Next Generation Should Be An Improvement

I am a member of the post-war "Baby Boomer" generation.   It was a generation that lived through some exciting times and got a few things accomplished.   We were able to end segregation and legally institute civil rights for minorities.   We also helped the country to become more sexually liberated and helped women toward a more equitable role in American society.   We helped to end a disastrous nation-building effort in Vietnam (but sadly forgot pretty quickly the lessons learned from that).

But although my generation got a few things accomplished and helped with the rebirth of liberal left-wing thought in the United States, those with a liberal point-of-view were never in the majority.   And after the turbulence of the 60s and 70s, many "Baby Boomers" became more conservative.   This prevented many of the big changes that needed to be made in this country.   We have left this country in the hands of the greedy giant corporations and the special-interest groups.

However, a new poll done of the next generation by Eric Greenberg shows that there is hope that they will do a better job than the current generation.   The Millennial Generation, those born between 1978 and 2000, was once called "Generation Me" in the expectation that they were turning out to be a selfish generation.   It looks like that was wrong and they are turning out to be more a "Generation We".

Although they may be the first generation to think they may not be better off than their parents' generation, they are approaching that belief with a positive attitude and a belief that they can work together to get through it and make the changes to the American government, institutions, economy, environment and society that are necessary.   They are more liberal, more tolerant, and willing to sacrifice.

Here are some of the observations that Greenberg made from the survey:

>Self-aware and committed to generational solidarity. Millennials do not see themselves at odds with older generations of Americans, but they do believe their generation has a unique set of experiences that set them apart.

> Strongly progressive, socially tolerant, environmentally-con- scious, peace-loving, and poised to lead the biggest leftward shift in recent American history.

> Sober but optimistic in their assessment of the future. The Millennials worry about being the first generation in American history to be worse off than their parents—but they believe this fate can be avoided through shared effort.

> Enthusiastic about the power of collective social action. Millennials don’t see government as a panacea, but they believe in its potential and want to take it back from the special interests and the power elites.

> Unselfish and socially committed. The Millennials are not a “Generation Me” but rather a “Generation We.” They volunteer in record numbers and declare themselves ready to sacrifice their self-interest for the greater good.

> Incredibly tuned in to technology, having already played a major role in creating and shaping technologies (such as social networking) that are changing the world.

> Innovation-minded, seeing not a world of limits but one of pos- sibilities in which anything can be accomplished with enough creativity and determination.

>Post-ideological, post-partisan, and post-political. Millennials disdain rigidly “conservative” or “liberal” approaches, and they are fed up with the interest-group conflicts and identity- based appeals they see as dominating politics.

And here are some of the survey particulars that I found interesting:

Does your generation share specific attitudes, beliefs and experiences that separate you from previous generations?
Agree...............90%
Disagree...............9%
Don't Know...............1%

Do you believe that 20 years from now your generation will live in a country that is better off or worse off than today?
Better off...............34%
Worse off...............46%
About the same...............20%

Does America's security depend on building strong ties with other countries or on it's own military strength?
Strong ties...............69%
Military strength...............30%

Democrats and Republicans alike are failing our country, putting partisanship ahead of the country's needs and offering voters no real solutions to the country's problems.
Agree...............70%
Disagree...............30%

Individuals can't make a real difference in addressing the issues facing my generation.
Agree...............20%
Disagree...............80%

Businesses and corporate leaders have a responsibility to try to make the world a better place, not just to make money.
Agree...............74%
Disagree...............26%

Our current political and corporate leaders are abusing their power for selfish gains, wasting our nation's resources for their own short-term gain and threatening our long-term security.
Agree...............82%
Disagree...............18%

I am willing to personally make significant sacrifices in my own life to adress the major environmental, economic, and security challenges facing the country.
Agree...............78%
Disagree...............22%

Our nation's continuing dependence on oil has weakened our economy and stifled innovation, left us dependent on foreign countries, and dragged us into unnecessary wars.
Agree...............93%
Disagree...............6%
Don't know...............1%

The health care system in our country is broken and we need to make fundamental changes.
Agree...............96%
Disagree...............4%

We have an unequal education system where students in affluent areas have better resources and learning environments than students in rural and urban areas.
Agree...............92%
Disagree...............8%

Man-made causes are destroying our environment and the Earth's delicate ecosystem, and we could see massive, irreversible damage during our lifetime.
Agree...............91%
Disagree...............9%

America's civil rights are being undermined more every day.
Agree...............92%
Disagree...............7%

Government is dominated by special interests and lobbyists.
Agree...............95%
Disagree...............5%

The growing gap between the wealthy and the rest of us must be addressed, because no democracy can survive without a large and vibrant middle class.
Agree...............90%
Disagree...............9%

I am encouraged by the results of this survey.   I cannot believe my own generation (from which our current leaders come) would answer the same way.   Far too many of us have bought into the corporate and special interest lies.   The Millennial Generation seems to be able to see through those lies and actually see the mess this country is in (and the reasons for that mess).

I look forward to them assuming leadership in this country and I hope they are able to follow through and make the fundamental changes that are needed.   And I hope I can stick around long enough to see some of those changes made.

Here is the link to the full survey.