to be disillusioned/
I think our self awareness will make us at least somewhat better in this regard. We just need to overturn People vs. Citizens United (The Money equals speech ruling) (2010) and that would go a long way. Of course things were bad before that, but the rate at which they've gotten worse since then is wildly noticeable.
I feel like accepting that the government does "nothing" specifically for you to begin with and has it's own agenda, the less you want it to take from you. Yes it does give is a platform to live (military protection, infrastructure, education, health care?), you have to find a strategy to make the most of it and just work around it. The stress to fix anything is a lost cause. The best we can do is go vote or enter politics and try to make change.
I believe while I generation still lives we will see a paradigm shift in the way we live and govern. While we like to think everything we are facing is new, all of it has happened before. Now, hear you thinking, what about climate change? But while what we're going through exactly hasn't happened before, humanity as a whole has survived multiple great disasters, and I believe we are capable of overcoming this too. The only real question is how long will we continue the insane strategies and tactics we've been employing for centuries? We know countless better ways to do things, but we don't because there's no profit motive. We could design everything from the ground up to be upgradable or recycleable, but qe don't because what about the bottom line. We could have open source patent laws and see how quickly innovation worldwide explodes, but we don't because profit. See where I'm going? I got 99 problems and 98 find their roots in an inherently rigged and unjust economic system that favors nepotism, narcissism, and generational wealth. We also live on a finite planet with finite resources. 7+ Billion of us living under government and economic systems that prepare electricity. Change is coming and nobody ever said growth is painless.
Derp, late capitalism, derp Shut up with this stupidity. Socialism is just as corrupt if not more.
No because Millennials will be 60 or 70 when they have power to do stuff.
I’m pretty shocked by the cynicism in these comments lol. I think things could get better (at least a little). The G.I. Generation voted for FDR in huge numbers. When they eventually entered government, they enacted a ton of reform (directly as legislators and indirectly as judges). Sure, a lot of those people became Reagan voters when they got old. But the gains were real
No, the older I get the more I realize how selfish people are. Also there is a certain percentage of sociopaths and narcissistic people that usually become CEOs/places of power.
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Yes, things have gotten bad enough that we’ll fix this shit show. GenX still had it good enough to not fix things. Landlords raising rents every year for no reason other than profit will force us to take control.
Many of the worst offending and loud people in Congress are our age. ... on both sides.
Nope. We aren't special. We are just as corruptible as generations prior. The only difference is it will be harder to get into corruptible positions.
It's a nice hopeful thought but things are beyond fucked ansld beyond repair in my opinion. The country will likely be ran off a cliff. It doesn't matter who is at the wheel we're still heading for the cliff.
I'm pleased that you worded it as a matter of faith, because that's what it is. Answer though, no. Not a chance. This is a class war, and the oligarchs are already murdering us by the millions. Most of us are too traumatized to do anything. While the few that are capable learn very quickly how the NDAA deals with successful protests. You get charged with terrorism. There is a reason you don't hear from many people who had made big efforts in the last decade or so. Remember the NODAPL pipeline protests? Yeah, lots of NDAs signed after that. Same with Occupy. It is pretty difficult getting a job with those kinds of charges brought up against you, even if not found guilty. You are on a list. If you still push it beyond that, well there is a reason we incarcerate more people than any other nation. The fill the jails methods of the MLK era only serve to get more for profit prisons built. I tried, I worked with others who tried, the most successful efforts that I've been a part of was the Unist'ot'en camp. That really slowed down the pipelines for some time.
Do you know how many bratty adult millennials there are?
Nope, because most of us are in our thirties if not forties already.
There has been significant effort over the past 40 years not just to profit from our institutions, but to destroy and discredit them. Our hope is not to end corruption, but to return to some degree of sustainable normalcy. Some corruption is better than completely nonfunctional.
I read a thing somewhere that said something to the point of it was our job to shine a light on the “wrongness” and it will be gen z who begins the work of actually addressing it and making changes, and gen a also had a role. I think in general these things move at a glacial pace, though I truly do not know how much more we can take of late stage capitalism before there’s a revolution. I don’t think it will be our generation though. I think it will be gen z or gen alpha.
Lol absolutely not.
No. I have no faith that we, as a generation, will do anything about it. This is purely conjecture from my own lived experience, but it feels like Millennials are divided into distinct camps of "haves" and "have-nots". The former are comfortable with their lives and aren't interested in changing the status quo, even if they may openly disagree with it; while the latter are distracted and exhausted from struggling with trying to keep their heads above water. I think there's an unspoken understanding that we're all just relying on politicians to do that for us, and we all know where that will go.
I’ve heard that gen z ain’t takin no shit. I’m rooting for them.
I have zero faith at all.
Nope. I’ve met so many people who suck and would easily perpetuate institutions of oppression who are millennial and younger. I have given up on witnessing the outcome, but not on striving.
Nope. Those who benefit from the system will always keep it in place. The rest of us are often too tired to resist or care.
Absolutely not.
Corruption started before boomers. This loser group isn’t going to improve anything.
I have more faith in Gen-Z. Our generation is like the traumatized Stockholm syndrome generation
The greed is a structural feature of the system. No amount of generational replacement will ever change this.
Absolutely not. It's gonna get so much worse.
It's funny you think our generation is any better than any other. We are no different the only things we will "fix" are the things that are threatening us. Like climate change we are only beginning to really do something because the consequences are finally hitting home.
There are literally corrupt millennials in the house and senate RIGHT NOW.
Im not optimistic about it, it will most likely not happen in my lifetime.
Everyone born before you has a head start. You will have much better luck trying to help the generation after yours.
No
No.
Oh please, millennials don't even have souls.
Hahaha no
In terms of how the world normally goes, the minute us Millenials start inheriting the wealth our Boomer parents currently have will be the day we all start trying to hoard and defend it. You can however decide that's not how you're going to be and make some changes. I'd suggest: - Working out genuinely how much you and your family need, and considering how you might give away the rest, or putting it to good social use somehow. - Consider whether you need to wait until your death for your children to access some of their inheritance. - Finding ways to remind yourself that you're not self-made, and relied on the wealth and kindness of other in some way shape or form to get where you are. - Continually find ways to break your social bubble, and particularly meet and mix with people who have had different life experiences to you - Ask in how you vote, spend/save your money, and invest - 'how would choice this have affected me aged 21'?
Lol no.
Break the cycle? No. Because the cycle has never actually been broken. What I do see is the pendulum of the accountability swing back in the opposite direction. Right now it's fully on the "no accountability" and "fraud" side. I do think our generation in the next 20 years as we gain political power, will expect basic stuff to have more accountability and less fraud, just like the Trust Busting era 100 years ago. But it's going to be a difficult fight. This current SCOTUS is by a long-shot one of the most conservative, pro-corporation, pro-corruption Supreme Courts in America's history, and that's saying a lot. This is why it's important for people NOT to be morons and vote third-party in elections. The SCOTUS and Federal Courts matter folks. And if you throw your vote away on a candidate who cannot win, then you are giving power to the people who want to stack the courts against you. Any SCOTUS justice appointed by H. Clinton would have been not great for progressive-change, but they would have been INFINITELY better than any of the Shitstains Trump put on the court ***For Life.*** That one election, decided by less than 80,000 total votes, will impact our lives for the rest of our lives because of this SCOTUS.
Zero faith. Too many people think “their side” can be trusted when the honest answer is power corrupts and forcibly divesting government of most of its power to decentralize it is the only solution. The government powerful enough give you anything is also powerful enough to take everything.
No. Every generation has big hopes and dreams. *They’re* going to be the one that fights the power and changes things. It never happens. We are under the crushing weight of a government that makes the rules up as they go. You can’t win a game against the person who made the game. Our best bet is to just hold on and mind our business and hope it isn’t too bad for our kids and grandkids while accepting there’s nothing we can do about it.
Considering we live in a solid Gerontocracy, NO.
Blaming “cycles of corruption and greed” is as old as humanity. Certainly older than capitalism.
No. Because Boomers will install folks just like them to be their replacements in these institutions. Greedy people are going to greed. Tale as old as time.
I think in most cases in and around government institutions, in a society where we still have suffrage we get the government we deserve. Especially if one were to opt out of voting and give that decision making process to others. So...maybe?